Arch Linux

ArchPad

Member

Registered: 2007-03-26

Posts: 81

How is GNOME in Arch?

I now definitely prefer GNOME, so I've been sticking with GNOME distros (Foresight wouldn't install, so Ubuntu) but I really enjoy using Arch. Most of my problems in the past were just KDE-related frustrations and had little to do with GNOME itself.

Now I've always been under the impression that Arch favors KDE to GNOME, but am I wrong about this? Is GNOME well-supported, well-maintained, and in general a smooth experience in Arch?

vitalstatistix

Member

Registered: 2007-01-31

Posts: 28

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

yes it is

ArchPad

Member

Registered: 2007-03-26

Posts: 81

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

Cool. I think I'll give it a go...

If you had to say, what percentage of Archers use KDE and what % use GNOME (in a GNOME-KDE split)?

ozar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2005-02-18

Posts: 1,686

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

Yeah, Gnome and Arch work quite well together.  I actually have fewer issues with Gnome than I do with KDE, and I've always preferred KDE over Gnome, at least up until lately.  That's not to say that one is any better than the other, though. 

---

oz

Rumor

Member

From: Albany, NY

Registered: 2006-07-07

Posts: 638

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

I've been using Arch for around a year. I still dual boot Ubuntu / Arch. Gnome is very much my preferred desktop environment. I find Gnome more responsive when I am using Arch. Probably that is because I have more free memory. When Gnome releases a new version it is available in the Arch repositories well before it is available for Ubuntu in my experience.

I don't have any idea how the breakdown between KDE and Gnome users would fall out. Reading the screenshot threads makes it apparent that just about every desktop environment / window manager is used by Arch users.

---

Smarter than a speeding bullet
My Goodreads profile

Nene

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2006-10-03

Posts: 6

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

Don't know. Hard to tell wether KDE is prefered over Gnome among arch users...
But i had both running on arch, both are supported and working well, so don't worry.

Last edited by Nene (2007-06-11 17:19:22)

lberg

Member

Registered: 2007-06-11

Posts: 6

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

IDK....I've always preferred Gnome. The only issue with it I've had is that there was one applet that I had to get from the AUR... but that's perfectly fine.....

ArchPad

Member

Registered: 2007-03-26

Posts: 81

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

What about gstreamer support? Adding non-free codecs is a cinch with xine, but not so with gstreamer. Do the gstreamer packages follow the same naming conventions as in Ubuntu? Is it possibly easier to get the required codecs up and running?

vitalstatistix

Member

Registered: 2007-01-31

Posts: 28

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

ArchPad -  I'd recommend you look at the arch wiki. most of your questions are answered there regarding gstreamer and package naming.

ArchPad

Member

Registered: 2007-03-26

Posts: 81

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

ArchPad -  I'd recommend you look at the arch wiki. most of your questions are answered there regarding gstreamer and package naming.

The Gstreamer page is incomplete. It has nothing about AAC/M4A playback or other codecs, just the bare basics.

Ramses de Norre

Member

From: Leuven - Belgium

Registered: 2007-03-27

Posts: 1,289

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

This is what we've got concerning gstreamer, I see faad and faac in there so that should solve your aac/m4a issue.

Thikasabrik

Member

Registered: 2004-02-23

Posts: 92

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

'non-free' codecs are indeed available, including mp3 and aac/m4a, direct from the main repositories. Some plugins are included in base/good/bad/ugly packages whilst others are seperate. Do a package search for gstreamer to get an idea.

STiAT

Member

From: Vienna, Austria

Registered: 2004-12-23

Posts: 606

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

Arch users probably prefer non-desktop orientated environments.

I'd say stick with what you want. In my eyes, gnome and kde are both well maintained in arch, and don't cause troubles. I'm personally using KDE, and never had problems with it, my girlfriend sticks with gnome, and didn't experience many problems as well. Both have their advantages and both their pitfalls... it's just about the look and feel you prefer.

Yours,
Georg

---

Ability is nothing without opportunity.

