Desktop Environment / Window Manager Preference/Comparison Thread

[Stormy Eyes]

Like this.

That's good for about four apps. Oh well, it's not like I have to care; I'm not stuck with GNOME.

[23meg]

That's good for about four apps.

My point is that it's good for about four apps in one workspace (I can actually bear with 6-7 but it's rarely needed) as long as you don't set the window list to display windows from all workspaces.

BTW, that article is really lame in that it wants to do away with the workspace switcher altogether. I hate it when people extrapolate based on very few real life observations that "noone but the nerdiest people use it anyway" about FOSS apps / features. It's no coincidence that these are people who have mainly used Windows most of their life, thus carry with them their Windows-based prejudices about how things should be and can't stand any real change; that's fine by me in fact, as long as they speak just for themselves and not "the majority of people".

[Malphas]

Yes, I should point out that I like the workspace switcher and don't agree with the article on that point. But pretty much everything else mentioned is how I set up my own desktop. Whenever I've set up Ubuntu or another distribution on someone's PC and then showed them the workspace switcher, they've all commented on it being a nifty and useful feature, I have no idea if they any of them actually use it regularly though or whether they've forgotten all about it.

[poofyhairguy]

Yes, I should point out that I like the workspace switcher and don't agree with the article on that point. But pretty much everything else mentioned is how I set up my own desktop.

yeah, that part got me:

First of all, remove the virtual desktop switcher. I strongly believe Real Users don’t know what those four gray squares do anyway, and they’re not likely to find any use of the feature if someone tells him/her what they’re there for. It’s clearly a geek feature for very organized people wanting to separate different tasks or hide stuff that clutters the desktop.

How is any "Real User" (a bad term if I ever read one) ever supposed to figure out how to use this great feature if they do not know it exists. I SELL people on Ubuntu BASED on the power of the virtual desktops- this person makes too many assumptions.

Oh well...its not hard to consolidate the Gnome Panels as it is (and you can pretty much bet that a single panel will never be the default - anything too close to Windows is seen as a mistake).

[23meg]

I SELL people on Ubuntu BASED on the power of the virtual desktops- this person makes too many assumptions.

Same for me; Windows users I've seen immediately start raving about how useful multiple workspaces are as soon as they see them for the first time. This guy is begging for the removal of the workspace switcher as a Gnome default, though; not even a distro default. Some people really want everyone to go twenty years back just because they themselves can't get used to a certain feature.

[poofyhairguy]

Same for me; Windows users I've seen immediately start raving about how useful multiple workspaces are as soon as they see them for the first time. This guy is begging for the removal of the workspace switcher as a Gnome default, though; not even a distro default. Some people really want everyone to go twenty years back just because they themselves can't get used to a certain feature.

I don't think thats the motive. I think instead the writer believes (like many) that the purpose of the Linux Desktop (and therefore Gnome) is to provide an easy to use alternative for Windows switchers. So, since Windows does not have two panels neither should Gnome. Since Windows does not have virtual desktops by default neither should Gnome.

Of course the falacy is that by doing this Gnome hides some of the features that make its desktop better than a default Windows desktop. Many who fall into this trap believe that other problems of Windows (malware, viruses, cost) will drive users to the Linux Desktop if the defaults would welcome switchers more. The obvious problem with this analysis is that those who can't deal with Windows problems (in general) won't know what the unmarketed Linux IS and won't have the skills/devotion needed to switch over.

[nKov]

I love virtual desktops. It really hurt to lose them when I switched from an Nvidia Geforce to an ATI Radeon. I think you'd have to be completely crazy to get rid of them.

And they aren't hard to use at all. I'm 15 now, and it was probably about 3 years ago that I was using them.

Edit (clarification):
My point is that if your average 12 year old can "get it," most adults should be able to too.

[Malphas]

This is only barely related, but I don't want to make a new thread about it. Does anyone that's handy with the GIMP/Photoshop feel like making a much better version of this: ? Obviously that looks like crap, I just knocked it together in five minutes.

[BoyOfDestiny]

I don't think thats the motive. I think instead the writer believes (like many) that the purpose of the Linux Desktop (and therefore Gnome) is to provide an easy to use alternative for Windows switchers. So, since Windows does not have two panels neither should Gnome. Since Windows does not have virtual desktops by default neither should Gnome.

Of course the falacy is that by doing this Gnome hides some of the features that make its desktop better than a default Windows desktop. Many who fall into this trap believe that other problems of Windows (malware, viruses, cost) will drive users to the Linux Desktop if the defaults would welcome switchers more. The obvious problem with this analysis is that those who can't deal with Windows problems (in general) won't know what the unmarketed Linux IS and won't have the skills/devotion needed to switch over.

Indeed. When I switched to Linux I decided to give gnome a try. I did not remove the top panel, and then make the bottom like the windows start bar. I want to give this "new way" a chance. I still do. My only "qualm" with gnome is no recursive permission changing with nautilus (no biggie thanks to chmod... I still think they should add an option).

P.S Why did this post get drudged up again... It's like 9 months old and had faded into obscurity weeks and weeks ago...

[23meg]

I don't think thats the motive. I think instead the writer believes (like many) that the purpose of the Linux Desktop is to provide an easy to use alternative for Windows switchers.

That's exactly what I meant in my post on the last page: the Windows-centric way of thinking is to blame.

What I keep pointing to people who rant about "Gnome defaults" is that "Gnome defaults" does not necessarily mean the default Gnome settings that come with your distro. Distros configure Gnome to suit the needs and expectations of their user bases. Has anyone here ever installed Gnome? Anyone fiddled with Garnome? Probably no, because Gnome comes preinstalled with distros, and it's safe to assume that most people use distros, not LFS. When you rant about "Gnome defaults" you're complaining about Gnome's settings that will be presented to every distro and everyone who installs Gnome from scratch. In most cases it's more sensible to complain to the developers of your own distro about how they configure Gnome by default.