DSL Ideas and Suggestions :: icons look and feel



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Can we post that document on the Wiki so that it can be read when not running the OS?

Sure. But I'm more interested in expanding it on the CD so those who start X have more information at hand without having to go searching for it online (which presumes they get online with it).
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Through use, suggestions, and contributions of the community, the associations will only improve.
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Doesn't dfm open non-associated file-types as text files in an editor (beaver) by default?  Maybe this can be remedied with dfm by launching the dfmext tool when unassociated file types are encountered if rc files can be excluded.
I was thinking pretty much the same thing, although I forgot there was already a dfmext gui tool...I almost started developing it all over again.

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I think Windows' behavior is as configurable as Linux'. My XP desktop is very OSX-like right now, down to a functional animated dock.
That merely scratches the surface, though, when compared to how much flexibility there is in desktop configuration in Linux. Simply attempting to use a different file manager than Windows Explorer can be a complicated task, and if you want to change the actual desktop (to bb4win, for example) you are looking at the possibility of causing some serious problems if you are not extremely careful. I'd say very few Windows users would do that beyond installing some add-ons and changing themes. And if I understood you correctly, when you said "I have no problem with that because Linux is highly adaptable and it can be set up to suit a user's needs" I think you might agree that regardless of how the Linux desktop is set up by default, it can be changed drastically if you do not like those defaults. It's not so easy to do in Windows. There are so many applications that are tied together on the Windows desktop that replacing one can cause another to fail. At one time I had Xoblite running in Windows 2000, and it worked pretty well apart from sometimes having Explorer try to take back the desktop...after running the control panel, for example.

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I don't think what's under the hood really matters to users so much as whether they can manipulate it via familiar concepts.
I assume you are making a generalization here, using the term "users" to mean "typical users" or even "most users". If that's the case, I agree with you. I don't know if I could agree so completely if it were "linux users". It seems a great number of linux users, possibly most, and even those who came from Windows, end up having a much greater appreciation of what's under the hood after they've been using it for a year or so. Even then, though, you may be very right is saying that it is still more important to them to be able to use familiar methods than it is to understand how the system works.
Some points on this thread (not all of it as it is getting quite lengthy):

john.martzouco:
- on names: would that person know what an "Internet browser" is then?  Highly doubtful. (Xandros on EEE shows "Web")
- if you want to convert all "windows" users, perhaps you should name it "internet explorer-like program"?
- on consistency: actually some of the names aren't the exact project name, i.e. ATerminal, Rdesktop, etc.
- on boot options: perhaps boot.ini?  I've only changed it for some basic things though
- on documentation: it's not surprising that many people ignore or miss it

jpeters:
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Linux offers a lot of flexibility and power that windows doesn't, such as command functions, but they have to be learned.
What?

lucky13:
- I like that orange/brown style, with that dinosaur background quite a bit :)
- I agree that the windows' desktop can be configured as much as a linux desktop

mikshaw:
- on bb4win, etc.: you first have to install it permanently, then restart/relogin - then you won't have any problems with explorer popping up

in general:
- maybe there can be a way to choose if you want to include all 22 icons.  Perhaps that would satisfy those who want icons but don't want to copy them to the desktop manually.
- would be interesting to have some kind of mydsl package that would set up your desktop like another users' (I haven't looked much into the jwm internals though)
Lucky13 sent me his jwmrc sections and background images.
I don't believe I can make public the background images without consent or free license to do so.

The orange/brown theme looks very with the DSL Elephant background fom v1.3 days. :)

I am working a GUI jwm theme selector.
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I like that orange/brown style, with that dinosaur background quite a bit

Thanks. The color scheme has been submitted to Robert and will be available to the community. Dittos for the others on the JWM aesthetics pages linked on my "My DSL Pages" section on my blog (link is at top). I'm also looking for copyright information for the T Rex image before including it with any theme. One of these days I'll learn to stop renaming things when I download to make it easier to find them again.

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would be interesting to have some kind of mydsl package that would set up your desktop like another users

Robert will have an announcement about that shortly. :-)

Edit: Wow. Even more shortly than I thought.
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