Re: Install: Compaq LTE 5300
> marc.miller@amd.com writes:
> > Gnome is bigger, yes, but it's better supported.
> > I'd recommend Gnome over FVWM any day.
>
> Depends on what you mean by "supported". Gnome is different to fvwm -
> you can't compare one with the other. Gnome provides an extra layer of
> functionality which people may or may not want.
Can we *please* get back to laptop matters instead of desktop "religious
wars"? Saying "I'd recommend Gnome any day over Fvwm" is like saying
"I'd recommend a motorcycle over a bicycle any day." Which sounds good,
but only if you're in a context where you can afford gas, and don't mind
the noise that goes with a motor vehicle, even a very small, maneuverable
one. Most people who *want* a motorcycle or a car could make do with a
bicycle -- and some prefer to travel light.
"supported" = commercially maintained? I personally think the "pure" debs
behave better than Ximian's, so I'm not sure that's a feature. Okay, I'll
grant that making sure the core developer types can always afford the rent
and the grocery tab is a good thing.
"supported" = comes with commercial distros, gets commercial tech support?
Both Gnome and K have been coming with things for awhile - K ships with
commercial Debian variants too - and fvwm has come with every distro of
Linux I've played with in the last several years, Debian or otherwise.
But hey, if you want tech$upport you can always hire a consultant
<disclaimer>such as myself...</disclaimer>
"supported" = known to work better with the hardware? you gotta be joking.
Every time a Gnome app has given something video headaches it's not been its
fault - really that dimwit X server - even though fvwm, being less agressive
about window painting, generally did behave better, even on a known wacko
like the Savage MX/IX when it was still bleeding edge.
A Gnome app is not Gnome the libraries, is not Gnome the set of basic clients
that make the minimum Gnome desktop. Fvwm is only a window manager. Calling
any one of these other things "Gnome" with no qualifiers, is comparing apples
with rainforest ecosystems.
"supported" = you know where to ask the right questions. Well, you're on
the list. If you have some real *questions* about either fvwm or another
wm - or any particular Gnome app - ask 'em. We can try to asnwer, or point
you to places where the answer might be. You want to just this-vs-that
about them, join an advocacy newsgroup.
My usual answers about menu setup for (in order of experience with them)
fvwm, e or sawfish are:
apt-get install menu
what sort of effect are you hoping to get from your wm?
show us your config file, we can comment it up a bit more.
There are other Gnome-compliant wm's, but someone else would have to
help you with icewm, I've used it twice, and all I ever did was change
a theme to something more boring than it came with to soothe some ruffled
feathers.
* Heather Stern * star@ many places...
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