On 11/07/2011 12:13 PM, Norbert Zeh wrote:
Let me address the two separate points here:
(1) No official release in 2 years: This makes me a bit uneasy about the future of xmonad, as it seems the original authors have lost interest in the project.
"Me, too". But it seems that the torch has been passed, not dropped. Truly, the state that no current coders have commit is a little skeery.
Bottom line: I highly recommend running the darcs version, particularly given the current state of affairs regarding point (1).
Understood, and I'm willing to go do that. But I think it's reasonable to point out that, in effect, xmonad positively repels new converts. As in, aggressively discourages them. Here's the path I've trod so far: - install vendor packages. Understand that I'll need to dog-paddle in haskell to function in xmonad. Tinker. Get frustrated - go learn about cabal, because bluetile suggests that it's a better way to get up-to-date code. On the way to bluetile, get enough xmonad functioning to not need it. Think "Ah, OK. vendor packages out of date, use the CPAN-equivalent for haskell, and all will be good". - Find that the haskell platform hasn't been updated in 7 months, despite the claim it'd get love in July. Get nervous about the entire haskell community. - See that cabal xmonad is -2 years!- out of date. Shudder. Understand that I need to learn darcs. ...... So, in order to use your WM, I have to completely bathe in haskell, down to learning the ideosyncratic, haskell-only VC you guys have cooked up. I _really like_ xmonad. I think it's a delightfully featureful and spare WM universe, and I'm feeling in better control of my desktop than I've been since I ditched CTWM. But insisting that new users be baptized into your church (or at least attend sunday school for a few months) is really bad for adoption. - Allen S. Rout