[xubuntu-users] I think this is ultra cool

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Thu, 2014-06-19 at 16:33 -0400, George F. Nemeyer wrote:
> On Thu, 19 Jun 2014, c. marlow wrote:
> 
> > >> I was just sitting here thinking. I wished I could take my Xubuntu
> > >> back to the old days where..... when I click MOUSE MENU instead of it
> > >> going back to that splash long in screen
> > >> http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac69/CMAR606/Xubuntu%20Mail%20List/IMG_20140619_022146_532.jpg
> > >>
> > >> It just goes back to a prompt: where its just a black screen and it
> > >> says USER NAME: _ then you have to type STARTX to get into the system
> > >> once you logged in.
> > >>
> > >> that would be sooo neat but I dont know if it would be allowing lots of holes in the system or not :(
> > >
> > > The display manager service and/or the log out option seems to be
> > > broken.
> > > http://upstart.ubuntu.com/getting-started.html
> 
> To be perfectly blunt, LightDM isn't ready for prime time, despite it
> being around since about Ubuntu 11.
> 
> First of all, it's trying to be an entire 'user session' on its own,
> complete with 'indicators' that alter system behavior, and which
> frequently don't play nice with similar routines used by XFCE (see
> archives about vanishing/inoperable indicators for things like Network
> Manager and Bluetooth, or issues with it saving sessions at logout despite
> being told not to).  It's also too focused on 'eye candy' with doing fancy
> 'cool' effects (like changing user icons/backgrounds on the fly) which add
> nothing to real functional useablity.
> 
> Second, it's changed it's config file locations (or the distro packagers
> have moved them) over time, so that making alterations to what you think
> is the proper file does nothing.  Or if you do edit the proper file,
> things break because the syntax or arguments are different than before.
> This is especially true if you've done in-place distro upgrades.  After
> going from XU 13.04, 13.10, and then to 14, the filesystem will be
> LITTERED with LightDM config files scattered in absurd and highly
> un-obvious places. LightDM may or may not try to look for and use 'legacy'
> configurations (or bits of them to keep the look the same), but which ones
> are actually in control remain a mystery.
> 
> Third, and most importantly, there's pathetically little *correct*
> documentation from the authors.  Most of what you find on the web today
> (even on the LightDM site itself) is totally wrong, since, once again,
> they've added/changed things.  The result is such that you're likely to
> have no luck at all, or things will break or not act as expected.  The
> 'guesses' and 'help' people on forums suggest will likewise only lead to
> frustration, as they're, more often than not, for a version other than
> what you have.
> 
> Part of all the above is being caused in 14.10 by LightDM supposedly
> 'getting ready for Wayland', which no doubt lead to still more
> gut-wrenching among the community trying to use it.
> 
> What the Xubuntu team neads to do is offer a viable *SIMPLE* alternative
> to LightDM.  XDM, for example, is as basic as it gets.  It has been around
> for decades, and is quite stable.  It can even be installed from XU
> repositories, but it won't work since it launches X in the traditional
> manner, much like 'STARTX' does (giving you an XFCE sesssion).  So while
> you get into your account, many panel icons and functions won't work are
> are flat out missing.  This is because LightDM/Ubuntu launches an 'Xubuntu
> session', not an XFCE session (which LightDM also gives you the option to
> do, but with the same semi-broken result).  And due to lack of real and
> correct documentation, it dosen't tell you what all LightDM actually DOES
> in preparation before going into XFCE.
> 
> And nobody seems to actually KNOW either, at least by my attempts to find
> out by asking in several places (including here) just what the differences
> are in launching an Xubuntu session versus an XFCE session.

LightDM can be used without an eye candy greater and whatever upstream
shouldn't provide, it at least works with some Linux installs to start
Xfce sessions on my machine, without any issue. Regarding the issue
where to find configs and good documentation, this is a *buntu problem,
you won't find such an issue for Arch Linux, a rolling release. An Arch
Linux install is without X, without a DM, without a WM, without a DE,
there are package available, but the user anyway needs to config the
system on its own, but users write good Wikis and maintain those Wikis.
IOW the problem with *buntus is, that it's a release model and nobody is
maintaining Wikis and that at least the real mother Ubuntu tends to do
bad things, like adding spyware. However, the otherc *buntus usually
remove this crap, but they still try to provide a Microsoft/Apple like
approach, no KISS principle, apps to edit configs etc..