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Feature Preview of Gnome 2.8
Leonardo writes "The GNOME foundation should release the new version of this desktop environment on the 15th of September. While we waiting for version 2.8, Foot Notes has a link that explains what's new in this release. Improvements include both core parts (like VFS and Nautilus) and UI modules, like a new applet manager, an improved gconf editor and a new theme. In addition there are some proposed modules like new system tools and a new VNC server. Take a look at Davyd Madeley' site (mirror) if you want to view some sweet screenshots."
Anybody who still hasn't settled on a wm, take this advice: try xfce. It's fast, it's customizable, it's simple, but it still feels like a desktop environment, not just a window manager like fluxbox. It's the middle ground between the two huge desktop envirnments and the dozens of ultra-lightweight window managers.
It's gnome without the bloat.
Tim ODonnell
1. Jettison the whole gconf/registry thing in favor of a tree of plain text config files in .gnome or something
.gconf .
gconf _is_ a tree of text config files in
2. Resurrect the old GNOME control center
What did it do differently than the preferences view in nautilus?
3. Give me a default window manager with the ability to select focus-follows-mouse mouse
Settings->Windows, choose "Focus follows Mouse".
4. Construct a usable menu editor somewhere so that I can customize my menus
Not sure what you feel is wrong with the current method?
8. Give me an "advanced mode" to turn on all kinds of extra GUI configuration bells and whistles like keybindings, autoraise, MIME types, etc.
keybindings - in the preferences already. autoraise windows - you find that in the same preference dialog as focus-follows-mouse above. MIME type editor - already exists, improved for 2.8. For other things, gconf-editor _is_ your advanced mode.
Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
Perhaps you should use something like XFCE that aims to be a slimmed down desktop environment. Or Fluxbox that's just a slim window manager.
Gnome aims to be a fully featured desktop environment, with all the apps a user needs (more or less). If that's not what you want, then you probably shouldn't use Gnome (or you could refrain from installing all the applications).
And how is the Linux kernel too bloated? Would you rather they not support any new hardware drivers or something? Do you have specific examples?
I've come for the woman, and your head.
It's in Testing and should be included in Stable when 3.1 is released ("pretty soon now").
Look at the use cases for Vino, the proposed included VNC. Mark McLoughlin has done an excellent writeup.
If you follow GNOME development you'll notice the shift towards better integration into the other desktop applications. See: Evolution and GAIM speaking over evolution-data-server.
Mark's use cases answer your question.
If you have written your own non-bloated kernel, OS tool chain, and desktop, please submit them to the OSS community so we can all enjoy your excellent, non-bloated work.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/always_use_browser true
--It's Pimptastic!--
Why do they keep bolting more and more stuff on ? Isn't it big enough already ?
Simple answer: because it's important and no.
Complicated answer: because it's important and yes.
I like to say (permuting an old saying about open source) that open source succedes because it scratches a niche. The more niches, the more success.
"Gnome" is not a single application, it's a distribution of applications that meet a plethora of needs based on all of the niche audiences that use it.
You can say that having an IRC client is just bloat, but if Gnome didn't have that some people wouldn't be using it, and they'd be using a desktop system that was inclusive of their needs.
I really wish projects would deal with getting stuff actually working and working well (bug-free and fast) before they start adding even more functionality.
Actually, Gnome works pretty damned well circa late 2.6. It's been a long time coming. 2.4 was a big change (as the version numbering implied), and a lot of people had a lot of good and constructive feedback that shaped 2.6. 2.8 is clearly taking the next steps in becoming the desktop environment that we can all rely on, and I'm happy with that.
As for bugs... well, I guess it's a matter of perspective. From where I stand, 2.6 is not bug-free (nothing ever is), but it's moving substantially in that direction (kaizen if you will). As for fast... I run a suite of applications on my desktop at home that do things my poor little 300MHz Pentium 4 years ago could only dream of, so I'm a bad judge. I'm quite happy with the current suite of Gnome video and 3D tools in terms of their response and bandwidth, though. I don't really use a file manager much, so that I can't speak to. The Web tools are slick and fast. The high-level object drag-and-drop seems like it could be faster, so there's a place for improvement.
But seriously, do you think the addition of system configuration tools is going to slow down the desktop?
Gnome (like the linux Kernal and loads of other stuff) is getting way t0o bloated to be useful
Well, let's look at Gnome and the Linux kernel. Both are highly modular, allowing the user to strip away what he/she does not need.
Both have many, large components that provide functionality so powerful that most users DON'T go without, at the expense of resources.
Both address the needs of dozens of niche users (internationalization, accessibility for disabled users, strange hardware, etc).
So... I guess I have to ask... what exactly is the bloat that you're not happy with, and how willing are you to configure your system so that that's not a problem?
I've seen Gnome running on top of Linux on an iPaq, so I'm not really buying the "bloated" party line. I just think you're too lazy to configure it to your needs.
* Visible preference that allows you to disable spatial mode
Re-reading the post now that I've had some coffee, that may be so. However, I think I can still say the same thing - GST is designed to be OS-agnostic. (I think they even use that term in the documentation somewhere.)
However, it seems more likely that the parent poster thought that the existance of GST meant that GTK was suddenly mucking around in his OS internals. I don't think he's aware that Gnome is not GTK... which is an important distinction to make. I can see how he might be confused, since they tend to rev Gnome and GTK at the same time.
You may disagree, but to be blunt, you're wrong. -tgd
It is. Konqueror does this and it's quite nice.
When you lose something irreplaceable, you don't mourn for the thing you lost, you mourn for yourself. - Harpo Marx
Hold down the shift key as you open the new folder.
Sure, going into the gconf settings tree and Like, Totally Stickin' It To The Man With His Spatial Nautilus Bringin' My Down will make you feel l33ter, but I've got better things to do with my time than hack gconf settings.
You can say that having an IRC client is just bloat, but if Gnome didn't have that some people wouldn't be using it, and they'd be using a desktop system that was inclusive of their needs.
An IRC client is an application. GNOME is a desktop environment. Desktop environments should include basic administrative tools (e.g. a text editor, file manager, control panel, etc), but it shouldn't contain full-blown applications. Apart from anything else, it couples application development too tightly to the slow desktop environment development.
Well, it's disabled in fedora, but in a default Gnome install, like on slackware, you simply open Nautilus, go to Applications://, and edit it's subfolders. Really, it couldn't be simpler.
Jesus people, just redirect the fucking output to a temporary file or to less(1) if something is going to flood the terminal.
Are slashdot users retarded or is it just me?