On 28/02/16 07:03, Joel Roth wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 28, 2016 at 02:32:45AM +0000, hellekin wrote:
>> On 02/27/2016 03:28 AM, Simon Wise wrote:
>>> something as minimal as possible, like above, seems a very good option.
>> I dream of a core Devuan that is modular so that the Desktop Environment
>> is a *blend* that you layer on top of core. That way, you can have a
>> choice of DEs that users can prepare for their own pleasure.
> For people like my dad who simply need to reach their
> applications, something like icewm is enough. They don't
> have the interest or aptitude to master a complex desktop
> environment with twitchy GUIs in the style of Apple's recent
> offerings.
>
>> The question of the default DE comes next: Devuan should be shipped with
>> a default DE. So far we've been focusing on XFCE, for reasons unknown
>> to me (normally I use a tiled WM without DE).
> I, too, have found grace (or at least sufficient
> convenience) in tiled WMs :)
>
> I agree that if Xfce floats enough boats, and can be
> integrated okay, why not?
>
> Alternatively, having a minimal window manager as default,
> possibly with a menu choice to upgrade to a fancier DE, seems
> like a way to convey that the various DEs are *user
> interfaces* rather than representing the OS itself.
>
> That goes with another radical idea: having people login at
> the console and type 'startx'. That way, when later there is
> some problem, you can ask the person to type some commands
> in the console, and they know at least to type something at
> a prompt and conclude with the Enter key. They can also
> understand that X is a layer on top of the base OS.
>
> These concepts seems quite alien to many users. I think that
> even this minimal exposure to the command line could
> stimulate curiosity about what the terminal can be used to
> accomplish. At the minimum, people will know it is
> there.
>
> Maybe I am missing something about the motivations behind
> and the benefits of a graphical login screen, but it seems
> like the main value is allowing people to run their computer
> without ever seeing the command prompt. I think it would be
> of more value for people to encounter the command prompt,
> even if briefly.
>
>
>> I can imagine that Jessie 1.0 Beta will ship with XFCE by default.
>> I hope Jessie 1.0 will ship with a choice for WM/DE, each implemented as
>> a blend. That way the community can maintain a collection of *properly
>> configured and integrated desktops* for those who want to use that, and
>> leave the rest of us free to build on the foundation, not just decorate
>> of a pre-chewed environment.
> It would be great cooperation to have one group to hack on
> the DE stuff, while leaving the Devuan core developers free
> to concentrate on lower-level concerns.
>
> Regards,
>
> Joel
>
>> ==
>> hk
>>

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I think the above is closest to my views on the matter.
Which window manager and desktop environment I choose to use is up to me
and nothing for devuan to worry about.
I use xfce a lot and would like it to work on devuan, but don't waste
valuable time on it.
I'm old enough to cope quite well with twm, I like using ctwm, and I
really like fluxbox.
Typing startx on the command line should not be beyond anybody who wants
to try devuan.
I even persuaded the normal people that use my iMac to do it for a while!

DaveT