Xfce as default desktop for Slackware 15.0
 

Just a thought. Xfce is matured enough - Devuan is using it as default desktop. I think easier to maintain than Plasma. Of course Plasma would be always provided as alternative as long as AlienBob would be wiling to take care. Just I think Plasma is to complex to maintain by one person. Of course it is nice to have full-featured desktop - but problem is how many people are willing to work on its deployment to Slackware? For me more secure solution is just Xfce. What do you think?

I use i3wm but do like to have Plasma and all bells and whistles avaible on my box.

If I happen to need a DE, I even never launch xfce. And buddies and familly for whom I maintain several boxes like it…

Our BDFL can do as he wishes. I don't think AlienBob wants to do that and it isn't his job to do it either. https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...ml#post6167781

Xfce as default desktop for Slackware 15.0
 

Slackware doesn't have a default desktop. It asks you to choose one at installation. You can make it XFCE if you wish.

Yes, you can choose from a list, but kde is listed aa the default desktop.
https://distrowatch.com/table.php?di...tion=slackware

Building is just a matter of pushing on enter key when you typed the script name in most of the cases. So if the community is
willing to have it and we cooperate there is no problem if just one man clicks on his enter key.

The OP's request is not going to produce change because the user can already set the default desktop to Xfce, and can also choose not to install KDE.

What Slackware needs is a better selection of GTK applications - Atril, the new Glade, Inkscape, LightDM with the GTK greeter, and Mousepad to name a few. These would make the Xfce experience better.
Ed

I think the best decision is to include LightDM or GDM into XFCE packages for default. It is so past tense to see XDM on starting.

LightDM would be a nice addition now that PAM is included. :) I think PAM was the only missing link keeping LightDM out of Slackware. If not added by Pat perhaps in SBo.

On Distrowatch, yes... but I challenge you to show me anything from Slackware which even hints to a default desktop. The system is geared toward allowing you to choose.

The release announcement for 14.2 listed XFCE first...

Challenge accepted. <grin> During the install process (assuming you are doing the recommended full install) when you are asked to select a default window manager for X, KDE is the first selected choice. That is a pretty big hint. Yes you can change it, but if you just accept it as is, then KDE the default by default.

What do I think? First I've never heard of Devuan, (looked it up) it's a fork of Debian. The are quite a few other distributions that also use Xfce as their default desktop. Good for them.

I won't even try to judge what is to complex for our BDFL to maintain. I would think he has a system in place that allows him to do what he does; which I might add, I think he does very well. Patrick Volkerding is the ultimate decider of all things Slackware. At this point in time it does appear, based on updates to -current, that Plasma 5 will be part of Slackware 15.

As you put it "of course it is nice to have a full-featured desktop". The full-featured desktop should be the default (The first choice in the selection list). My opine of course.

It really doesn't matter, since folks like me who use KDE and now Plasma 5, will select that desktop anyway. Since it's currently at the top of the list, just tap enter. If one wants Xfce, it's the next one down, cursor down to select it, press enter. Done.

FYI, If you are using current with ktown installed, when running xwmconfig, the first choice is xfce, plasma is last.

Considering the direction Xfce is heading with migrating to GTK3, I will either switch to something else, or install the 'last' GTK2 Xfce when Slackware 15.0 is released.

Nah, it's like all totally trendy and retro! ;)

Seriously though, XDM may be old, but it does the job, and it isn't dependent on a bunch of GNOME libraries/dependencies in order to do so: which is something I value.

If the default big-grey-box aesthetic of XDM looks a little too old-fashioned for you then that's easy enough to fix.

Yes, I lost interest in XFCE when it started incorporating more and more GNOME components rather than being its own thing. I think it was GIO/GVFS that woke me up to where it was heading. Seems like XFCE and 'Mate Desktop' are now fighting over the same "Traditional GNOME 2 like desktop" niche.