desktop wars

The desktop interface in Linux to me has suffered somewhat in the last couple of years due to the transition from GNOME 2 to GNOME 3. GNOME 3 is a strange and awkward beast. Since Fedora is sponsored by Red Hat, who contributes heavily to GNOME, Fedora is the flagship of the GNOME desktop. Since Fedora is now running GNOME 3 it basically does not work. This can be argued, but I have found it unstable and difficult to install anything to. I am talking extensions. Extensions give GNOME 3 is functionality and some work and some don't. No rhyme or reason other than maybe developer or control issues. To solve some of the obvious problems as in the fundamental dysfunction of GNOME's lack of work flow since it has no straight forward logical process. Unity tries to solve this issue by the use of what is a called a Lens. You filter apps through "categories" that has some added function. To me at least if you are going to try and make a better wheel, try and make a BETTER wheel!

I am not sure that the argument of GTK2 desktops not working holds water. I guess that one day you might wake up and things start to break, but this hasn't appeared to be a large issue yet. Other communities has started to fix the problem of a functional GTK3 based desktop with a fork by the Mint team called Cinnamon. They also have a fork of the now defunct GNOME 2 desktop called, Mate.

The problems in GNOME has caused a division in the install base and many developers have left the project.This is awful, since GNOME used to be a great desktop and I am sure it still can be, but hasn't started yet. KDE had some of the same issues, but to not the degree. perhaps due to a smaller install base.

The Mint fork, Cinnamon of GNOME 3 has a great look, but it is very unstable.

The old GNOME 2 was a desktop that had a minimalist approach and this can be good and bad. KDE has the opposite view in that it is ultra-customizable.

!!still in edit!!