So typing --enable-gtk2 will give me a nice gtk2 interface?

The problem with X11 is the need to be inside an X11 environment -- namely windows and everything else. I thought the promise of DBUS was the ability to communicate to other applications headlessly, or from command lines, or at least with lower-overhead.

Hmm. I'm starting to reminisce about DDE...

This is where the tradeoff between using something that already exists and something you might invent yourself becomes difficult. Writing your own socket interface that takes string commands or adding your own programming language might be more productive. Honestly, how many programmers actually use X11, or do most use some kind of window-builder interface that hides all the X11?

If you think for a minute, you will realize that Skype runs in X11 environment, so this is natually present.

And nobody removed D-BUS, so you can use it if you want.

Socket interface is in my head, too. But no time to go for it atm.