The Shot Heard Round the World

Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, has switched from GNOME to Xfce following the release of GNOME 3. At first glance, this looks like a major endorsement for Xfce. However, I'm not sure how much effect this will have on everyday Linux users, since Torvalds's reasons for leaving GNOME are pretty geeky:

Here's an example of "the crazy": you want a new terminal window. So you go to "activities" and press the "terminal" thing that you've made part of your normal desktop thing (but why can't I just have it on the desktop, instead of in that insane "activities" mode?). What happens? Nothing. It brings your existing terminal to the forefront.

That's just crazy crap. Now I need to use Shift-Control-N in an old terminal to bring up a new one. Yeah, that's a real user experience improvement. Sure.

Linus Torvalds Ditches GNOME For Xfce

Distro Review: Debian With Xfce

This review will be shorter than most and won't have any screenshots. That's because my troubles installing certain spins of PCLinux OS (which will be detailed in an upcoming review, along with that distro's positve features) forced me to wipe Debian from my desktop's hard drive. However, I did use Debian with Xfce long enough to notice a few things about it.


Installation

Installing Debian is easy and painless. The only minor inconvenience is that you can't install Debian from a live CD like you can Ubuntu and other distributions.


Pros

Speed. Debian with Xfce runs much smoother and faster than Xubuntu. In fact, it feels a lot like Crunchbang. This isn't surprising, since Crunchbang's developer has said that its Xfce version is little more than Debian with the Xfce desktop and a few custom packages installed.

Fonts. I'm not sure why, but Debian with Xfce seems to display fonts slightly better than Crunchbang. Neither displays fonts as smoothly as Ubuntu, but Debian seems to avoid some of the ugliest font rendering bugs of Crunchbang, especially in the Chromium browser.


Cons

Old Software. If you use the stable version of Debian, your software will become outdated (if it isn't already) unless you add third-party repositories to keep your favorite programs current. The most egregious example of this flaw is Debian stable's version of Chromium (still at 6 when Google just released version 12).

This problem can be reduced by installing Debian's testing or unstable versions. However, those versions, as their names imply, are less stable than the main version. My experience with distros based on Debian testing indicates that it's pretty stable, but your mileage may vary.

Dropbox. I was unable to install Dropbox on Debian with Xfce because of unsatisfiable dependencies. This is a huge difference with Crunchbang Xfce, which installed Dropbox with no problems. It's possible that you might be able to work around this problem by installing the main GNOME-based Debian Live CD and leaving GNOME dependencies installed after installing Xfce. However, this strategy risks losing some of Xfce's speed. Given Dropbox's recent security problems, some users may not object to this problem.


Overall Impression

Debian with Xfce is a fast, smooth combination. However, you may have problems installing some software. If you don't mind jagged font displays, you might find Crunchbang a better fit, as it seems to have fewer of these problems.

Dark Standards Xfce-Look.org

I just came on another Xfce theme, complete with xfwm4 theme. Dark Standards is supposed to be a combination of the default Xubuntu Studio theme and the standard Xubuntu theme.

Here's a screenshot of Dark Standards on my laptop. The icons are the default Xubuntu Elementary Dark. The wallpaper is Xubuntu Karmic wallpaper, which is available as an option in the Xubuntu 11.04 Desktop settings.

Dark Standards Xfce-Look.org

Distro Review: Xubuntu 11.04

Late last month, Canonical released the latest version of Ubuntu, which also entailed new versions of Ubuntu's many official derivatives. This is a review of the much-maligned Xubuntu, which uses the Xfce desktop environment.



Purpose

Officially, Xubuntu is supposed to be a lighter, quicker version of Ubuntu. Critics claim that Xubuntu is far from a lightweight distribution. However, now that Unity is the default graphic interface for standard Ubuntu and GNOME 3 is radically different from its predecessors, Xubuntu may have found a new purpose in life. Since Xfce looks more like a standard Windows-style desktop than either Unity or Gnome Shell, Xubuntu may be poised to gain users who prefer a more familiar interface.


Installation

Xubuntu uses the same installer as Ubuntu, making installation an easy experience even for beginners. The whole process is seamless, and the installer will even import files from your Windows Documents, Pictures, Music, and Video folders.


Pros

Being based on Ubuntu gives any distro certain advantages. The most obvious of these is compatibility with more hardware immediately after installation. In fact, only Ubuntu-based distros will work with my laptop's built-in wireless chip.

