Gnome 2, Gnome 3, KDE, XFCE, LXDE, Unity?

[galacticaboy]

Which one do you prefer? Gnome 2, Gnome 3, KDE, XFCE, LXDE, or Unity? Tell us why, and being pretty is not good enough! lol Tell us why you prefer this one? What is it about that one that attracts you to it?

Mine is Gnome 2 and XFCE, The two almost go hand in hand, especially Xubuntu. I prefer Gnome 2 because it is what I started with and it fits on my computer better than Unity or Gnome Shell. LXDE is ugly as is KDE. XFCE is small and lightweight and also works wonders on my older PC.

[acp77]

I have been using ubuntu for almost 8 years now and have always used gnome until earlier this year when I tried kde. I had been using kde based applications such as dolphin and ktorrent anyway so I figured I would give it a try. It was beautiful and quirky. I had too many problems getting my ipod to work and some issues with stability. I am sure if it becomes a little more stable and can work out the issue with ipods I would be using it still. So just the other day I installed xubuntu and have been testing it out to see if I like it. I just am not a big fan of where gnome is going and I find myself with a wait and see approach to unity. So I find myself in limbo, although from my initial testing with xfce it does have potential to win out as my default.

[galacticaboy]

I have been using ubuntu for almost 8 years now and have always used gnome until earlier this year when I tried kde. I had been using kde based applications such as dolphin and ktorrent anyway so I figured I would give it a try. It was beautiful and quirky. I had too many problems getting my ipod to work and some issues with stability. I am sure if it becomes a little more stable and can work out the issue with ipods I would be using it still. So just the other day I installed xubuntu and have been testing it out to see if I like it. I just am not a big fan of where gnome is going and I find myself with a wait and see approach to unity. So I find myself in limbo, although from my initial testing with xfce it does have potential to win out as my default.

Exactly, I do not like the way Gnome is going either and I am not a big fan of Unity, and I do not want to hear this crap that you can use the old gnome, yes but for how long? It will soon be phased out and no longer supported. That just does not cut it for me, I also am not a fan of where Xubuntu 11.04 is going, I do not like that dock thing at the bottom, I like XFCE just the way it is in Xubuntu but that is great thing about Linux, it is so customizable it is unreal. I think I will stick with Xubuntu and XFCE for a while!

[handy]

I like a mix, I like Openbox with just a dash of Xfce thrown in to add some flavour.

[Version Dependency]

None of the above. I prefer running window manager only environments. I keep an openbox session (my default desktop) and a compiz fusion standalone session (for some eyecandy that's a bit lighter than the full Gnome DE) on my PC. Basically, I'm a right-click menu kinda guy. :D

[cariboo]

Exactly, I do not like the way Gnome is going either and I am not a big fan of Unity, and I do not want to hear this crap that you can use the old gnome, yes but for how long? It will soon be phased out and no longer supported. That just does not cut it for me, I also am not a fan of where Xubuntu 11.04 is going, I do not like that dock thing at the bottom, I like XFCE just the way it is in Xubuntu but that is great thing about Linux, it is so customizable it is unreal. I think I will stick with Xubuntu and XFCE for a while!

If the Classic desktop manages to stick around until the next LTS 12.04, that should mean that it'll be supported until 2015.

[galacticaboy]

If the Classic desktop manages to stick around until the next LTS 12.04, that should mean that it'll be supported until 2015.


Well if that is true I will then be happy! =-] But after that, I guess I will have to do some tech growing up and get with the flow! Maybe XFCE won't change that much, or KDE will get better. Heck IDK. It's technology, you buy a brand new computer, get it home, its outdated, old tech. This is why technology makes me mad, I mean let me use it for a few days before I have to upgrade! =-]

[false truths]

To be honest, after using all of these except for LXDE, I have to say Gnome 3 with Gnome Shell is very impressive. Yes, there's no maximise button. I've been double clicking the title bar for that for a long time anyway. I also greatly enjoy having access to aero snap. I used this extensively when I used KDE, so when I switched back to Gnome 2, I felt lost without it. Also, yeah, I know there isn't a minimise button. I never really have a true need for it anyway. Automatic workspaces are so convenient, if I really need to get windows out of the way, simply throwing a bunch of them onto other workspaces is very easy.

A note, though, I use AWN with Gnome Shell. On its own, Gnome Shell is highly functional, but when I'm only working with a few windows, it is still easier to just use a dock to switch. When I'm using 10+ windows, though, Gnome Shell is way more efficient then any dock out there, even DBX.


My second choice would have to be KDE. It's extremely modern, extremely well-made, very easy to customise (some may say too easy), and looks very nice, especially with the desktop effects enabled to allow for a transparent panel. If it weren't for my preference for the workflow of Gnome Shell, and my preference of many Gnome default apps (Nautilus, for example) I would have already switched completely to Kubuntu.

[Jagoly]

As long as it isn't blackbox (shiver), it's fine. I use GNOME 2. Gnome 3 is ver hard to use on a big touchpad laptop.

[galacticaboy]

I agree KDE is nice, but when I used Kubuntu and even OpenSuSE KDE, I found both to be very buggy, even with Desktop Effects turned off, it drove me nuts, I eventually said forget it, I am a Gnome kinda guy, but now I am falling for XFCE in Xubuntu, it is sleek, easy to use and frankly, I think its sexy! It to me resembles Gnome, and in KDE I hate how everything starts with a dang K. It annoys me, KTorrent, KPPP, Konqerer (or however you spell it). I like things simple like how XFCE is. KDE is nice and I am sure good for some people, but not for me. It was meant to be graphical. My computer cannot handle that, which is why I suspect that KDE was buggy on my PC. But XFCE is quickly winning my heart over and I think I may become a long time user when Gnome 2 dies out. LXDE almost makes me want to vomit, I think it is terribly ugly, although it is fast and I am sure some people like it, but its not for me, I like a little eye candy while not tipping the scales with bloat ware and effects.


To be honest, after using all of these except for LXDE, I have to say Gnome 3 with Gnome Shell is very impressive. Yes, there's no maximise button. I've been double clicking the title bar for that for a long time anyway. I also greatly enjoy having access to aero snap. I used this extensively when I used KDE, so when I switched back to Gnome 2, I felt lost without it. Also, yeah, I know there isn't a minimise button. I never really have a true need for it anyway. Automatic workspaces are so convenient, if I really need to get windows out of the way, simply throwing a bunch of them onto other workspaces is very easy.

A note, though, I use AWN with Gnome Shell. On its own, Gnome Shell is highly functional, but when I'm only working with a few windows, it is still easier to just use a dock to switch. When I'm using 10+ windows, though, Gnome Shell is way more efficient then any dock out there, even DBX.


My second choice would have to be KDE. It's extremely modern, extremely well-made, very easy to customise (some may say too easy), and looks very nice, especially with the desktop effects enabled to allow for a transparent panel. If it weren't for my preference for the workflow of Gnome Shell, and my preference of many Gnome default apps (Nautilus, for example) I would have already switched completely to Kubuntu.

[galacticaboy]

Also please vote in this poll! Lets keep this thread going, I think we can have some great conversations on here!

[StephanG]

At the moment I adore KDE.

But, I'm trying to love Gnome 2. And in a recent thread, people helped me to get over some misunderstandings I had about its features. So I'm that much closer :)

But the reason I want to learn to love Gnome, is so that I can get excited by all the Gnome advancements as well as KDE. I feel somewhat obligated as an IT student (with a doctor for a dad), to keep my finger on the pulse of the entire Linux community. And Gnome's a big part of that.

But, I am worried about Gnome. They're about to release 3.0, and already there's a lot of folks unhappy with Gnome-shell. And given the momentum that Linux has picked up in the last few years, I'm not sure that Gnome 3.0 will be able to survive in the same way that KDE survived 4.0.

Before 4.0 was released (I was still in highschool, but already using KDE), there were A LOT of speculation on the boards, with many people claiming that it simply wasn't ready. With Gnome-Shell, the problem doesn't seem to be lack of features, or bugs (both easily remidable) but rather with the way its designed.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, but I get the feeling that, to use a surfer analogy: A big wave about to push Linux forward.

But for someone to properly "ride the wave" the surfer needs to be in position a while before it hits, and he needs to be strong and healthy enough to handle it.

KDE seems to be there. They've still got some issues, but they've already gotten their 4.0 release into place, and have spent the last three years getting it stronger, faster, more efficient and more bugfree. So, when manufacturers turn towards Linux in the near future for their tablets, phones, PC, laptops, netbooks, etc. they're almost ready.

But Gnome, making such a drastic change this late in the game, not to mention what appears to be division in the ranks with Unity, complaints brought up against the Gnome community by both Canonical and KDE about making collaboration difficult... Like I said, I'm worried about Gnome.

I guess all I can do, is watch and see how the future unfolds. But, for now, I'm contenting myself by trying to learn the insides and out of Ubuntu 10.10, and the Gnome 2 that its built on.

[galacticaboy]

Linux seems to be almost ignoring the fact that a lot of people turn to Linux to breath new life into old PC's that just cannot run Windows anymore. I mean face it, Windows is still widely used. And when people learn that Linux can put another 5-10 or even more years on their machine, they go for it, I did. Now they are focusing on people having better PC's. Face it there are still a lot of Linux users out there who are running distributions on their machines that are old as the hills. People with Pentium 3 and 4 processors are almost out of luck with Unity and Gnome 3. They will not work on my machine, I have a Pentium 4 and XFCE has a hard enough time running let alone Unity and Gnome 3. We need to get back on track so all users of all ages, and all system specs can potentially run Linux, not just the people with dual core processors or computers with terrabytes of hard drive space. Just an opinion.


At the moment I adore KDE.

But, I'm trying to love Gnome 2. And in a recent thread, people helped me to get over some misunderstandings I had about its features. So I'm that much closer :)

But the reason I want to learn to love Gnome, is so that I can get excited by all the Gnome advancements as well as KDE. I feel somewhat obligated as an IT student (with a doctor for a dad), to keep my finger on the pulse of the entire Linux community. And Gnome's a big part of that.

But, I am worried about Gnome. They're about to release 3.0, and already there's a lot of folks unhappy with Gnome-shell. And given the momentum that Linux has picked up in the last few years, I'm not sure that Gnome 3.0 will be able to survive in the same way that KDE survived 4.0.

Before 4.0 was released (I was still in highschool, but already using KDE), there were A LOT of speculation on the boards, with many people claiming that it simply wasn't ready. With Gnome-Shell, the problem doesn't seem to be lack of features, or bugs (both easily remidable) but rather with the way its designed.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to say, but I get the feeling that, to use a surfer analogy: A big wave about to push Linux forward.

But for someone to properly "ride the wave" the surfer needs to be in position a while before it hits, and he needs to be strong and healthy enough to handle it.

KDE seems to be there. They've still got some issues, but they've already gotten their 4.0 release into place, and have spent the last three years getting it stronger, faster, more efficient and more bugfree. So, when manufacturers turn towards Linux in the near future for their tablets, phones, PC, laptops, netbooks, etc. they're almost ready.

But Gnome, making such a drastic change this late in the game, not to mention what appears to be division in the ranks with Unity, complaints brought up against the Gnome community by both Canonical and KDE about making collaboration difficult... Like I said, I'm worried about Gnome.

I guess all I can do, is watch and see how the future unfolds. But, for now, I'm contenting myself by trying to learn the insides and out of Ubuntu 10.10, and the Gnome 2 that its built on.

[Jagoly]

We need both. Not everyone can survive using blackbox. plus gnome (2) works quite acceptably on my little brother's pentium 3 based Pc.

