Karmic Spec: Thunderbird Vs. Claws

[Eero Tamminen]

Hi,

On Tuesday 21 July 2009, Vincent wrote:
> On the other hand, Xubuntu is not only Xfce, but also Ubuntu, which has
> more of a goal of being easy to use. We might as well throw out all those
> Ubuntu apps that make life easier but decrease performance, such as their
> Python tools like Add/Remove, update-notifier, jockey etc.
>
> Also, if we want users to edit configuration files and use the command
> line, why have a GUI at all?

Hm.  Maybe Xubuntu should provide in an addition to an XFCE session
also a geekier "Text desktop" session option? :-)

It could switch to a text console, start a ready-made Screen[1] session
with something like following running on different Screen "screens":
- Midnight Commander[2]
- Mutt[3] mail client with Xubuntu welcome mail that tells how to
  get started with Mutt
- W3m[4] with Xubuntu default page open (or w3m help)
- Irssi[5] IRC-client setup so that it automatically connect to Xubuntu
  users irc-channel

On the visible Screen "screen" would be a shell with a help text about how
to switch between Screen "screens" and note about how you can detach
and attach back to your Screen sessions.

Links are to Debian as Ubuntu servers seem to be down currently:
[1] http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/screen
[2] http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/mc
[3] http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/mutt
[4] http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/w3m
[5] http://packages.debian.org/squeeze/irssi

Some other text-based programs that this text-desktop task could bring in:
- "gcal" calendar
- "aumix" sound mixer
- "slrn" news client
- "aview" image viewer
- "xaos" fractal zoomer
- "mpc" music daemon console client
- some text-only CD-player like "workbone" or "mcdp"
- some easy to use text-only editor like "jed"
  (which supports color unlike e.g. "nano" or "emacs")

There's also some old but kind of cool text-only stuff that's not packaged
into Debian or Ubuntu:
- MyMan; a ncurses pacman with colors and scrolling:
  http://xent.com/~bsittler/geocities/
- FunkTracker Gold; a MOD-tracker:
  http://www.agnula.info/documentation/dp_tutorials/funktrackergold/


	- Eero

PS.  This might be also integresting:
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=709217