The GNOME 2.0 Desktop Release Candidate 1, “Fever Pitch”, is ready for your bug-busting and testing pleasure, and is available for immediate download. Please read the release notes for more information.
GNOME 2.0 Desktop Release Candidate 1: “Fever Pitch”
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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We have had gnome2 for awhile now
I usually don’t use Gnome (I prefer the simplicity of WindowMaker), but this latest release looks pretty nice.
(I prefer the simplicity of WindowMaker) and the start speed and non-hogging resources, I would add (blackbox w/ minimalist theme is even better).
For me Gnome is like KDE, instead of fixing the bugs on the present release, or improving the general quality of the current environment they are always releasing a candidate when the previuos release is still undone, half-finished, unpolished (and sometimes unsuable).
They sure are smart people.
I just got disapointed with both and stop expecting an average working GUI, if both weren’t necessary to run (at least half of the) QT applications and gtk+ applications I just wouldn’t installed this two, it is just too much.
Bug busting ? Do it on the current Gnome release.
(I prefer the simplicity of WindowMaker) and the start speed and non-hogging resources, I would add (blackbox w/ minimalist theme is even better).
I’ve used both blackbox and fluxbox (I prefer the latter) and while they are both excellent window managers, I just keep floating back to WindowMaker.
Gnome is fairly okay.. why they implemented that slowass Nautilus is beyond me.. i always disable it first chance i get.. Screenshots look spiffy too.. can’t wait to get that nice AA text finally.. i mean c’mon. . doesn’t EVERY decent OS out there have nice AA’ed text?
Waimea if from the blackbox/fluxbox codebase, and it supports anti-aliased text.
http://waimea.sourceforge.net/
(oh god im gonna get flamed for this…)
I’ve never tried fluxbox, because i have blackbox set up exactly like i want it and have no need for the other features, but i find it MUCH faster than WindowMaker. When you unshade an app in blackbox it pops up instantly, windowmaker, well, i cant say the same for it. But yes, they are both fine window managers.
Just for a bit of comparison:
WindowMaker on my box, running for 9days with little use (whatever little bit my sister uses her terminal for) took 12minutes worth of CPU time.
ion on the same box, running 12days with 8+hours a day of use took 7secs of CPU time.
Anyone have such stats for GNOME? i’d be curious to see that, and for KDE, it would be a matter of hours, seeing how the most CPU intensive app i run is kmerlin.
This new Gtk2 windowmanager called Metacity (pronounced like Opacity) is pretty damn cool. Probably my favorite part so far.
And they did a nice job with usuability. A lot less cluttered, only important configuration at prominent places and some active GUI design (even details like the decision to put the “OK” buttons on the bottom most-right instead of the Cancel button can make a big difference). And the mac-style topmenu is actually usefull and comfortable now (having only “Applications” and “Actions” is great). Only thing I don’t like about this desktop is the desktop. 
Ideas like Icons, etc don’t really thrill me anymore…
But I’m using it right now, it’s not bad. =)
on a daily basis. 🙂
I went on a hunt for Metacity screenshots, and i couldnt find any, anyone know where there would be some?
Slashdot story on Metacity: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/05/21/2018228&mode=nested&tid…
A few screenshot links that were in that thread: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~jwillcox/desktop.png http://www.lucidus.uklinux.net/metacity/ http://david.us-lot.org/newnews.php?entry=104
waimea really looks good.. i’ll have to go check it out right away..
If you want windows to be unshaded instantly in Window Maker, just disable animations.
GNOME 2.0 is quite good, and it looks (eye candy wise) good. But as ease of use goes… I have less trouble moving to Window Maker or Fluxbox. There are so many inconsitencies within GNOME itself, and alpha GNOME 2.0 apps. I personally use KDE 3.0.1, mainly because of its printing support, as well as iKons + QNX for KDE 3.0 is really good.
Yes it looks good, but Metacity is really not about the looks. It’s not fancy but finally a windowmanager that _really_ works and just does the job right (and fast).
” Gnome is fairly okay.. why they implemented that slowass Nautilus is beyond me.. i always disable it first chance i get.. ”
Nautilus in GNOME 1 was a rush-job. It was released by eazel mainly so that they could sell services and make money. Nautilus in GNOME 2 is actually quite lean and fast. I suggest that you try it.
i just love fluxbox tabbing ability , and it’s simplicity ….
that metacity looks nice to !
I’ve heard that Nautilus in gnome2 is supposed to be pretty fast. Old Nautilus is too certainly too slow to really bother with.
I just might try this release candidate out… Gnome2 is lookin pretty sharp..
Back in the day, I totally preferred gnome 1.2 over kde1, but kde2 blew gnome 1.4 out of the water, maybe it’s time to check out gnome again..
People can take either the “gnome side” or “KDE side” all they want while take my own side and use whichever I enjoy best at the time.
Nautilus in GNOME 1 was a rush-job. It was released by eazel mainly so that they could sell services and make money. Nautilus in GNOME 2 is actually quite lean and fast. I suggest that you try it.
Nautilus 2 is certainly more faster than Nautilus 1, mainly because it starts using standard GNOME libs for its shell (like for AA), and also for web browsing, it is using a faster Mozilla; but it is still slower than Konqueror 3.0. The current CVS version of Konqueror have features like bugs and tabbed browsing. If I use GNOME for eye candy, I would use Nautilus. If I use it for functionallity, I would use GMC (I like it’s RPM feature where I can see what’s inside an RPM best..).
If I use GNOME for eye candy, I would use Nautilus. If I use it for functionallity, I would use GMC (I like it’s RPM feature where I can see what’s inside an RPM best..).
Unfortunately, GMC is now dead. I’ve always found it to be too limited a file manager anyway. I am a GNOME user, but I turn off both Nautilus and GMC. For file management, I use Konqueror, and for Web browsing I use Galeon.
If you like GMC’s RPM preview feature, search Freshmeat for XWinCommander. It has a utility that can do the same thing, but which can also be called from other apps. Whenever I double-click an RPM file in Konqueror, this app is called and I can see what’s in the file. Very handy.
Unfortunately, GMC is now dead. I’ve always found it to be too limited a file manager anyway. I am a GNOME user, but I turn off both Nautilus and GMC. For file management, I use Konqueror, and for Web browsing I use Galeon.
It’s a sad thing they didn’t port it to GNOME 2.0, so users would have a choice. As for Konqueror, since there isn’t any versions for GNOME, I hardly use it. But when I’m using one of GNOME 2.0 betas, opening GMC (or any GTK+ 1 app) and Konqueror is pretty much the same speed. GNOME 2.0 is what I show to people to show off eye candy. KDE 3.0 is what I show to people to show off it’s ease of use. Why can’t they merge the best of two worlds? (yeah, yeah, I know why..)
If you like GMC’s RPM preview feature, search Freshmeat for XWinCommander. It has a utility that can do the same thing, but which can also be called from other apps. Whenever I double-click an RPM file in Konqueror, this app is called and I can see what’s in the file. Very handy.
Nah, it loads in another window. Not like GMC.
there are a couple of projects to make fast and proffessional filemanagers for gnome2, just wait and see.Nautilus is good but advanced users may find it limited.
don’t worry, you will have your choices.