jebus_beler
October 12th, 2011, 02:49 PM
This has no doubt been discussed but I couldn't really even think of a correct way to phrase the appropriate search. I'm going to be installing ubuntu on a new laptop once onoeric comes out but the question is what flavor? I don't want to rekindle a no doubt beaten-to-death discussion but I have the feeling that neither Unity nor Gnome 3 are for me. I like focus follows mouse, a window-based rather than app-based interface and a lot of customizability with a clutter free desktop -- i.e. less menu-bars, etc... (all reasons why i'm going to install ubuntu on my shiny new macbook air instead of using OS X). I don't think Unity supports these things but some mediocre research suggests that even Gnome 3 doesn't have focus-follows-mouse support (never mind linus and other people's rants against it).
So what are reasonable alternatives? Kubuntu is the obvious one but I'm wondering how well it fares against these criteria and also what else there is. Alternatively, is there's any way to make Gnome 3 behave a lot like gnome 2 (I gather not from Linus's rant).
To give some background -- before Gnome and KDE came along I used to use FVWM and loved it. But gnome/kde have features fvwm lacks (like integrated apps, etc...) so I don't think i'm going back to fvwm. I could live with gnome 2 but it sounds like gnome 3 is much less customizable. Is KDE a good option for customizability?
I know I can just install any interface over ubuntu but I'd rather just install the correct ubuntu variant rather than having a plethora of stuff living on the same system.
So I guess my question is: to old fashion linux users who are not fond of unity/gnome 3, what alternatives are you now considering?
Btw I'd be happy to hear about ways of addressing the above issues in gnome 3 or unity but I'm not really interested in discussing the merits of these interfaces just to defend one or the other.
So what are reasonable alternatives? Kubuntu is the obvious one but I'm wondering how well it fares against these criteria and also what else there is. Alternatively, is there's any way to make Gnome 3 behave a lot like gnome 2 (I gather not from Linus's rant).
To give some background -- before Gnome and KDE came along I used to use FVWM and loved it. But gnome/kde have features fvwm lacks (like integrated apps, etc...) so I don't think i'm going back to fvwm. I could live with gnome 2 but it sounds like gnome 3 is much less customizable. Is KDE a good option for customizability?
I know I can just install any interface over ubuntu but I'd rather just install the correct ubuntu variant rather than having a plethora of stuff living on the same system.
So I guess my question is: to old fashion linux users who are not fond of unity/gnome 3, what alternatives are you now considering?
Btw I'd be happy to hear about ways of addressing the above issues in gnome 3 or unity but I'm not really interested in discussing the merits of these interfaces just to defend one or the other.