That machine makes me laugh... My iPod has a faster cpu, double the ram, 4 times the storage space. Even the screen has a higher resolution. So shouldn't my iPod run ubuntu? (not taken seriously)

[galacticaboy]

We need both. Not everyone can survive using blackbox. plus gnome (2) works quite acceptably on my little brother's pentium 3 based Pc.

That machine makes me laugh... My iPod has a faster cpu, double the ram, 4 times the storage space. Even the screen has a higher resolution. So shouldn't my iPod run ubuntu? (not taken seriously)


That would be amazing if iPods could run Ubuntu! I would buy one in a heartbeat!

[StephanG]

Linux seems to be almost ignoring the fact that a lot of people turn to Linux to breath new life into old PC's that just cannot run Windows anymore. I mean face it, Windows is still widely used. And when people learn that Linux can put another 5-10 or even more years on their machine, they go for it, I did. Now they are focusing on people having better PC's. Face it there are still a lot of Linux users out there who are running distributions on their machines that are old as the hills. People with Pentium 3 and 4 processors are almost out of luck with Unity and Gnome 3. They will not work on my machine, I have a Pentium 4 and XFCE has a hard enough time running let alone Unity and Gnome 3. We need to get back on track so all users of all ages, and all system specs can potentially run Linux, not just the people with dual core processors or computers with terrabytes of hard drive space. Just an opinion.

I agree, a lot of people do use Linux because it can breathe new life into old PCs. And I certainly do hope that Gnome remains popular.

It' just that in the software world, software needs time put into it, like we need water. And a big part of the reason that Gnome is as popular as it is, is because a great deal of development time has been put into it.

And if manufacturers decide that Gnome is a risky choice for their hardware, regardless of what hardware it excels on, it will still hurt the amount of time that people are prepared to invest in it.

[galacticaboy]

I agree, a lot of people do use Linux because it can breathe new life into old PCs. And I certainly do hope that Gnome remains popular.

It' just that in the software world, software needs time put into it, like we need water. And a big part of the reason that Gnome is as popular as it is, is because a great deal of development time has been put into it.

And if manufacturers decide that Gnome is a risky choice for their hardware, regardless of what hardware it excels on, it will still hurt the amount of time that people are prepared to invest in it.

True, but since it is Open Source maybe someone else could take on future development of Gnome 2 to keep it alive, but maybe not to Incorporate it into bistros but allow it as a download so we can still use it if we want it, but keep it up to date...


Oh wow, I will leave that spell check, my Firefox spell checked "Distros" into "Bistros." I am laughing!

[StephanG]

The point I'm trying to make, is that the world is starting to notice us. And if we want to tap into that, and convince people to use Linux, which will attract more developers, we need to impress them on all levels. For people with old, and new hardware.

I'm just saying that I would hate to see a repeat of KDE 4.0, because this time, it won't stay inside Linux forums, it will be reviewed and discussed in every PC magazine, website or talkshow you can imagine. It is, after all, the "new release of the most popular desktop for the operating system that android was built off".

I guess what I'm trying to say is just, that I wish Gnome 3 happened a year earlier, then it would be better prepared for the expectant market.

[Khakilang]

I prefer Gnome 2 because it is very straight forward and easier to find my around the application. Next will be XFCE because of its light weight. I like KDE but sometime I find it a bit confusing and slightly complicated. Not too sure about Unity though. May try and see for myself.

[NightwishFan]

Usually Gnome or XFCE, at times I use Windowmaker.

[ilovelinux33467]

Using KDE here. GNOME 3 is looking quite nice IMO. Haven't tried Unity yet.

[galacticaboy]

Usually Gnome or XFCE, at times I use Windowmaker.

What is Windowmaker? I have never heard of that one!

[slackthumbz]

What is Windowmaker? I have never heard of that one!

Windowmaker is a NeXtSTEP (sp?) clone from GNU. It's not the prettiest thing in the world but it's lightweight and relatively easy to configure.

http://windowmaker.org/

Doesn't look like it's had any updates since 2008 though so the project may be stagnant.

[StephanG]

Just took a look at the poll.

So far, Ubuntu is the most popular desktop, and uses Gnome. Gnome 3, and Unity aren't released yet.

What I can't help but notice, is that the only stable Gnome desktop(gnome 2), on the forum of the most popular Gnome desktop, is only beating KDE by a hair. And that's not even taking into account that according to the poll, and enormous chunk of gnome users have already jumped ship to Gnome-shell/Unity.

I wonder what would happen if the poll was asked on the Kubuntu, Opensuse, Debian, Fedora, etc. forums?

[galacticaboy]

Just took a look at the poll.

So far, Ubuntu is the most popular desktop, and uses Gnome. Gnome 3, and Unity aren't released yet.

What I can't help but notice, is that the only stable Gnome desktop(gnome 2), on the forum of the most popular Gnome desktop, is only beating KDE by a hair. And that's not even taking into account that according to the poll, and enormous chunk of gnome users have already jumped ship to Gnome-shell/Unity.

I wonder what would happen if the poll was asked on the Kubuntu, Opensuse, Debian, Fedora, etc. forums?


Haha who knows? As I use Xubuntu more and more, I keep falling in love with it, it runs so smooth and great! It is perfect!

[Copper Bezel]

I'm just saying that I would hate to see a repeat of KDE 4.0, because this time, it won't stay inside Linux forums, it will be reviewed and discussed in every PC magazine, website or talkshow you can imagine. It is, after all, the "new release of the most popular desktop for the operating system that android was built off".

Ubuntu's the most popular distro, though, and it's using Unity instead of Shell. Even with the transition to Gnome 3 underneath a bit later on, Unity is going to look roughly the same as it does now, which is a very traditional mix of Windows and Mac features and closer to Gnome 2 than Shell is. There's not going to be a big mess as there was with KDE. For the folks writing those PC mags and blogs (talk shows, seriously?) it's going to look like a minor update to the Classic Gnome interface.

Oh, yes, poll. I voted Gnome 2, but I hate the classic layout. On Gnome 3, I'll still be using Compiz and AWN. At this point, I'm using Gnome because I know how it works and because it plays the nicest with Compiz, and I wouldn't use any other panel or shell over AWN.

[StephanG]

(talk shows, seriously?)

We had a Open Source talk show here in South Africa a while back, and I'm listening to the latest Linux Action Show over youtube as I'm typing this. They might be the only examples, but I really wanted three examples and I couldn't think of anything else... :lolflag:

But, my brother is an electronic engineering student, and listening to him I get the idea that other industries are starting to take notice of Linux. So, I can only imagine that it will be well discussed.

Edit: I'm just saying that if I, for example, decide that I want to sell a Linux laptop I'm going to do my research. And I think that to me(as the hypothetical vendor) could either choose between KDE, which has managed to bring out a consistent six month release schedule with massive improvements in each release. Or I could choose XFCE/LXDE which runs great on slower processors like ARM. Or: I could choose Gnome, which has just brought out a new release which will take some time to iron out the most bugs that become apparent after release, has apparently lost the faith of its largest implementer (Canonical), and is reported (in recent blogs) to be very difficult to work with.

Again, I just think Gnome 3 should have happened a bit sooner. Though, that is under the assumption that a lot of people are going to be looking into pre-installing Linux on the hardware they sell in the next 6 - 12 months. Which might not happen at all.

[slackthumbz]

Ubuntu's the most popular distro, though, and it's using Unity instead of Shell. Even with the transition to Gnome 3 underneath a bit later on, Unity is going to look roughly the same as it does now, which is a very traditional mix of Windows and Mac features and closer to Gnome 2 than Shell is. There's not going to be a big mess as there was with KDE. For the folks writing those PC mags and blogs (talk shows, seriously?) it's going to look like a minor update to the Classic Gnome interface.

Oh, yes, poll. I voted Gnome 2, but I hate the classic layout. On Gnome 3, I'll still be using Compiz and AWN. At this point, I'm using Gnome because I know how it works and because it plays the nicest with Compiz, and I wouldn't use any other panel or shell over AWN.

Can you use Compiz as a window manager in gnome-shell? As far as I can see it's very much tied to mutter and I've not found any way yet to change the default windowmanager in it (using latest git builds). AWN still works but compiz seems to not be an option. I suspect what I'll do with Unity is disable the unity plugin and just use Compiz + AWN ;)

[galacticaboy]

I voted Gnome 2 and XFCE. I really hope that when I do try Unity when it is fully released on 11.04 that it works on my PC and I like it, so far I hate it. But I think that has more to do with my PC than anything.

[scouser73]

It has to be Unity for me, simply because I've allowed myself to get used to it and do you know, it's not bad at all. It makes a change from Gnome and as they say; a change is as good as a rest.

[Spice Weasel]

FVWM. It has probably the most customization options and features ever. I love it.

Which other lightweight window manager has its own toolkit built in, support for mouse gestures, floating or tiling, full keyboard control, embedding of windows inside panels and virtual screen support while still being able to fit on only two floppy disks?

[Johnsie]

Gnome2 does the job. It's the applications that need to be better designed, not the launcher/panels.

[Copper Bezel]

Can you use Compiz as a window manager in gnome-shell? As far as I can see it's very much tied to mutter and I've not found any way yet to change the default windowmanager in it (using latest git builds).

I didn't say anything about Shell. I said Gnome 3. Shell requires Mutter.


AWN still works but compiz seems to not be an option. I suspect what I'll do with Unity is disable the unity plugin and just use Compiz + AWN
______________

I've heard that there may be some difficulty with just disabling the Unity plugin (supposedly the top bar space is still reserved, so there's a useless black bar up top.) The trick will be fixing that. It doesn't really matter what the session, though - it's a matter of getting rid of the existing shell (easy for Gnome Panel, possibly tricky for Unity, God knows for Shell) and running AWN and Compiz. That'll apply regardless of the Gnome version and only gets trickier when the Classic desktop is completely discontinued.

[beetleman64]

I selected Gnome 2.x and Unity, because I find they are the simplest to use. I like KDE as well, but it lacks the simplicity and "just works" nature of Gnome and Unity.

However, I grow more wary of Gnome 3 every day. There seems to be a lot of changing things for the sake of it, which is something I hate. Why can't they accept the fact that they were onto a good thing with Gnome 2.x and take the chance to make a big evolution rather than a revolution. To quote someone from my history textbook (almost) "Gnome 3 is worse than the disease it tries to cure".

[ivanovnegro]

I was a big Gnome 2 user because of its simplicity but now Im on the newest KDE and Im enjoying it.
The only thing I dislike about KDE is the worse font rendering, it looks like XP even with all effects and the bling bling things enabled.

[CraigPaleo]

FVWM. It has probably the most customization options and features ever. I love it.

Which other lightweight window manager has its own toolkit built in, support for mouse gestures, floating or tiling, full keyboard control, embedding of windows inside panels and virtual screen support while still being able to fit on only two floppy disks?


What's a floppy disk? :confused:

[Spice Weasel]

What's a floppy disk? :confused:

An 1.44 MB storage device.

[galacticaboy]

What's a floppy disk? :confused:

I hope you were being sarcastic...

[Simian Man]

I like KDE most and then Xfce. With the latest release of Xfce, it does everything Gnome 2 does, but better. I really cannot see the point of using Gnome 2 any longer. In fact most decent Gnome setups are only decent because they've added in 3rd party apps like Compiz, Awn, Gnome-Do etc. Gnome Shell is OK, but just not for me. I haven't tried Unity but it looks even worse than Gnome Shell. LXDE is horrible, even if my computer was incapable of running Xfce, I'd much rather just use Fluxbox.

