[xmonad] xmonad development (was: something in particular)

[Ramon Diaz-Uriarte]

On Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:59:59 -0500,"Allen S. Rout" <asr at ufl.edu> wrote:
> On 11/07/2011 12:13 PM, Norbert Zeh wrote:


> > Let me address the two separate points here:
> >
> > (1) No official release in 2 years: This makes me a bit uneasy about the future
> > of xmonad, as it seems the original authors have lost interest in the project.

> "Me, too".  But it seems that the torch has been passed, not dropped. 
> Truly, the state that no current coders have commit is a little skeery.


> > Bottom line: I highly recommend running the darcs
> > version, particularly given the current state of affairs regarding point (1).

> Understood, and I'm willing to go do that.



> But I think it's reasonable to point out that, in effect, xmonad 
> positively repels new converts.   As in, aggressively discourages them.

> Here's the path I've trod so far:

> - install vendor packages.  Understand that I'll need to dog-paddle in 
> haskell to function in xmonad.  Tinker.  Get frustrated

> - go learn about cabal, because bluetile suggests that it's a better way 
> to get up-to-date code.  On the way to bluetile, get enough xmonad 
> functioning to not need it.  Think "Ah, OK.  vendor packages out of 
> date, use the CPAN-equivalent for haskell, and all will be good".

> - Find that the haskell platform hasn't been updated in 7 months, 
> despite the claim it'd get love in July.   Get nervous about the entire 
> haskell community.

> - See that cabal xmonad is -2 years!- out of date.  Shudder.  Understand 
> that I need to learn darcs.



> ......

> So, in order to use your WM, I have to completely bathe in haskell, down 
> to learning the ideosyncratic, haskell-only VC you guys have cooked up.

> I _really like_ xmonad.   I think it's a delightfully featureful and 
> spare WM universe, and I'm feeling in better control of my desktop than 
> I've been since I ditched CTWM.

> But insisting that new users be baptized into your church (or at least 
> attend sunday school for a few months) is really bad for adoption.



I want to (partially) second the comments by  Allen Rout. 


I started using Xmonad about 3 years ago, using the stock Debian package
(by then, version 0.8.? ?). I do program, but not in Haskell, and I had
tried other tiling wm before, including awesome, dwm, wmii, and
ion3. Nevertheless, I was able to get xmonad to do (exactly?) what I wanted,
given the amount of excellent documentation and tutorials. However, this
took some time. Nevertheless, the end was really worth it. xmonad is the
only WM I've used in the last 3 years, and is one of the first things I
get going in any new machine.



But now, when I read that 0.9 is obsolete (my current version, running
Debian, is 0.9.2-2) and that I should grab the one in darcs, etc, etc, and
possibly start fiddling around... well, I really don't feel tempted at all
to try that right now (and I will, at least for now, feel solace in the
"if it ain't broken, don't fix it").

Best,

R.



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-- 
Ramon Diaz-Uriarte
Department of Biochemistry, Lab B-25.
Facultad de Medicina (UAM)
Arzobispo Morcillo, 2
28029 Madrid
Spain


Phone: +34-91-497-2412

Email: rdiaz02 at gmail.com
       ramon.diaz at iib.uam.es

http://ligarto.org/rdiaz