Ubuntu Developers Realize Need For Non-3D Desktop

[Hamish Wilson]

lxde is the only decent DE left in linux for pros.

Okay, let us take your opinion here as a rule. So you are saying the simpler a DE, the better it is for pros? Why do you not just take the next step and use Openbox or Fluxbox then?

Do not get me wrong, I like LXDE and use it on many of our older machines, but that old slogan is beginning to grate on me. Sometimes professional users want features in their DE. Sometimes they even want a full bling desktop like KDE or Gnome 3.

You can not define a whole group of people based on your own biases.

Plus, I do not see how Xfce can not rank in this regard either, considering your criteria.

[D0pamine]

how stuff looks isnt nearly as important as how well it works and compositing desktop effects serve no purpose

[cbamber85]

lxde is the only decent DE left in linux for pros.

Define "pro". I'm a professional C++ developer for Linux software, and I use Gnome 3 at home - do I not count as "pro" anymore?

[Pajn]

Bring back Unity 2D. It may be used together with Compiz for some nice effects but when the computer cant handle it
or you don't want that buggy shit it may also be used with mutter or something else.

[Pallidus]

debian 7 beta LXDE > lubuntu 12.10



BUT

I have to say lubuntu 12.10 so far has been the best looking shipped lxde theme I've seen

all lxde distros SHOULD use the lubuntu theme

I have been saying this for awhile

lxde is the only decent DE left in linux for pros.

for non pros I guess cinnamon and pantheon even mate will do

[Hamish Wilson]

The developers who forked it from Blackbox contributed the single most important desktop environment the entire world has ever known.
Why? Because, try it and you'll like it. Couple it with Thunar (ever how it's spelled) and you should have all you need for managing disk volumes.

On the other hand, there's Windowmaker. Yet again Thunnar and you're good.

To hop on the bitching train, as an Xfce user I can tell you that Thunar is probably the least favourable feature of the desktop, I so I find it very amusing that is the part that you choose the grab.

I thought that as long as you are Undirecting Fullscreen Windows (and of course, running fullscreen. Not always possible or desirable, I know) that compositing wasn't really always a big deal. I've always just noticed the hits when I've had to run a game in a window. In KDE of course, thankfully I can just switch off Compositing completely with Shift-Alt-F12 and vice versa.

On a more positive note, the Xfce compositor is also fairly good and nicely configurable. And yes, it supports Undirecting Fullscreen Windows.

[raster]

Just do what E17 does

E17 does a composited environment WITHOUT LLVMPIPE fallback for gl (which is glacially slow fyi)... it can use Gl .. if it is there, and software compositing, if it is not. it works on really old and low-end hardware too - acceptably. it works inside VM's. it works eveywhere and no need to maintain both a "2d" and "3d" desktop - it''s the SAME desktop simply with a different rendering engine plugged in.

the way both gnome3/shell do things and unity is crazy, having 2d/fallback DESKTOPS that are vastly different (And no wonder they want to stop maintaining them).

[raster]

My *phone* (HTC Incredible) has 3d acceleration. My phone before *that* (Motorola Droid) has 3d acceleration. My next phone is likely to be the Nexus 4. It has 3d acceleration. If you're looking to run Ubuntu on something less powerful than a 3-years old cell phone, maybe you should look at a command line interface.

you have never done development... have you? you have a new SoC and the stable gl drivers are the LAST thing that works. for months or even over a year you have to do your work WITHOUT them...

not to mention you "port" linux to your phone - not use android... port ubuntu to it.. you end up WITHOUT gl drivers as the ones for android wont work with x11 and compositing.. so stuck again... or you are in a vm, and if the vm of choice doesn't provide a solid working virtual 3d accelerator PLUS drivers for your os.. stuck again.

you are VERY OFTEN left without usable 3d drivers, even if the hardware has it. they are by far the most comlpex bits of your os driver layer and are the last to work. that's reality.

[ElderSnake]

I thought that as long as you are Undirecting Fullscreen Windows (and of course, running fullscreen. Not always possible or desirable, I know) that compositing wasn't really always a big deal. I've always just noticed the hits when I've had to run a game in a window. In KDE of course, thankfully I can just switch off Compositing completely with Shift-Alt-F12 and vice versa.

[Vadi]

So is using Win 8's effects and whatever Mac has. Every OS is advancing in it's interfaces, and 2D isn't cutting it.

They are working on improving the 3D performance already - and they've made strides - I'm playing OilRush on highest visuals on my 560 without a problem. Going back to 2D wouldn't be progress.

This Lubuntu thing isn't for users either - Lubuntu was there for users of old hardware already. It's for making Ubuntu apps easier to test for devs in VMs.