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There are many people who can't run (or simply don't like) Gnome 3's user interface. While Gnome 3 contains a fallback interface, it has clearly been stated that it won't be developed further and isn't intended to provide any good user experience. These users are many and they will solve their problem by manually installing an alternative desktop environment. In order to help these users and provide a good default user experience to users whose machine is unable to run Gnome Shell, we should make this automatic.
There are many people who can't run (or simply don't like) Gnome 3's user interface. While Gnome 3 contains a fallback interface, it has clearly been stated that it won't be developed further and isn't intended to provide any good user experience. These users are many and they will solve their problem by manually installing an alternative desktop environment. In order to help these users and provide a good default user experience to users whose machine is unable to run Gnome Shell, we should make this automatic.


The goal of this feature is to get rid of Gnome 3's fallback interface and use an alternative desktop environment (for example, Xfce) instead of it.
There are two approaches to this:
* Get rid of Gnome 3's fallback interface and use an alternative desktop environment (for example, Xfce) instead of it.
* Install xfce by default, but let the user decide what DE to use (details bellow)
 
Assuming that non 3D accelerated/Otherwise not capable of running gnome-shell hardware is either old hardware that would work better with a lighter DE, or has a too low amount of RAM for running gnome-shell properly (fallback mode also require a big amount of available ram as GNOME 2.32 did).  


== Owner ==
== Owner ==
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== Current status ==
== Current status ==
* Targeted release: [[Releases/15 | Fedora 15 ]] or [[Releases/16 | Fedora 16 ]]  
* Targeted release: [[Releases/16 | Fedora 16 ]]  
* Last updated: 7th April 2011
* Last updated: 7th April 2011
* Percentage of completion: 0%
* Percentage of completion: 0%


== Detailed Description ==
== Detailed Description ==
- At installation time, the installer should install both Gnome 3 and Xfce
* At installation time, the installer should install both Gnome 3 and Xfce
- At runtime, when the user logs in and the 3D acceleration requirements are not met, the user interface should fall back to Xfce instead of Gnome 3's built-in fallback interface
* First approach:
 
** At runtime, when the user logs in and the 3D acceleration requirements are not met, the user interface should fall back to Xfce instead of Gnome 3's built-in fallback interface
* Second approach
** Only install xfce basic components, use gnome utilities (eg. gedit) which are already shipped on the installation media, instead of xfce utilities (to save space)
** At firstboot, display a dialog that explains the experience of gnome's fallback mode, gnome-shell or xfce
*** The dialog will select the best option for the specific hardware, but will allow the user to change the selection:
**** When 3D acceleration is available, gnome-shell will be selected by default
**** When 3D acceleration is not available, or when the system doesn't have large amount of RAM, xfce will be selected.
**** If the user select gnome-shell, and 3D acceleration is not available, display a warning (not in a message box, but in the window itself) that gnome will start in fallback mode unless 3D acceleration is available. 
== Benefit to Fedora ==
== Benefit to Fedora ==
- Better user experience for users with low-end hardware
* Better user experience for users with low-end hardware
- Fedora can lower its minimal hardware requirements to the requirements of Xfce
* Fedora can lower its minimal hardware requirements to the requirements of Xfce
<!-- What is the benefit to the platform?  If this is a major capability update, what has changed?  If this is a new feature, what capabilities does it bring? Why will Fedora become a better distribution or project because of this feature?-->
<!-- What is the benefit to the platform?  If this is a major capability update, what has changed?  If this is a new feature, what capabilities does it bring? Why will Fedora become a better distribution or project because of this feature?-->


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== User Experience ==
== User Experience ==
- Users of low-end hardware will recieve an actively developed and maintained desktop environment instead of a fallback
* Users with low-end hardware will be able to enjoy a light-wight, relatively modern, actively developed desktop environment
<!-- If this feature is noticeable by its target audience, how will their experiences change as a result?  Describe what they will see or notice. -->
<!-- If this feature is noticeable by its target audience, how will their experiences change as a result?  Describe what they will see or notice. -->


