Rick Moen [2017-08-17 00:55]:

> So, here's a point: If you have a Linux system with Thunar (graphical
> file manager) and the xfwm4 window manager, I'm betting that those _are_
> 99% of what you think of as 'XFCE4'.

Not quite.

> I'm betting that you don't actually have a specific desire and need
> (also) for xfdashboard, Xftasklets, Xfce4 Screenshooter, Xfce4
> Dictionary, Xfburn, Ristretto, XFCE Terminal, Parole media player,
> Midori Web browser, Eatmonkey download manager,
> notification-daemon-xfce, the Xfce4 Volstatus system tray notification
> icon, Xfce4 Power Manager, Gigolo GIO/GVfs front-end, a couple of dozen
> Xfce4 panel plugins, and around a dozen Thunar plugins, You might not
> even be totally in love with the Xfce4 panel, _or_ even (gasp!) prefer a
> different panel not normally bundled as part of the XFCE4 metapackage.

I use several of these.

> _Or_ you might prefer, as many XFCE4 users do, the window manager named
> 'awesome' rather than xfwm4.

No, not me. Tried it, didn't like it much.

> And if you started out with less than the entire marching band of those
> things (which with artwork and bindings are the ensemble known as
> 'XFCE4') and at any point you decided you wanted any of them or all of
> them, you can trivially add those with a single apt-get command.
>
> So, why do you need to start with the whole marching band? And,
> moreover, install a 'task' metapackage whose presence requires
> installation, at all times, of all of the constituent packages
> thereafter.

If I install the whole of XFCE4, I only have to remember the names of a
couple of other packages to get the screen to look the way I want.

> 'A la carte' is not a swear word, you know. But somehow, most of an
> entire generation of Linux newcomers have been conned into thinking it
> is. My point is merely that I think this tunnel-vision is unfortunate.

You have several good points, and I may try some of your ideas, but it
all comes down to choice. I think the reason I prefer a simple,
ready-made desktop is that it's one of the least important things on my
computer. I have other things to fiddle with, so I want the user
interface to "just work" - and for me, XFCE4 does.
--
Hilsen Harald