smileallways | # 1 | 2009-03-20, 02:44 | Report

Hi N810 environment gurus,
I have recently entered the n810 world. I am trying to figure out how do different alternate desktop environments compare with each other. Here is my limited understanding after reading the forums for alternate environments for a week. I request others to give their opinion about these environments and correct any mistakes in my analysis.

• KDE: Full Linux environment. Light weight and fast compared to the others. Full suite of applications including Open office, Firefox etc. not much new development going on now.
• LXDE desktop on maemo environment. Another light weight desktop environment.
• Easy Debian: Another bootable Linux environment. Little bit slow in comparison to others.
• Ubuntu: Popular Linux desktop environment. Has full suite of applications.
• Mer: New version of Maemo being developed by the Open source community.
  [*} Android (NITdroid): Touch oriented environment from Google. Good touch based environment. focused on browsing, games and entertainment. No office based apps.
• e17 on Mer/Ubuntu: Touch based environment on top of Mer/Ubuntu

For Entertainment/game oriented environments: Android or e17 environments are best.

For full Linux desktop like environments: LXDE or KDE or Ubuntu.

I have couple of questions and feedback from others: How does LXDE compare with other desktop environments.

Regards.

branitar | # 2 | 2009-03-20, 13:11 | Report

I dont think that KDE is actually lightweight KDE and GNOME are probably the heavy weight champions among the window managers on Linux. LXDE, E17 and others have a much smaller footprint.

FRZ | # 3 | 2009-03-20, 21:28 | Report

I had a question similar to this. I am considering an alternate os and I don't know what to choose between these three popular ones amongst this community, Easy Debian, Ubuntu or Mer. What do you guys think? Which one would you recommend?

qole | # 4 | 2009-03-22, 06:15 | Report

Easy Debian isn't bootable (Deblet, Mer and B-Man's Ubuntu are).

You can get Gnome, XFCE, LXDE, and other desktops from both Ubuntu or Debian.

Penguinbait's KDE and Easy Debian's LXDE run without rebooting the tablet; ED's LXDE runs on top of OS2008, which might be the slowness you're talking about.

PB's KDE does not have OpenOffice or Firefox, all of the others do.

Mer is a version of Ubuntu running a Hildon desktop by default, but you can install any of the other desktops instead.

Android is the most advanced hack so far; you really need to know what you're doing and it isn't suitable for a multi-boot setup like the others.

It all depends what you want to do. What do you want to do?

---

Last edited by qole; 2009-03-22 at 06:20.

smileallways | # 5 | 2009-03-23, 04:10 | Report

Qole,
Thanks for the information.

My requirements are to:

run a browser that is reasonably fast, email, rss reader, Yahoo IM and skype with finger touch based operation. Use Open office for MS office compatibility.

I would like the new environment to multi-boot with the regular environment.

Is Mer with E17, my best bet for these requirements?

Thanks,

tagazok | # 6 | 2009-03-23, 08:19 | Report

Hello
The best would be ubuntu mobile but unfortunatly it doesn't work on ARM yet

About e17, I never found how to install it, if you find a good tutorial tell it I would help me

meizirkki | # 7 | 2009-03-23, 08:54 | Report

Ubuntu-mobile IS working on ARM but it SUCKS. It's like a bit modified old version of maemo. It is not good.

Mer is the best choise for another bootable OS. You can install e17 just like any other app: sudo apt-get install e17 gdm

There's also thread about e17, search for "e17 mer"

For you needs, web-browsing, instant messaging and OOwriter. i recommend maemo. Install Tear for fast browsing, pidgin for instant messaging, Easy-Debian for OOo

---

Last edited by meizirkki; 2009-03-23 at 08:57.

tagazok | # 8 | 2009-03-23, 13:56 | Report

Do you know how to install ubuntu mobile on the tablet?

qole | # 9 | 2009-03-23, 16:36 | Report

Seriously, as meizirkki wrote, everything you listed (except OpenOffice) is set up the best in OS2008 at the moment. All of the alternatives are for hacker types who are willing to make compromises.

meizirkki | # 10 | 2009-03-23, 16:41 | Report

Yes, first install ubuntu following b-man's guide. then go to terminal and type "sudo apt-cache show ubuntu-mid" grab the depends and install what is possible manually. then you have to fight with mobile-basic-flash or kourou to be able to start up any app. Believe me, the application menu (witch is supposed to be in the middle of the home-screen) is not working correctly, mobile-basic-flash is not working at all (even with the adobe-flashplayer), and kourou isn't much better... it just won't work correctly. It's just pain to mess with. Ubuntu-MID is based on old maemo components, witch makes it just an old version of maemo with complicated application-menu.