FreeGeek Michiana is refurbing low resource boxes (p90-133, 32mb, 1.2gb) and installing Vector Linux (Slackware 8.1). Vector Linux uses best-of-breed lightweight gui packages including icewm and xfce.
We are going to distribute a dozen of our recycled boxes to low income families beginning this week. The recipients should provide valid feedback re usability of current desktop/wm choices. For low resource purposes kde/gnome aren't in the running. Tom At 05:44 PM 1/22/03 +0100, Tom Schouteden wrote: >On Wed, 2003-01-22 at 16:38, Jake Schroeder wrote: >> I feel that Bad Things will happen if software like xpde really catches >> on. The Windows XP interface was written around the Windows XP OS and >> concepts, and there are several things that just don't work the same. >> Like the "My Computer" window. Several layers of extra cruft would need >> to be built, and you would end up with a confusing and bloated >> interface. > >I agree, but if it works people will (unfortunately maybe) use it. There >are several problems I encountered when looking for a suitable window >manager. Here's a little summary of features I am looking for in a thin >client wm: > >- speed performance (pretty much rules out gnome & kde) >- nice layout (rules out twm, ...) >- intuitive (sorry but windowmaker / blackbox is just not an option) >- remotely easy configurable > >the window manager that comes closest to this is is, from what I tested, >qvwm and I'm not overly ecstatic about it. It will involve a lot of >tuning and still won't look good enough to convince mr. joe manager. i'm >about to give icewm a spin and see what it offers. > >> ... >> So, for the love of Pete, find a good Unix-style WM that is fast, >> unbloated, simple, and working. Users will have a better time of it. > >working on it. > >tom > >> On Wed, Jan 22, 2003 at 12:04:14PM +0100, Tom Schouteden wrote: >> > True, I installed it an hour ago and it took me some time to get it >> > properly into GDM. It looks like XP (without the Luna interface) but is >> > even worse to work with. Nothing really works, except the Run menu. >> > >> > If you want something like XP, get the real thing (yeah I know, you >> > don't want it, but you most certainly don't want XPde - yet?) >> > >> > perhaps qvwm is better? >> > >> > tom >> > >> > On Wed, 2003-01-22 at 10:25, Louis Sabet wrote: >> > > Yeah, I installed it. >> > > >> > > That's why I said it was far from being stable - this is personal >> > > experience, not gossip :-) >> > > >> > > It LOOKS just like XP, and the developer has even bothered to duplicate the >> > > Task Manager, even down to processor performance graphs etc. But that's >> > > about all that has been done. >> > > >> > > All the menus (right-click on desktop, taskbar etc) all LOOK the same, but >> > > clicking on them does nothing. >> > > >> > > I believe his main aim has been to make something look like XP, and build >> > > in the functionality later. >> > > >> > > Anyway, after launching a few apps it all dies horribly... >> > > >> > > Regards >> > > >> > > L >> > > >> > > --On Tuesday, January 21, 2003 09:24:11 -0800 pedro noticioso >> > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > > >> > > > Has anybody gone past the screenshots by installing >> > > > xpde? 8) >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > --- Louis Sabet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > > >> Thanks for the suggestion. >> > > >> >> > > >> It looks like it could become something quite nice >> > > >> in the future, but I >> > > >> installed it to find that it is a 0.1 release and >> > > >> far from being stable. >> > > >> >> > > >> Might be worth keeping an eye on, assuming MS >> > > >> doesn't sue them to high >> > > >> heaven... >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> L >> > > >> >> > > >> --On Friday, January 17, 2003 09:33:44 -0600 >> > > >> "Baeseman, Cliff" >> > > >> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > > >> >> > > >> > I have never tried this but take a look at this, >> > > >> it should be close >> > > >> > enough.... >> > > >> > >> > > >> > I do not know how mature it is, or even if it >> > > >> works but it does look about >> > > >> > as close >> > > >> > to xp as one can get. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > >> > > >> > >> > > >> > http://www.xpde.com/modules.php?name=Screenshots >> > > >> > >> > > >> > >> > > >> > >> > > >> > >> > > >> > Cliff Baeseman >> > > >> > >> > > >> > >> > > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > > >> > From: Louis Sabet >> > > >> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > > >> > Sent: 1/17/03 8:45 AM >> > > >> > Subject: [Ltsp-discuss] over my dead body... >> > > >> [slightly OT] >> > > >> > >> > > >> > Hi all, >> > > >> > >> > > >> > I work for a small company whose long-standing >> > > >> staff have long adopted >> > > >> > an >> > > >> > over-my-dead-body attitude towards change. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > At present our sales department is using windows >> > > >> on a daily basis, and >> > > >> > has >> > > >> > done so for many many years. Our sales department >> > > >> only use IE, Word, >> > > >> > Excel, >> > > >> > so having a dedicated machine each running around >> > > >> £400 of software is a >> > > >> > little wasteful. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > LTSP would be a perfect, cost-effective >> > > >> replacement for this setup. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > I have configured the server to my liking >> > > >> (i386-RH8, LTSP4), all seems >> > > >> > nice >> > > >> > and stable, and I have installed OpenOffice and >> > > >> Konqueror (KDE) which is >> > > >> > >> > > >> > pretty much all they ever need to use. I have >> > > >> already checked whether >> > > >> > OpenOffice will open our existing word/excel >> > > >> documents, and it does so >> > > >> > quite happily. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > My problem now is in finding an appropriate GUI. >> > > >> These users are all >> > > >> > trained for windows. We have no time for extensive >> > > >> retraining, and so I >> > > >> > need to find something as close to the windows >> > > >> look-n-feel as possible, >> > > >> > but >> > > >> > at the same time making sure that whatever I >> > > >> choose isn't going to be >> > > >> > bloated and resource-hungry (KDE/GNOME etc). >> > > >> > >> > > >> > I have gone through various GUIs, and none of them >> > > >> really meet the >> > > >> > grade. I >> > > >> > have tried WindowMaker, BlackBox, Gnome, KDE, >> > > >> FVWM, FVWM95, and finally >> > > >> > FluxBox (which is a derivative of BlackBox), and >> > > >> with which I am >> > > >> > reasonably >> > > >> > happy, however I know for a fact that my users >> > > >> won't be (i.e. it meets >> > > >> > my >> > > >> > requirements, but not all of theirs). >> > > >> > >> > > >> > The main windows-esque features my users will be >> > > >> looking for are: >> > > >> > >> > > >> > Fonts - and lots of them. I've installed the >> > > >> windows fonts, but still it >> > > >> > >> > > >> > doesn't look as "nice" as windows does - any >> > > >> suggestions here? >> > > >> > Alt-Tab - Fluxbox handles this nicely. >> > > >> > Task-bar - KDE/GNOME have this, but are too >> > > >> bloated and would involve >> > > >> > hardware upgrades which I would like to avoid if >> > > >> at all possible. >> > > >> > Fluxbox >> > > >> > has a task-bar sort-of, but only displays >> > > >> minimised windows. Our users >> > > >> > have >> > > >> > a tendancy to open all their millions of windows >> > > >> at once, and leave them >> > > >> > >> > > >> > that way, flicking between them using the taskbar. >> > > >> With fluxbox they >> > > >> > would >> > > >> > have to resort to alt-tab which isn't anywhere >> > > >> near as convenient. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > What I'm really interested in knowing is - what do >> > > >> people do in places >> > > >> > like >> > > >> > Internet Kiosks that run linux? Do they just use >> > > >> whatever standard >> > > >> > bloated >> > > >> > GUI comes with their distro? Or do they use some >> > > >> sort of customised GUI? >> > > >> > >> > > >> > The other main reason I don't want to use >> > > >> KDE/GNOME is due to the fact >> > > >> > that >> > > >> > it opens up whole new realms of user-fiddlage >> > > >> which I'd like to avoid. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > With Fluxbox/WindowMaker etc, I can customise each >> > > >> user's desktop using >> > > >> > a >> > > >> > single text file, remove their ability to access >> > > >> the shell, and let them >> > > >> > >> > > >> > get on with their work without ever having to >> > > >> worry about them buggering >> > > >> > up >> > > >> > their settings for me to have to fix. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > I'm really interested in peoples' >> > > >> comments/experiences here, as I can't >> > > >> > be >> > > >> > the first person in the world who has >> > > >> wanted/needed to convert a bunch >> > > >> > of >> > > >> > die-hard windows users to linux without having to >> > > >> resort to the likes of >> > > >> > >> > > >> > KDE/GNOME. >> > > >> > >> > > >> > Many thanks to all who respond! >> > > >> > >> > > >> > L >> > > >> > >> > > >> > -- >> > > >> > Louis Sabet - IT Manager >> > > >> > http://www.mobiles.co.uk >> > > >> > http://www.gadgets.co.uk >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > ------------------------------------------------------- >> > This SF.net email is sponsored by: Scholarships for Techies! >> > Can't afford IT training? All 2003 ictp students receive scholarships. >> > Get hands-on training in Microsoft, Cisco, Sun, Linux/UNIX, and more. >> > www.ictp.com/training/sourceforge.asp >> > _____________________________________________________________________ >> > Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto: >> > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss >> > For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.freenode.net >Tom Schouteden >Consultant > >Linugen >Borkelstraat 2/4 >B2900 Schoten >Belgium >T +32 3 685 39 81 >F +32 3 293 33 43 >M +32 475 45 85 55 >www.linugen.com > > > >------------------------------------------------------- >This SF.net email is sponsored by: Scholarships for Techies! >Can't afford IT training? All 2003 ictp students receive scholarships. >Get hands-on training in Microsoft, Cisco, Sun, Linux/UNIX, and more. >www.ictp.com/training/sourceforge.asp >_____________________________________________________________________ >Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto: > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss >For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.freenode.net > ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.net email is sponsored by: Scholarships for Techies! Can't afford IT training? All 2003 ictp students receive scholarships. Get hands-on training in Microsoft, Cisco, Sun, Linux/UNIX, and more. www.ictp.com/training/sourceforge.asp _____________________________________________________________________ Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.freenode.net
