Re: What Window Manager/Desktop Environment do you use, and why?

On 2025-06-10, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:

Borax Man <rotflol2@hotmail.com> wrote:

On 2025-06-09, Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:

On Mon, 9 Jun 2025 09:38:35 -0700, John Ames wrote:
>

... because they never stopped to consider that *nix users, unlike
Windows users, aren't stuck with whatever nonsense gets handed down
from on high by the Design Divas, ...

>
Oh, I’m sure they considered that all right. Everybody with any experience
of Free Software can recall famous instances of project forks -- both ones
which ended well, and ones which didn’t. They’ve always known that those
who disagreed with some of their decisions could fork their code.
>
It’s certain users (of whom we see too many examples right here on Usenet)
who don’t seem to appreciate this point. And who get continually surprised
when it is pointed out.

 
I don't remember reading anything to that effect, but you might be right.
 
There is now a fork of X.org called Xlibre, which I'm hoping will remain
viable for some time to come.
 
Nevertheless, the fact a project can be forked doesn't really negate the
disruption when your DE or software suddenly changes on you.  The
attitudes of the developers still matter, and it is worthwhile to build
your digital castles on lands maintained by those who share your
philosophy.

>
Indeed, the "ability to fork" does not negate the negative outcomes of
the original project "moving the controls around" and "given them new
pictures and names" with every 0.x release at the whim of the
"artists".
>
The real world equivalent would be if one's car's UI completely changed
with each new model year.  One year there is a steering wheel, on the
left, with the gearshift in the center console.  The very next year
there's a pilot joystick instead of a steering wheel, and the shifter
is now a motorcycle style twist handle at the top of the joystick.  The
third year you get "feet operated steering pedals" and "hand powered
brakes" via a center console lever, with the gearshift being a slide
lever embedded in the door, etc.
>

This is why you should consider the attitudes of the developers and
their philosophy.  If you decide to go with software maintained and
developed by those who have a "move fast and break things" kind of
attitude, you will have to accept, that things will move fast... and
break.  If the developers are opinionated, and have a "vision", then you
are going to have to accept that they will impose their vision, and your
experience will be as they think it should be.

I value stability and consistency and self-empowerment, so I tend to go
with software which is mature, doesn't really change and is, more or
less, already in its groove.  Software like Emacs, Mutt, FVWM,
Claws-mail, Groff, urxvt and mpd.