Beyond the standard benefits shared by all Ubuntu-based distros, Xubuntu 11.04 has made several noticeable visual improvements over its predecessors. First, there is the new default desktop layout, pictured below both with and without compositing:

Xubuntu Default Desktop

Xubuntu Default Desktop with Compositing

Apparently inspired by Unity's panel + launcher configuration, the new Xubuntu includes a bottom panel that functions more like an application launcher (or Mac OS dock). Obviously, this is a boon for Mac users who try out Ubuntu. The bottom panel also autohides, so people who don't use it can ignore it.

Xubuntu 11.04 also includes a new GTK theme, Greybird, with a matching theme for the xfwm4 window manager. The new default icon set is based on Elementary. Overall, the new look is slicker than previous versions.

Another significant visual change is the default font. Instead of the large, clunky Deja Vu Sans which is used as he default font in most GNOME and Xfce-based distros, Xubuntu 11.04 switches to the more compact and elegant Droid Sans. This change saves me, at least, the trouble of changing the default font to something less sloppy.

Xubuntu also features Xfce 4.8, the newest version of the desktop. Any user who is unfamiliar with 4.8 should read the tour at the link because some of the best features of the new Xfce aren't obvious. For example, you can move the panel anywhere on the desktop, but you have to do it by dragging and dropping. The old, detailed location options under Panel Properties are gone. Here's a picture of my desktop, with the "launcher" panel on the side like Unity (though with autohide still on).

Xubuntu with Side Panel

Cons 


Like Xubuntu 10.10, version 11.04 uses a different menu configuration than most Xfce-based distros. Instead of having fly-out menu options for every settings dialog, Xubuntu forces you to use the Xfce Settings Manager.

The Settings Manager isn't bad. It does give you the ability to switch back and forth between different dialogs without going back to the Menu button repeatedly. However, you also can't have, say, the Appearance and Window Manager dialogs open at the same time. It's also an unfamiliar setup for people who have used other Xfce-based distros.

And, of course, the big question about any new Xubuntu release is how slow and hungry it is. Xubuntu 11.04 seems to use a fair amount of system resources, especially if you open two Chromium windows at the same time. This may be due to my use of compositing, but I would still be wary of running Xubuntu on a truly resource-limited machine.

There are also a few resource-hungry applications installed by default on Xubuntu, most notably Gimp. Even some lightweight applications run exceptionally slow on this distro. For example, Thunar, the file manager, seems to take forever to load the first time I open it in a session. The scary thing is that this happens even though I'm running Xubuntu on a computer with a dual-core processor and four gigs of RAM.  I don't run Xfce on my laptop because I need to save resources; I do it just to get better Flash performance.


Overall Impression

Though Xfce functions well as a light, fast environment in some distros, Xubuntu doesn't function well as a lightweight distribution. It's better suited to people whose computers have plenty of resources, but who prefer a more traditional interface to the more "modern" GNOME 3 and Unity.

Distribution Releases: SalineOS 1.4, 1.0 "Personal Server" (DistroWatch.com News)

DistroWatch reports the release of SalineOS, a Linux distro based on Debian stable and featuring Xfce as its desktop environment. In a way, it's like Crunchbang without the Openbox option.

One distinctive thing about SalineOS is that it also comes in a "Personal Server" edition aimed at users who want to set up network servers at home.

Distribution Releases: SalineOS 1.4, 1.0 "Personal Server" (DistroWatch.com News)

Ubuntu 11.04, Unity Released to Mixed Reactions | Linux Journal

Linux Journal has a collection of reactions to Ubuntu's Unity interface. According to online polls, so far the most common reaction has been indifference.

The main relevance of this debate to lightweight desktop fans is that a widespread rejection of Unity, Gnome 3 and KDE 4 might make Xfce a more popular desktop even for non-lightweight distros.

Ubuntu 11.04, Unity Released to Mixed Reactions | Linux Journal

Distro Review: Crunchbang 10 (Statler)

At long last, I finally found the time to review a Linux distribution. I'll start my online reviewing career with Crunchbang, one of my current favorites.


Purpose

At first glance, Crunchbang seems to be targeted at people who want a lightweight distribution and don't mind occasionally using the terminal or editing text files. While the Crunchbang website's download page still contains the following disclaimer--

CrunchBang Linux is not recommended for anyone needing a stable system or anyone who is not comfortable running into occasional, even frequent breakage. CrunchBang Linux could possibly make your computer go CRUNCH! BANG! Therefore CrunchBang Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

--this warning seems to be a leftover from previous, Ubuntu-based versions. With version 10 (codenamed Statler after the Muppet Show character), Crunchbang has switched to Debian stable as its default code base. This move makes Crunchbang a plausible option for users who do value stability.

