----- Original Message -----
From: Stephanie Daugherty
To: hellekin ; [email protected]
Sent: Monday, February 29, 2016 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: [DNG] A heads up about xfce's future
Just to clarify about "default" desktop environment and what that actually
means.
The "default" desktop environment is the one that gets squeezed onto the
first CD/DVD of a set of installation media, as well as the one that's
installed if you just click "desktop >environment" in tasksel without
specifying. As far as Debian has been concerned, that's all it means. It
provides a strong suggestion to live CD/DVD creators of what desktop to
>include, but no guarantee anyone will follow that suggestion. I'm assuming
the same thing will hold true for Devuan.
The constraint of "what fits on the first installation disk" may not matter
to the bulk of users, but it's an important one for people with metered
internet, intermittent internet >connectivity, or no internet connectivity
at all. This means the first disk should be able to produce a working,
fully functional desktop or server installation for as many users and
>situations as possible, with or without internet connectivity.
Now, as to criteria for a default desktop environment, that's a bit more
subjective, but I personally believe in the following
- an interface that is instantly familiar to the broadest possible number
of users - that means a start/applications menu, taskbar, and system tray,
icons on the desktop, >maximize/minimize/close buttons on windows, etc
- compact enough to not squeeze out other things that we really want on the
first installation disc
- should not pull in unwanted or bulky dependencies
- does it pass the "phone support test" - how hard will it be to walk your
90 year old technophobe hard of hearing grandmother through fixing wifi
over a phone line with heavy >static?
It's very important to remember that criteria for a default desktop
environment are not necessarily criteria for *your* preferred desktop
environment. A "least common >denominator" choice here is probably the best
choice, because whatever we choose as default needs to work for ALL users,
not just technical ones.
+1
Best regards
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| ISMAEL |
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