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#REDIRECT ] |
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-->{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Desktop Linux|timestamp=20131017151225|year=2013|month=October|day=17|substed=yes|help=off}} |
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]s reached wide adoption for the Linux desktop environments — ] and ]. Current UIs are including ], ] and ]. Obsoleted UIs are including ], ] and ].]] |
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{{Rcat shell| |
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The term '''Desktop Linux''' refers to all the software components that build a ], that is designed for usage with a ] and also devices, that offer identical ]s, such as ]s. |
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{{R to section}} |
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}} |
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Most, if not all, such GUIs implement the ] paradigm. Their main human interface devices for the ] are a ] and the ] and for the visual output one or multiple ]s as well as ]s/] for the acoustic output. Supplemental HID, such as a ], a ] or ] are possible. |
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Further ], such as ] and ], that are commonly used in conjunction with desktop computers, especially in an ], must also be supported by drivers and software applications, but these are not part of the UI. Implementations of ], such as ] for ] or ] for input and sound output are not a necessity on a desktop computer used in an office, but for ]. |
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Some of the software is in the process of being modified and augmented to be suitable to support a ], so that it can be used on e.g. ]s, that come with only a small diameter touchscreen as in- and output device. Most commons smartphones of today have enough resources, that the actual programs do not need to be modified, but only their UI. For example, ] is a framework meant to ease the creation of multiple UI. |
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Most of the available ]s are oriented toward desktop usage, and specialized distributions, that do not contain these packages, are the minority. |
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== Criticism == |
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Almost all Linux distributions are build around a ]. The entire ] packages in the repositories can be downloaded and installed with one mouse click. A digital signature guarantees that the software package was not modified after its creation by the package maintainer. This transfers the burden the maintenance and stability of the entire operating system from the user to the package and distribution maintainers. Common tasks, such as installing and de-installing programs or updating the entire operating system, require minimal effort or knowledge on the user side. The package management system automatically tracks and installs updates as they become available, resulting in a very high security level. This is very good for server installations and also for office usage. |
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But this closed ecosystem has also its downsides on ], where users want to install a newer version of a software, or one that is not contained at all in the repository of the Linux distribution. ] describes the core problem of the Linux desktop being it not being free enough. Due to the ] the Linux platform rather implements the Cathedral then the Bazaar approach (from '']''):<ref>{{cite web|url=https://plus.google.com/109922199462633401279/posts/HgdeFDfRzNe |date=2012-03-17 |title=Technology: What ails the Linux desktop? Part I. |accessdate=2012-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://plus.google.com/109922199462633401279/posts/VSdDJnscewS |date=2012-03-17 |title=Technology: What ails the Linux desktop? Part II. |accessdate=2012-06-16}}</ref> |
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{{cquote|Free software matters to developers and organizations primarily, but on the user side, the free code behind Linux desktops is immaterial if free software does not deliver benefits such as actual freedom of use. So, to fix desktop Linux we need a radically different software distribution model: less of a cathedral, more of a bazaar.. |
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Users want to be free of update pressure from the rest of the system, if they choose to.}} |
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]:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://linuxfr.org/nodes/86687/comments/1249943 |title=Un entretien avec Lennart Poettering |date=2011-07-06 |accessdate=2013-01-26}}</ref> |
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{{cquote|So we now have a better interface, leaves the message and the clear platform. Linux is still too fragmented, and a developer targeting Linux will have to choose from a variety of APIs, a bazaar of somewhat matching but mostly just chaotic choices that will work on some systems but not on others.}} |
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An example could be the video game ]. If the current version is not present in the repository of the Linux distribution installed on the desktop (or if it not present at all in the distribution's repository), the user has to download the software at in order to play it. For almost all ] versions there is only one executable, that be downloaded and installed and it will most probably work. For Linux, this is not that easily possible. The maintainers of the homepage would have to create and maintain multiple packages for different Linux distribution and versions. As a result of manpower they do not, so the Linux user is forced to download the source code, and compile and package it on his operating system. Due to the highly sophisticated and automated ] this is not a big deal, but without the necessity to have to compile some programs, maybe the Linux desktop would have a higher adoption rate. |
