Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:13:27 -0500 From: Zhihao Yuan <lichray@gmail.com> To: FreeBSD Hackers <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org> Subject: My explanation to "a default DE" (was "Providing a default graphical environment on FreeBSD") Message-ID: <CAGsORuAmWBKUZFHu74ZLBWt=wESWKtk7tv4-e6CqmK9szrAL6w@mail.gmail.com>
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Hi, hackers:
First, I'm not saying that I want an OS forcing you to installs a DE.
If FreeBSD really does this, I'm going to switch to other BSDs :)
The word "default" has nothing to do with "installed by default". It
only means, when we are taking about "the" desktop environment under
FreeBSD, we are referring to, for example, CDE. For the remaining
part, I'll use ${DE} to indicate it.
- Why we need it?
For the past several years, many desktop environment becomes more and
more Linux-only. For example, tt's becoming harder and harder to port
Gnome to FreeBSD. NetworkManager is a GSoC project, automount is also
hard. And since we don't use udev, the porting will become even harder
is the predictable future. When people found that they have to use a
less functional Gnome, they blame FreeBSD, not Gnome, not Linux.
That's why we need a *default*, and *officially supported* DE. Since
we have ${DE}, when people want to complain about their user
experience with other DEs, we can simply say: we officially support
${DE}; you can choose others if you are pro.
- What we can benefit from it?
1. Maximize graphical user experience by officially implementing Wifi
helpers, auto-mounters;
2. Be more user friendly since we can put more details on GUI into the
FreeBSD handbook;
3. Be nicer to FreeBSD-only developers. Their toolbar applets can
claim themselves as "written for FreeBSD" if they support a particular
applet protocol under ${DE}.
- How we provide the ${DE}?
1. Show the information through out the official site, the handbook,
bsdinstall (but do not forcefully install it). An additional FreeBSD
GUI developers' handbook might be needed;
2. Leave the xorg, ${DE} in ports. We provide an alias for ${DE}, so
that the users can use
pkg_add desktop-environment
to install ${DE}.
3. Implement the missing modern features, Wifi helpers, auto-mounters,
etc., officially.
That's all I want, without affecting any non-GUI users' experience, or
any other non-${DE} users'.
--
Zhihao Yuan, nickname lichray
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
___________________________________________________
4BSD -- http://4bsd.biz/
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