KDE is just the best, it has so many little things that make it better.

[galacticaboy]

I like KDE most and then Xfce. With the latest release of Xfce, it does everything Gnome 2 does, but better. I really cannot see the point of using Gnome 2 any longer. In fact most decent Gnome setups are only decent because they've added in 3rd party apps like Compiz, Awn, Gnome-Do etc. Gnome Shell is OK, but just not for me. I haven't tried Unity but it looks even worse than Gnome Shell. LXDE is horrible, even if my computer was incapable of running Xfce, I'd much rather just use Fluxbox.

KDE is just the best, it has so many little things that make it better.

I do not like what they did with XFCE in Xubuntu 11.04 with that dock at the bottom, I am not a dock fan.

[Simian Man]

I do not like what they did with XFCE in Xubuntu 11.04 with that dock at the bottom, I am not a dock fan.

I don't know about Xubuntu, which was horrible when I tried it, but I assure you the real Xfce does not have a dock.

I use Fedora, partly because they ship all of the desktops with all of the upstream defaults in place.

[galacticaboy]

I don't know about Xubuntu, which was horrible when I tried it, but I assure you the real Xfce does not have a dock.

I use Fedora, partly because they ship all of the desktops with all of the upstream defaults in place.

10.04 and 10.10 do not ship with a dock, I love the way those ones look, I use 10.04 Xubuntu. But 11.04 and that damn dock. I hate it.

[BigCityCat]

I put xfce on my other partition. It's terrible imho. The broadcom driver loaded and set up but after I restarted stopped working. Compiz ran but was really buggy and had to be restarted almost every time I logged in.

I hate KDE and I used it for two years.

Havn't tried lxde.

Unity still has a long way to go. It will get better after a year or two. Same for Shell.

I am sticking with LTS until shell or unity proves wich is better and LTS runs out.

[rent0n]

Xfce here.
I've been an openbox lover for a long time, though, and I still think it's the best WM around.
Using xfwm is just more convenient and feels much more integrated with the Xfce desktop environment and Xubuntu.

Btw, the "dock" in Xubuntu 11.04 is not a dock, it's just an xfce4-panel, transparent and bigger than usual. You can simply set it up like it was in the previous releases.

[galacticaboy]

I put xfce on my other partition. It's terrible imho. The broadcom driver loaded and set up but after I restarted stopped working. Compiz ran but was really buggy and had to be restarted almost every time I logged in.

I hate KDE and I used it for two years.

Havn't tried lxde.

Unity still has a long way to go. It will get better after a year or two. Same for Shell.

I am sticking with LTS until shell or unity proves wich is better and LTS runs out.

I do not think XFCE/Xubuntu is meant to be a very glitzy desktop environment, it was meant to be used on older hardware PC's.

[BigCityCat]

I do not think XFCE/Xubuntu is meant to be a very glitzy desktop environment, it was meant to be used on older hardware PC's.

Thats sounds accurate.

[XubuRoxMySox]

I too prefer Xfce. It's kinda sorta like "Gnome Lite," and it's awesome on a minimal Ubuntu base. My Xfce panels are simple and functional. One on top is invisible unless I mouse over it, and it's just a taskbar.

The other panel I keep on the bottom, semi-transparent and bigger than the default size. It looks like a dock! But it's better than a dock and has the cool li'l applets I like (screenshot attached).

Xubuntu has been "on a diet" lately, the devs responding to complaints that Xubuntu was no easier on older hardware than regular Ubuntu. Yet it's still as versatile as ever, and IMO alot simpler than Gnome.

I flirted with LXDE for awhile but back then it was really buggy and "Win 98-ish" (my big brother's description of it) and not nearly as customizable. But I do love that file manager so much that I use it in Xubuntu instead of Thunar.

=Robin

[galacticaboy]

I too prefer Xfce. It's kinda sorta like "Gnome Lite," and it's awesome on a minimal Ubuntu base. My Xfce panels are simple and functional. One on top is invisible unless I mouse over it, and it's just a taskbar.

The other panel I keep on the bottom, semi-transparent and bigger than the default size. It looks like a dock! But it's better than a dock and has the cool li'l applets I like (screenshot attached).

Xubuntu has been "on a diet" lately, the devs responding to complaints that Xubuntu was no easier on older hardware than regular Ubuntu. Yet it's still as versatile as ever, and IMO alot simpler than Gnome.

I flirted with LXDE for awhile but back then it was really buggy and "Win 98-ish" (my big brother's description of it) and not nearly as customizable. But I do love that file manager so much that I use it in Xubuntu instead of Thunar.

=Robin

I agree with the LXDE, it was just plain ugly. I guess I am different I like Thunar. Plus the name is funny. I just like everything about XFCE. Plus their mouse mascot it so cute!

[Copper Bezel]

I like KDE most and then Xfce. With the latest release of Xfce, it does everything Gnome 2 does, but better. I really cannot see the point of using Gnome 2 any longer. In fact most decent Gnome setups are only decent because they've added in 3rd party apps like Compiz, Awn, Gnome-Do etc.

That may be, but Compiz, AWN, and Gnome-Do play nicer on Gnome than they do on XFCE.

[beew]

I haven't tried xubuntu since 10.04 (on a live usb), there used to be a strange problem of not being able to cut and paste into the desktop. Is that fixed? The theming was quite uninspring as well (but that could be changed I suppose)

[NightwishFan]

I haven't tried xubuntu since 10.04 (on a live usb), there used to be a strange problem of not being able to cut and paste into the desktop. Is that fixed? The theming was quite uninspring as well (but that could be changed I suppose)

I am not too fond of the new dark Xubuntu theme. Themes are easy to change and XFCE has many many themes. :) (I always configure mine to look like BeOS)

[Simian Man]

That may be, but Compiz, AWN, and Gnome-Do play nicer on Gnome than they do on XFCE.

Why is that? I'm sure they rely on gconf being installed, but other than that there should be no reason they don't run great in Xfce - or any other setup for that matter. I know I've used Gnome-Do and AWN in Xfce before.

[Copper Bezel]

Hmm. Do all of the Compiz desktop effects work? I like Compiz pretending to be Metacity more than Emerald, and that doesn't work in XFCE, but it's not a dealbreaker. If I can switch to XFCE without changing any part of my DE (theming, effects and shortcuts, panel [AWN]) I'll certainly consider doing so.

[3Miro]

Hmm. Do all of the Compiz desktop effects work? I like Compiz pretending to be Metacity more than Emerald, and that doesn't work in XFCE, but it's not a dealbreaker. If I can switch to XFCE without changing any part of my DE (theming, effects and shortcuts, panel [AWN]) I'll certainly consider doing so.

I don't think I managed to get Metacity decorations under Compiz+XFCE, but I didn't try very hard anyway. You will have to install some Gnome things to get this, but it should be possible.

GTK themes work under Gnome and XFCE alike, no issue there.

XFWM4 uses different decorations, however, popular themes like Clearlooks are covered. See the note about Metacity decorations and Emerlad is Emerald.

Shortcuts are supported by either Compiz or xfwm4 (xfwm4 has more shortcuts and options than Metacity).

AWN works under XFCE with both Compiz and XFWM4 (enable composition first).

Xfce4-panel is more stable than Gnome panel and misses only 1-2 features (moving shortcuts is a bit harder).

[Copper Bezel]

I don't use Gnome Panel anyway, and XFCE Panel is easier to kill. I'm using Orta as my theme, so it works equally well with Emerald as Metacity; I just don't like Emerald's behavior settings as much.

I actually tried this out and had almost everything configured the way I wanted it, except that the menus didn't match my Orta. Loading Gnome's mouse settings overwrote XFCE's, the GTK theme and icon theme were working fine, and AWN was as pretty as ever. I was fairly surprised by how fast everything was, too. Then I logged out to pick up my Compiz settings from my Gnome session, and when I tried to go back, found that XFCE died on login, presumably because something else got overwritten. Ah well. = P

[lykwydchykyn]

I've been a die-hard KDE user since 3.2 (apart from taking a little time off during 4.0/4.1 to try alternate DE's). It freaks out now and then, but I always run the absolute latest and greatest so that's probably a contributing factor. The flexibility won me over, and I've done some plasmoid development, so I'm pretty tied in to the platform.

On older machines I like LXDE. I don't know why, but I've just never had an interest in GNOME.

[galacticaboy]

I've been a die-hard KDE user since 3.2 (apart from taking a little time off during 4.0/4.1 to try alternate DE's). It freaks out now and then, but I always run the absolute latest and greatest so that's probably a contributing factor. The flexibility won me over, and I've done some plasmoid development, so I'm pretty tied in to the platform.

On older machines I like LXDE. I don't know why, but I've just never had an interest in GNOME.

I am glad other people have a fondness for KDE and can get it to work. It just never works for me, it seems to bug out on me and just configure itself to do whatever the hell it wants to do. I put something here, nope KDE don't want it there, it moves it over here, or completely removes it. I put that widget there, NOPE wrong again, KDE does not like that widget and removes it from my desktop. Me and KDE are not fond of each other, this is a relationship that a therapist cannot fix.

[youbuntu]

Gnome in general, WindowMaker, E16/E17 (enlightenment), but mainly Gnome :-)

[aguafina]

Me and KDE are not fond of each other, this is a relationship that a therapist cannot fix.

:) The basis of all successful marriages.

[ivanovnegro]

I am glad other people have a fondness for KDE and can get it to work. It just never works for me, it seems to bug out on me and just configure itself to do whatever the hell it wants to do. I put something here, nope KDE don't want it there, it moves it over here, or completely removes it. I put that widget there, NOPE wrong again, KDE does not like that widget and removes it from my desktop. Me and KDE are not fond of each other, this is a relationship that a therapist cannot fix.

My relationship with KDE begun excatly like yours, we did not like each other so much but after some time it was better and now I really appreciate my new relationship with KDE.
Some people say you need time to get in love.

[youbuntu]

Hi :)

Would you consider adding WindowMaker & Enlightenment to your poll options?

[mamamia88]

will i be able to use my compiz effects in gnome 3? i kind of want to try the new interface but i am really content in my lucid setup right now. maybe ill wait until after semester is over to upgrade to natty

[galacticaboy]

Hi :)

Would you consider adding WindowMaker & Enlightenment to your poll options?

That is pretty much what the "Other" options is for. I do not want to overload the poll! =-]

[CraigPaleo]

I haven't tried xubuntu since 10.04 (on a live usb), there used to be a strange problem of not being able to cut and paste into the desktop. Is that fixed? The theming was quite uninspring as well (but that could be changed I suppose)

Perhaps XFCE is due for another try. I had the same experience as you when I first tried it but it was also that I couldn't add launchers without editing paths or some such. I was a newbie then. Even so, a newbie shouldn't have to "know" the OS.

On the other hand, KDE 4.0 also gave me grief but I kept trying it because it appealed to me visually and it has finally become useable as well.

[GSF1200S]

I voted XFCE for my purposes, though LXDE is right there with it. XFCE (4.6 at least) is the best dual-monitor desktop environment ever. Fast, stable, simple, and works well with Gnome/gtk stuff. I use XFCE on my dual monitor monster desktop rig, running compiz, embedded terminals, etc.. It just works and is completely stable. However, my experience with XFCE 4.8 on Arch (4.7?? Been awhile) was less than stellar.