However, all I can do is speculate about who might find Crunchbang useful, since the distro's developer has insisted in a blog post that "CrunchBang does not have a target audience."


Installation

Crunchbang 10 uses a fairly simple installer that goes through all the standard setup questions (time zone, keyboard layout, etc.) quickly. The only possible snag is that, unlike Ubuntu's installer, this one doesn't automatically detect other OS's on the machine. This omission may cause problems for users who aren't familiar with the nuances of GParted. Another minor issue is the inability to install from the LiveCD session. You have to reboot and select the install option from the LiveCD's menu to start the installation. This last point is only a slight inconvenience, though.


Pros

Welcome Script. The first time you boot Crunchbang up after installation, the terminal opens and offers you the chance to upgrade the package list and install several optional packages, such as CUPS, Java support, and Open Office. This is a convenient tool for users who always make these changes right after installing a new distro.

Chromium Out of the Box. Crunchbang comes with Chromium pre-installed. This is a huge convenience for people like me, who use Chromium as their default browser and always have to download it for every new distro.

Speed. Crunchbang comes in two versions: Openbox and Xfce (more on that later). Both are incredibly fast. In fact, I was surprised at how much faster than Xubuntu Crunchbang Xfce was.

Choice of Interfaces. Many lightweight distros come with only one GUI. Crunchbang allows you to download either an Openbox or Xfce version. Furthermore, the welcome script allows you to install support for multiple sessions, so you can choose to have the other interface available when you log in. Unlike some other distros, when you run the non-default interface, you get the full experience of that environment. You aren't left staring at a blank screen when you open up an OpenBox session in Crunchbang Xfce. This is a boon for users who want to experiment with an unfamiliar interface.


Cons

Unusual Default Layout. Crunchbang's default desktop configuration doesn't include a menu button, even in the Xfce version. I found this only a minor annoyance (and easily fixed in Xfce). However, someone less experienced with Xfce might not know how to fix it. Such a person also might not think to right-click on the desktop, which brings up the full Xfce menu.

Software Updates. Since Crunchbang is based on Debian stable, new versions of software will be slow to come. Right now, this problem isn't too noticeable, since Crunchbang 10 just released with Chromium 9 and fairly recent versions of other programs. However, many of these programs won't be updated to new versions until the next Debian stable is released in 1.5 to 2 years. This problem can be solved by switching to either the testing or unstable Debian channel.

Hardware Compatibility. Like any non-Ubuntu-based distro, Crunchbang 10 may have compatibility problems with a lot of hardware out of the box. For example, I had to give up on using Crunchbang with my laptop because I couldn't make it work with the wireless chip. To be fair, this particular chip seems to have massive problems with a lot of Linux distros, and Crunchbang works with every other piece of hardware on both my desktop and laptop. I've also heard that Crunchbang (and Debian Squeeze) support a lot of otherwise troublesome hardware, like Broadcom wireless chips. Really, this is just a general warning for anyone who has been spoiled by Ubuntu's incredibly broad hardware support and expects every Linux distro to plug and play with every bit of hardware.


OpenBox vs. Xfce

As I've mentioned, Crunchbang comes with either Openbox or Xfce as the default GUI. Each of these environments has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are screenshots of both desktops' default configurations:

Crunchbang Openbox

Crunchbang Xfce

Both environments come with a system information panel in the upper right corner (courtesy of lightweight system monitor Conky) and a panel at the bottom with two workspaces. The Xfce version also features a second, auto-hiding panel that functions as a dock-like task launcher. I found this feature convenient and started adding it to other Xfce-based OS's I ran. Other people consider it an annoyance. To each his or her own.

Neither version has a menu button when first installed. This problem is easily fixed in the Configure Panel dialog in Xfce. There seems to be no easy way to  get a menu button in Openbox, but the lack of one doesn't cause as many problems in Openbox either. Right-clicking anywhere on the desktop or on the panel brings up the full menu, so you can always access the menu, even with a maximized window on screen. This is not true in Xfce.

