5 ms·

I guess this is just my opinion but NixOS is probably the most esoteric Linux distribution I've used. Anyone who intends to use NixOS comfortably probably isn't

by _2paq 5y ago

I guess this is just my opinion but NixOS is probably the most esoteric Linux distribution I've used. Anyone who intends to use NixOS comfortably probably isn't apprehensive about configuration and customization, things which are the antithesis of everything GNOME stands for. I fail to see why GNOME, or any DE for that matter, is something that should be recommended by a distribution like NixOS.

SkyMarshal 5y ago
Being the default and thereby “recommended” desktop in NixOS a lot different than in other distro’s. In other distro’s, to get a non-default desktop, you have to download a whole different distro “spin”, like Kubuntu. Or add the new desktop packages and manually configure them all. With NixOS you use the same install image, and just change two or three lines in the master configuration.nix file, and re/build. You can change back and forth between DE’s that use different window managers with a reboot, or between DE’s that use the same window manager with a relog [3]. Most the major desktops are supported in NixOS [1][2]. Gnome being the default means little, is easy to change should NixOS community ever form a consensus about changing the default (say in response to Gnome crossing some line), and is easy for end users to change any time. —— # Gnome services.xserver.enable = true; services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true; services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome.enable = true; —— # KDE services.xserver.enable = true; services.xserver.displayManager.sddm.enable = true; services.xserver.desktopManager.plasma5.enable = true; —— [1]:More info: https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-x11 https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-x11 [2]:Supported desktops: https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=21.11&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=DesktopManager https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=21.11&from=0&size=5... [3]:https://www.reddit.com/r/NixOS/comments/otnfq6/i3_or_sway_why_not_both_how_to_have_duel_window/ https://www.reddit.com/r/NixOS/comments/otnfq6/i3_or_sway_wh...
- _2paq 5y ago
  I wasn't questioning NixOS's customisability. I was questioning the choice to promote GNOME as "recommended for most users" on the download page. https://nixos.org/download.html#nixos-iso https://nixos.org/download.html#nixos-iso There's no need for a distro like NixOS to do this. It only serves to lend weight to the arrogance displayed by GNOME.
- spindle 5y ago
  Right, and I'm pretty sure you can use the same display manager with both (at least if it's lightdm), and then switching back and forth between gnome and KDE is literally a matter of switching between the words "gnome" to "plasma5" in one place.
- asddubs 5y ago
  all you have to do is e.g. sudo apt-get install cinnamon on ubuntu, and then select cinnamon at the login screen after booting, and it'll work just fine. same for mate, plasma, etc. Same for debian, and most linux distros I've tried. installing another desktop isn't difficult at all, usually
  - bayindirh 5y ago
    Debian (and Ubuntu as a result) has "task-*-desktop" tasks (meta-packages) which install, configure and tune the whole distro for a new/additional desktop environment too.

by _2paq 5y ago

SkyMarshal 5y ago

Being the default and thereby “recommended” desktop in NixOS a lot different than in other distro’s. In other distro’s, to get a non-default desktop, you have to download a whole different distro “spin”, like Kubuntu. Or add the new desktop packages and manually configure them all. With NixOS you use the same install image, and just change two or three lines in the master configuration.nix file, and re/build. You can change back and forth between DE’s that use different window managers with a reboot, or between DE’s that use the same window manager with a relog [3]. Most the major desktops are supported in NixOS [1][2]. Gnome being the default means little, is easy to change should NixOS community ever form a consensus about changing the default (say in response to Gnome crossing some line), and is easy for end users to change any time. —— # Gnome services.xserver.enable = true; services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true; services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome.enable = true; —— # KDE services.xserver.enable = true; services.xserver.displayManager.sddm.enable = true; services.xserver.desktopManager.plasma5.enable = true; —— [1]:More info: https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-x11 https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-x11 [2]:Supported desktops: https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=21.11&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=DesktopManager https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=21.11&from=0&size=5... [3]:https://www.reddit.com/r/NixOS/comments/otnfq6/i3_or_sway_why_not_both_how_to_have_duel_window/ https://www.reddit.com/r/NixOS/comments/otnfq6/i3_or_sway_wh...

_2paq 5y ago
I wasn't questioning NixOS's customisability. I was questioning the choice to promote GNOME as "recommended for most users" on the download page. https://nixos.org/download.html#nixos-iso https://nixos.org/download.html#nixos-iso There's no need for a distro like NixOS to do this. It only serves to lend weight to the arrogance displayed by GNOME.
spindle 5y ago
Right, and I'm pretty sure you can use the same display manager with both (at least if it's lightdm), and then switching back and forth between gnome and KDE is literally a matter of switching between the words "gnome" to "plasma5" in one place.
asddubs 5y ago
all you have to do is e.g. sudo apt-get install cinnamon on ubuntu, and then select cinnamon at the login screen after booting, and it'll work just fine. same for mate, plasma, etc. Same for debian, and most linux distros I've tried. installing another desktop isn't difficult at all, usually
- bayindirh 5y ago
  Debian (and Ubuntu as a result) has "task-*-desktop" tasks (meta-packages) which install, configure and tune the whole distro for a new/additional desktop environment too.