LXDE is what I run on my netbook, and its absolutely perfect. I would say LXDE is my favorite DE for a single screen setup, but unfortunately it does not handle seperate-x dual monitor very well.. Openbox is the best window manager made IMO (especially with Obconf, Obapps, etc), and it fits perfectly in with LXDE. Makes my netbook fast actually ;)

[GSF1200S]

Perhaps XFCE is due for another try. I had the same experience as you when I first tried it but it was also that I couldn't add launchers without editing paths or some such. I was a newbie then. Even so, a newbie shouldn't have to "know" the OS.

On the other hand, KDE 4.0 also gave me grief but I kept trying it because it appealed to me visually and it has finally become useable as well.

No, you STILL cant paste onto the desktop (on 10.10 at least), though perhaps you can on 11.04. Its pretty easy to add things to panel/desktop on XFCE- key is to use the "Application Finder" app.. its all drag and drop from there...

Personally, I really dont care how much a pain in the butt something is at first (to setup), so long as its smooth afterwards..

[Saprissa]

Gnome 3 suits my work style best.

I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's a giant leap in the right direction. While it may seem counter-intuitive to some power users, I think it actually is a more natural way to interact with programs and files.

I'm using Unity right now on the 11.04 Beta, and there are quite a few things about it that make me think it's centered around Canonical's desire to commercialize and monetize Ubuntu rather than the user.

For example, does the user really want to see almost a third of the screen devoted to showing applications available in the Software Center when he clicks "Applications" on the dock? Is he really "shopping" for a new program when he does that? I'm looking to launch an application I already have installed.

KDE is beautiful, but really doesn't suit me at all. I suppose if I spent more time with it, I could adapt, but Gnome 3 just fits me.

[3Miro]

No, you STILL cant paste onto the desktop (on 10.10 at least), though perhaps you can on 11.04. Its pretty easy to add things to panel/desktop on XFCE- key is to use the "Application Finder" app.. its all drag and drop from there...

Personally, I really dont care how much a pain in the butt something is at first (to setup), so long as its smooth afterwards..

Xubuntu 9.10 (maybe even earlier) - Xubuntu 10.10 all come with XFCE 4.6. The next one (11.04) will come with the new XFCE 4.8, which has seen huge changes.

When you add shortcut to the panel, you get to pick from the menu, you no longer have to type the commands. Overall it is now much easier to manage the position of different applets and such (check the screenshot).

I don't know what you mean by "paste" on the desktop.

[BrokenKingpin]

XFCE for sure. This is now my primary DE.

[Copper Bezel]

Unrelated to anything going on in this thread, but after a few more minutes with XFCE, I got everything looking and working exactly as it does in my Gnome interface, except for the font smoothing (which is, in itself, enough reason for me to stick to Gnome, despite the slightly faster login.) Apparently my DE of choice is Compiz, AWN, and GTK, regardless of what DE they're actually managing. = )

[3Miro]

Unrelated to anything going on in this thread, but after a few more minutes with XFCE, I got everything looking and working exactly as it does in my Gnome interface, except for the font smoothing (which is, in itself, enough reason for me to stick to Gnome, despite the slightly faster login.) Apparently my DE of choice is Compiz, AWN, and GTK, regardless of what DE they're actually managing. = )

You can use Compiz as a stand alone DE and probably add Awn to it. XFCE if xfwm4 (which you replaced with compiz), xfce-panel (did you keep a panel or did you replace both by AWM), xfce-menu (AWN has its own) and xfdesktop which can be handled by compiz as well. You are left with nothing by maybe a sound mixer.

Note that applications like Thunar work fine on any DE (when I use Gnome, I still prefer Thunar to Nautilus).

[Copper Bezel]

Yeah, that's what I ended up with - AWN replacing both panels, Compiz/Emerald decorations, Cairo Menu via AWN, and XFCE's sound menu and power manager running in my system tray even though AWN had apparently already loaded Gnome's equivalent daemons alongside them. xfdesktop was the only visible bit of XFCE running. Strangely, though, some configuration elements still seemed different from Gnome - speccifically, my trackpad's middle and right click emulations had been reversed.

And I also use Thunar as my default browser in Gnome. So quick and simple! XFCE's run dialog, too, for Alt+F2 (since I don't use Gnome Panel and Gnome's run dialog is supplied by it.)

Edit: Using Compiz standalone DE. This is damned trippy. = ) I don't have any attachment to XFCE, then.

[Lucradia]

Gnome 2, XFCE and Openbox for my choices.

[jcris]

Xfce does everything I need it to do and its not a huge resource hog, even though saving resources is not a priority for me. I use it as a full on DE and add a ton of crap, and it still keeps on ticking away. On a side note Xfce 4.8 is awful "purdy". :)

[Lucradia]

Xfce does everything I need it to do and its not a huge resource hog, even though saving resources is not a priority for me. I use it as a full on DE and add a ton of crap, and it still keeps on ticking away. On a side note Xfce 4.8 is awful "purdy". :)

Well, if you use a DM, you might want to take it out, and use startx, that way; if someone steals your computer, and they know nothing about linux... they'd have to reformat :V

[Copper Bezel]

You can use Compiz as a stand alone DE and probably add Awn to it. XFCE if xfwm4 (which you replaced with compiz), xfce-panel (did you keep a panel or did you replace both by AWM), xfce-menu (AWN has its own) and xfdesktop which can be handled by compiz as well. You are left with nothing by maybe a sound mixer.

Note that applications like Thunar work fine on any DE (when I use Gnome, I still prefer Thunar to Nautilus).

I'm still playing with this - I have everything working except my Places menu (which opens in Opera, of all things, rather than Thunar.) Custom sessions FTW. = )

[galacticaboy]

*-bump-*

[Copper Bezel]

?!

Why would you bump this thread? Can't it be the one Unity fight thread to just die of natural causes?

To follow up on my last post, though, I did find out that the Places issue had to do with xdg-open, and someone had a hack for it. Apparently I'm changing my vote to "whatever parts of Gnome I feel like putting in my startup script." = D

[Version Dependency]

?!
To follow up on my last post, though, I did find out that the Places issue had to do with xdg-open, and someone had a hack for it. Apparently I'm changing my vote to "whatever parts of Gnome I feel like putting in my startup script." = D

I use Compiz standalone with Thunar as my file manager and AWN for a dock...but I use a right-click menu app called compiz-boxmenu (http://sourceforge.net/projects/compizboxmenu/) rather than the menus that come with AWN. You have to spend a little time to set it up initially but it's so nice having a menu that doesn't require constantly moving to one corner of the screen to pull up. You just right click and it's there...and if there is no empty desktop space to right click on, then you can keybind it to something like ctrl-space to bring it up with the keyboard...and you could even add a launcher on AWN to bring up the custom menu (second screenshot shows this, the ubuntu logo icon brings up the menu).

It also allows for pipe menus like openbox does. So you can add menus that pull up date, time, weather, mpd (or other media player info), rss feeds, recent documents, view currently open windows, etc.

[ukripper]

Gnome2
Waiting for unity implementation with wayland to mature then perhaps it will be my preference!

[Copper Bezel]

I use Compiz standalone with Thunar as my file manager and AWN for a dock...but I use a right-click menu app called compiz-boxmenu rather than the menus that come with AWN. You have to spend a little time to set it up initially but it's so nice having a menu that doesn't require constantly moving to one corner of the screen to pull up. You just right click and it's there...and if there is no empty desktop space to right click on, then you can keybind it to something like ctrl-space to bring it up with the keyboard...and you could even add a launcher on AWN to bring up the custom menu (second screenshot shows this, the ubuntu logo icon brings up the menu).

I'm liking the look of that. I like the simplicity of just using the dock button, but the pipe menu looks really nice. That might be a fair improvement on the Cairo Menu applet I'm using.

If I'm understanding the way the parts I'm using work, though, I need at least Nautilus (for file syncing via Dropbox) and Gnome Settings Daemon (for GTK appearance and especially font smoothing.) I'm mostly working with documents and web access, and I need those documents to be instantly available on my Windows machine at work. Then again, I've never actually tried running Dropbox without Nautilus, which might be worth the trouble. = )

Oh, incidentally - do you know why the Ubuntu documentation suggests using nm-applet with the --sm-disable option under Compiz Standalone? I'm almost afraid to try it.

Edit: Well, I turned off Nautilus and nm-applet's "session manager" bit and everything still works. Peppier, too. Cool.

Edit Again: Holy crap, I love each and every one of you for being a part of this. Completed the set with xfdesktop. So absurdly fast and smooth. = ) I start to wonder what all the Gnome parts I'm not using were for, because everything still works (except the software center and the logout button, as one might expect.)

[Version Dependency]

I'm liking the look of that. I like the simplicity of just using the dock button, but the pipe menu looks really nice. That might be a fair improvement on the Cairo Menu applet I'm using.

If I'm understanding the way the parts I'm using work, though, I need at least Nautilus (for file syncing via Dropbox) and Gnome Settings Daemon (for GTK appearance and especially font smoothing.) I'm mostly working with documents and web access, and I need those documents to be instantly available on my Windows machine at work. Then again, I've never actually tried running Dropbox without Nautilus, which might be worth the trouble. = )

Oh, incidentally - do you know why the Ubuntu documentation suggests using nm-applet with the --sm-disable option under Compiz Standalone? I'm almost afraid to try it.

Edit: Well, I turned off Nautilus and nm-applet's "session manager" bit and everything still works. Peppier, too. Cool.

I don't think I even added the nm-applet to my startup file. But I don't really need it. Can't say much about dropbox either as I don't use it.

[Copper Bezel]

I need to stop editing my posts, but it's better than double-posting. = ) In any case, both of them worked nicely for me. Dropbox includes a Nautilus plugin, but it doesn't require Nautilus to do its thing.

I need nm-applet because this is a netbook. = ) I don't see any difference in behavior in adding the option to it - all its menus still work.

[Version Dependency]

...everything still works (except the software center and the logout button, as one might expect.)

Yea...Software Center will work but you need to change the command from "software-center" to "gksu software-center"...and you'll be required to enter a password of course.

For a logout button, there's always simply killing AWN (or whatever panel/dock houses the fusion icon). That ends the session.

Or you could try the following script I have saved on my machine (had it for a long time, don't remember who I got it from):



#!/usr/bin/env python

import pygtk
pygtk.require('2.0')
import gtk
import os

class DoTheLogOut:

# Cancel/exit
def delete_event(self, widget, event, data=None):
gtk.main_quit()
return False

def onkeypress(self, widget, event):
if event.keyval == gtk.keysyms.Escape:
gtk.main_quit()
return False

def lost_focus(self, widget, event):
if self.focus_check:
gtk.main_quit()
return False


# Logout
def logout(self, widget):
os.system("skill -TERM $DESKTOP_SESSION")

# Reboot
def reboot(self, widget):
os.system("dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Manager org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Manager.Restart")

# Shutdown
def shutdown(self, widget):
os.system("dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Manager org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Manager.Stop")


def __init__(self):
# Create a new window
self.window = gtk.Window(gtk.WINDOW_TOPLEVEL)
self.window.set_title("Exit? Choose an option:")
self.window.set_resizable(False)
self.window.set_position(1)
self.window.connect("delete_event", self.delete_event)
self.window.set_border_width(20)

# Create a box to pack widgets into
self.box1 = gtk.HBox(False, 0)
self.window.add(self.box1)

# Create cancel button
self.button1 = gtk.Button("_Cancel")
self.button1.set_border_width(10)
self.button1.connect("clicked", self.delete_event, "Changed me mind :)")
self.box1.pack_start(self.button1, True, True, 0)
self.button1.show()

# Create logout button
self.button2 = gtk.Button("_Log out")
self.button2.set_border_width(10)
self.button2.connect("clicked", self.logout)
self.box1.pack_start(self.button2, True, True, 0)
self.button2.show()

# Create reboot button
self.button3 = gtk.Button("_Reboot")
self.button3.set_border_width(10)
self.button3.connect("clicked", self.reboot)
self.box1.pack_start(self.button3, True, True, 0)
self.button3.show()

# Create shutdown button
self.button4 = gtk.Button("_Shutdown")
self.button4.set_border_width(10)
self.button4.connect("clicked", self.shutdown)
self.box1.pack_start(self.button4, True, True, 0)
self.button4.show()


self.focus_check = True
self.window.connect("focus-out-event", self.lost_focus)
self.window.connect("key-press-event", self.onkeypress)

self.box1.show()
self.window.show()

def main():
gtk.main()

if __name__ == "__main__":
gogogo = DoTheLogOut()
main()Save the following script in your home folder...label it, say, "compiz-logout". Now add a launcher in AWN with "compiz-logout" as the command.

