[lubuntu-devel] [lubuntu-users] Lubuntu Next Blockers and Suggestions (WAS: Re: Lubuntu Artful Aardvark Beta 1 has been released!)

[Simon Quigley]

Hey Alf,

On 09/02/2017 08:13 AM, Alf Gaida wrote:
> On 02.09.2017 09:06, Simon Quigley wrote:
>> One thing I can point out for sure is this -- LXQt makes releases too
>> slow for the amount of new features that are being added and in the
>> development state that it is in. While I do see the importance of
>> waiting until the right time to do a release, doing an LXQt release once
>> every year or so is not, in my eyes, the best way to go. It would be
>> great (in my opinion) if LXQt upstream could either:
>>  1. Set out a time-based schedule (even if it's general (give/take a
>> month)).
>>  2. Once a new LXQt release has happened (and not long after), set out
>> clear goals for what features want to be included and what bugs want to
>> be fixed, and work towards getting those done. Once those are done,
>> actually release. If bugs are found, fix them along the way.
> The ground work for having a LXQt with smaller changes that fit better
> to a possible release schedule is done with the latest changes in pcmanfm-qt
> and libfm-qt - so if these huge changes are finally finished we can release
> more often with smaller changesets - Simon is right with that. But please
> keep in mind that LXDE is mature and LXQt is not. That will change in the
> next two years.

That's great to hear.

> Next big thing will be wayland. I admit that i don't follow the wayland
> development at all that close, but the framework integration has grown over
> time.

I am personally hesitant to ship Wayland in Lubuntu given the problems
with the NVIDIA graphics drivers. Once there's a good solution for that
and Wayland has been tested a bit more, I think it'll be a good option.

To be clear, I hope LXQt doesn't drop X support any time soon. ;)

>> One way that could be accomplished is having some sort of Continuous
>> Integration for LXQt. I know Alf has been working on Siduction (I don't
>> know much about it, though) and I've been hacking up some scripts of my
>> own. But having some sort of central CI and platform for testers could
>> really help.
> CI is overrated in that case - it will be nice and we should work on it. But
> the best ci don't help with things like new versions (travis or circle with
> current Qt or KF5 will prevent us from shooting us in one or two feets with
> available Frameworks. Thats great and help a lot.)

Have you seen the work that Kubuntu has done with KCI? In their
packaging they have kubuntu_stable, kubuntu_unstable, and
kubuntu_$RELEASE_{archive,backports} and it works pretty well for them.
While that is another topic in and of itself, here's a link if you'd
like to check it out: http://kci.pangea.pub

<snip />

>> I am personally excited for when Lubuntu Next is production ready and we
>> can then look at the possibility of sunsetting the LXDE spin of Lubuntu.
>> While this might be a year or two in the future (I'm thinking between
>> the release of 18.04 and 18.10 Alpha 1 will be when we have those
>> discussions and make final plans, 18.04 cycle will be focused on
>> polish), I can see it happening. The problem is, Lubuntu has been saying
>> this for so long, that we're going to replace LXDE with LXQt, etc. etc.
>> etc. 
> 
> Imho the current release of LXQt was the first release that fit the needs of
> so called normal users and fit into debian stable - so the 0.12 will top that,
> being more polished, less rough edges but still a way to go. 

I've sort of gotten that feeling personally when using it. I've been
using it on my desktop computer on and off for about a year now, and for
the past 3 months or so, it's felt polished enough and had little enough
breakage that I thought it was perfect timing for getting the Lubuntu
Next spin ready.

> To be clear about - 0.11.x fit the most of my needs as a DE, 0.12 will do
> better. And i guess the most users want things that just run. So looking
> forward i would say that 0.12 will be fine for lubuntu next 18.04 - did i 
> mention that we can release packages now as point releases without pain as
> long we don't break qtxdg and liblxqt abi? Seems we become more mature.

Here's what's probably going to happen with 17.10 and 18.04:
 - With 17.10, things won't be 100% polished yet, so while we still may
release it, we'll recommend that people go with the LXDE Lubuntu.
 - With 18.04, unless things change a lot in the next 8 months, may ship
with Lubuntu LXDE as the LTS (3 years of support) and LXQt as a non-LTS
(9 months of support). I'll have to talk to the Ubuntu Release Team to
see exactly how to implement it, but I know it's possible.

Again, just my opinions, this is still open for discussion.


Thanks Alf!

-- 
Simon Quigley
tsimonq2 at ubuntu.com
tsimonq2 on freenode and OFTC
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