Hello there! I would like to present the young project DoudouLinux [1] which is using several components of the LXDE desktop and is then kind of downstream project for LXDE. DoudouLinux is a Debian-based Linux for (small) children from age 2. Its goal is to be as simple as a gaming console and to speak the children language without any action.
[1] http://www.doudoulinux.org/ Our most advanced sessions [2] are using LxSession to derive the standard LXDE session into an LxLauncher-based session [3]. As the goal was to get the simplest desktop ever, LxLauncher was found to be the best solution. LxPanel accompanies it in order to give some useful information to the user (battery, time, etc.) but we removed everything that is not strictly necessary [4], for example the task bar and the multiple desktops. [2] http://www.doudoulinux.org/web/english/documentation-7/article/quick-start.html#3 [3] http://svn.gna.org/viewcvs/doudoulinux/packages/trunk/sessions/lxlauncher-session/ [4] http://www.doudoulinux.org/web/english/about/more-about/article/the-doudoulinux-origins.html#2 Additionally several small patches [5] were applied to few components: * In LxSession-logout, I added an option to disable the logout options suspend/hibernate/change user. Maybe there is a more elegant way but I didn't find it. * In LxLauncher, I added the possibility to use a custom menu file in a per-user lxlauncher.menu file. This was necessary in the version of Debian Lenny, but maybe it is not anymore in Squeeze. I also changed the position of the “back” button used to go back to the first level of a tab. * Recently I also patched LxLauncher to improve its look & feel as shown on a screenshot posted on our bug tracker [6]. However the patched source code hasn't been published yet. * I wrote a script that changes the LxLauncher icon size at GDM start in order to fill about half the screen area with icons [7]. Of course this supposes that tabs have a maximum number of icons known in advance. We may want to code icon size specified in percents directly into LxLauncher in the future. * In LxPanel, I patched the alsa volume tool to make the volume button in panel change both Master and Master Mono. When only the internal speaker is connected, this button has no effect without the patch since it only changes Master. I also had to patch LxPanel for ARM hardware that doesn't have the standard set of output controls. Without this patch, the volume icon doesn't show. [5] http://debian.doudoulinux.org/pool/main/l/ [6] http://team.doudoulinux.org/attachments/55/lxlauncher-enhanced.png [7] http://blog.doudoulinux.org/post/2012/01/15/LxLauncher%3A-automatic-icon-size-for-a-nicer-interface Although all of this has proven to function well, we are still not totally satisfied with the final user experience and the overall graphic design. We'd like to bring several improvements to LxLauncher [8]: * Provide funnier icon arrangements in tabs (circle, square, rainbow, spiral, vertical lines, etc.). * Merge LxPanel into LxLauncher. Its icons would be directly displayed in a rectangular region of LxLauncher, close to a given screen edge. [8] http://team.doudoulinux.org/issues/312 Thanks to these desired changes, we would have a nice and similar look whatever the screen. In the end this would turn LxLauncher into kind of smartphone desktop manager application. As our project is moving to ARM processors, this becomes more and more important: DoudouLinux may run one day from very small pocket screens to very large TV screens. Finally we also have minor issues with the versions shipping within Debian Squeeze: * Gnome applications are not able to show their documentation. It seems they're using an URI like help://path/to/doc and this doesn't work in a standard LXDE session for an unknown reason. * Removable devices do not get shown in Qt file system tree after they are mounted. Users have to browse /media to find them, which is not so intuitive. * LxPanel may not always show his contents at session start [7]. However this is much rarer with the version of Debian Squeeze than with Lenny. However if LxPanel is embedded into LxLauncher in the end, this issue may not be of interest anymore. * Mouse cursor doesn't indicate that an application is being launched. Children may then click several times on the same icon until the first instance of the application shows. [7] http://www.doudoulinux.org/web/english/documentation-7/questions-and-issues/article/known-issues.html#3.1 That said, we are very happy with the LXDE desktop components and want to go on with them as long as possible. Our concern is now to find a way to contribute back to the LXDE project and find a way to work together, supposing that our design goals would be judged as relevant for your project as it is for ours. Maybe we should just open tickets on your bug/task manager? Thank you for your great work that is the only one to provide a nice and really light Linux desktop :). Cheers, -- Jean-Michel Philippe Project founder ------------- DoudouLinux, the computer they prefer! http://www.doudoulinux.org/
signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For Developers, A Lot Can Happen In A Second. Boundary is the first to Know...and Tell You. Monitor Your Applications in Ultra-Fine Resolution. Try it FREE! http://p.sf.net/sfu/Boundary-d2dvs2
_______________________________________________ Lxde-list mailing list Lxde-list@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/lxde-list
