KDE user in Gnome

[benstein]

Just to mix things up a bit. I wanted to see what was up with Gnome on openSUSE these days. Occasionally I log into a Gnome session in OpenSolaris but it's only to take care of a few administrative needs. Just to note, I am an openSUSE KDE team member, mostly in bug squashing. I am using the default Gnome desktop provided by the openSUSE 11.1 Gnome Desktop pattern on a dual screened, x86_64 workstation.

GDM:
Pros:
1. GDM is simple and straight forward to use.
2. KDM4 fails to display on both desktops GDM does. Nice!
Cons:
1. For some reason the login screen displays on desktop 2.

Metacity:
Pros:
1.As a window manager it is very snappy and clean.
2.From a development perspective the XML format is very easy to workwith.
3.Metacity doesn't get in the way of using windows.
4.Right-click on desktop menu is simple and contains everything I wanted.
Cons:
1.Desktop effects are not built in.
2.There aren't shortcuts for always on top and move to another desktop.
3.Unable to switch workspaces with mouse wheel or any mouse command. Keyboard shortcuts only.

Workspace:
Pros:
1.Desktop wallpapers stretch across both desktops.
2.Themes are easy to select and get new ones.
3.Some shortcuts worked on enhanced keyboard. Such as volume and calculator.
Cons:
1.Keyboard shortcuts do not take affect until after logging in and out.
2.Adding workspaces to workspace switcher does not take affect until logging out and back in.
3.Enabling desktop effects does nothing until logging out. Then when I log back in Metacity is dead.
4.Default font is terrible. Monospace overlaps characters in terminal and in general just looks awful.
5.There is not a software update applet?

Menu:
Pros:
1.Favorite and recent applications are nice to have.
2.Documents menu is nice to have new spreadsheet and document as well as recents.
3.Places are convenient as well.
4.Application window filter works fast.
Cons:
1.It's nice to have favorites but when you want more it takes way to long to open all applications window. Why is this so slow? Being separate from the menu is fine by me but the menu should be very fast.
2.No way to add more places.
3.No way to clear recent documents.
4.No way to add more new document types such as a script file template or even an empty text file.
5.No way to edit menu items. Such as defunct applications.
6.System tray keeps getting corrupted and icons overlap each other.
7.Automounter is very, very slow and proceeds to spam the user with a popup dialog.


Applications:
Pros:
1.A nice variety of useful applications.
2.Evolution integrates with the desktop calendar.
3.Nautilus is easy to use and customizable enough.
4.Playing mp3 files works automatically with fluendo.
Cons:
1.SSH agent integration isn't working through .xinitrc.
2.Banshee makes it very difficult to make a play queue.
3.Banshee likes to ignore the play/pause button randomly.
4.Banshee never opens from the system tray where it was sent to the tray from. Something with switching workspaces.
5.Banshee's sound quality is very crusty sounding. I'm not an audiophile but there is definitely something off.
6.Burning an audio CD from mp3s is impossible with Brasero. It just sat there looking like it was getting ready to burn a disk but never did.
7.Liferea isn't multithreaded properly and lags heavily when updating feeds.
8.Terminal does not have an unlimited scrollback capability.
9.Why is there only a close button on dialogs. How the hell do you revert changes made to the dialog settings?

I'm sure there are many things I forgot to mention. But this was an after the fact kind of analysis. Overall Gnome still treats it's users as if they are usability challenged. The menu has some good parts to it but over the menu is terrible for slowly launching the application window. Gnome-do makes up for this but Gnome-do felt strangely out of place with the rest of the look and feel of the desktop. The failure of desktop effects is a huge oversight. And most disappointing is the lack of keyboard shortcuts working on application of the new settings.

[CloudLion_ca]

Originally Posted by benstein

Just to mix things up a bit.

Metacity:
Pros:
1.As a window manager it is very snappy and clean.
2.From a development perspective the XML format is very easy to workwith.
3.Metacity doesn't get in the way of using windows.
4.Right-click on desktop menu is simple and contains everything I wanted.
Cons:
1.Desktop effects are not built in.
2.There aren't shortcuts for always on top and move to another desktop.
3.Unable to switch workspaces with mouse wheel or any mouse command. Keyboard shortcuts only.