EDIT: Although it looks like the logout option no longer works for the above script, maybe you can figure out where the script goes wrong.

[Copper Bezel]

I'll mess with it, definitely. I'm not using the fusion icon, but I could just kill Compiz if it came to it (and it's not really needed, because I still have Ctrl+Alt+Backspace.)

Thanks for the tip on the Software Center! = )

[CraigPaleo]

Version Dependency and Copper Bezel,

Would one of you be willing to remaster that into a live CD? It's interesting how you can get full functionality with only a window manager and dock without actually having a full DE installed. I'm afraid I'd bork something if I tried it myself. :)

[Version Dependency]

Version Dependency and Copper Bezel,

Would one of you be willing to remaster that into a live CD? It's interesting how you can get full functionality with only a window manager and dock without actually having a full DE installed. I'm afraid I'd bork something if I tried it myself. :)

You don't need a live CD...everything you need (compiz and awn) are probably already on your machine. Just follow this excellent, easy-to-follow guide (http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic/2827/howto-run-compiz-as-a-standalone-window-manager/) from the Crunchbang forum (Crunchbang was based on Ubuntu when the guide was written). It literally takes only about 5 mins and the creation of a couple of text files on your computer to add a fusion session option...just select "Fusion" at login rather than "Ubuntu Desktop Edition" or whatever you normally use.

[Copper Bezel]

Yeah, it's a no-risk proposition, because you can't break anything doing it - you're creating a separate custom login session. I think what I'm doing is cheating - since I'm using Gnome Settings Daemon, I'm not completely without a DE.

I followed that guide, too. I did make one change in that the session startup script includes just Compiz and Emerald, but I added a reference to a startup script in my home directory so that I could modify the other applications in my startup script without having to be root, just for convenience. Don't make that the last item in your Fusion startup script, though. Whatever you put in last - in my case, I think it was Emerald - the session will end when that process ends. There are obviously potential workarounds if you don't care for that (you could refer out to another script that just sleeps indefinitely, for instance.)

I'm noticing some oddities and instabilities I hadn't expected, but it's just a matter of finding the apps that will play nicely together. xfdesktop isn't going to work for me, because it crashes when the desktop geometry changes (adding a projector or running an xrandr script to rotate my display, in my case.) In any case, it is kind of exciting to find out that it's this easy. = )

Edit: Oh, and I think you'll need AWN-Trunk (the testing version) if you don't have it, by the way, to get a notification area. I mean, you could run Gnome Panel, but that kind of defeats the purpose. = )

[CraigPaleo]

You don't need a live CD...everything you need (compiz and awn) are probably already on your machine. Just follow this excellent, easy-to-follow guide (http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic/2827/howto-run-compiz-as-a-standalone-window-manager/) from the Crunchbang forum (Crunchbang was based on Ubuntu when the guide was written). It literally takes only about 5 mins and the creation of a couple of text files on your computer to add a fusion session option...just select "Fusion" at login rather than "Ubuntu Desktop Edition" or whatever you normally use.

Okay, thanks. I don't have either Compiz or AWN but I may try it in a VM.

[Version Dependency]

Yeah, it's a no-risk proposition, because you can't break anything doing it - you're creating a separate custom login session. I think what I'm doing is cheating - since I'm using Gnome Settings Daemon, I'm not completely without a DE.

I followed that guide, too. I did make one change in that the session startup script includes just Compiz and Emerald, but I added a reference to a startup script in my home directory so that I could modify the other applications in my startup script without having to be root, just for convenience. Don't make that the last item in your Fusion startup script, though. Whatever you put in last - in my case, I think it was Emerald - the session will end when that process ends. There are obviously potential workarounds if you don't care for that (you could refer out to another script that just sleeps indefinitely, for instance.)

I'm noticing some oddities and instabilities I hadn't expected, but it's just a matter of finding the apps that will play nicely together. It is kind of exciting to find out that it's this easy. = )

Yea...we both took the easy route. If we had real guts, we'd go the hardcore minimalist route and install Ubuntu Server Edition (without actually installing all the server apps that aren't needed) and then build from there. You'd have a command prompt only to begin. From there you'd have to "sudo aptitude install" all the software and libraries that you want. I'm getting all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. I should go download the server ISO. :twisted:

[Copper Bezel]

Believe me, I'm considering it just a little for my Natty upgrade, but damn - I don't want to have to micromanage all of that. I like having a sane set of GUI settings tools, and from everything I've seen, Gnome is just special when it comes to font smoothing settings.

I'm encountering the strangest of bugs, too. I'm loving the Compiz Wallpaper plugin despite its little glitch in 10.10, but I've found that if I switch desktops while my cursor is in an input field in Opera - just Opera, so far - I have to switch windows or tabs or touch a menu item to get it back. How damned weird is that? (And who knew that the most annoying part of a DE could be the wallpaper?) = P

[Version Dependency]

I'm loving the Compiz Wallpaper plugin despite its little glitch in 10.10...

You're lucky to get the Compiz wallpaper to work at all in 10.10. It won't work at all on my machine...if I enable and move a window the desktop goes all nuts. In the end, I had to download Nitrogen (which is nice). Hopefully, 11.04 will be more Compiz-friendly.

[Copper Bezel]

This is insane, but all you have to do is switch to tty once in your session and the wallpaper plugin works from then on. = ) I have no idea how that's even possible, but it happened and I'm okay with it.

Edit: Also, if you're using Nvidia, changing your refresh rate from "Auto" to anything else supposedly works, too. I have no way of confirming this, of course.

[chaozuper]

What I don't get is why, with gnome 3 and unity, there seems to be a fixation with icons. What is wrong with menus?! It's much quicker to read a line on a menu than to try and decipher what an icon is supposed to mean. Sure, some are well-recognised, like the firefox logo, and most are self explanatory, but really there is no benefit except from being able to fit an icon in a nice square. also, why do we need all this extra space? i preferred having my windows at the bottom of the screen where i can easily see what i have open, and my workspace icon visible so i know that i've got stuff in other workspaces. with unity (i don't know about gnome 3) i have to open up the launcher to see what's going on, instead of just being able to glance at a part of the screen.

*phew* that was a bit of a rant. maybe i'm just a stick-in-the-mud, but i'll be sticking with gnome 2 for as long as i can, then jumping ship to xfce or kde.

[irrdev]

I have fallen completely in love with KDE for most of my desktop computing needs. I know many Ubuntu users who've tried KDE have been less than impressed, but from testing other KDE distros, Kubuntu is to blame for many of the issues users encounter.

I should also add that I run Gnome 2 on my laptop with Cairo Dock and love it almost as much as my KDE desktop. XFCE, for me, misses out on the graphic advances of the modern desktop, although it would probably be my desktop choice for any older computer.

And then there's Unity and Gnome 3... Gnome 3 is the best example of terrible UI design by programmers. Sorry, but anybody that assumes keyboard shortcuts are a viable choice for everyday users is naively mistaken. I have set my parents up with Kubuntu and they love it; I don't think they've ever used a keyboard shortcut in their life, and they aren't about to start now.

Unity encompasses many great design ideas but it unfortunately doesn't (yet) have a very good implementation of these ideas. That can all change with time, however, so I'm very optimistic about Unity. I only have two concerns: it's a bit too Mac-like (copyright infringement?) and it's inherently minimalist design is taken to the extreme. Seriously, would it be too difficult to have an option to place the bar on the right or bottom? Unity isn't for me right now, but come 11.10, I will definitely be looking into it.

One last thought: I know a lot of people are advocating Gnome 2 as an option. It will remain an option for about another year, but after that, it's history. In other words, users really shouldn't be viewing it as a viable alternative anymore. It's time to move on into uncharted territory, even if it means that the going will be a bit rough in the beginning.

[ivanovnegro]

@irrdev: I can only agree with you about KDE and Im not a long time KDE user but this time it feels so good and I can forget my bad experiences before with Kubuntu.

[neu5eeCh]

What I don't get is why, with gnome 3 and unity, there seems to be a fixation with icons. What is wrong with menus?! It's much quicker to read a line on a menu than to try and decipher what an icon is supposed to mean. Sure, some are well-recognised, like the firefox logo, and most are self explanatory, but really there is no benefit except from being able to fit an icon in a nice square. also, why do we need all this extra space? i preferred having my windows at the bottom of the screen where i can easily see what i have open, and my workspace icon visible so i know that i've got stuff in other workspaces. with unity (i don't know about gnome 3) i have to open up the launcher to see what's going on, instead of just being able to glance at a part of the screen.

*phew* that was a bit of a rant. maybe i'm just a stick-in-the-mud, but i'll be sticking with gnome 2 for as long as i can, then jumping ship to xfce or kde.

+1 to some ridiculously excessive power...

I'm with you chaozuper. I detest the ICON driven menus in G3 7 Unity. At this point, I would say that Windows 7 & OS X are both, hands down (and for me), better. I'm strongly reconsidering KDE. I've been looking for an XFCE distro, but I'm increasingly dissatisfied. They don't make it easy to customize XFCE. As long as you don't customize , XFCE 4.8 is *great*.

[aguafina]

If the Classic desktop manages to stick around until the next LTS 12.04, that should mean that it'll be supported until 2015.


Out of luck, Natty is the last one to have classic as a fallback.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+bug/739812/comments/5

[PRC09]

Out of luck, Natty is the last one to have classic as a fallback.

I believe that statement ONLY applies to Ubuntu running Unity.According to the Gnome3 release team the panel is alive and well and will be for the forseeable future.........for anyone interested..


http://www.vuntz.net/journal/post/2011/04/13/gnome-panel-is-dead,-long-live-gnome-panel!

[PRC09]

Sorry, this link.....See post for April/13/2011


http://www.vuntz.net/journal/

[jprobe]

I prefer Gnome 2 and XFCE. I've dreaded the release of Unity 11.04, and subsequently Unity and G3 12.04, because they mark the move from menu driven DEs to the aforementioned icon driven DEs. In a move to prepare myself for this, I have transitioned to KDE for 11.04. I did not vote it in for this poll, b/c I don't prefer it, but I guess I've just got sour grapes about having to deal with a whole new DE. The perk is the KDE user base are good people. Very friendly and generally really understanding about my shift in *buntus. Xubuntu's still dynamite off a thumb drive!

[MaximB]

Just wanted to make a thread/survey about this, and here it is already ! ;)

I prefer the good old Gnome 2, the best part about Ubuntu 11.04 is that you can go back and use the old desktop.

Gnome 3 and Unity just don't cut it on PC, they are more Laptop oriented imo, and they far from user friendly compared to Gnome 2 , KDE and XFCE .
I didn't even managed to minimize Firefox (although I could minimize the other windows).