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A completely different example is ]. Here the ] is not available to the end-user, so only the developers can compile (and package) the program. Doing so for several Linux distribution is en effort, and even then, there is no guarantee, that the program will run on all 600+ Linux distributions. |
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== Software architecture == |
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], ], and some of the more widespread ]. There are also the ''invisible components'', including ] and ].]] |
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There is no "one" Linux desktop, but rather there is a pool of ] from which desktop environments and Linux distributions select components with which they construct a GUI implementing some more or less strict design guide. GNOME, for example, has its ] as a design guide, which gives the Human-Machine Interface an important role, not just when doing the graphical design, but also when looking at people with ], and even when looking at security.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/562902/ |title=Prompt-free security for GNOME}}</ref> |
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===Invisible components=== |
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The invisible components have to be simple enough, so that they are and remain maintainable, bug-free, efficient and easy to develop further. They also have to offer authors extensible possibilities to write applications on top of them. |
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* The ] for the ] which offers programs APIs to the Linux kernel; by far the most poplar one is ] but there are a couple of alternatives, such as e.g. ] which targets embedded devices; (''the C standard library is actually that elemental to the entire ] that it cannot be considered part of the DE, yet components of the DE extensively make use of it, so it is mentioned here. It is also noteworthy because ] is based on ], and some ]s written for Android specifically can only be used with the help of ].'') |
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* A non-obvious but quite central role have the programs hosted by ], such as ] or ]; both big DEs, GNOME and KDE SC, include them, each offering graphical front-ends written using the corresponding toolkit (GTK+ or Qt). |
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* A ] which for the longest time has been communicating in the X11 display server protocol with its clients; prominent software talking X11 are the ] and ]. Frustration over the cumbersome X11 core protocol, and especially over its numerous extensions, has led to the creation of a new display server protocol: ]. |
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* ]s, more precisely ]s. |
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===Visible components=== |
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The immediate '']''/'']''/''workspace'' is the software component, that defines the interface with the human. It should be designed conforming to some ''']''', which take into account the available ]s (HIDs) to be used by both, people with and people without ], to achieve the best possible ] when interacting with the software. A marketing terms for ] seem to be ''user experience''. |
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The UI of a program like e.g. ] or ] is not just determined by the employed ] but can additionally by influenced the chosen UI: |
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*] |
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*] – a fork of the GNOME Shell, which also adapted GNOME Panel, which was obsoleted by the GNOME Shell. Programs like Nautilus were forked, so that their UI can be adapted to the Cinnamon-UI-design |
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*] |
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*]: |
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** Plasma Desktop – tailored to the HIDs ], ] and ] |
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** Plasma Netbook – ? |
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** Plasma Active – tailored to the HID ] |
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* ] |
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*] |
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*] |
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*] |
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*] – predecessor of GNOME Shell |
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*] – predecessor of KDE Plasma Workspaces |
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*] – predecessor of KDE Plasma Workspaces |
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*] – predecessor of KDE Plasma Workspaces |
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*] |
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*] |
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*] |
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*] |
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*] |
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*]/Cairo-Dock |
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=== Linux kernel adaptations === |
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The same way the Linux kernel can be adapted to run better on supercomputers, there are adaptations to make games and multimedia applications run more performant on it. A project concerning itself with this issue is called ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=liquorix_311_kernel&num=1 |title=Phoronix: Liquorix-benchmarks}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://liquorix.net/ |title=Liquorix homepage}}</ref> |
