Please recommend Salix version for Windows convert [SOLVED]

[dwengel]

I'm not a recent Windows convert. I've loved using Salix64 Fluxbox for a while, and I was using Slackware before that for a few years.

I guess you could say I'm hoping to win some converts from my family and/or friends. I'm working on setting up a dual boot laptop system, with one partition running a LVM+LUKS and Salix for my work and the other partition will have a "Linux demo system." I just want to set up a system with the appropriate applications and "eye candy" to show Windows users that Linux has something to offer in comparison.

Which version of Salix would you recommend? I'm personally thinking Xfce or KDE, especially with compiz added. I'd like to see others' opinions on this, though.

David Engel

[mimosa]

I'd go for Xfce. When I was starting out with Linux not many years ago, the choice seemed to be between Gnome and KDE, both of which are quite feature-rich, and the latter seemed much more confusing, while Gnome felt more natural, coming from Windows. Same thing when I came to Xfce from Gnome. Xfce is also the most established Salix edition. For slow hardware, Xfce might have significant performance advantages over KDE, too.

Having said that, you never know, a total beginner might take to the simplicity of say Fluxbox like a duck to water. There's a very nice Openbox edition in the pipeline, too ... And what's there to know? That there is a right mouse button?

You could also customise the app selection using Liveclone: for instance, for new users, I'd go with more heavyweight apps (particularly Libreoffice) whatever the edition, unless the hardware was really ancient; and you could include Vlc as standard and preinstall the multimedia codecs, just to remove any possible initial hurdles. Perhaps Firefox with Adblock already ...

EDIT

I see I didn't read your post properly ... If you're there to demonstrate, maybe go for KDE, which is elegant and cool. After all, different is good, right? I was thinking of an edition to install on your friends' machines, perhaps alongside Windows.

[Kerd]

I think that Xfce is the best choice because it is more like windows and more intuitive, but kde and the other DE and WM aren't so difficult tu use.

[Tim CowChip]

I think KDE will offer the best overall desktop to impress windoze users. It has the latest and greatest eye-candy with plasmoids and superkaramba.

XFCE works very well. It is less resource intensive and is perhaps more functional than KDE.

I guess it depends on whether the windoze users are already looking to switch or need something else to entice them .

I, personally have KDE, XFCE, LXDE, Enlightenment, openbox, fluxbox, icewm, pekwm, fvwm, and wmaker on my machine. Maybe they'd be impressed with having more than one option for a desktop.

[thenktor]

Having said that, you never know, a total beginner might take to the simplicity of say Fluxbox like a duck to water.

... and the total lack of modern features If you want to have stuff like auto mounting, keyboard special keys, screen brightness control, power management to work without tweaking things, go for a modern DE like KDE.
I'm an Openbox fan, but on my notebook I'm using KDE because I did not want to bother with such things. And yes, it works absolutely fine

[djemos]

.... I just want to set up a system with the appropriate applications and "eye candy" to show Windows users that Linux has something to offer in comparison.

... especially with compiz added. .....

You don't need compiz. KWin Desktop in KDE has its own effects. Just remember after installation to
a)To enable effects just remove the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/disable-composite.conf and restart X.
b) Enable cube and other effects under System Settings > Workspace Appearance.
c) Press ctrl+F11 and using mouse can turn cube. Press ESC key or right clik the mouse to return to desktop.
d) If you want your graphic to appear to up and down side of the cube then copy your graphic image to /usr/share/apps/kwin/cubecap.png (e.g. cp your_image.png /usr/share/apps/kwin/cubecap.png)

[mimosa]

@ Thenktor

The lack of auto mounting caused me trouble and confusion for a long time, learning and unlearning the use of /etc/fstab along the way. Sometimes automounting is actually a nuisance though, for instance, when using Gparted from the (xfce) live cd.

Users fresh from Windows might not even really have a concept of things being mounted; just that tiresome business of "now it is safe to remove your" [USB peripheral]. Then when you first meet it in Linux, it doesn't seem to serve any useful purpose, so it looks like something to the disadvantage of Linux, just a pointless hassle.

I have now seen the light of course

... but I am still a grateful user of Gmountman

[dwengel]

Thanks everyone. I'm going with KDE. Thanks, also, to djemos - I didn't know the details of the new X11 configuration and KDE's effects, so that was very helpful.

... Just remember after installation to
a)To enable effects just remove the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/disable-composite.conf and restart X.
...
d) If you want your graphic to appear to up and down side of the cube then copy your graphic image to /usr/share/apps/kwin/cubecap.png (e.g. cp your_image.png /usr/share/apps/kwin/cubecap.png)

David

[ghostdawg]

Having said that, you never know, a total beginner might take to the simplicity of say Fluxbox like a duck to water.

... and the total lack of modern features If you want to have stuff like auto mounting, keyboard special keys, screen brightness control, power management to work without tweaking things, go for a modern DE like KDE.
I'm an Openbox fan, but on my notebook I'm using KDE because I did not want to bother with such things. And yes, it works absolutely fine

Yes, for newbies to linux, simple things such as those mention needs to be easily available. I'm an openbox fan myself, but for the wife and grandkids, I need to have, well I was big fan of Gnome 2, but now using KDE more, for the family. I also like LXDE (needs more polish) more than Xfce, but nothing against xfce, it's a fine environment also.

[thenktor]

with one partition running a LVM+LUKS and Salix for my work and the other partition will have a "Linux demo system."

Did you encrypt home only or the complete root filesystem?