Xfce Default Configuration

[houghi]

On Sat, Dec 21, 2013 at 11:42:35PM +0000, Nigel Verity wrote:
> The default appearance is drab and does nothing to indicate the kind of look
> that can be achieved. I believe that even something as simple as changing the
> default wallpaper would be a good start. It's not a problem with the logo,
> rather the lack of visual interest. A look at the default Mint wallpaper shows
> the benefits of a more modern appearance. Making the icon label background
> transparent by default, as can be achieved by modifying gtkrc-2.0, would also
> be an improvement.

As you are addressing the unexperienced user, let me focus on that as
experienced users can do enough changes themselves.

First of all: one does not discuss taste and color. So what you call drab
is perhaps something people actually want.

New users and especially those new to Linux will install XFCE not after
compiling it themselves, but rather look at what their distro has to
offer. It is the distro that could do the needed changes.

e.g. openSUSE tweaks all their desktops to look a bit alike. I personally
do not care for that look, but that is just me.

Next there are plenty of themes you can download and try out.

What people should learn pretty fast us the XFCE settings and play around
there.

What I do think can be improved is the ease of where to do changes. I
understand that things have grown, but if I want to change the 'look' of
XFCE in the settings I need to go to:
Appearance for Style, Icons, Fonts and some settings
Desktop to change wallpapers, Menus and Icons
Window Manager to change the Style, Key shortcuts, focus and Advanced
Window Manager Tweaks are cycling, Focus, Accesibility, Workspaces,
	Placement and Compositor

To a new user, this looks as if everything is all over the place. To me
the Style in Appearance and Window Manager should be switched.

All off Desktop should be integrated with Appearance.

Window Manager and Window Manager Tweaks should be one. Focus in both?
In Window Manager Tweaks, Cycling and Accessibilaty should be together and
even Placement should be at the same tab.

Or you need to re-arrange everything and have one for 'looks' (Appearance)
and one for 'behaviour'. The last one is mostly Window Manager at the
moment. I would even prefer names like Appearance and Behaviour, as that
would then be clear to where I need to be instead of opening them each at
random to find what I am looking for.

houghi
-- 
This is written under the inluence of the following:
>   Artist : Elton John
>     Song : Island Girl
>    Album : Greatest Hits 1970-2002 CD One