Trisquel 7 - User comments/tips/reguests thread?
I have been searching for a thread dedicated to Trisquel 7. A thread where users can give comments, tips or other to the developers of Trisquel 7. I have found two threads but they are not dedicated in this area Im after:
http://trisquel.info/en/forum/work-trisquel-7-has-begun
http://trisquel.info/en/forum/idea-xfce-classic-de-trisquel-7
Will it be a dedicated thread here like this or do it exist a place I have not found?
It is already really great, but I think for v7 I would like:
- focus on security and security updates
- more development on Abrowser (i hope to help when i find the time so i can add all the extensions with permissive and libre licenses), minimize browser fingerprint by default
- fix the avatar bug and add ability to change desktop avatar via GUI
- the more machines it can run on, the better!
- expand support to other architectures such as MIPS and ARM (maybe someday) :P because those processors can run longer on less power
Other than that, I cannot see much needing to be changed. It is a beautiful distro.
I will post my thoughts here what I think can be improved from Trisquel 6 to Trisquel 7.
DE/WM
Universal accessibility is a must by default. That limits the alternatives. If LXDE and XFCE is regarding universal accessibility I do not know. Mini version is for low performing computers and because of that I think LXDE is the better alternative because it use less resource then XFCE.
THE LOOK
In Trisquel 6 LXDE it feels a little cluttery. The first impression isnt so good in my eyes. The background, the dark transparent bar, Midoris icon and Trisquel logo isnt a good combination.
In Gnome the background and the darker bar makes the impression a little bad but otherwise it's good.
THEME
Maybe someone creative can put a Trisquel 7 theme that in some way makes Gnome and LXDE editions look around the same. Nice clean looking Trisquel background, menu button maybe with text "Menu" on the side, same icon theme and icon size (Make Midori icon look better).
Is their people here that run default Gnome and LXDE can have themed it and maybe already have a nice look that can be implemented in release 7?
Maybe with some included nice looking color changing themes. Example: http://linux.softpedia.com/progScreenshots/Shiki-Colors-Screenshot-40241.html
DEFAULT BACKGROUND EXAMPLE
Maybe no background at all in LXDE because made for older computers to save ram?
A background that says it is a Trisquel but do not take to much attention.
A archive of many trisquel wallpapers. In this area am I thinking.
http://ark.switnet.org/trisquel_artwork/Wallpapers/slide_129.html
http://ark.switnet.org/trisquel_artwork/Wallpapers/slide_127.html
http://ark.switnet.org/trisquel_artwork/Wallpapers/slide_116.html
http://ark.switnet.org/trisquel_artwork/Wallpapers/slide_107.html
http://ark.switnet.org/trisquel_artwork/Wallpapers/slide_093.html (Different color to 89)
In area of this but grip the attention a little less:
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/wallpapers#comment-31035
OTHER
Trisquel is using Ubuntus NTP server by default. Maybe change?
IN SHORT
I often see "open source" releases that looks good and is easy to use by default (Ubuntu, Mint...) but often "free (libre) software" lack this. I think this can be a issue where people compare the look of Trisquel 6 and Ubuntu/Mint and react negative to Trisquel/free (libre) software because they think "free software looks awful".
Making Trisquel 7 look very clean and nice out of the box I think it will give a bigger positive impact on new users.
The Gnome desktop environment it is perfect, imho... I actually had aesthetic issues with Linux Mint and Ubuntu.
This is how it looks on mine (see attachment), I would not change it at all. This is also the first time I've ever kept the default background on any OS. I also don't like words on a background, just sayin'.
I don't know about LXDE or XFCE, I only use GNOME
Personally I suggest checking out the Uncomplicated and Flattastix GTK+ themes, I like them.
And Iris looks interesting.
And with a flat GTK+ theme use the +1 Openbox theme (the theme that tries to mimic Google).
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Of all the desktops on GNU/Linux, I'd say universal access is most mature in GNOME. Mate accessibility has come a long way, very quickly! LXDE and XFCE are usable with orca screen reader for access, but I'm not sure about magnification or on-screen keyboards. I'm using Orca on Trisquel 6.0.1 and have tried it on the lighter desktops. I have a friend who is using Mate and likes the accessibility he gets with Orca. If LXPanel or XFCEPanel applets, notifications and login greeters can be made accessible, I'd be all for making one of these the new Trisquel default. I'm not sure GNOME flashback is supported in 3.10. The so-called Classic view, done with shell extensions, is not an accessible option, though the shell, itself, is accessible. I'll leave comments on visual stylistic elements to those who benefit from them; they seem to have no effect on my using the system.
Transparency for stuff like Superkaramba and window borders. :)
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I've yet to find a distro that provides adequate support for my (Radeon) video card. I always end up installing the proprietary driver. This is more AMD's problem than Trisquel's, however.
