4 ms·

xfce way back in the day was trying to clone CDE which is open source and actively maintained these days https://sourceforge.net/projects/cdesktopenv/ https://s

xfce way back in the day was trying to clone CDE which is open source and actively maintained these days https://sourceforge.net/projects/cdesktopenv/ https://sourceforge.net/projects/cdesktopenv/ (really. last release was in november 2025) Just in case you want an even more vintage experience. There's also people trying to keep the SGI experience alive, but this one is a clone: https://docs.maxxinteractive.com/ https://docs.maxxinteractive.com/ As for as early xfce check out https://xteddy.org/xwinman/screenshots/xfce-default.jpg https://xteddy.org/xwinman/screenshots/xfce-default.jpg (I'm actually on that site from 25 years ago: https://xteddy.org/xwinman/screenshots/twm-cjmckenzie.gif https://xteddy.org/xwinman/screenshots/twm-cjmckenzie.gif)

amenod 9mo ago
> Just in case you want an even more vintage experience. Just to clarify, it's not about "vintage experience". Xfce is deceptively simple - it gets out of your way and let you do whatever you wish. The original settings are sensible as they are, but you also can customize it as you wish. It is pretty un-opinionated.
anthk 9mo ago
Instead of Maxx Desktop, check EMWM plus the goodies: https://fastestcode.org/emwm.html https://fastestcode.org/emwm.html I won't consider XFCE vintage but sane, boring but working. Vintage would be a vanilla FVWM, or MWM, or TWM/CTWM. But not so much, as things come full circle. EvilWM would look outdated and crappy under Slashdot threads in 2001 or close, because it looked something from the 80's, altough some bright users stated that it saved tons of RAM for applications. Its clone CWM nowadays it's highly praised by OpenBSD users as a no-bullshit, floating-no tiling madness window manager (and by me too). It works, it can work without any mouse for every window action (even resizing), it doesn't need dmenu, you can use virtual desktops and search between opened windows with autocompletion. So, forget about RSI's, your hands can literally rest.
- thw_9a83c 9mo ago
  EMWM is really nice. Too bad that Wyaland will make alternative WMs like this one very hard to use and obsolete in the long run.
  - anthk 9mo ago
    There was some barebones X server runnng on top of Wayland. https://wayback.freedesktop.org/ https://wayback.freedesktop.org/ If I have to suffer that in a near future, I want my CWM setup working like before.
  - kristopolous 9mo ago
    Wayland isn't going to become defacto until this difficulty disappears. X "just works" well enough for too many use cases
beAbU 9mo ago
Sourceforge gives me the heeby-jeebys though.
- kristopolous 9mo ago
  I have no idea why they use that either. It was legitimately great 25 years ago but it's just felt like an SEO farm for at least 15 years. (25 years ago: https://web.archive.org/web/20010301045035/https://sourceforge.net/ https://web.archive.org/web/20010301045035/https://sourcefor...) Once you get down into it, it's fine. https://sourceforge.net/p/cdesktopenv/wiki/LinuxBuild/ https://sourceforge.net/p/cdesktopenv/wiki/LinuxBuild/ I mean ok, it's fine.
  - hulitu 9mo ago
    > It was legitimately great 25 years ago but it's just felt like an SEO farm for at least 15 years. You should see github. /s

amenod 9mo ago

> Just in case you want an even more vintage experience. Just to clarify, it's not about "vintage experience". Xfce is deceptively simple - it gets out of your way and let you do whatever you wish. The original settings are sensible as they are, but you also can customize it as you wish. It is pretty un-opinionated.

anthk 9mo ago

Instead of Maxx Desktop, check EMWM plus the goodies: https://fastestcode.org/emwm.html https://fastestcode.org/emwm.html I won't consider XFCE vintage but sane, boring but working. Vintage would be a vanilla FVWM, or MWM, or TWM/CTWM. But not so much, as things come full circle. EvilWM would look outdated and crappy under Slashdot threads in 2001 or close, because it looked something from the 80's, altough some bright users stated that it saved tons of RAM for applications. Its clone CWM nowadays it's highly praised by OpenBSD users as a no-bullshit, floating-no tiling madness window manager (and by me too). It works, it can work without any mouse for every window action (even resizing), it doesn't need dmenu, you can use virtual desktops and search between opened windows with autocompletion. So, forget about RSI's, your hands can literally rest.

thw_9a83c 9mo ago
EMWM is really nice. Too bad that Wyaland will make alternative WMs like this one very hard to use and obsolete in the long run.
- anthk 9mo ago
  There was some barebones X server runnng on top of Wayland. https://wayback.freedesktop.org/ https://wayback.freedesktop.org/ If I have to suffer that in a near future, I want my CWM setup working like before.
- kristopolous 9mo ago
  Wayland isn't going to become defacto until this difficulty disappears. X "just works" well enough for too many use cases

beAbU 9mo ago

Sourceforge gives me the heeby-jeebys though.

kristopolous 9mo ago
I have no idea why they use that either. It was legitimately great 25 years ago but it's just felt like an SEO farm for at least 15 years. (25 years ago: https://web.archive.org/web/20010301045035/https://sourceforge.net/ https://web.archive.org/web/20010301045035/https://sourcefor...) Once you get down into it, it's fine. https://sourceforge.net/p/cdesktopenv/wiki/LinuxBuild/ https://sourceforge.net/p/cdesktopenv/wiki/LinuxBuild/ I mean ok, it's fine.
- hulitu 9mo ago
  > It was legitimately great 25 years ago but it's just felt like an SEO farm for at least 15 years. You should see github. /s