[ubuntu-studio-devel] DEs and how they relate to media production use

[Len Ovens]

On Wed, 28 May 2014, ttoine wrote:

> I do most of my multimedia production with Unity desktop and it is fine... I
> don't want to change anymore to another desktop, and I would be for just
> letting people choose what they want.

You are destined to be disapointed  :)  I am sure Ubuntu will find another 
UI to change to not long after the kinks are worked out of this one. 
Things are always changing.

All kidding aside though, What changes (if any) have you made to the 
default unity install? I know I could do whatever work I do from stock 
Unity, but can not help but think adding the applications I use most to 
the sidepanel/dock would make things much easier. What method do you use 
for starting apps? Do you use more than one workspace? Do you use dual 
monitors? Do the applications you use migrate to a favourites group that 
is easy to access?

> After all, Ubuntu has Unity per default, why not use Unity for Ubuntu Studio
> ? Less time on DE customisation, and more time on building good tuning
> tools, be sure that application are working well, etc.

If we were setting up unity for studio what changes would you make to the 
stock Unity? (aside from eye candy) I get the feeling that adding all the 
MM apps to the dock would be way too much. Would adding dropdown menus for 
collections of apps be worthwhile? (I think this is possible as things are 
just with settings)

In the end, our choice of xfce for a DE has proven popular. It has less 
emotional love/hate kinds of baggage and is more open for those who's 
freedom relies on not letting info into the wild. It allows useful work to 
be done on lower end/older HW than other DEs too. Yet it has all the 
features of an up to date DE and is quite stable. lxde as it sits is not 
going to be maintained much longer and that maintenance will not be as 
good as it might be if development was to continue. However, things are 
headed to LXQt which may be a great DE when it is done.

I would like to have some extras that would make unity work better though. 
Gnome session is another animal though. My experience with it has been 
about the same as TWM... open a terminal and run things from there. I like 
a lot of things about GS, but the application access is just not there for 
me. It's auto workspace setup is something I would like to see more of for 
example.

--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net