My preferences tend to lean toward a very lean system that allows users to decide which software they want, rather than burdening a fresh install with junk. With every distro I've tested (more than twenty so far) the first task has always been the removal of software I will never use, and that's a pain. One interesting distro, Bodhi Linux, comes with a browser and a text editor and not much else, compelling users to install only what they'll actually need. If Trisquel is going to have another 'Mini' edition, this might not be a bad model to follow.
You should look into the netinstall. You can actually have a very minimal system -- just enough to boot the computer and bring up networking and nothing else -- or as much of a full featured system as you want or anything in between. It is up to you.
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Is the 'netinstall' a command line version? For folks (like me) who have only recently made the switch from Windows, that can be more than a little intimidating.
I can usually muddle through a command line, but most people I know find it too scary.
Yes it is until or unless you install a graphical user interface. But the installer is all text.
Learn to love the command line, it's an invaluable tool. There are many cases where it's the quicker way to do something and there are many cases where it's the only way.
The netinstall is not command line (that is, not like the Parabola or Arch iso's). It's a text mode installer.
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I decided to try NetInstall on one of my many spare partitions and yes, it's a nice way of building a system according to one's needs. It's not exactly pretty, though.
The Porteous site (http://build.porteus.org/) has an elegant tool for creating a personalized distro. I can't speak to the finished product, but it certainly gives the appearance of being user-friendly.
That page suggests proprietary software, please don't link to such pages, thank you.
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The point wasn't to promote proprietary software, but to point out a method of distribution that seems very user-friendly.
Unless we are in thrall to some kind of non-proprietary cultism -- and if this is true, someone please tell me so that I may cancel future donations in support of Trisquel -- I will post *relevant* links whenever I damn well please.
Probably a misunderstanding. When I first read that post, it did read like an endorsement of the link. If you want to avoid inadvertently endorsing something, you might want to disclaim that explicitly. Example: "This system is no good (recommends proprietary software), but I do like the look of the personalization tool they have." Or, alternatively, be explicit about your purpose: "Perhaps we could learn from Porteous' distro creation tool."
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When I said:
"The Porteous site (http://build.porteus.org/) has an elegant tool for creating a personalized distro. I can't speak to the finished product, but it certainly gives the appearance of being user-friendly."
What I meant was:
"The Porteous site (http://build.porteus.org/) has an elegant tool for creating a personalized distro. I can't speak to the finished product, but it certainly gives the appearance of being user-friendly."
Notice that I haven't endorsed anything? Notice the way I said "it gives the appearance of being user-friendly"?
Yes, I notice now, but I didn't notice when I first read your post. I imagine it was the same for lembas. We are humans, not computers, and we make inferences and fail to notice details all the time. So if someone could easily misinterpret your intentions and get upset as a result, it's a good idea to be explicit about your intentions somehow.
We here don't want people to be led, by reading this forum, to install non-libre software. This is a legitimate concern.
Nice attitude you have. The entire point of Trisquel is to only contain free software and to not recommend or mention proprietary software.
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My attitude is fine. You're the one with the comprehension problem.
If you want to haul me up before some imaginary Star Chamber, feel free. You have managed to single-handedly make me regret making a donation to Trisquel. That's quite the accomplishment.
Also...."not to mention"? Really?
Windows sucks. Oh my God, I "mentioned" Windows.
EDIT: Wasn't kidding about your making me regret supporting Trisquel. Cancelled my donation. Am just about to uninstall. Congratulations on weeding out the "impure".
Beside of the fact that you're overreacting you seem to think that you're somehow "blaming" the members of the board with this.
In fact, these people are all volunteers and they don't profit from a donation to trisquel at all.
Of course you can mention windows, but people here refuse non-free software as a solution and I think this is a good thing; it does great harm to society.
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mindfulpessimist said:
> Windows sucks. Oh my God, I "mentioned" Windows.
Mentioning proprietary software wasn't what happened here. What happened was you linked to a web page that recommends proprietary software. That's a world of difference.
Apparently you only meant to link to the page as a suggestion for how to make something like net install better. But as I mentioned, it looked like you were suggesting for people to use Porteus the first time I read your post. Now you're getting disproportionately angry about a misunderstanding and lembas' request to not inadvertently cause this same misunderstanding in the future.
Also, threatening to not donate to the project? That's arrogant. Trisquel survived just fine before you came along last week, and it will not be killed off simply because one new person decides not to donate. It would be nice if you would donate, but Trisquel doesn't depend on you. Also, the threat doesn't make a lick of sense, because you're talking to Trisquel users, not the people you would have been giving money to by donating to Trisquel.
I agree with mindfulpessimist's minimalist approach. I like having full control over what I put on my system, and the decreased attack surface it offers me to have only the few programs I need, but am not quite sure I want to use Parabola. I will try out the net install, probably on the next major release...
Would defaulting to Cinnamon be a good idea?