On Thu, Jun 2, 2011 at 9:17 PM, Rik Tindall <[email protected]> wrote: > With more time to finish my comments.. > > On 03/05/11 16:12, Nick Rout wrote: >> On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 2:46 PM, Rik Tindall<[email protected]> wrote: >>> 2. Top-left controls. >> This is easy to change (it was in gnome anyway), but I'd have to say >> MANY people have said that once they have persevered they like it. > > It was by changing themes in gnome-2 on ubu 10.04 (by which time the > default side change had been imposed). > > Having tested Unity some more, I can see why the top-left window control > buttons have become essential (disappearing the task and title bars, > while avoiding the top-right system controls already in place) so that > the _user_ must change. Hence acceptance of Volker's point - he still > has choice on other distros - and some digression into philosophy.. > > As a new user finding my gnu/linux feet, my primary choices for ease of > use became gnome + debian packaging (tried Suse & Redhat but found them > more.. difficult/problematic). Ubuntu then filled my basic user needs, > by efficiently fulfilling my choice. But now it does not, and > determinedly so. Quite a paradigm leap, that I will probably adjust to. > But should I? ... > >>> This has grown into my chief annoyance with >>> Ubuntu's development track, which has now concentrated in Unity. Is it >>> Mark BDFL's personal preference to have these top-left controls, or was >>> it the Gnome crew's?.. The default theme for the last two releases at >>> least has had top-left window control buttons, but I liked the earlier >>> (Gn)Ubuntu with top-right window control buttons, thank you very much, >>> and don't understand the need for this change (forcing longer >>> mouse-reach upon right-handed people :-) - Is it to mimic MacOS? Why? >> Then again why mimic windows? > > Because I actually think Redmond has this use-issue right, literally. > > It is a work efficiency matter, whereby reaching up and through your > peripheral vision to reach the window control buttons is quicker and > easier for right-handed people, at the right side of the screen - > compared to the longer reach / mouse-ball roll, through central vision, > to reach the top-left. > > I understand why the Android etc small device market - that are yet to > concern me - might be so appealing as to necessitate this change, but > herein lies the delicious irony.. > > Perhaps this "Unity" transition provides the perfect metaphor for linux: > a minority of 'lefties' forcing the majority to do what is 'right' for > them technically. But that's really just impression, because the > opposite actually applies, perhaps :-) > > That may be hard to follow. > > Back to work now. > >>> 3. Firestarter, the failsafe firewall package for Gnome, has just been >>> made buggy to install and use. Having worked through googled advice, I >>> can cope with the result now and carry on with the potential migration >>> assessment ('no syslog access' / write for Firestarter). >> pretty sure it's a gtk, not gnome app, but I may be wrong. Also it is >> not currently in development and the last release tarball is dated >> 2005 (!). Frankly it appears to be dead, and some of the comments I >> see online indicate that it is not working so well with modern >> kernels. Not good for a security app! > > Have really enjoyed using http://www.fs-security.com 2007 - contrary to > those reports - stable and reassuring in the often hostile, online world. > > Long may Firestarter live on, and reliably deliver. Will resolve the 'no > syslog access' / write eventually, I hope.
it doesn't live. firestarter 1.03 is dated 29.1.2005 _______________________________________________ Linux-users mailing list [email protected] http://lists.canterbury.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/linux-users