Anyways when the day comes and Gnome 2 won't be available, I guess I'll move to KDE4 or E17 .

[Rydal]

XFCE works for me.

[KingYaba]

Gnome 2 is my favorite. I'm pleased to see almost half agree with me.

[Johnsie]

Gnome2 works for me because it has well organised menus, works well with samba/ssh shares, has plenty of room for icons and has bookmarks in the 'Places' menu.

Windows has similar features to gnome2 so might eventually end up being the best DE for me. I don't like moving my mouse all around the screen to open an app and I only want to type when I need to. Gnome3 and Unity make a meal out of opening apps and shortcuts. I'm making sure this is changed before 11.10 comes out. If these issues aren't fixed by then I will mourn the loss of Linux on the Desktop and happily go back to Windows.

[vanquishedangel]

Which one do you prefer? Gnome 2, Gnome 3, KDE, XFCE, LXDE, or Unity? Tell us why, and being pretty is not good enough! lol Tell us why you prefer this one? What is it about that one that attracts you to it?

Mine is Gnome 2 and XFCE, The two almost go hand in hand, especially Xubuntu. I prefer Gnome 2 because it is what I started with and it fits on my computer better than Unity or Gnome Shell. LXDE is ugly as is KDE. XFCE is small and lightweight and also works wonders on my older PC.

My favorite is LXDE, for many reasons

1. it has a resource weight of 1/5th the normal ubuntu install does

2. It is not ugly, i will post a pic, did you choose lubuntu, default, or LXDE at start up ( the usual default, lubuntu desktop is ugly)

3. It is 1/2 the resource weight of xubuntu

4. xubuntu is ugly lol

5 It is really fast and light weight, it also does all the function that the regular desktop of ubuntu does.

6. way old computers can run the newest ubuntu with this on it (one of mine is a compaq presario 1500, over 10yrs old, with a single core 1.6 ghz processor, 1 gig of ram, and an ATI mobility radeon 7500, full upgraded)

7. KDE is just bloated, LXDE is about 1/8th the resource weight of KDE, I like the scenery in KDE, but not the slow downs and the other stuff.

8. LXDE is like gnome2 in many ways, just lighter, also it is energy efficient on top of all that. the menus remind me of early XFCE, just look way better to me and are not that hard to adapt to if you are used to gnome2.

9. The application in LXDE are really light as well, especially whem you use the lxdm instead of gdm.

10. When gaming on Linux it is nice to have all you resources available to use as well as many other apps.

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx143/itstherealshawn/Screenshot.png

[satanselbow]

Well I've just spent way too much of the morning hacking Gnome 3 onto Xubuntu and now can't actually find much difference in Unity and Gnome 3...

My main bugbear - the monster left-hand dock in Unity - is still present BUT with the exact tweak that I was looking for; in that it is not so hyper-sensitive (or slow depending on atmospheric pressure, I suppose) and only makes it's presence known when hitting the <SUPER> key or mousing to the very extreme top-left of the screen.

I can type "home" on the dash search - and get my "home" folder - which does not happen in Unity... must be a bug. Likewise I can type "Nautilus" and get "Nautilus" ... you get the picture.

I'm still gonna bang a cairo/docky dock down the bottom (for when I'm feeling mouse-centric... hey my "choice" right?)

Anyway I'm now really scratching my head to fathom why Ubuntu why even bother creating Unity and not just go with Gnome 3... very weird indeed.

Unity, if anything, is Gnome 3 with the good bits taken out. The graphic design of G3 dash compared with Unity dash is better... what a load of wasted dev hours that was... they must be gutted...

This is starting to sound like a Unity bash - I was trying to keep it constructive - but really I am absolutely gutted for us all with the amount of hours that could have gone into other more pressing issues.

Xubuntu + Gnome 3 is the way forward for me... until an update breaks it - at a guess :popcorn:

[SEisch]

Gnome 2 is my favorite. My computer is too old to use Unity, but Gnome 2 works without any issues as long as the visual effects are off.
I can find everything I need very easily. Within the first week I was able to get used to how it works.
I will continue to use 10.10 with my current desktop environment until this computer physically breaks.

[GSF1200S]

I prefer Gnome 2 and XFCE. I've dreaded the release of Unity 11.04, and subsequently Unity and G3 12.04, because they mark the move from menu driven DEs to the aforementioned icon driven DEs. In a move to prepare myself for this, I have transitioned to KDE for 11.04. I did not vote it in for this poll, b/c I don't prefer it, but I guess I've just got sour grapes about having to deal with a whole new DE. The perk is the KDE user base are good people. Very friendly and generally really understanding about my shift in *buntus. Xubuntu's still dynamite off a thumb drive!

Off a thumb drive?! I run it as my main operating system- Xubuntu 10.10 rocks..

[GSF1200S]

My favorite is LXDE, for many reasons

1. it has a resource weight of 1/5th the normal ubuntu install does

2. It is not ugly, i will post a pic, did you choose lubuntu, default, or LXDE at start up ( the usual default, lubuntu desktop is ugly)

3. It is 1/2 the resource weight of xubuntu

4. xubuntu is ugly lol

5 It is really fast and light weight, it also does all the function that the regular desktop of ubuntu does.

6. way old computers can run the newest ubuntu with this on it (one of mine is a compaq presario 1500, over 10yrs old, with a single core 1.6 ghz processor, 1 gig of ram, and an ATI mobility radeon 7500, full upgraded)

7. KDE is just bloated, LXDE is about 1/8th the resource weight of KDE, I like the scenery in KDE, but not the slow downs and the other stuff.

8. LXDE is like gnome2 in many ways, just lighter, also it is energy efficient on top of all that. the menus remind me of early XFCE, just look way better to me and are not that hard to adapt to if you are used to gnome2.

9. The application in LXDE are really light as well, especially whem you use the lxdm instead of gdm.

10. When gaming on Linux it is nice to have all you resources available to use as well as many other apps.

http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx143/itstherealshawn/Screenshot.png

Xubuntu with the nodoka theme is NOT ugly.. I think my desktop looks alright:

**EDIT** I use LXDE on my netbook; I agree it is pretty awesome..

[omac]

First off, thanks for the info on LXDE, vanquisedangel. I've never heard or tried it, but it sounds real good, so I'll look into it.

Now my choice .... Gnome 2. The obvious reason is, currently, it's the most practical. It's the most mature, so like mature people, it works, it makes less mistakes, and generally knows how to go about life, usually making better choices, LOL! :D

I've tried Unity and Gnome 3, and really, at this stage of their development, they are not practical. They're currently more eye-candy and great theoretical ideas, but it may take some time before they know what they're really doing. There's a gap between what's good in theory, and what works best.

I'm sure that in a couple of years or so, as older and slower hardware get junked, and high performance computers with newer interfaces, like say Apple's Ipad finger gestures, become the norm, and the workspace style environment has matured to a much better design, Gnome 3 or Unity will be very, very good.

The way I see environments, the Gnome environment is very usable and customizeable, while at the extreme other end is the Ipad (a real interface breakthrough) which is Apple saying that they know how you should use your computer, where to put everything, and what you don't need or even what you don't need to know.

The Linux environments have to find the right balance between the two; currently, Unity is a bit too Ipaddy. With the Ipad, they remove choice; Unity is trying to streamline, removing what they think is inefficient and forcing you to adapt to how they believe you should use your computer ... what they think is the better way.

Maybe I'll give Unity a try in a couple of years, when they actually know what they're doing. Right now, they look like people trying too hard to copy Apple. I hope they at least pirated some of Apple's best environment/interface designers.

[ivanovnegro]

First off, thanks for the info on LXDE, vanquisedangel. I've never heard or tried it, but it sounds real good, so I'll look into it.

Now my choice .... Gnome 2. The obvious reason is, currently, it's the most practical. It's the most mature, so like mature people, it works, it makes less mistakes, and generally knows how to go about life, usually making better choices, LOL! :D

I've tried Unity and Gnome 3, and really, at this stage of their development, they are not practical. They're currently more eye-candy and great theoretical ideas, but it may take some time before they know what they're really doing. There's a gap between what's good in theory, and what works best.

I'm sure that in a couple of years or so, as older and slower hardware get junked, and high performance computers with newer interfaces, like say Apple's Ipad finger gestures, become the norm, and the workspace style environment has matured to a much better design, Gnome 3 or Unity will be very, very good.

The way I see environments, the Gnome environment is very usable and customizeable, while at the extreme other end is the Ipad (a real interface breakthrough) which is Apple saying that they know how you should use your computer, where to put everything, and what you don't need or even what you don't need to know.

The Linux environments have to find the right balance between the two; currently, Unity is a bit too Ipaddy. With the Ipad, they remove choice; Unity is trying to streamline, removing what they think is inefficient and forcing you to adapt to how they believe you should use your computer ... what they think is the better way.

Maybe I'll give Unity a try in a couple of years, when they actually know what they're doing. Right now, they look like people trying too hard to copy Apple. I hope they at least pirated some of Apple's best environment/interface designers.

Thank you for this great comment. I think similar and that is the whole problem about it.

[moorhead98]

I'd have to say that gnome 2 is the best right now, only because it is very stable and everybody and their uncle is used to working with it. But that in mind, Unity and Gnome 3 are the future of the Linux desktop, and i think unless some work to make gnome 3 easier to use for beginners (no min/maximize buttons has to be fixed), unity will be mostly used, because it will end up very simple to use (hopefully by 12.04). Kde will still be there for kde fans, but I cannot stand how quirky and unstable it is. I cant even open Kate on it without a Kde crash code (could be my fault for installing it wrong or something), but i just dont find it useable. Xfce is nice, Lxde is fast, but I still think Unity and Gnome 3 are the future. Untill they are more stable though, gnome 2 and cairo dock is what i'll be using.

[ilovelinux33467]

Kde will still be there for kde fans, but I cannot stand how quirky and unstable it is. I cant even open Kate on it without a Kde crash code (could be my fault for installing it wrong or something), but i just dont find it useable.

I just opened Kate and it didn't crash. In fact I haven't had anything KDE crash on me since around SC 4.3

[mips]

I was looking at the July screenshot thread and it something just dawned on me. Remember back when KDE 4 came out and everybody said it's ugly & has a Fisher Price look (mostly the gnome crowd). Well according to the screenshot thread the new Gnome/Unity desktops are ten times worse I reckon.

I don't use either in case somebody screems fanboy :D

[ninjaaron]

Unity, just for the way it manages screen space.

I like the window management in Gnome 3 a lot, but I only have laptops ATM, so screen space takes priority. Unlike a lot of the nerds around here, I am super pumped about the latest generation of DE's; Unity, Gnome Shell, Lion and Windows 8. I think it's a better way to integrate the tasks a modern user does on a computer than the older menu-driven system. I must say that I find it ironic but also courageous that Windows, of all platforms, is the first to make great steps towards abolishing the window driven interface (unless you count Chrome OS). I've been predicting for the past few years that tab/frame-based paradigms would replace the window in time, and I'm happy to see that happening now.

These new environments also have a lot more cross-platform viability, which is exactly what you want in a world where the Desktop is only a shrinking part of the personal computer market. We want our phones, tablets, laptops, desktops and home entertainment centres to integrate and flow into each other seamlessly, and these interfaces. That's the direction the new interfaces are headed.

Everything will be integrated. Then the machines will rise or the Government will take over our brains. Probably the latter. Machines ain't never gonna rise, and the goverment has already passed the Patriot Act and all kinds of other crazy ****.