== Dependencies ==
== Dependencies ==
- gnome-shell
* gnome-shell
- @xfce
* @xfce
<!-- What other packages (RPMs) depend on this package?  Are there changes outside the developers' control on which completion of this feature depends?  In other words, completion of another feature owned by someone else and might cause you to not be able to finish on time or that you would need to coordinate?  Other upstream projects like the kernel (if this is not a kernel feature)? -->
<!-- What other packages (RPMs) depend on this package?  Are there changes outside the developers' control on which completion of this feature depends?  In other words, completion of another feature owned by someone else and might cause you to not be able to finish on time or that you would need to coordinate?  Other upstream projects like the kernel (if this is not a kernel feature)? -->


== Contingency Plan ==
== Contingency Plan ==
<!-- If you cannot complete your feature by the final development freeze, what is the backup plan?  This might be as simple as "None necessary, revert to previous release behaviour."  Or it might not.  If you feature is not completed in time we want to assure others that other parts of Fedora will not be in jeopardy.  -->
<!-- If you cannot complete your feature by the final development freeze, what is the backup plan?  This might be as simple as "None necessary, revert to previous release behaviour."  Or it might not.  If you feature is not completed in time we want to assure others that other parts of Fedora will not be in jeopardy.  -->
 
Revert any changes made to firstboot, continue using gnome fallback mode.
== Documentation ==
== Documentation ==
<!-- Is there upstream documentation on this feature, or notes you have written yourself?  Link to that material here so other interested developers can get involved. -->
<!-- Is there upstream documentation on this feature, or notes you have written yourself?  Link to that material here so other interested developers can get involved. -->

Revision as of 07:43, 7 April 2011

Alternative desktop environments as fallback for Gnome 3

Summary

There are many people who can't run (or simply don't like) Gnome 3's user interface. While Gnome 3 contains a fallback interface, it has clearly been stated that it won't be developed further and isn't intended to provide any good user experience. These users are many and they will solve their problem by manually installing an alternative desktop environment. In order to help these users and provide a good default user experience to users whose machine is unable to run Gnome Shell, we should make this automatic.

There are two approaches to this:

  • Get rid of Gnome 3's fallback interface and use an alternative desktop environment (for example, Xfce) instead of it.
  • Install xfce by default, but let the user decide what DE to use (details bellow)

Assuming that non 3D accelerated/Otherwise not capable of running gnome-shell hardware is either old hardware that would work better with a lighter DE, or has a too low amount of RAM for running gnome-shell properly (fallback mode also require a big amount of available ram as GNOME 2.32 did).

Owner

  • Email: venemo (at) msn.com

Current status

  • Targeted release: Fedora 16
  • Last updated: 7th April 2011
  • Percentage of completion: 0%

Detailed Description

  • At installation time, the installer should install both Gnome 3 and Xfce
  • First approach:
    • At runtime, when the user logs in and the 3D acceleration requirements are not met, the user interface should fall back to Xfce instead of Gnome 3's built-in fallback interface
  • Second approach
    • Only install xfce basic components, use gnome utilities (eg. gedit) which are already shipped on the installation media, instead of xfce utilities (to save space)
    • At firstboot, display a dialog that explains the experience of gnome's fallback mode, gnome-shell or xfce
      • The dialog will select the best option for the specific hardware, but will allow the user to change the selection:
        • When 3D acceleration is available, gnome-shell will be selected by default
        • When 3D acceleration is not available, or when the system doesn't have large amount of RAM, xfce will be selected.
        • If the user select gnome-shell, and 3D acceleration is not available, display a warning (not in a message box, but in the window itself) that gnome will start in fallback mode unless 3D acceleration is available.

Benefit to Fedora

  • Better user experience for users with low-end hardware
  • Fedora can lower its minimal hardware requirements to the requirements of Xfce

Scope

How To Test

User Experience

  • Users with low-end hardware will be able to enjoy a light-wight, relatively modern, actively developed desktop environment.

Dependencies

  • gnome-shell
  • @xfce

Contingency Plan

Revert any changes made to firstboot, continue using gnome fallback mode.

Documentation

Release Notes

Comments and Discussion