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=== Desktop environments === |
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Linux offers many desktop alternatives. Common desktop environments include ], ], ], ], and ]. These are collections of desktop programs, rather than bare bones ] such as ], ] amongst numerous others. These environments present a ] using a ]. All of these environments allow the user to set many personal preferences and to perform common system management tasks. The ] window manager expands upon the concept of having multiple desktops by rendering each of the user's two dimensional desktops on the surface of a three dimensional cube. The variety of desktop environments is sometimes criticized for splintering focus and creating incompatibilities; the ] project works on improving interoperability between the different environments. |
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All Linux desktop applications use the ] and thus benefit from features like networking (remote display) and quick mouse-only ]. Mouse selected text is automatically copied, and it can then be pasted using a middle click, without the need to resort to use of the keyboard.<ref name="About">{{cite web|url = http://linux.about.com/library/bl/open/newbie/blnewbie4.3.10.htm|title = Linux Newbie Administrator FAQ: X-Windows|accessdate = 2008-05-13|last = About, Inc|authorlink = |year = 2008}}</ref> |
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<gallery caption="Sample Graphical Desktop Environments" width="180px" height="120"> |
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File:Shows Overview mode ("Activities") in GNOME 3.8.png|] (''GNOME 3'') |
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File:KDE Plasma Desktop 4.9.png|] (''KDE 4'') |
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File:Ubuntu 13.04 Desktop.png|] |
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File:XFCE-4.10-Desktop.png|] |
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File:Lubuntu 13.04 English.png|] |
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File:Screenshot from 2013-08-11 15 57 35.png|] |
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Image:E17_bw_screenshot.png|] |
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Image:Linux_Mint_14_Nadia_with_Cinnamon.png|] |
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Image:Mint 15 RC.jpg|] (''GNOME 2'') |
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Image:Screenshot_of_Trinity_3.5.12.png|] (''KDE 3'') |
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Image:Sugar-home-view-0.82.jpg|] |
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</gallery> |
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== History == |
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{{See also|History of free software#Desktop}} |
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Historically, ] and other ] operating systems have been utilized on ], ], and ]s in corporate or scientific environments. Beginning in the late 90s, a few ] companies, such as ], began to advertise their systems for low-end desktop computers. |
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=== History and criticism === |
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{{Main|Criticism of desktop Linux}} |
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] desktop environment]] |
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KDE was the first advanced desktop environment, but it was controversial due to the then-proprietary Qt toolkit used.<ref name=KDEvGNOME2007>]. (2007). . '']''.</ref> GNOME was developed as an alternative due to licensing questions.<ref name=KDEvGNOME2007/> The two use a different underlying toolkit and thus involve different programming, and are sponsored by two different groups, German nonprofit ] and the United States nonprofit ]. |
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As of April 2007, one journalist estimated that KDE had 65% of market share versus 26% for GNOME.<ref name=KDEvGNOME2007/> In January 2008, KDE 4 was released prematurely with bugs, driving users to GNOME.<ref name=UserRevolt>Byfield B. (2011). . ''Datamation''.</ref> GNOME 3, released in April 2011, was called an "unholy mess" by ] due to its controversial ].<ref>. ''The Register''.</ref> |
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Dissatisfaction with GNOME 3 led to a fork, ], which is developed primarily by ] developer Clement LeFebvre. This restores the more traditional desktop environment with marginal improvements. |
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The relatively well-funded distribution Ubuntu designed (and released in June 2011) another user interface called ] which is radically different from the conventional desktop environment and has been criticized as having various flaws<ref>. ''OMG Ubuntu''.</ref> and lacking configurability.<ref>. ''OMG Ubuntu''.</ref> The motivation was a single desktop environment for desktops and tablets,{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}} although as of November 2012 Unity has yet to be used widely in tablets. However, the smartphone and ] and its Unity interface was unveiled by ] in January 2013. |
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== Year of Desktop Linux == |