[arkanabar]

lxde is ugly? I have 28 widget sets on my (very vanilla) lappy, and over 70 (many imported from Gnome or xfce) on my desktop, including Clearlooks, the Shiki engine, and Nodoka. Are you CERTAIN that none of them can be made to look good enough for you. Or is it the icon set? I'm using Gnome-colors on both. In fact, almost any GTK -based widget or icon set should work just fine in LXDE.

Or maybe it's the window decorations (OpenBox themes). My desktop has 116 to choose from. I'm sure there are more on box-look.org. Are you sure you can't find ANY that look good?

Or is the issue lack of 3d effects and eye candy?

[Linuxratty]

I use GNOME 2. and have used KDE..I really like both and can use either with ease. XFCE is on my "to do" list.

[Sylos]

Hello.
I have always used trusty ol gnome 2 until recently. I liked gnome but it was getting heavy on the old system so I have switched to LXDE which I have to say I am pretty happy with. The file manager has a few quirks to get used to but the system is much more responsive.

I havent tried gnome 3 (would like to when I get a more capable system) so I cant comment on that. I have tried KDE in KXSTUDIO and found it a little too reminiscent of windows in the way it was laid out. That put me off it quite badly (unjustifiably I think but I cant seem to overcome the irrational reaction).

[isaacj87]

I love me some KDE, but I've become quite a fan of Gnome 3. Sure, there are things that don't make sense in Gnome 3, but that can be said of any DE for any operating system.

I don't even consider Unity (even though I don't have anything against it). It's just compiz plugin sitting on top of Gnome 2. I also like E-17 and would like to try Xfce in the near future.

[PCaddicted]

I use GNOME 2 but I answered incorrectly to the poll.

[pcwiz11]

GNOME 2 because it works well, established and is very easy to use.

GNOME 3 because it is innovative and different to everything else.

KDE because it's packed with eye-candy and is incredibly easy to use (especially for people moving from Windows).

XFCE because it's fast and quite similar to GNOME 2, looking good in the process.

LXDE because it's very FAST.

Unity because it's very similar to the Mac and works fairly well although it's still too buggy.

Overall, my favorite would have to be GNOME 2.

[linuxyogi]

I like LXDE the most. The only downside in using LXDE is the fact that its missing even basic tools like a graphical menu editor like alacarte & various other stuff which you need to borrow/install from other DEs. Otherwise it a "no nonsense" DE.

But atm I am using Gnome2 under Lucid.

[Ric_NYC]

KDE, but Canonical has to invest some time and "love" in it. Some defaults don't look good.


Gnome2 (that used to be my favorite) is part of the past now. Move on!

[gacb]

I've got a few distros (Mint 11, Fedora 15 and Xubuntu 11.04) running in VirtualBoxes. So far, I like Xubuntu the best although I haven't spent much time in Fedora, Mint is too cluttered for my taste.

I'm actually liking Unity, now that I'm used to it. For those who prefer the menu, install AWN (Avant Window Manager) and be sure to get the YAMA applet.

[hoppipolla]

In the past I would always say KDE but right now... I clicked Gnome 3 :)

I just love the friendly look and the way it's just tied in perfectly with Ubuntu and the approach of the OS.

I think that the technical appearance of desktops like Windows and KDE is actually starting to look a tiny bit dated o.O

We'll see how it pans out!

[drawkcab]

Gnome 2!! I'm posting from Mint 11. I guess that makes me a retro grouch.

[guimaster]

I was really impressed when I learned about Fedora 15 and Gnome 3. It was very pretty and I really liked the clean desktop and the way the top panel was configured. I didn't want to go with Fedora and have to learn new Terminal commands, so I was planning to go with Ubuntu 11.04 and install Gnome 3. I had read the reviews of Unity and the general consensus was that Gnome 3 was the better of the two.

However, after booting the 11.04 Live CD, I was quite blown away by the look and functionality of Unity. I think it looks very sleek! I absolutely love the screen real-estate that I have now on my 19" monitor! Web pages are alive like I have never experienced before. I hated tab browsing in Firefox before today but I have been browsing with tabs all day because I still have have so much space to see the web now that the bottom panel is gone. The top panel also seems thinner to me... Maybe it also has to do with the change from Firefox 3 to 4...

I admit, that it's a little harder keeping track of open applications without the task-bar on the bottom listing active windows and that is one reason why I have been enjoying the Firefox tabbed browsing. But it's so much easier than in Gnome 3 not having to click on Applications to get the dock to appear before choosing an application. All I need to do is move my mouse to the left side of the screen and the dock appears. I can quickly double-click beside an icon - in the dock - to have all windows related to that application appear on screen. A little arrow appears beside the icon in the dock to show that I have that particular application in use. Yes, Unity is not as easy because you lack the task-bar, but it's much easier because all of your favorite applications are just a quick mouse movement away.

I really like Unity and I am happy to look at something new and fresh rather than the old boring Gnome 2 Ubuntu look. The Panel and Dock don't waste space like the panels in Gnome 2 did. I had to add mini-apps to the panel just to make the space appear well used.

I tried Macbuntu as well but I like Unity better. Canonical has the right idea placing the dock on the side of the screen rather than on the bottom. It just feels better and it doesn't feel like the dock is taking away valuable space. Windows, Mint and KDE try to stuff too much onto one panel. Gnome 2 didn't have enough stuff to fit two panels. Unity just makes better use of the window space.

:popcorn: I am really pleased with Canonical's work on Unity and I am excited about Ubuntu's future!

[beew]

Unity.

Gnome shell is a close second, it is slick and cool but I haven't spent as much time on it,--the feature that adds desktop dynamically is really cool, I do miss Compiz though.

Gnome2 is dead. Never like KDE. XFCE is kind of incomplete and buggy, LXDE is even more incomplete and more buggy, both are too old fashion for my taste (no innovation), Gnome2 is also old school but way more complete in terms of functionality and a lot more customizable than these two. The only place I would use Lubuntu would be on very old and weak hardware which cannot support a full feature modern desktop.

[el_koraco]

Openbox!

[ilovelinux33467]

Still prefer KDE here especially with version 4.7. I just love its features, configurability and appearence. I also quite like XFCE and I have no problem using it. Don't like Unity at all. GNOME shell is OK but not really what I am after. Haven't tried LXDE.

[Copper Bezel]

I'm really settling into this Pantheon thing on 11.04 (although I'm using an AWN-wrapped DockBarX in place of Plank.) There's something extraordinarily comforting about that top panel, as I think el_koraco commented on earlier in this thread, even if it wastes a few pixels. And I love the Compiz Grid - I never realized how nice it would really be to have my computer take care of that whole "organizing my windows" thing.

[el_koraco]

I'm really settling into this Pantheon thing on 11.04 (although I'm using an AWN-wrapped DockBarX in place of Plank.) There's something extraordinarily comforting about that top panel, as I think el_koraco commented on earlier in this thread, even if it wastes a few pixels. And I love the Compiz Grid - I never realized how nice it would really be to have my computer take care of that whole "organizing my windows" thing.


Yeah, any kind of panel is a point of stability on a desktop. Managing stuff only through a disappearing dock is somehow wrong. You feel like there's no safety net.

Pantheon is gonna be awesome by the time Luna comes out. You should try Postler and Dexter, sweet email combo.

[Copper Bezel]

I did install them on your suggestion, and I think they'll be beautiful once they're fully integrated with each other, the Me Menu, and Google services. My Gmail chrome app will have to do for now. Once it's a matter of having Gmail and my Google contacts taking full residence in my system tray, that'll make the Me Menu worth having installed. For now, I just get endless Notify-OSD notifications of the same unread message. = P

But yeah, I'm sold on having a panel, I think, and as you've said before, the transparency helps to make it feel a bit less claustrophobic. I like the whitespace, too, like Shell's panel (and unlike Unity's.)

I am most definitely looking forward to what Pantheon looks like a bit down the line.

[amjjawad]

LXDE, period.

[Antarctica32]

I am a real big fan of the windows Xp/gnome 2 window tray on the bottom and I hat GUIs that lack that. I also don't like the windows aero tray that only has symbols. I also love the panels in gnome 2. I expected gnome 3 as being like a newer version of that. I would love something like that. But no, gnome shell has to be like a combo of the unusability of unity combined with all the bad things of gnome 2 and some other rather confusing unwanted things like lack of minimize widget (and yes I know you don't need it, but why take it out?) For now I will stick with gnome 2 and I am actually starting to like unity a little more now because it really is better for small screens.

[dpny]

No problems with Unity here.

[BrokenKingpin]

It has been a while since I have looked at these numbers. It is nice to see Xfce near the top... it is a great DE.

I tried KDE 4.7 recently, which seemed a bit more stable than 4.6 was, but still too bloated.

[LinuxFan999]

I like Gnome 3 because it does some things differently when compared to other desktop environments, and it gives you a clean, beautiful desktop. Gnome 3 may be lacking customization options, but Unity does too.

[Blasphemist]

Bodhi Linux that uses E17 has a real interesting environment. Click anywhere for a menu. Shelves instead of panels, and better. Can go extremely clean or make it look old like gnome 2 or gadget it up till your hearts content. I'm not real good with E yet so it's a lot harder for me on oneiric than on Bodhi.

[Khakilang]

I like Unity and Gnome 3 but I find my computer a bit old and sometime it lag a bit. So I may go for Xfce or Lxde which I find is faster especially when I process hundred of RAW images.

[malspa]

It's hard to say; I like them all, including some that weren't listed (E17, Openbox, Fluxbox, AwesomeWM). But overall, I prefer KDE, and I use a handful of KDE apps no matter which DE/WM I'm using.

[JC Cheloven]

I voted lxde. I like it light and simple.
And I can run every program I want on it, so far.

I'm currently using LUbuntu 11.04 in several pc's, including a 64bit version on one of them. No matter how good the hardware is. For me, it isn't a matter of resource scarcity, but a matter of taste.

I used gnome2 and xface for long before, and was also happy with them, though. It was unity and some minimalist feeling on my side what pushed me over lxde.
I also look forward to give another shot to the unity thing when 11.10 is released. Didn't like it much so far...

Cheers
JC

[viperdvman]

I voted GNOME 2.x, since I can customize it just about any way I want and still give it plenty of eye candy. My Ubuntu 11.04's GNOME 2.x has the Mac OS X look to it, which I really like.

As for Unity, I like it despite its lack of customization, and can certainly live with it. So I will likely stick with Ubuntu even after support for 11.04 and 10.04 LTS ends, thus ending Ubuntu's GNOME 2.x era.

GNOME 3... it too is still in its early stages. And I was only playing around with it on a liveUSB of Fedora 15. GNOME 3.x, with its smartphone-like interface, will take some getting used to, but I hold some hope for it, and hope it matures as time goes on. I do like the eye candy it provides, though. For now, with GNOME 2.x dying and until GNOME 3.x matures some more, i'd take KDE and Unity over GNOME 3. (side note: Windows 8 is going the same direction too, being a smartphone-like interface)

I haven't played with Xfce, LXDE, and others enough to really form an opinion.

[Marzata]

Once I saw Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot) Beta 2 just few days ago, I decided to migrate my machines to Xubuntu. Gnome vs Unity = Xfce :>

[jmail524]

I guess I'm just set in my old ways, but I can't wrap my head around Unity or Gnome 3. It just seems terribly inefficient in its design. I'm going to miss good ole Gnome 2. I'll probably migrate to either XFCE or KDE.

[ubupirate]

Started with Gnome 2, will end with Gnome 2.

