This is a page to track the status and provide details about the "light-desktop" environment and meta-package. This is a near identical reproduction of the Lubuntu desktop interface. ``*[It] uses the minimal desktop LXDE, and a selection of light applications. We focus on speed and energy-efficiency. Because of this, [it] has very low hardware requirements.*'' The goal is to provide a consistent, standard desktop that is tuned for NetBSD and supported and maintained by NetBSD. Lubuntu's desktop was chosen because: - It works for a known audience. (Ubuntu's popularity contest shows 16037 installations and 2779 very recent uses.) - It is a simpler case than maintaining Gnome, KDE, or XFce. - It is considered "lightweight" versus more popular alternatives. - By using outsider's choices it alleviates bikesheds. Let's stay with this decision for at least six months. (No bikeshedding until mid-November 2012.) The two main packages in pkgsrc-wip include: * netbsd-light-desktop-default-settings -- this provides NetBSD-themed default configurations and startup script * light-desktop -- meta-package to bring in the entire environment The main components: * lxsession -- LXDE session manager and Xsettings daemon * lxpanel -- menu, taskbar launcher, and notification area. * openbox -- window manager * pcmanfm -- file manager that also manages icons on desktop The meta-package has many dependencies even though it is called "light". It uses cups, foomatic-filters, dbus, abiword, dejavu-ttf, liberation-ttf, elementary-icon-theme, leafpad, xpad, audacious, gnome-system-tools (no GNOME libraries), evince, file-roller, gnumeric, galculator, scrot, pidgin, and many other packages. It is a complete, usable operating system. Note that some features of Lubuntu are Linux specific and so NetBSD alternatives are needed. The desktop is currently in use and is basically usable. See a screenshot at . For basic usage steps, see here: [[light-desktop-usage]] The lists of work to do and bugs is here: [[light-desktop-TODO]]