lubuntu-desktop team mailing list archive

[Sylkis <sylkis@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

Today I have downloaded the iso from lubuntu.net, that is the one supposed
to be used by ordinary users, I suppose. Generally it makes great impression
(however it has to be personalised in my opinion to become fully useable,
but I guess that can be said about any operating system) and have some
suggestions about netbook desktop of lubuntu.

I really love it, it works basically in the same way as UNR, but it's
lightweight of course :) but it has few drawbacks.

First of all - I couldn't find anywhere how to personalise it. I mean from
the menus, what can I find in them, to the way how it looks like. No
wallpaper, no changes in colour scheme, etc - and it surely WILL scare away
new users from this mode.
I know that making it transparent menu (the bottom panel can do that, right?
so I guess it should not be a big problem to do the same thing here?) or
wallpaper-able in any other way and customizeable in terms of colours, etc
would make it a bit heavier, but still I think it's really worth it. Now it
looks potentially unattractive for random ordinary user, especially for
newbies,  as the only thing that is great about it is usefullness and
convienience. But in today's world of eye-candied Ubuntu-Unity, macOSX and
windows7 it's not enough, as it lacks really basic features, that
non-netbook lubuntu desktop DOES offer. I'm not saying that it should become
something like that heavy animated openGL netbook-launcher thing, but I
believe most people would prefer to look at some favourite photo (or sth)
rather than on plain light blue screen.
OR if there is a way how to customize the looks of the netbook menu, you
should make it easily accesible, cause I couldn't find it, and if I didn't -
then I bet no newbie would either.

Another thing that I think would be nice is that the top panel of the
netbook desktop menu would be somehow always on top, I mean never covered
with windows, and clicking on it while some window is maximized would
minimize everything and let user jump to desktop same as one icon in the
bottom panel does (and that one would be unnessesary then). BUT - as I have
mentioned, there IS an icon in panel that makes user jump to naked desktop
menu anyways, so that change is just an idea that is unlikely to do, as it's
not needed. I guess i't somehow because I'm use tod UNR, there clicking on
the left side of the panel worked like that.

Oh, and non-netbook-menu matter; it would be GREAT if the standard black
LXDE background of the bottom panel would be included. It looked just great,
i don't understand why was it changed for such ugly gray one, but well -
that's a matter of taste, and the general artwork looks really fine, so I
guess it was part of a larger concept. Still, while customising I wanted to
change the colour of the panel and found no alternative graphic, only the
deafult gray one, or the possibility of plain and/or transparent colours. I
belive such graphic weigths just a few KB, so wy not give people choice?

And last but not least, I didn't see deadbeef in defaultly installed apps,
there was still aqualung in there. Is it still supposed to be like that? and
will the bottom panel be moved to top, and [minimise]/[maximise]/[close]
buttons moved to the left corner of window, like in new ubuntu? I'm just
curious about consistence of general ubuntu idea and the if that the iso
from lubuntu.net is and up-to-date one, or shall I download newer one from
somewhere else?

Phew... I think that's all for now, I'm getting back to lubuntu as my main
system of everyday use, after quite a long break.

If I come up with anything, I'll let you know for sure.

Cheers, Kuba