My thinking about CINNAMON
Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 3:16 am
Linux Mint took a huge step forward when they launch MATE & GNOME 3 with MGSE in LISA.
MATE
MATE is actually the old GNOME 2 which is abondend by GNOME org. MINT team determined to keep it & change its every details from GNOME to MATE so that it doesn't conflict withthe existing gnome DE the GNOME SHELL or GNOME 3. When almost the whole LINUX world was divided about using GNOME 3 or not MINT was brave enough to use the older one. For those people, who dont want to change the way they use their computer.
GNOME 3 with MGSE
GNOME 3 is a complete different approach. User suddenly face difficulty when they found no previous approach is available. So mint launch it in LISA with MGSE, which gives some of the most popular features of GNOME 2. After few days GNOME org launch their official website for extensions to add extra features in GNOME 3.So user can now modify the view & usability of the DE according to their choice.
SLOWNESS
Its great. But all the extensions (MGSE & others) load on top of GNOME SHELL. The whole shell loads first. Then the extensions loads one by one & modify the shell. So boot becomes very slow. I am also facing it. The lesser extensions I am using, the faster will be my computer's boot. But I am not comfortable without the features. Thats why I added them. Thats why I use LINUX in the second place. Customizing it anyways. The cause is obviously NO VIRUS.
STABILITY ISSUE
It also lacks in stability as the extensions sometimes conflict with each other. So the shell suddenly frezzes or disappers. Sometimes it logs out automaticly. bla..bla..bla. And theres no way solving the conflicting issue, because all the extensions load idipendently, one by one.
HERE COMES THE CINNAMON
So the MINT people realized, using EXTENSIONs is not a good solution. They started forking GNOME 3 to add the fetures in code level. it will make the shell faster & stable with the additional fetures. Amazing, isn't it?
They Named it CINNAMON. They are working on it. They have released the alpha version in the repo. For more info visit http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/
FIRST VIEW OF CINNAMON
I downloaded CINNAMON & log in to it. I saw there is no top panel, no add to desktop yet, a bottom panel with panel icons & menu(exactly like GNOME 2), an INFINITY sign for over view mode, no favorites & menu in overview
mode. I was totally surprised & disappointed. I wonder, why they are trying to make it almost like GNOME 2? I know there are lots people who still preffer GNOME 2 & for them there is still MATE.
CLEM said that, they are gonna continue both CINNAMON & MATE. Then why both of them having exactly same look? And what about people like me , who loved the view of GNOME SHELL with additional fetures of extensions. I request the the DEVS to cnsider the fllowing option in CINNAMON
01. Bottom Panel only/Top panel only/Both (with auto-hide options.
02, Bottom menu only/Overview menu only/both.
03. Clock on bottom right/top middle/top right.
04. Status icon/name on bottom right/top right.
05. Notification in bottom/top.
06. Hotspot on/off (Solved)
07. Activity text/Infinty sign
08. Favourite in Overview dock
09. Add to dektop & add to panel(Solved)
10. (Irrelevant)
11. Make the DE indipendent of WM or make it COMPIZ based (CLEM said he will try http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/?page_id=61#comment-107)
Some others added on January 5..........
12. Brightness tcon on/off or add brightness in battery indicator(I really need this. I have visual issues)
13. Network icon shows speed when conected. Which NETSPEED extension does in individual icon.
14, Baterry indicator always show current battery level in percentage.
MATE
MATE is actually the old GNOME 2 which is abondend by GNOME org. MINT team determined to keep it & change its every details from GNOME to MATE so that it doesn't conflict withthe existing gnome DE the GNOME SHELL or GNOME 3. When almost the whole LINUX world was divided about using GNOME 3 or not MINT was brave enough to use the older one. For those people, who dont want to change the way they use their computer.
GNOME 3 with MGSE
GNOME 3 is a complete different approach. User suddenly face difficulty when they found no previous approach is available. So mint launch it in LISA with MGSE, which gives some of the most popular features of GNOME 2. After few days GNOME org launch their official website for extensions to add extra features in GNOME 3.So user can now modify the view & usability of the DE according to their choice.
SLOWNESS
Its great. But all the extensions (MGSE & others) load on top of GNOME SHELL. The whole shell loads first. Then the extensions loads one by one & modify the shell. So boot becomes very slow. I am also facing it. The lesser extensions I am using, the faster will be my computer's boot. But I am not comfortable without the features. Thats why I added them. Thats why I use LINUX in the second place. Customizing it anyways. The cause is obviously NO VIRUS.
STABILITY ISSUE
It also lacks in stability as the extensions sometimes conflict with each other. So the shell suddenly frezzes or disappers. Sometimes it logs out automaticly. bla..bla..bla. And theres no way solving the conflicting issue, because all the extensions load idipendently, one by one.
HERE COMES THE CINNAMON
So the MINT people realized, using EXTENSIONs is not a good solution. They started forking GNOME 3 to add the fetures in code level. it will make the shell faster & stable with the additional fetures. Amazing, isn't it?
They Named it CINNAMON. They are working on it. They have released the alpha version in the repo. For more info visit http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/
FIRST VIEW OF CINNAMON
I downloaded CINNAMON & log in to it. I saw there is no top panel, no add to desktop yet, a bottom panel with panel icons & menu(exactly like GNOME 2), an INFINITY sign for over view mode, no favorites & menu in overview
mode. I was totally surprised & disappointed. I wonder, why they are trying to make it almost like GNOME 2? I know there are lots people who still preffer GNOME 2 & for them there is still MATE.
CLEM said that, they are gonna continue both CINNAMON & MATE. Then why both of them having exactly same look? And what about people like me , who loved the view of GNOME SHELL with additional fetures of extensions. I request the the DEVS to cnsider the fllowing option in CINNAMON
01. Bottom Panel only/Top panel only/Both (with auto-hide options.
02, Bottom menu only/Overview menu only/both.
03. Clock on bottom right/top middle/top right.
04. Status icon/name on bottom right/top right.
05. Notification in bottom/top.
06. Hotspot on/off (Solved)
07. Activity text/Infinty sign
08. Favourite in Overview dock
09. Add to dektop & add to panel(Solved)
10. (Irrelevant)
11. Make the DE indipendent of WM or make it COMPIZ based (CLEM said he will try http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/?page_id=61#comment-107)
Some others added on January 5..........
12. Brightness tcon on/off or add brightness in battery indicator(I really need this. I have visual issues)
13. Network icon shows speed when conected. Which NETSPEED extension does in individual icon.
14, Baterry indicator always show current battery level in percentage.