Anyone interested in replace GNOME with a custom Desktop Environment

I’m deleting it since I’m not going to use Launchpad to manage it. I’m not creating a .deb package but rather creating an installation script. My repository is at https://gitlab.com/andnux-de/andnux-desktop. I’m looking for a panel to use which reflects the current design. I also need testers.

A special variation of GNOME is used in Ubuntu, so the GNOME link is not very useful. Also, I’m using KWin, so again, KDE is not my aim.

But was is your mysterious aim?

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As you all know, Ubuntu is sometimes criticised for not having touch capabilities despite having a tablet-like interface. An easy solution is to do away with the tablet-like interface. I’m mainly focusing on a desktop-like interface with a flat design like I mentioned above (somewhat like Google’s Material Design and perhaps like Apple’s Flat Design). I’m sure you know about XFCE, LXQT, KDE etc. but none of them are integrated with the pre-installed Ubuntu applications. What I’m building is meant to fit in with them, unlike the prominent example of KDE, where you have applications like Konsole, KMail etc.

Why not contribute to Ubuntu/GNOME Shell/Unity 8 (well, it’s called Lomiri now) then ? :slightly_smiling_face:

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I’m following a completely different approach by merging different components like openbox, pypanel etc. I’m not following the code approach.

It doesn’t seem like you want to replace anything but to create (yet) another Ubuntu flavor.

I’m not aiming on creating a new Ubuntu flavor. I gave up on that months ago. I’m packaging it like Lomiri (Unity8), where you have an installation script which you could execute to install.

Something that has been done so many times by others wanting to do “their own thing”.

In my opinion, flavours and derivatives are the only way to go if you want to attract the attention of a significant number of users.

I wish you well but users, in my opinion, want supported flavours, derivatives and remixes of official Ubuntu releases that will support them with bug fixes, updates and upgrades to at least the next release. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS is due in just under two months time. Are you willing to support any users of your script for at least the next three years?

Disclaimer: this post has taken so long to for me to write and amend that Discourse is showing me replies that have been posted well before posting this so some of what I have said may already be out of date.

The ppa is necessary then, but it also mean much more work.

Personally i wouldn’t trust an installation script.

“openbox, pypanel” -> One goal of your DE is to be Lightweight ?

This is usually known as a “remix”, and they are common. Have fun with it. Remixes tend to have limited appeal, as others have pointed out.

A few have grown into official Ubuntu flavors, others have remained small and fun, others have flashed and then quietly disappeared.

Experimental remixes are one way that Ubuntu particiants continue to innovate, experiment, and play --activities that keep Ubuntu refreshed and energetic-- so have fun with it, and be sure to broadcast what you discover to the Planet and here.

Obligatory Advice to a new project: Don’t disparage other projects in favor of your own, even accidentally or by way of comparison or clarification. Everybody has an opinion. You own project has it’s own strengths and it’s own merits and you want people to participate because of those. You should WANT other projects to see the benefits of your successful experiments, and adopt them.

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A remix is completely different from a DE. It generally use different projects (like openbox, pypanel, a dock, etc…) and doesn’t need a ppa but an iso file.

Canonical was struggling with Unity because of the amount of work that it needs to create a DE and a lot of good people are working since years on GNOME and are still not done yet (sure, they never will be^^).

So it is on one hand a big question of “is it worth it?” and what is the point of doing it? And on the other hand we see the great improvement when more and more people are working together on GNOME, making a single DE better and better since years now. We definitely should have learned from that.

And of course - What does Ubuntu have to do with the question?

Forking? Starting allover again? Or just use another DE?
Or, what my guess is, that question is only here to provoke :crazy_face:

Creating remixes with available resources is quite interesting. And, also from somewhat freely unavailable resources is even more interesting. I play(ed) around with some, have a look. Especially the 3rd screeny.

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@chanath Helped me a lot, that post… Thanks a lot :slight_smile:

@JerareYoshi My DE’s goal isn’t to be lightweight. It is to be simplistic. I’m not using Openbox, but I will be using pypanel if I don’t find a better-looking panel (not a dock). I might use KWin, because of its flat interface, but still not sure. Need advice.

@paulw2u Yes, I’m willing to support other users for more than 3 years.

@luxamman When I started using Linux, I was fine with the Ubuntu look, but still strongly hated the dock. When the switch to GNOME occurred, I switched to Fedora. Till now, I was using it but only recently set up my desktop with Ubuntu. Since 1 year, I’ve been using Ubuntu. I now want to make that one change that initially drove me out from Ubuntu Ecosystem.

@ian-weisser Thank you for the good advice :smile:

Actually, am recruiting members. Please contact me directly if you could help (in Discourse’s Messaging System). :wink: