Re: Debian default desktop environment
2014-04-05 20:18 GMT+02:00 brian m. carlson <sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>:
> On Sat, Apr 05, 2014 at 07:57:50PM +0200, Josselin Mouette wrote:
>> Could you please sum up those discussions and explain what kind of
>> changes you would consider to be productive?
>
> I can sum up the discussions that were had last time on debian-devel for
> you, at least as I remember them.
>
> * XFCE fits on one installation CD, which is relevant for those people
> who have slow or expensive Internet access (which is many parts of the
> developing world). The older machines which may be more likely to be
> in use in those areas may not have a DVD drive, or downloading 4 GB
> for a DVD may be prohibitive in time or cost.
> * It works better on older and less powerful machines[0].
> * Some people claim that the interface is more familiar for
> non-technical people coming from other operating systems. This is the
> subject of much debate, however.
> * Similarly, some people dislike the GNOME shell interface and prefer a
> more traditional desktop environment[1].
> * There were concerns about accessibility support, "particularly for the
> blind"[2].
> [...]
Those aren't "solid" arguments...
Replace "Xfce" with $anydesktop and you will get the same result. MATE
is not an argument for the vague "some people dislike GNOME-Shell"
(who is some people? why are they more important than the ones who
like the GNOME-Shell?) - some people didn't like KDE so they started
Trinity, so you could use the same argument there.
GNOME could be made to fit on CD1 (we use stronger compression now and
could leave out some components)[1].
For the accessibility stuff, I would say GNOME offers one of the best
experiences - and I say that as KDE user and developer.
So, we need other arguments to switch to GNOME/Xfce/KDE as default
than that ones.
Cheers,
Matthias
[1]: Personally, I think we should offer a DVD instead of a CD as
primary installation medium. A CD could still be optional, offering a
installation media with reduced components (e.g. no LibreOffice by
default) for those who need/want it.
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