Linux users and bad GUI's?

[Ric_NYC]

NO... Thanks.

[Ric_NYC]

It got to a point where it is just bad taste.

[The Real Dave]

I feel like I'm in a minority. After talking to many different users of Linux spanning across many distros, looking at "Post your Desktop" threads on forums, and looking at custom GTK/KDE themes, I have one question:

What's up with a lot of Linux users intentionally having, and wanting bad, old-looking GUI's? Many of them love old, simplistic, text-based GUI's with as minimal icons. On the other hand, you get really tacky "sleek" black and red, or black and blue themes. Hell, even the monochromatic ones are worse. I'm beginning to be under the impression that many Linux users want their desktop that way to intentionally appear like an experienced user who doesn't need a flashy GUI.

Having a good-looking interface won't mean your computer will slow down. This is 2010.

It's simply a thing of taste. To them, it's obviously preferable. I doubt that it's anything to do with looking more experienced.

[K.Mandla]

Just wanted to say thanks for one of the most amusing threads I've read in a while.

For what it's worth, here's a 120Mhz Pentium, 80Mb and an 8Gb CF card, using the framebuffer and screen on 2.6.31-something:



This is a 150Mhz Pentium MMX, with 32Mb and also with an 8Gb CF card, this time running Musca against xserver 1.8.2 and 2.6.32.2:



These, to me, are beautiful GUIs. If you don't like them, or think it's ridiculous to use 14-year-old hardware to handle day-to-day tasks, I don't really care.

Linux gives me the freedom to do those things, and questioning how someone else uses those freedoms is, in my opinion, beside the point. The point is there are no ugly GUIs.

[stars]

i prefer openbox and icewm over any other window manager or desktop environment. i use cli only applications whenever i can regardless the amount of ram the computer may have. though lately, icewm has been my main choice - to me, it's a beautiful and logical window manager.

great blog K.Mandla! meant to tell you that a few days ago!

[TheNessus]

If I wanted glamurous GUI, I would have opted for Windows 7 or Apple.

But I didn't, because I wanted minimalistic GUI.

I want a glamurous GUI, and that is exactly why I use KDE. How are Win7 and OSX relevant at all? how is paying good money relevant to endless customization options linux natively has?

[malspa]

Just wanted to say thanks for one of the most amusing threads I've read in a while.

+1

I got a good laugh out of it, too!

[matthew.ball]

... Snip ...

They are indeed some very beautiful desktops

[beew]

Why are you so obsessed with other people's choices and preferences. They don't affect you, do they ?

I have no problem if some people choose to stick with old technology, either for the challenge or out of nostalgia, but don't tell me they are too poor to do a reasonable upgrade,--there are people in abject poverty but they probably have other priorities than to spend hours online arguing, -that is bull.

By being deliberately provocative, I am getting all these people who use ancient computers and floppies to admit that it is a choice rather than a result of poverty. Thus proving my point While I don't really care about your choice,--even though I sound as though I do to get the reactions I intended,--don't expect sympathy if your things are no longer supported.

Also, it is not I who is putting down others for not doing what I do, well yes , I am, but only as a reaction to people who think that they are somehow superior because they don't want or need guis or care for appearance while in fact making a statement of their own image as geeks. Someone said earlier that nice laptop and pretty guis are a noobish thing, or another guy telling you to use Windows if you want a nice interface.. etc. I find this a rather common attitude among some linux users, though the condescension usually more subtly expressed.

[koenn]

I have no problem if some people choose to stick with old technology, either for the challenge or out of nostalgia, but don't tell me they are too poor to do a reasonable upgrade,--there are people in abject poverty but they probably have other priorities than to spend hours online arguing, -that is bull.

By being deliberately provocative, I am getting all these people who use ancient computers and floppies to admit that it is a choice rather than a result of poverty. Thus proving my point While I don't really care about your choice,--even though I sound as though I do to get the reactions I intended,--don't expect sympathy if your things are no longer supported.

Also, it is not I who is putting down others for not doing what I do, well yes , I am, but only as a reaction to people who think that they are somehow superior because they don't want or need guis or care for appearance while in fact making a statement of their own image as geeks. Someone said earlier that nice laptop and pretty guis are a noobish thing, or another guy telling you to use Windows if you want a nice interface.. etc. I find this a rather common attitude among some linux users, though the condescension usually more subtly expressed.

so, in short, you're trolling.