[CentOS-devel] Xfce for CentOS group

> Since the Alternative Desktop SIG didn't happen, we thought we would
> make a more focused effort and improve the Xfce desktop environment
> experience on CentOS. That might end up being a dedicated CentOS SIG,
> or just a couple of improvements to the existing packages from EPEL.
> 
> Once upon a time, or more precisely: back in the CentOS 5.0 days,
> Xfce 4.4 was available in Extras and it was a pretty simple install
> that just worked "out of the box". Now, there's the newer versions
> available via EPEL - but the experience is nowhere near painless...

Apparently there is no need for such a SIG, since Fedora already has
the Xfce and EPEL groups at this time and there is no need to recreate
the packages somewhere else (that already exist in Fedora and EPEL).
So the remaining issues to be improved upon, should go there instead.

Right now most of the development happens in a COPR, and there's no
official testing process which means it's up to each user to test it.
See for instance https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1144025
But I haven't filed bugs/paperwork for the issues I mentioned earlier.

> Going to try to meet up with other interested parties during FOSDEM,
> to see if we can't improve upon that and at least fix the low hanging
> issues. And get some better Xfce testing and feedback going, as well.
> A more long-term goal is make it an alternative to GNOME (Workstation).

> If you are interested in helping out with testing, packaging or
> developing (backporting, fixing the upstream issues, and so on)
> then please say so. I'll try to have some more detailed lists and
> updated packages with me, for the FOSDEM meetup in the weekend...

We will continue with our work, and contribute patches to the upstreams.
This includes LightDM for the display manager, using Clearlooks/Adwaita
theme for GTK+ and GNOME icon theme and GNOME background (default.jpg) -
instead of the current Xfce (old, deprecated) or Fedora themes used now.

Once it is done, and if there is enough interest, it would be possible
for CentOS to work with EPEL in providing a "spin" with Xfce enabled...
Until that time has come, the user will have to continue to do a Base
installation (with X11) and then add the Xfce yum group from EPEL to it.


So there won't be any "Xfce for CentOS group". Back to lurking mode. :-)
Hi to everyone I met at FOSDEM, too bad I missed the meeting and dinner.

--anders