[amjjawad]

I guess I'm just set in my old ways, but I can't wrap my head around Unity or Gnome 3. It just seems terribly inefficient in its design. I'm going to miss good ole Gnome 2. I'll probably migrate to either XFCE or KDE.

Give LXDE (Lubuntu) a try ;)

[amjjawad]

Started with Gnome 2, will end with Gnome 2.

But GNOME2 as far as I know is not supported anymore.

[arkanabar]

You should look up MATE, which is a Gnome 2 community similar to Trinity, which continues to develop KDE 3.5.

And you're not even thinking about Enterprise Linux 6. AFAIK, Gnome 2.32 is the default desktop and will be till end of life in 2017.

[neu5eeCh]

Give LXDE (Lubuntu) a try ;)

I've been using Xubuntu since 11.04. What are the advantages of Lubuntu besides being "lighter"?

[Marzata]

I've been using Xubuntu since 11.04. What are the advantages of Lubuntu besides being "lighter"?

None.

[markbl]

I guess I'm just set in my old ways, but I can't wrap my head around Unity or Gnome 3. It just seems terribly inefficient in its design. I'm going to miss good ole Gnome 2.
I'm old and set in my ways also. But gnome-shell (gnome 3) is great. Makes more sense than Unity.

[BBQdave]

It is interesting this rough poll with Gnome 2 by far the most popular choice. Then 4 way tie with Xfce, Gnome 3, Unity, KDE; each individually less than half as popular as Gnome 2.

I am extremely happy with Debian 6 (G2). But as D6 reaches EOL, it is Xubuntu or Debian 7 (Xfce 4) for me :)

[amjjawad]

I've been using Xubuntu since 11.04. What are the advantages of Lubuntu besides being "lighter"?

I didn't bother to use Xubuntu more than few mins because IMHO, it's not as light as Lubunut so I can't compare between both features-wise. BUT ... what I'm 100% sure about is, Lubuntu has a great team and huge support that NO OTHER OS stand a chance against it. I'm not saying that because I'm one of its team, NO. I'm saying that because I'm one of those who breath Lubuntu on each and every second and because actions speak louder than words, please have a look at my signature, check Lubuntu One Stop Thread and Lubuntu One Stop Group then let me know what do you think :)

Oh, another thing ... Xubuntu can't breath NEW LIFE into old machines like Lubuntu or any LXDE OS does, period. I'm speaking from experience here.

http://ubuntuforums.org/picture.php?albumid=2136&pictureid=7114


HP Omni Book 4150
Pentium II @ 366MHz
64MB RAM PC-100
4.5GB IBM HDD 4200rpm
NO CD-Drive
NO LAN Port
NO Floppy
USB Port 1.0
BIOS doesn't support boot-from-USB

FULL STORY: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1590614

Also, it's good to mention that Lubuntu on Distrowatch has better rank and position than Xubuntu and that definitely for a reason ;)

No, I'm not advertising or promoting for Lubuntu, I don't have to, because the OS speaks itself and when you try it on an old machine that will fly, only then you'll understand what I'm talking about :)

Lubuntu is Love and I can't see that in any other OS :)

[Marzata]

For a few MB less it is pointless to use the amateurish Lubuntu (LXDE) and to sacrifice the usability of Xubuntu (Xfce).

[thatguruguy]

Also, it's good to mention that Lubuntu on Distrowatch has better rank and position than Xubuntu and that definitely for a reason ;)

Presumably, because it's newer.


No, I'm not advertising or promoting for Lubuntu, I don't have to, because the OS speaks itself
Yes, you are. Repeatedly. And frankly, it's becoming tiresome. Seriously, give it a rest already.


Lubuntu is Love and I can't see that in any other OS :)
Lubuntu is an OS. <snip>

[Hells_Dark]

I finally approved Gnome 3 :)

[cariboo]

It is interesting this rough poll with Gnome 2 by far the most popular choice. Then 4 way tie with Xfce, Gnome 3, Unity, KDE; each individually less than half as popular as Gnome 2.

I am extremely happy with Debian 6 (G2). But as D6 reaches EOL, it is Xubuntu or Debian 7 (Xfce 4) for me :)

This thread and poll was created before Natty was released, many members voted, but have changed their opinions about desktop environments and can't change their vote. If a similar poll was created now, not that I'm suggesting there should, I think the results would be quite a bit different

[BBQdave]

This thread and poll was created before Natty was released, many members voted, but have changed their opinions about desktop environments and can't change their vote. If a similar poll was created now, not that I'm suggesting there should, I think the results would be quite a bit different

Most likely :D

Thought on the discussion of Xfce and Lxde, I am not sure if Xfce is still trying to be super light (or ever intended to be super light). I think Xfce is filling that void of a traditional DE, it is not G2, but it is developing into a nice DE. Along with Xfce's development, I have read reviews tagging it as a middle weight distro (what ever that is?) So in the line of G2 DE, I think Xfce is developing nicely. And I am curious to see if it gains big chunks of users, as it releases in longer more stable periods (2 years).

[BenB1]

"You can't use a wrench as a hammer!" Says a supervisor from across the shop.

"Got a hammer?" I say, while looking for a hammer.

"No." He says realizing the tool cabinet is getting sparse.

"Then, yes I can use a wrench as a hammer if needed. Both of them are tools." I say, and pound a nail into a wooden box.

My point here? Too many people focus on what I consider opinion fluff. Not enough people focus on objective achievement of goals.

Presently, running Lucid Lynx with Gnome 2.

TODO:

switch ( LTS ) {
case $this-value: +=
LTS ==$this-value
LTS++
++Xfce ++Icewm
~=Gnome3 ~=Gnome Shell
break;
case $that-value: !=
LTS ==$that-value
++Xfce ++Icewm
$LTS==$LTS
break;
...
default:
Code to execute if LTS !=$case
++Xfce ++Icewm
break;
}

Hope I have that written correctly. Not really much of a programmer. I intend on upgrading to the next LTS of Ubuntu. Will install Xfce and Icewm even if the next LTS is not available, will if it is. I'll give Gnome3 & Gnome Shell a try.

Won't use Unity as a matter of preference from a rough first experience with it recently. It may drive nails just the same. I don't like how it fits in my hand. Our tool cabinet is Linux, we're free to use what is needed and or desired.

Yes, I'm one those weirdos that uses emacs & vim interchangeably. "They're both tools. Both edit text." If that bothers you, so be it. I'll keep on keeping on, you can do the same. :) Apologies, I no longer fight wars.

[guimaster]

Greetings all,

I am quoting myself below from July 31st of this year. At that time I was new to Unity and I was really happy with it. Since then however, I have changed my mind.

I began to notice just how much effort was required when I wanted to use multiple applications at the same time. I began to wonder just how much time I was spending switching back and forth between apps. I also was frustrated with the difficulty of knowing exactly which programs I had installed. With Gnome 2x it was so much easier to see what was installed, and if desired, make modifications to the Applications Menu. Therefore, I decided to try booting back into the standard Gnome desktop in 11.04.

After booting back into Gnome 2x, I found that I quite enjoyed the amount of control I had over my desktop. I liked having a list of open windows at the bottom of my screen, I liked having an Applications list again, I liked having the other menus as well. I found that I really enjoyed going back to the familiar, which always worked quite well in the past, and really seems to take less effort to use than Unity.

I wasn't perfectly happy with Gnome in 11.04 however, because I knew that sticking with Ubuntu was not going to provide me another Gnome option in the future. I was also quite spoiled from only having one panel in Unity, that I was annoyed to have the reduced screen real-estate that the old Ubuntu desktop gave me with a panel on the top and bottom. I began looking at reviews of other distributions and I kept finding one rave review after another of Linux Mint 11 Katya.

I had tried Linux Mint in the past but I suppose that I was too new to Linux, or too comfortable with the old Gnome desktop in Ubuntu, that I was afraid to leave Ubuntu. Ubuntu generally seemed more polished and I felt better about getting support for it, so I never could stay away for long. However, with the new Unity desktop as my only option in the future, as well as the improvements in the look and feel of Mint, I decided that this was the time to make the jump.

At first, I decided to move to Linux Mint 11 Katya. I determined through my research that it is a lot easier to add Unity to Mint than it is to add the Mint Menu to Ubuntu. Therefore, if in the future I wanted to try Unity again, it would be an easy install. I also found that I liked the MInt Menu a whole lot more than I did when I tried it in the past. I don't think that it changed much since I tried it last. Nope, it was me who changed.

I stuck with Katya for about 2 weeks, and now after learning more about LMDE, and feeling like I am finally grown up enough to leave the safety of Mother Ubuntu's watchful eye, I decided to make the jump to Linux Mint Debian Edition. Linux Mint now issues Update Packs for LMDE which help to prevent the problems that typically accompany Rolling Releases, namely finding parts of the system failing to work after an update. I also see that LMDE looks and feels nearly identical to Katya, where the first version of LMDE looked terribly primitive back in 2010.

So, at this point in time I have decided to say goodbye to Ubuntu, and to stretch forth my wings and fly on my own. I'm happy with LMDE and I'm really excited that Linux Mint is continuing to support the Gnome 2x feel via the MATE desktop environment. I plan to install MATE as soon as the Mint team has the next Update Pack ready.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reads my opinion and has helped me with Ubuntu in the past. I guess that I am all grown up in the Linux world now. I'm ready to leave Ubuntu behind, and I don't feel scared anymore. I know that I will be alright moving elsewhere.

I wish everyone the best with whichever desktop environment you choose to use. Let's all give a toast to choice!

Guimaster



I was really impressed when I learned about Fedora 15 and Gnome 3. It was very pretty and I really liked the clean desktop and the way the top panel was configured. I didn't want to go with Fedora and have to learn new Terminal commands, so I was planning to go with Ubuntu 11.04 and install Gnome 3. I had read the reviews of Unity and the general consensus was that Gnome 3 was the better of the two.

However, after booting the 11.04 Live CD, I was quite blown away by the look and functionality of Unity. I think it looks very sleek! I absolutely love the screen real-estate that I have now on my 19" monitor! Web pages are alive like I have never experienced before. I hated tab browsing in Firefox before today but I have been browsing with tabs all day because I still have have so much space to see the web now that the bottom panel is gone. The top panel also seems thinner to me... Maybe it also has to do with the change from Firefox 3 to 4...

I admit, that it's a little harder keeping track of open applications without the task-bar on the bottom listing active windows and that is one reason why I have been enjoying the Firefox tabbed browsing. But it's so much easier than in Gnome 3 not having to click on Applications to get the dock to appear before choosing an application. All I need to do is move my mouse to the left side of the screen and the dock appears. I can quickly double-click beside an icon - in the dock - to have all windows related to that application appear on screen. A little arrow appears beside the icon in the dock to show that I have that particular application in use. Yes, Unity is not as easy because you lack the task-bar, but it's much easier because all of your favorite applications are just a quick mouse movement away.

I really like Unity and I am happy to look at something new and fresh rather than the old boring Gnome 2 Ubuntu look. The Panel and Dock don't waste space like the panels in Gnome 2 did. I had to add mini-apps to the panel just to make the space appear well used.

I tried Macbuntu as well but I like Unity better. Canonical has the right idea placing the dock on the side of the screen rather than on the bottom. It just feels better and it doesn't feel like the dock is taking away valuable space. Windows, Mint and KDE try to stuff too much onto one panel. Gnome 2 didn't have enough stuff to fit two panels. Unity just makes better use of the window space.

:popcorn: I am really pleased with Canonical's work on Unity and I am excited about Ubuntu's future!