LXer: Is XFCE the best Linux desktop ever?
 

Published at LXer:

In today's open source roundup: XFCE might just be the best Linux desktop ever created. Plus: Is Android Wear the new iPad? And how to install and dual-boot SteamOS.

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I like Xfce. In fact I'm using it "as we speak," but, unfortunately, Xfce appears to have become a part-time weekend project for the developers as there has not been new release in over two years.

It's pretty much as cwizardone says. I used Xfce for the last 8 months but few days ago I switched to another GE. Xfce is cool (I definitely like it more than GNOME derivations), however, it lacks customization options (unless you like to spend hours in text mode for slight improvements), some pre-installed tools of convinience (like searching & displaying wireless networks around), and worst of all - it's dead for over two years, no any kind of update at all. Sure, it works, but there are some minor bugs that can get annoying (to give one example: switching windows between fullscreen and non-fullscreen when panel is on the side instead of default bottom will leave them partly under the panel, so you need to move them manually). I like it, but it has no future and lacks some polishing.

The *best* Desktop Manager or Windowing System is the one that works for you.

That there wasn't a major release for two years does not mean that there were no updates at all. Just have a look at their Git repository and you will see that work is still done on XFCE. It just seems that they currently have a lack of developers

So, if you really like XFCE and want it to be kept alive start supporting it, be it as a developer, writing documentation, creating artwork or simply with money.

Agreed. I'm a KDE fanboy, but try/use other DEs/WMs now and then for a bit of variety. I've been messing about with i3 this week.

With all due respect, what does an end user know about Git? Why should he even need to know? The user should, IMO, be able to go to the project web site to find out what is going on, but you won't find any new information (as of yesterday) at the web site, unless you go to the forums and then you have to read through the message base to get any information.

They, the project developers, need to keep their users informed or they will, and from what I've read, are losing users.

Feel free to tell that the developers. Possibly they are spending more time with coding than with updating their website, due to limited manpower/support, and will be open to an offer to help them with the site.

That seems an odd attitude to take towards people working to give you free things. Don't get me wrong, I have been at a stage I was about to stop using Debian for another distro due to bugs but, in general, Linux and free software projects do not exist to be sold.
We (the largely non-contributing end-users) don't in any way deserve these projects and have absolutely no grounds to criticise.
You can contrast that, if you wish, with my view of companies I pay to do things for me (I boycott whole nations).

I think you miss the point. Regardless if it is free or not, communication with
your users is important. Don't let people know what is going on, and you will
lose them. Just a simple, occasional update, is all that is needed. By update
I mean, a few sentences or paragraphs stating where the project is at the moment
and where it is headed. How long would that take? Five minutes?

You assume too much, i.e., that everyone has the time, skills or money.

Let's see how long it takes you.

When there's no time, skills, or money, software projects die.

:rolleyes: If I knew the state of the progress on any given
project, I could do it in well under five minutes. :rolleyes:

Personally, I think the most important message for the Xfce developers to send is not "we're still actively working on it." It's "it works very well now."

This implies that you have at least the skill to do it, so why aren't you offering your help to them?