Metacity.... *cough*.... Gnome... *cough**sneeze**cough* ..... KDE 4.2.x *open system info window*...*launch vbox*...*sleep or start up another computer and use KDE 3.5 for something productive*...*return to use KDE 4.2.x half an hour later*...*restart computer and fire up KDE 3.5.10*

Gnome is faster than KDE 4.2.x and it .... it works. Gnome is stable and it is reliable; but it's not as usable as KDE 3.5 for multiple monitors and desktops.

Gnome can't touch KDE 3.5 and it's still not as sexy as KDE 3.5 when it comes to multiple desktops and monitors. If you have two monitors and need to use multiple desktops to manage multiple tasks, machines, or projects, at the same time; KDE 3.5.10 is the way to go. KDE 3.5.10 still has the speed, reliability, and functionality to get the job done right the first time. I use different background images on different monitors over 6 different virtual desktops to keep a busy day visually organized. I'm constantly moving between monitors and desktops frequently switching applications and tasks. I haven't found a way to make Gnome match KDE 3.5.10 in that department.

Add a KVM switch to that mess and look out! I can't count the number of times my bacon has been saved because I stopped an action or command because I recognized I was on the wrong application or station because the background was Jupiter, and not a Nebula; or an Ocean backdrop.

I also use KDE's customizability to add sound alarms and prompts which can help make some of those tasks manageable with audio feed back.

I had to use Gnome and Windows recently to move several hundred key backup files between various backup points and it was a pain in the butt without all the visual aids. A two hour job turned into a 7 hour chore. The only good news about that trip... the new backup points can be managed by my personal system running OpenSuSE 11.0 with KDE 3.5.10 as the primary interface.

KDE 3.5.10 rocks!!!

[GofBorg]

Eh..KDE 4.2.4 for me. Works beautifully and my
11.1 box boots faster and gets to the desktop quicker than
my 10.3 box with KDE 3...on the same hardware.

[CloudLion_ca]

Originally Posted by GofBorg

Eh..KDE 4.2.4 for me. Works beautifully and my
11.1 box boots faster and gets to the desktop quicker than
my 10.3 box with KDE 3...on the same hardware.

Your machine doesn't count!

You have 7 of 9 beating your graphics card with a transistor-clipper set on stun. Beyond that you bragged that you had your CPU mind melded to your coffee maker.

I'd process bits faster if I was assimilating caffeine while being horse whipped at the same time.

[GofBorg]

> You have 7 of 9 beating your graphics card with a transistor-clipper
> set on stun. Beyond that you bragged that you had your CPU mind melded
> to your coffee maker.
>
> I'd process bits faster if I was assimilating caffeine while being
> horse whipped at the same time.
>
>

Well yes but aside from that...

[benstein]

After using KDE4 since 4.0 I can't even touch KDE 3.5.x anymore. This was just a rant about Gnome from a KDE poweruser's perspective.

[caf4926]

Originally Posted by benstein

After using KDE4 since 4.0 I can't even touch KDE 3.5.x anymore. This was just a rant about Gnome from a KDE poweruser's perspective.

There are probably plenty of folks (Gnome Users) who consider themselves 'PowerUsers' too.
Needless to say I'm strictly KDE. Whether I'm a 'PowerUser' or not is debatable - I do a bit here and there.
It'll be a 'Cold day in Gehenna' before I use Gnome for anything other than curiosity.

[growbag]

For me it's the inability of gnome to save window placements and sizes. Plus it just looks old fashioned. Oh yes, and those awful main menubar "handles" that you can't get rid of!

[KJ44]

Originally Posted by growbag

For me it's the inability of gnome to save window placements and sizes.

That would have been a showstopper for me but I found this:
Devil's Pie [foosel.(net|org)]

I just discovered there's a GUI version while Googling the above, I look forward to trying it:
gdevilspie - Google Code



While I'm here, a general point.

This being the soapbox, I applaud the OP for discussing both pros and cons. Do we really need posts that say little more than "X rocks Y sucks"?

[KJ44]

Originally Posted by growbag

Oh yes, and those awful main menubar "handles" that you can't get rid of!

I honestly don't know what you mean, probably because I junked the awful main menu.

I use the Gnome deskbar applet as a menu substitute
Deskbar-Applet - Quick access and search applet

My favourite things are on a dock
Cairo-dock - Accueil
(which metacity supports when you enable compositing)