[xubuntu-users] Unity desktop & the future of Xubuntu

[Chuck Bearden]

On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 2:05 PM, Vincent <mailinglists at vinnl.nl> wrote:
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 6:48 PM, Charlie Kravetz
> <cjk at teamcharliesangels.com> wrote:
>>
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>> Hash: SHA1
>>
>> On Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:36:07 -0600
>> Chuck Bearden <cfbearden at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > This article
>> >
>> >   <http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/71717.html>
>> >
>> > suggests that as of Ubuntu 11.04, desktop environments other than
>> > Unity won't be an option, though it's hard to be sure exactly what is
>> > being claimed.
>> >
>> > Does anyone here know if xfce will be part of the Ubuntu distribution
>> > after 11.04? Will I have the option of running an xfce4-based desktop?
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > Chuck
>> >
>>
>> Unity is a shell used with Gnome. It is not planned at this time for
>> compatibility with Xfce, which is the Xubuntu desktop environment.
>> Since the Unity developers are not planning to completely replace Gnome
>> at this time there are no plans to take Xubuntu away from Ubuntu.
>>
>
> Furthermore, the article has several inaccuracies and isn't good reporting
> IMO. For example, the first screenshot is not the Unity shell but an old
> version of the netbook remix that has been phased out. Unity also isn't "the
> only shell option", as there will still be the option to run GNOME's regular
> shell (not sure whether that'll be GNOME 3's gnome-shell, or the panel setup
> of GNOME 2).
>
> I could point out a few more inaccuracies, point is that I would take it
> with quite a few grains of salt.
>
> Anyway, Unity is not a desktop environment (like Xfce is) - it just replaces
> a part of GNOME. Xubuntu, on the other hand, also includes a few parts of
> the GNOME desktop environment that e.g. aren't provided by Xfce or fit the
> Xubuntu mission better. Xfce is and will be part of Xubuntu, and will be
> able to be installed in plain Ubuntu too.
>
> Best,
>
> Vincent

Thank you Charlie & Vincent. I appreciate your clarifications. The article
was indeed vague and, had it been much clearer in parts, it would probably
have been self-contradictory.

One concern it raised with me was that Canonical would not be supporting
the maintenance of Xfce, but I'm ashamed to say I don't know if it
presently gives material support to the maintence of Xfce & the other
components of Xubuntu, or if all the work on testing, configuring, and
packaging Xfce4 libraries & applications is done by the Xubuntu project.

Thanks again,
Chuck