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Since at least 2000, articles declaring that ''"20XX will be the year of Linux on the desktop"'' or ''"year of the Linux desktop"'' (YoLD) have been published by a number of tech-related magazines and websites. This refers to an expected breakthrough in ] by business corporations and personal users. The reasons for these forecast gains include the installation of a Linux distribution on the desktops of workers for organizations or companies who may not be immediately or otherwise involved in the computing industry, or the acceleration of development for specific applications which find their greatest use on desktop Linux distributions. It can also refer to a breakthrough in the number of pre-installed Linux distributions on ]s being sold by PC manufacturers such as ] and ].<ref name="MaximumPC">{{cite web |url = http://www.maximumpc.com/article/2008_year_of_the_linux_desktop |title = 2008: Year of the Linux Desktop |accessdate = 2008-05-23 |last = Strohmeyer |first = Robert |authorlink = |year = 2007 |month = June}}</ref><ref name="AYSiu">{{cite web |url = http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntucat/the-linux-desktop-myth/ |title = The Linux Desktop Myth |accessdate = 2008-08-31|last = Siu|first = A.Y. |authorlink = |year = 2006|month = July}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=NVHVS3SP4QWBIQSNDLRSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=201807072&pgno=1&queryText=&isPrev=|title=7 Reasons Why Linux Won't Succeed On The Desktop |last=Wolfe |first=Alexander |date=2007-09-19 |publisher=Information Week |accessdate=2009-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9911/19/comdex.linux.idg/index.html |work=CNN |title=Comdex: Linux, Linux everywhere |date=1999-11-18 |accessdate=2010-05-01}}</ref><ref>http://www.pcworld.com/article/13908/linux_linux_everywhere.html</ref> |
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== Performance == |
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The performance of Linux on the desktop has been a controversial topic, with at least one Linux kernel developer, ], accusing the Linux community of favouring performance on servers. He quit Linux development because he was frustrated with this lack of focus on the desktop, and then gave a 'tell all' interview on the topic.<ref>{{cite web|title=Linux: why I quit|url=http://apcmag.com/node/6735/|accessdate=2008-01-18|date=2007-07-24|work=APC Magazine|publisher=ACP Magazines}}</ref> |
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Other sources, such as mainstream press ] disagree with this assessment that there has not been enough focus on desktop Linux, saying in December 2007: |
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<blockquote>...Linux has swiftly become popular in small businesses and the home...That’s largely the doing of Gutsy Gibbon, the code-name for the ] 7.10 from ]. Along with distributions such as ], ], ], ] and ], Ubuntu (and its siblings ], ] and ]) has smoothed most of Linux’s geeky edges while polishing it for the desktop...It’s now simpler to set up and configure than Windows.<ref name="Economist">{{cite news|url = http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10410912|title = Technology in 2008|accessdate = 2008-05-06|last = Economist.com|authorlink = |year = 2007|month = December|work=The Economist}}</ref></blockquote> |
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== Measuring adoption == |
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{{Main|Linux adoption}} |
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Measuring the adoption of Linux on the desktop is a difficult proposition and has caused controversy as to how many users there actually are.<ref name="Schestowitz">{{cite web|url = http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/12068_3687616_1|title = Can Linux Adoption Ever be Accurately Gauged?|accessdate = 2008-05-23|last = Schestowitz|first = Roy|authorlink = |year = 2007|month = July}}</ref> |
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As Linux systems are typically downloaded, copied and distributed for free, the usual methods of tracking sales numbers do not apply in gauging numbers of Linux desktop users. This use of website counters to identify operating systems also does not produce reliable numbers, due to such factors as:<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
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*individual websites do not attract a representative sample, due to their content.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
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*spoofing of addresses.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
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*problems tagging identification strings as to Linux or even distribution results in high numbers of "unknown operating system".<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
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*identifying computers that operate from behind proxies.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
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*the multiplying effects of ]s which tend to create the illusion of more insecure PCs, running Windows systems.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
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*the fact that not all PCs are connected to the internet and used for web browsing.<ref name="Schestowitz"/> |
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*one download could result in none or whole site installations |
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== See also == |
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{{Portal|Free software}} |
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{{Misplaced Pages books|Desktop Linux}} |
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* ] |
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* ] |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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* |
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{{Linux}} |
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] |
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] |
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