The major difference between the two environments is how to customize the desktop. In Xfce, there are GUI dialog boxes for most common customization tasks. In Openbox, on the other hand, most configuration is done through text files. Fortunately, Crunchbang lists the major configuration files in the menu, saving you from having to know the exact name of each file to open it in gedit. Unfortunately, the text files  are often long and can be confusing to people who can't figure out the format or what the terms mean. Whether you are comfortable working with these text files should be the most important factor when choosing Openbox or Xfce as the default session.

Personally, I've found Crunchbang to be a good tool for exploring OpenBox. I downloaded the Xfce version because I'm more familiar with that environment, but I enabled multi-session support so I could play around with OpenBox when I felt like it.


Overall Impression

I wouldn't recommend Crunchbang to a novice. It's most fit for users who have some experience with either Linux or programming. However, it's a great distro for experienced users who want a light and fast OS, who want to learn more about the inner workings of Linux, or who want to experiment with unusual user interfaces.

Linux Mint Xfce Update

After downloading the new Debian-based Linux Mint Xfce and installing it on my laptop, I found out that this distro suffers from my laptop wireless bug. My 64-bit laptop has a Realtek wireless chip that refuses to work out of the box for any non-Ubuntu-based Linux distro. After much tinkering and searching online, I found that I can't fix this bug even with ndiswrapper. Because of this handicap, I didn't get a chance to test Linux Mint Xfce under real-world, constant-web-surfing conditions.

I will note that this version of mint comes with some unusual pre-installed software. For example, it ships with LibreOffice instead of the usual light-weight office choice of AbiWord + Gnumeric. I may have to download the 32-bit version for my desktop to see how choices like this affect performance.

New Distribution: Linux Mint Xfce

A short while ago, The Linux Mint Blog announced the release of Linux Mint Xfce. "But wait," you might say, "there's already a Linux Mint Xfce. And wasn't the next version supposed to be Version 10?" It turns out that this new Mint Xfce is a rolling release based on Debian Testing, like Linux Mint Debian Edition. Thus it gets a six-digit version number based on the year and month of its release. The Linux Mint devs explain the nuances of the version numbers in an FAQ:

1. Which editions are based on Ubuntu and which editions are based on Debian?

Frozen releases are based on Ubuntu. They carry a version number. For instance, Linux Mint 10 is based on Ubuntu 10.10. The next frozen release will be Linux Mint 11, based on Ubuntu 11.04.

Rolling editions do not carry version numbers. They follow the Debian Testing branch. Because of their rolling nature, they’re receiving continuous updates and their version number never changes (technically it’s always “1″ though we do not mention it since it’s not relevant). Note the absence of version number in “Linux Mint Xfce” for instance, indicating its rolling nature.

An important thing to notice is the fact that rolling editions are in constant evolution but that a particular ISO image is a snapshot of this edition at a particular time. So, though rolling editions do not get outdated, ISO images do. For this reason we use a timestamp for our ISO images, such as “Linux Mint Xfce (201104)”.

I'm downloading the 64-bit .iso now for my laptop. The biggest obstacle on this machine will be the stubborn Realtek wireless chip that refuses to work with any non-Ubuntu-based distro. I may end up having to download a Windows driver and try to use ndiswrapper. I'll also download the 32-bit version for my distro-hopping, dual-Linux-booting desktop. My experience with Crunchbang has shown me that Xfce is much faster and more responsive in Debian-based distros than in Ubuntu (though Xubuntu runs pretty well on my high-spec laptop).

A Couple of Links

Reading over the current DistroWatch Weekly, I came across a couple of interesting on-topic articles:

First up is an interview with Jeff Hoogland, the lead developer of Bodhi Linux, at TechRepublic.com. Bodhi, despite a few little kinks, is neck and neck with CrunchBang as my favorite lightweight distro of the moment. That's pretty impressive for an OS that just saw its first stable release within the last couple of weeks. The interview is a nice intro to the idea of Bodhi Linux for people who aren't familiar with it.

Second, Jos Poortvliet writes a review of the new Xfce 4.8 desktop for the official OpenSuse website. It looks like not much is new in 4.8 (except possibly the visual appearance of panels). The most noteworthy thing about the article was Poortvliet's observation about Xfce's performance, which matches up with my assessment:

XFCE saves you a little bit, although it won’t really save you in the face of modern, memory hungry applications like Chromium and LibreOffice. More noticeable are start up time and responsiveness of applications. XFCE apps start up instantaneously and feel very fast while you are using them.