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 mostly usable. For basic usage steps, see here: light-desktop-usage
See screenshots at http://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/misc/reed/light-desktop/2012-05-19-154242_640x480_scrot.png and http://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/misc/reed/light-desktop/2012-06-02-122722_1440x900_scrot.png
The lists of work to do and bugs is here: light-desktop-TODO