[SOLVED] SBO request: CDE

Alien Bob · 04-29-2014, 08:11 AM

I would not be against having CDE as another desktop option in Slackware, if it is not going to add a lot of MB to the disk sets.
It is certainly a very good option for lower-spec hardware and it is a versatile and expandable desktop environment. Superior to alternatives like fluxbox, twm or fvwm. But it is Patrick Volkerding's decision.

I would not use it myself though, even if it were part of Slackware - I prefer XFCE on low-spec hardware. This is purely a matter of personal choice.

Eric

wigry · 04-29-2014, 08:22 AM

Or if it would be on official slackbuilds.org list easily installable on stock Slackware, then it would also help a lot. As this thread shows, it is available only from third party repo.

As CDE with its mandatory custom OpenMotif is quite big (around 30megs I guess) then yes adding it to official distro might not be a good idea.

ponce · 04-29-2014, 08:51 AM

at least the last time I tried it, and that's why is on a "testing" folder on my personal webserver and I've not submitted it on SBo, I spotted a few problems against adding it anywhere:
- the code is really old: before being released as opensource, it has been touched last time more than 15 years ago; efforts are being made to let it run on modern OSes but work has just begun;
- openmotif is mandatory, but we have the conflicting lesstif in Slackware...
- CDE wants to install itself in /usr/dt and wants to spam the final install folder too during "make install";
- it uses some non-standard-on-linux locale naming and forces to do some ugly symlinks;
- others that I don't recall now...

edorig · 04-29-2014, 01:45 PM

Concerning lesstif, it is indeed the main obstacle for installing CDE. It is not compatible,
so you must uninstall it, and replace it with Motif (now LGPL since version 2.3.4 of Oct. 2012). The problem is that removepkg will also change your host.def, and you will have to recreate it to have a working imake/xmkmf. Recent Motif slackbuilds from SBO may have already addressed that issue.

There is a new version of CDE 2.2.1, released March 2014, that has some improvements:
- dtinfo (documentation browser) is working
- you can lock the screen from the front panel.

I have some Actions definitions here to integrate common applications in the Application Manager.

wigry · 04-29-2014, 02:03 PM

When trying out the CDE on OpenBSD I was struggling to get it running at all. Simply didn't start. Showed dthello for a moment and then dissapeared. The issue was in the /etc/hosts as CDE expects to resolve your systems FQDN into IP. Once I created the appropriate line in /etc/hosts, it started without issues. Yet to see if on Linux it has the same issue.

ReaperX7 · 04-29-2014, 06:32 PM

Couldn't you install openmotif in /usr/local rather than /usr and still keep lesstif or even rename the library sets similar to how some distributions install elfutils alongside binutils? I know on B/LFS elfutils usually is installed with the elf-* prefix label to their libraries and binaries to prevent inappropriate conflicts.

1337_powerslacker · 05-04-2014, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien Bob

I have to use CDE everyday at work... I am always glad to return home and start a Slackware KDE session.

Eric

I don't have to use CDE at work (Windows 7 here), but nevertheless, I am glad to return to Slackware & KDE after work & school.

Lockywolf · 05-04-2014, 04:47 PM

I would use CDE.

CDE is the only, afair, GUI common to all UNIXes.

eloi · 05-05-2014, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien Bob

I would not be against having CDE as another desktop option in Slackware, if it is not going to add a lot of MB to the disk sets.
It is certainly a very good option for lower-spec hardware and it is a versatile and expandable desktop environment. Superior to alternatives like fluxbox, twm or fvwm.

Superior? In adding MB to the disk sets?

Just one example between a hundred of what you can do with fvwm or fluxbox. Adding this to fvwm config:

Code:

Key j A M       Move keep w+2
Key k A M       Move keep w-2
Key l A M       Move w+2 keep
Key h A M       Move w-2 keep
Key j A SM      Resize keep w+2
Key k A SM      Resize keep w-2
Key l A SM      Resize w+2 keep
Key h A SM      Resize w-2 keep

Or this to fluxbox keys:

Code:

Mod1 l :MoveRight 60
Mod1 h :MoveLeft 60
Mod1 j :MoveDown 40
Mod1 k :MoveUp 40
Shift Mod1 l :ResizeHorizontal 15
Shift Mod1 h :ResizeHorizontal -15
Shift Mod1 j :ResizeVertical 5
Shift Mod1 k :ResizeVertical -5

You can quickly move your windows just holding Alt and using vi keys
(Alt+Shift to resize). Try to do something like that on KDE.

Quote:

But it is Patrick Volkerding's decision.

What's the point of repeating that?

Quote:

I would not use it myself though, even if it were part of Slackware - I prefer XFCE on low-spec hardware. This is purely a matter of personal choice.

You are admitting yourself that adding MB to disk is not advisable (that's just one of the cons, you should sum the maintaining work you add) and at the same time you state like only argument "This is purely a matter of personal choice". Doesn't the "weight" of Slackware users choices affect Patrick work?

If Xfce is for "low-spec hardware" then, following your reasoning, is the premise at time to choose desktop environment to fill some percentage of disk?

Now my reasons

I don't care about what toy uses by desktop who already mastered Unix bases (that obviously includes you). I care about new users; to find a way to *at least* let them know that that Unix base exists and why is important to preserve it. Obviously, entertaining them with toy desktops is not the way.

One day you will open your konsole and this is what you will find:

C:\>

You will still be thinking that it's all Red Hat fault, and that I'm a troll that come here to rant because I don't accept others taste and preferences.

Steve Austin
Astronaut