The No Frills Linux Desktop

I am always fascinated…. no…. that’s not the word…  let’s call it.. confused.  I am always confused when I come across articles on the best linux desktop for this, that, and the other thing.  Most decorated, most functional, most crap possible at once, most anal-retentive, etc.

It’s all a matter of opinion, isn’t it?

Your most functional might be my nightmare.

I am invariably not impressed by most of them I see, but then again, I’m not exactly a neat and tidy gadget gee-whiz kinda guy.  So I went with the simple and effective.

Start with Xubuntu.  If you have any other flavor, install the XFCE desktop and make it your default (if you like it).  I have never understood Gnome and KDE is way too pretty and resource-intensive for me.  If I want all that crap, I’ll run Vista, thank you.

Perhaps because of the untoward influence of Gnome, the panel tends to be located up top.  I stop that in its tracks immediately.  I put it at the bottom, where any self-respecting geek knows his panel should be.  I also set it to hide.  One of my big things is Maximum Screen Real Estate.  No sense having bars in the way of things.

Way back when I started using linux, I had no idea how to make icons appear on the desktop but that doesn’t seem all that important now.  I only have a few icons, largely for when I start out my session.  After I open a program or two, there’s no point in having icons on the desktop, right?

In place of the icons, I make extensive use of hiding panels.  This allows Maximum Screen Real Estate as well as access to all the programs and functions one could want (even if one insists on having panels up top).

Across the bottom panel is the XFCE button (labeled THIS ONE), minimize all, and a bunch of multi-launchers.  These are the same as regular launchers… you just put more than one shortcut there.  I organize them by function.  One for audio, one for browsers/net, one for file managers, etc.  I love the verve panel applet to death.  It’s a short command line with memory for the last X amount of commands entered (this is configureable).  I make it narrow on purpose.  Note that you get no feedback from verve - it’s only for entering commands.  After that is the space for running programs and the desktop switcher.  You can make this panel as large or small as you like, especially as it hides.

I find that this is a good way to access programs but it’s not enough.  Ideally desktop icons would work but the desktop is always a mess so I can’t see icons (desktop as a metaphor for life).  No problem: create another panel.  The ideal place for me seemed to be at the center of the left hand side of the screen (your mileage may vary).  I don’t think this has anything to do with being left-handed; rather it seems to be where I spend more time and can get to it faster.  Let me know if you feel more comfortable with it on the right side, backwards folks.

I basically recreate the launchers from the bottom panel onto the (hiding) side panel.  No command lines or XFCE button though.  Feel free to add what works.

Sometimes I leave one small bar up top for notifications, system tray, time/date, and status.  You can hide that too, of course.

See how blindingly simple this is?  You keep your desktop free for messing up with windows and whenever you need to launch something, move the mouse to the left or bottom and up pops a panel, waiting for your command.

Please don’t talk to me about launchers or docks.  If I wanted a dock, I’d have a Mac.  It completely goes against the Maximum Screen Real Estate plan.

Another advantage of this setup is speed and efficiency.  It requires minimum horsepower and performs maximally (at least for me).  I have a decent amount of horsepower so I can run whatever I want.  I just prefer not to run hog software.

That also leaves me free to experiment with the most disgusting color possible for the desktop.  Or if I feel particularly disgusting, a vertical gradient from nuclear hot pink to puke chartreuse green.  Remember: if you choose a solid color or gradient, that’s less horsepower required to put it onscreen, as opposed to humongous full-color pictures.  This goes for linux or Windows.

Enjoy the simplicity.