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

[Tom H]

On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 3:43 PM, Chuck Bearden <cfbearden at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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:
>>> 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.
>
> 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.

It's hard to believe that anyone could write such a bad article.

The default install of Ubuntu'll use Unity but you'll be able to
switch to GNOME Shell. You'll also be able to install Kubuntu,
Xubuntu, Lubuntu, ... I saw a thread or article where a Gubuntu
declination was mooted.