Don-DiZzLe

Member

From: Nederland

Registered: 2007-03-31

Posts: 233

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

I sure do hope someone makes a GNOMEmod or somethin' similar in the not so distant future.
That be awesome!

JGC

Developer

Registered: 2003-12-03

Posts: 1,664

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

Why would we have such a project? GNOME is modular by its nature, the only changes I would like to see in it is getting to the next version.

gbrunoro

Member

From: Belo Horizonte, Brasil

Registered: 2007-04-04

Posts: 55

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

Well, I think that XFCE gets along Arch better than both KDE and GNOME

Don-DiZzLe

Member

From: Nederland

Registered: 2007-03-31

Posts: 233

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

I'm just sayin, I a big fan of KDEmod, with its cool features and all. Why shouldn't there be a GNOMEmod?

Is it optimized and tweaked with cool features like KDEmod already?

skottish

Forum Fellow

From: Here

Registered: 2006-06-16

Posts: 7,942

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

Arch users probably prefer non-desktop orientated environments.

Or the funny gray area called E17.

Crooksey

Member

From: UK ~

Registered: 2006-08-14

Posts: 415

Website

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

I now definitely prefer GNOME, so I've been sticking with GNOME distros (Foresight wouldn't install, so Ubuntu) but I really enjoy using Arch. Most of my problems in the past were just KDE-related frustrations and had little to do with GNOME itself.

Did you not think to try another window manager?

Now I've always been under the impression that Arch favors KDE to GNOME, but am I wrong about this? Is GNOME well-supported, well-maintained, and in general a smooth experience in Arch?

Gnome in arch is "vanilla", its un patched with themes and artwork, whereas in ubuntu/foresight gnome is modified/themed by the maintainers, in arch you get "pure" gnome.

What about gstreamer support? Adding non-free codecs is a cinch with xine, but not so with gstreamer. Do the gstreamer packages follow the same naming conventions as in Ubuntu? Is it possibly easier to get the required codecs up and running?

Easily all installed via..

pacman -Sy gstreamer0.10-plugins

That will install them all, then just need totem-xine.

As far as arch users desktop choices go, allot of people in the Arch community like Openbox / dwm / E17

---

Arch Linux since 2006
Python Web Developer + Sys Admin (Gentoo/BSD)

hussam

Member

Registered: 2006-03-26

Posts: 572

Website

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

In my opinion, ArchLinux already offers one of the best gnome desktops around.

Kenetixx

Member

From: /unvrs/mlkywy/earth/aust/home

Registered: 2006-09-09

Posts: 258

Website

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

Im a Gnome user and vey happy with it, for me it has always been smoother and less crashes compared to KDE.e17 is starting to take shape and will most probably be my next WM/Desktop

---

http://binaryritual.net

There is no spoon.......

ArchPad

Member

Registered: 2007-03-26

Posts: 81

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

GNOME works just fine in Arch, as I've now found out. My System Admin menu only has one item (edit GDM settings), so it may take some time to fill that out if I should choose to not go the "Arch Way".

JGC

Developer

Registered: 2003-12-03

Posts: 1,664

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

You're free to port system-tools-backends further to archlinux. I don't do perl, so anyone interested in perl development and this specific thing, go ahead

Phrodo_00

Member

From: Seattle, WA

Registered: 2006-04-09

Posts: 342

Website

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

pacman -Sy gstreamer0.10-plugins

That will install them all, then just need totem-xine.

Why do you install gstreamer plugins if you'll be using xine for totem anyway? =\... whatever.
As everybody has pointed out, gnome is pretty cool in arch, and vanilla, so you can use gnome the way it was meant to be used (although probably you'll want to switch spatial nautilus off).
And yeah, arch users mostly choose simple window managers over desktop enviroments. (I use gnome myself)

vitalstatistix

Member

Registered: 2007-01-31

Posts: 28

Re: How is GNOME in Arch?

I wish we had a gnome-svn package group (much like xfce-svn e.t.c) for ample testing before a major release. Funny enough, the transition to 2.18 wasn't that painful.