The End of Mint Fluxbox?

[Gnarly]

So will Mint 9 Fluxbox end up being the last Fluxbox Edition created? Why cant we get an answer from the DEV or CLEM or somebody in the loop about this situation? Is there SOMEBODY else out there with the know how that would be willing to JUMP in and SAVE our Beloved FLUXBOX EDITION??????

[swiftlinuxcreator]

I think there will be Fluxbox editions of both the Ubuntu-based and Debian-based editions. However, I don't think that will happen anytime soon, because the Linux Mint team has its hands full dealing with GNOME 3. Because GNOME is what most users and developers are used to, that has to take priority when push comes to shove.

If you don't like bloat, I recommend LMDE. It bypasses the massive Ubuntu overhead, so it's lighter and faster.

I'm the founder and lead developer of a distro called Swift Linux. I'm in the process of switching from an antiX Linux base to an LMDE base. The idea is to bring the benefits of Linux Mint to 10-year-old computers. Think of Linux Mint as Lexus and the new Swift Linux as a Toyota Corolla.

[Doctor K]

I'm currently using Mint 12 modified to be a Mint 12 Fluxbox. As a side project I'm trying to strip down the main edition to bare bones and turn it into a full fledged edition of Mint 12 Fluxbox from the ground up. Once I get it finished I'll be more than happy to release it as a Community Edition if Clem and the Devs approve of it and are willing to consider it as a release. Mint Fluxbox isn't dead yet, not by a long shot.

[Imhoteps]

Mint Fluxbox isn't dead yet, not by a long shot.

\

[Gnarly]

Kendall has been the main Dev for the Fluxbox and Lxde. Lxde has been updated since 9 was released but no fluxbox. Its been months since he gave an update about fluxbox.

Sent from my Motorola Electrify using Tapatalk

[Gnarly]

If Kendall doesn't want to mess with the Fluxbox Edition then they should tell the community. Maybe there is someone else out there that would be willing to take over. Like Kendall did when Shane left. I just dont want to loose it.

Sent from my Motorola Electrify using Tapatalk

[Doctor K]

If maintaining Fluxbox is too much for Kendall to do along with LXDE and Peppermint, I'd be more than happy to try and take it over.

[Gnarly]

They could atleast care enough to give an update.

[shengchieh]

I can't run a desktop environment on this dinosaur. For awhile I used LM fluxbox. I already moved to #! (crunchbang) which uses openbox, but
keeping an eye on LM fluxbox. I agree it would be nice to have an update once in awhile, but I suggest moving (and avoid dated softwares)
until LM fluxbox is revived.

Sheng-Chieh

[jeffreyC]

People keep saying that the dev team is busy with the main edition and will get to Fluxbox later, but the dev team is always going to be too busy with the main edition.
Kendall has not visited the forum since mid December or posted on the forum since September.
May as well accept that Mint Fluxbox is dead.

[DrHu]

OK, so the wimp crowd wins, no surprises then
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIMP_%28computing%29

User interfaces based on the WIMP style are very good at abstracting workspaces, documents, and their actions. Their analogous paradigm to documents as paper sheets or folders, makes WIMP interfaces easy to introduce to novice users.

Now I don't mind that since GUIs' are relatively functional and useful, however they are not the be-all or end-all they are promoted as being; they have limitations
--so there is still a real need for terminal interactions (shells), which are often faster (getting a system result) and can be sometimes easier and of course quicker, provided you know what to do and don't want to only stumble around looking for the icon that will get you a result you want..

I guess to see the future of Mint versions available to users, we have to at least look at Ubuntu see where they are trending, for now the obvious one is Gnome3 and mobile interfaces in an attempt to use one interface style across multiple platforms, that is mostly dealing with the mobile device deluges.
--just like Apple and Microsoft and Samsung and Android etc.

[swiftlinuxcreator]

I am the founder and lead developer of another distro called Swift Linux. I'm currently in the process of replacing the antiX Linux base with an LMDE base. The idea is to combine the superior inner workings (like driver support) of Linux Mint with the superior speed of Puppy Linux and antiX Linux, thus bringing the merits of Linux Mint to 10-year-old computers. In other words, I'm applying the antiX Linux playbook to LMDE - start with a full-sized distro, replace the heavyweight DE with a lighter one, replace or remove other heavyweight applications, and get it all to fit onto a CD.

