Fork of GNOME 2?

[Kingcheese26]

As I'm sure you're all aware, gnome will be switching to gnome-shell and ubuntu to unity in april. Gnome 2 is my favorite DE, and I know I'll still be able to use it after april, but it's not going to be supported anymore. Does anyone know if there are any forks of gnome 2 out there, or if it's just going to rot away and get older and older ?

Thanks,
kingcheese26

[Simian Man]

If it works the way you want, why not just keep using it? What benefit would a fork have? BTW try out Xfce 4.8, it's like an improved version of Gnome 2 in my opinion.

[Kingcheese26]

I guess you're right...it's not like they were really adding any new features to gnome anyway

[cascade9]

If it works the way you want, why not just keep using it? What benefit would a fork have? BTW try out Xfce 4.8, it's like an improved version of Gnome 2 in my opinion.

+1 on Xfce.

I can see your point about a fork having no real benefits now, but that is for now....its just a question of time until gnome 2 has gone the way of KDE 3.X. If there was a current fork of gnome it wouldnt be pushed to the back of the classroom in quite the same manner.

[KaYnemO]

I guess I am just thinking, but...

Since Gnome will release it's 3.0 version in April 2011, what is stopping all of us, or any of us, from using it with any upcoming Ubuntu releases ?

[Copper Bezel]

Well, nothing. This is Linux, after all. = )

[Djzn.BR]

Kingcheese26:

Your concerns are quite valid and I share the same concern. Don't like Unity, hate GNOME-Shell, and already feeling like an orphan after getting so much used to GNOME 2. After all, it is years using Ubuntu and its standard layout. KDE, up to now, shows no sign of good competition, with its sluggish window compositing engine and brainless-wise menu launcher.

There is XFCE then, however, you gotta admit it. It may even work well, but it's not as polished as GNOME 2, something is just not right.

I would welcome an official fork for GNOME 2, no problem. Perhaps this movement grows stronger after the next releases of Ubuntu and Fedora. I believe a lot of people will be upset and stirred up with Shell and Unity, just like I am. Future will tell us. As for me, I am keeping GNOME 2 as default, until some leadership (dictatorial or not) watches their distro go down to 4th or 6th place in Distrowatch.com, then we will see what happens. Because crisis tend to make people move quickly to fix their mess.

[Copper Bezel]

Y'all are confusing terms here. Unity runs as a shell on Gnome 2.x. Gnome Shell runs as a shell on 3.x. They're both just shells, that is, panel replacements.

You don't get the option of using Gnome 2 while running Gnome 3, just the option of running the (no longer updating) Gnome Panel instead. All the system settings and services will still be Gnome 3, re-arranged and including all the new options.*

Neither Unity nor Gnome Shell is a replacement for Gnome. Gnome is still Gnome. What's going away is the Gnome Panel, but it's still going to be included as a legacy package for anyone still willing to use it.

So, for instance, since I'm using Avant, Do, and Compiz as my "shell" anyway, I'll be moving on to Gnome 3 as soon as it's available for Ubuntu, sans Shell.

* I'm sorry, I misspoke here; I what meant to say is that all the system settings and services will still be Gnome 3, senselessly garbled and excluding all of the dartboard-deprecated features.

[Djzn.BR]

I know what you said. You talked about the technical side of GNOME 2 and 3 as technologies. This I know. While Unity is a shell for GNOME 2.x and GNOME Shell, a shell for GNOME 3, respectively, what I meant is that the average user will reject both new UI's. When I say fork GNOME 2, what I mean is to build the same visual desktop from GNOME 3 technologies. I believe the same layout will be back as default, after some months of GNOME Shell.

[Copper Bezel]

If you know, then stop reinforcing confusion. = )

If I'm understanding you, then, you're talking about Gnome Shell vs. the Classic Gnome desktop (both of which are still in 3.0.) If there were any fork like what you're describing, it would quite literally just be a fork of Gnome Panel.