Re: Minimum system requirements for GNOME Shell

[Johannes Schmid <jhs jsschmid de>]

Hi!

(Note that might be better suited on gnome-shell-list...)

> * Minimum OGL requirements to launch clutter

OpenGL >= 1.2 + multi-texturing, OpenGL|ES 1.1 or OpenGL|ES 2.0
(from clutter release notes, I don't think that is interested for an
end-user).

> * Minimum Intel/ATI/nvidia chipset models with which a smooth
> experience is guaranteed

I doubt we can make definite statement here as it involves quite a lot
of other system components. Netbook with Intel Atom and the on-board
graphics works ok and that should be about the slowest 3D hardware
delivered in the last 5 years. All NVidia and ATIs that are faster
should work. Performance work is ongoing of course.

> * Minimum CPU configuration for software rendering mode under swrast
> and llvmpipe (useful for VMs)

Won't be supported for now.

> In addition to letting people know where they stand in all this, it
> would also help *us* make sure that GNOME Shell is usable (60+fps with
> no background processes, ~30fps with heavy background CPU usage) on
> the systems that we target. If testing is currently being done only on
> developer machines, we should begin to do testing on the minimum
> hardware configuration that we intend to support.

Lot of people test on netbooks.

> I'm sure we all agree that a GNOME Shell which stutters, lags, and
> drops to 15fps as soon as the user compiles something is not going to
> be well-received.

I don't think compiling will affect the desktop more than it currently
does because that is definitly not using the GPU and the CPU
requirements aren't higher.

Regards,
Johannes