Swift Linux will continue to use IceWM and ROX pinboard for the desktop environment. Some of the long-term goals include being the premier replacement for Windows XP and providing groups like FreeGeek a lighter distro that can revive computers with no resale value.

[Herpy]

As long as it's in the repos, it aint dead.

[yerc]

As long as it's in the repos, it aint dead.

It would be sad if Mint Fluxbox is not maintained. I know I can get fluxbox from the repos, but I do not have enough skill and time to make one as good as Mint 9 Fluxbox.

If maintaining Fluxbox is too much for Kendall to do along with LXDE and Peppermint, I'd be more than happy to try and take it over.

I hope someone does update Mint Fluxbox with long-term support ...

The devs are running a poll on what WM/DM people want.
Could every Fluxbox user please vote on our favorite WM?

[Alaric]

Let's keep our fingers crossed, yerc. In the meantime, I've put my vote in for fluxbox. These last two years working with LM 9 Flux have spoiled me with using a professionally put together Flux edition, I'd hate to see it fall by the wayside. Still have a year to go till End of Life, so maybe it's just a prioritization issue.

[jjaythomas]

Swiftlinuxcreator... THANK YOU

Installed Swift (take little bit to get the hang of) you can probably put FLUXBOX on with not much trouble and 'resource bloat '

It uses the 'UPack' system to upgrade (I'm upgraded tho UPack4 kernel 3.2), and because it's 32bit you may want to change kernel to the 686 kernel (PAE and SMP enabled).
It uses Mint repos so can get the Mint (LMDE) tools and such from package/software manager.

P.S. I successfully used it as a base for XFCE (less bloat,pick and chose apps ect.) and run a leaner LMDE-XFCE. Thou technically not LMDE it serves my needs.
*Only be change was I changed lightdm to mdm. And theirs no GUI for adding users and groups (my personal machine is a one user box anyways)*

J.Jay

Edit I don't think Kendall is maintianer (at least head) anymore, the current LMint 12 LXDE came from someone else (doesn't seem Fluxbox either will)

[dexl]

The devs are running a poll on what WM/DM people want.
Could every Fluxbox user please vote on our favorite WM?

Where is that poll, please? I'd like to cast my flux-vote.

[viking777]

You're too late for that vote dexl, the decision has already been made (I missed the poll too btw). Here is the gospel according to Clem:

for Linux Mint 13 we want to do even better. With both MATE and Cinnamon getting their own dedicated editions, we’ll be able to integrate each of these desktops even further within the operating system. We’ve also heard your opinion, via the poll, and we acknowledge the fact that the most popular environments within our community are Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce and KDE. Going forward, we’ll focus primarily on these desktops.

And later:

We want to focus our efforts on what matters most to most people and try to do less and do it better, so we might discontinue Fluxbox and LXDE and give Xfce better support.

Mind you Mint Fluxbox has been dead for years really. Kendall found more interesting things to do and it died with his loss of interest in the project.

Edit. I have to say though, that at the time I noticed the poll (after the announcement had been made), of the 69600 users we have, 2250 had voted. Mind you that is democracy for you, it is the kind of majority we regularly get in our national parliament

The poll is here btw if you want to see the results:

viewtopic.php?f=143&t=100787

[h8uthemost]

Like someone else already did(as did I) why not just switch to Crunchbang if you want a light and fast distro with a list and fast window manager? It comes with Openbox, but you can easily install Flux or any other WM. But in my opinion OB is very similar to Flux so I really don't think it would be a problem for most. I have both installed on my machine and prefer OB to Flux. And the dev has done a wonderful job with OB. It's perfectly functional right out of the box.

It's worth a shot for all of you that's waiting for a new Mint Flux that will more than likely never come...

[jjaythomas]

LXDE uses OB as the default 'Window Manager'

Fluxbox is just a 'window manager', what most people think of as 'Fluxbox' is a distro that adds the extra stuff that a full DE has.
LXDE does that and integrates the other modular stuff. You usually have the option (in login manager) to run OB by itself. The other components are their, just not as integrated as Picking (at Login) LXDE.
Also LXDE lets you use another WM (Flux maybe) instead of OpenBox.

P.S. Ive used LXDE without OB, and used compiz as the WM with very little problems (alot more resource eating thou ). Even has a setting in GUI asking what WM to use

J.Jay