Re: GDM version used for GNOME 2.24?

[Brian Cameron <Brian Cameron Sun COM>]

Mathias:

> I am upset: There are no GDM themes anymore?

Don't be upset.  While it is gone for the moment, I wouldn't be
surprised if it is added back (or something better is provided) before
too long.

> Are there screenshots of the new GDM? I'd absolutely hate it to be
> greeted by some gray and boring login screen. Seriously.

  http://live.gnome.org/GDM/Screenshots

> To my uninformed knowledge the only new features of the new GDM are:
>
>  * some D-BUS API
>  * pretty GObject based code
>  * accessibility
>
> First two features only serve the maintainer, third feature just a
> minority.

The new GDM has a panel which provides the ability to do some useful
things like power management and keyboard switching from the login
screen.  Some of these sorts of features have been long requested.
It also has better user switching integration and support.

New features are also highlighted here, though I think the website
could be a little more clear about why some of the new features are
exciting.

  http://live.gnome.org/GDM/NewDesign

> So I wonder why I should be excited about the new GDM. Which of your
> changes makes it worth to accept such a massive regression like loss
> of customization? 

Do people ever get so excited about their login program?  :)

> IMHO it is a big miss-perception that only geeks customize their
> desktop. Expect for office and geek desktops I've seen only few
> non-customized desktops. Also I wonder every distribution ships custom
> GDM themes, when customization of the login theme is unimportant?

I didn't mean to imply that only geeks customize their desktops.  Of
course, customizations are nice and I am sure lots of novice users
like customizing things.  There is some value in a bit of tension as we
figure out which specific customizations in GDM are really worth
preserving, and which regressions might really be blockers (if any).
Can the GNOME community live with certain regressions, for a
(hopefully) short time?  Or do we need to wait until we shake all the
regressions out of the new GDM before it gets release team approval?
That is, I think, the question we are thinking about, and the
release-team will eventually decide.

Brian