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Raspberry Pi Foundation Unveils New LXDE-Based Desktop For Raspbian Called PIXEL (softpedia.com)
Raspberry Pi Foundation's Simon Long has unveiled a new desktop environment for the Debian-based Raspbian GNU/Linux operating system for Raspberry Pi devices. From a Softpedia report (submitted by an anonymous reader):Until today, Raspbian shipped with the well-known and lightweight LXDE desktop environment, which looks pretty much the same as on any other Linux-based distribution out there that is built around LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment). But Simon Long, a UX engineer working for Raspberry Pi Foundation, was hired to make it better, transform it into something that's more appealing to users. So after two years of work, he managed to create a whole new desktop environment for Raspbian, the flagship operating system for Raspberry Pi single-board computers developed and distributed by Raspberry Pi Foundation. Called PIXEL, the new Raspbian desktop offers a more eye-candy design with the panel on top (not on the bottom like on a default LXDE setup), new icons, new Applications Menu, and new theme. "It's actually surprisingly easy to hack about with the LXDE desktop once you get your head around what all the bits do, and since then I've been slowly chipping away at the bits that I felt would most benefit from tweaking," reveals Simon Long. "Stuff has slowly been becoming more and more like my original concept for the desktop; with the latest changes, I think the desktop has reached the point where it's a complete product in its own right and should have its own name."
Features like "new icons", "new Applications Menu", "panel on top" etc requires hiring a programmer, there's something wrong with your desktop environment. These are all trivial configuration options which any user should be able to make for themselves.
Does the fact that my configuration files differ from the default ones mean that I created a new desktop environment?
I would be happier if the Raspbian/Pi team or whoever could concentrate more on mobile/touch and/or improving Android support. Things are starting to move in the right direction; fairly recently Raspbian simply had touch hacked on top of it and Pi could only run Android terribly if at all, but not fast enough for my tastes. Broaden support for homebrew/embedded mobile applications which is what the pi as a tiny computer inherently appeals to rather than continue to focus on the rather limited idea of it as simply a smaller replacement for a desktop computer.
UX engineer, cruciverbalist, slightly morose
eMMC is quick compared to SD, I wish they'd just throw a 4G eMMC on there. I assume it was because they wanted to meet the $35 price point.
adding SATA is more expensive as the SoC they used does not have SATA, so they'd have to get an external controller.
USB boot is possible on RPi, but it's kind of a pain to get working as it is not compatible with every USB storage device.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
There are 2 pictures on TFA and I couldn't find a difference to LXDE besides the bar being on top.
They probably made something else in those 2 years, but It's not mentioned on the resume and I'm too lazy to read the article.
USB boot is possible on RPi, but it's kind of a pain to get working as it is not compatible with every USB storage device.
Is this the case on the new Pis, or just on old ones? Every time I ask if the Pi foundation has got USB right on the newest Pi I get downmodded, even though they have fucked up USB again and again. The original Pi's USB craters under load and yes, compatibility is piss poor.
Do the new Raspberry Pis have working USB? Or is it unreliable shit just like the first Pis? Let's see how quick this comment gets downmodded by the Pi Police for asking really a quite important question.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
All the Pi's have the same USB IP, so I can't imagine there being any significant improvements between hardware versions. I believe only Pi3 can boot from USB, but the bootrom's USB drivers are not very compatible, especially with devices that are slow to enumerate. I do notice that the linux drivers have improved over the years and I am running with fewer problems from USB. The other big factor is sometimes people draw too much current from USB and instead of shutting down the device becomes unreliable, especially from USB harddrives. A bigger powre supply helps tremendously. And the new firmware updates now throw a little square in the corner of the screen when you are starting to get voltage sags.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire