On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 8:56 AM, Michael Loeffler
Hi all,
the topic of a "default desktop" was raised in July as a feature[1] in our openFATE feature tracking system by a community member, and it was a subject of a lively debate within openFATE and on the openSUSE Project mailing list[2]. The default desktop is an issue that many openSUSE users and contributors are passionate about.
After consideration of the project discussion I discussed the feature request further with the openSUSE Board and other leaders within the openSUSE project and came to the decision to follow the request: we will default the radio button to KDE in the DVD installer. Therefore, with openSUSE 11.2 release, the KDE desktop will be installed if the user accepts the default setting. Users can also choose the GNOME desktop at this stage.
We want to make clear that both desktops are considered equal citizens within the openSUSE Project, and this will not have any impact on the quality of the GNOME desktop within openSUSE. GNOME will continue to be offered as a top- level installation choice, and we will continue to strive to provide the best GNOME and KDE desktop experience.
Thanks to everyone for conducting the conversation in a professional and courteous manner and for the quality of feedback we've received. This shows the strength of our community, and it's good to know we can address the tough issues head on and remain focused on the project goals.
Obviously this was a heated issue, and I've already stated what I believe is the best option for the community in those earlier threads. Now, I think that the decision that has been made is not to the benefit of the community at whole but to a minority of the KDE contributors who for some reason feel as though they were wronged in the past for some reason that has never been fully explained. "Actions are louder than words" We can scream from the hills that KDE and GNOME are equally as high quality and respected choices in our products, but now, our actions don't reflect it. We're telling new users that "KDE and GNOME are just as good (but you'll really want KDE, you know?)" How should that feel to members of the community who work on GNOME, or people like me who are only involved in the project because of the high-quality GNOME desktop? In my relatively humble opinion, this was a counter-productive decision for the Project. -- Kevin "Yeaux" Dupuy openSUSE Project Member www.Twitter.com/KevinYeaux -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org