Hi fellow Slackers,

The question has been raison in another thread, and I've already been pondering it for the last few days. I don't have an answer yet, so I decided to ask your advice and read your eventual suggestions.

As some of you know, the MLED project has started off with only Xfce as desktop environment. Over the weeks and the months, I got much feedback by users asking for support for other desktops like KDE and MATE (and others). So I took up the challenge and gave it a try. I created no less than twenty (!) virtual machines for all possible combinations of Slackware version vs. desktop environment vs. processor architecture. Literally hundreds of hours of work of editing SlackBuild scripts, compiling packages and testing went into all this.

The result is now online here, and everything works quite nice:

http://www.microlinux.fr/slackware/

But right now I'm facing a crucial choice. Since the first goal of MLED is for my company's use here in South France, it's best if it has Long Term Support, e. g. if every version (server, desktop) is supported for as long as the underlying Slackware base system (roughly five years).

I've made a rough estimation based on the work done until now, and I have to conclude: I cannot offer Long Term Support for all three desktop environments. It's simply too much work. It's either one (three different desktops) or the other (Long Term Support).

Here's what user 'philanc' writes in another thread:

I've been thinking a lot about this, and I'd say his remark is spot on. Based on a mixture of day to day experience and gut feeling, I'd say I have a strong bias for Xfce. If I could base my work on this one single desktop environment, I could offer "Long Term Support" starting from Slackware 14.0, with edges nicely sanded down, lots of honing and fine-tuning, application requests for integration, bug squashing and updates. Plus, I could also add some detail to the documentation (not to mention finish these darn articles for docs.slackware.com that I've been delaying for too long now). I've installed all three desktops environments on my client's PCs (most of them Xfce, some KDE and a couple of MATE desktops). So far, Xfce seems to be the winner, especially among the less computer-literature folks.

Before introducing any dramatic changes, I'd simply like to ask for your opinion on the matter.

I wish you all a nice Christmas holiday.

philanc gave you a sound advice, I think. Life is short, so maintaining MLED should be a pleasure for you, and it won't stay so if it becomes kind of a work for Sysiphus not Nicolas.

If you like Xfce, just stick with it. And if a lot of people request other desktop environments, well, they could launch a sister project, maybe with your help.

Just my

3 members found this post helpful.

I have stayed out of the MLED threads because I was thinking the same thing and did not want to discourage you.
You need to think of your income first. I believe that you are better prepared for the future when maintaining a single desktop environment that you can offer Long-Term-Service for. Your customers do not want to switch their way of working (and thinking) with every fad-of-the-year.
I remember that the reason you wanted to try out these two other DE's (KDE, MATE) was to see if they were compelling enough for your customers. You can still do that - you have created usable customizeable desktop environments which you are able to maintain should a customer demand them - you can ask money for the extra work, and that is how you build a business.
However maintaining these three MLED variants for an Open Source crowd does not pay back in money, only in respect. You should only do that if you have the time to spare and it does not affect your daily job.

Eric

5 members found this post helpful.

Thanks for the sound advice, Didier and Eric. It confirms what a healthy mix of experience and gut feeling (in that order) has told me these last few days.

I agree with the others. You should do what works for you and your customers and what you enjoy doing. Life is way too short otherwise. Merry Christmas @kikinovak!

4 members found this post helpful.

so, just stick with XFCE and make the most of it? Your efforts with the three desktops seem pretty impressive, so couldn't you get someone to help if you really wanted to keep them?

have nice holidays

I'd say maintaining three desktops is like having three girlfriends at the same time.

It's possible.

2 members found this post helpful.

kikinovac,

Thanks for your tireless efforts with your projects. I would stick with maintaining just XFCE. Your quality of life is important. I like Eric's comments. You want to have time for rock climbing and other enjoyable pursuits.

3 members found this post helpful.

I'm a XFCE user so my vote would go to XFCE. But for the sake of impartiality, I'll describe how I would look at it:

Previous posts advised to maintain only one DE and I guess that's the way to go for a one-man IT company.

Now if I had to make a choice of DE, I would most probably select one already included in official Slackware so that the DE is already available when a new version of Slackware comes up. I have nothing against MATE and I have much respect for the work done by Chess and Willy. But for LTS, I would prefer to limit the upstream projects on which I would depend. After the release of a new version of Slackware, I would thus focus on updating the applications outside Slackware (ex: brasero, audacity...) and I shall expect some difficulties from time to time so it's better if at least the DE is not in my way.

So now it's a choice between KDE and XFCE. Of course it can be a matter of personal choice, but if I had to think about a commercial offering, I would try to guess what would be the most appropriate DE for my prospective customers: what would be their motives to migrate to/install MLED?

I would believe that in these challenging economic times, budget would be a major criteria so I would try to sell them a solution with minimal hardware but still have a responsive and nice looking DE (thanks to your great customizing work).

Hence my choice of XFCE.

Of course, I'm no one-man IT company so I may miss other considerations.

1 members found this post helpful.

I would stick with the desktop you prefer. I don't use any of the three you are currently supporting, (I use LXDE)but it is not that complex to install another desktop for people who want another.

aha, each having different demands and they might conflict with each other if you mix them up too much?

+1.

Looks like you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Judging from the various posts above - as well as those on FB and G+ - on the subject, there seems to be an important pro-Xfce majority.

I have used primarily KDE but I think Xfce is the better choice indeed. And I think it's what I'm gonna use for my new company.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

1 members found this post helpful.

Someone once commented that gravestones are interesting historical documents. There is the date a person is born and the date a person dies. That little dash in between both dates is the person's life.

One little dash to represent an entire life.

When possible choose your pleasures and heartaches. Nobody will know the difference when they look at the dash on the gravestone.

4 members found this post helpful.

You have done an incredible amount of hard work already.
You deserve some relaxation.
Merry Christmas

Craig Miles