I’ve been using linux for quite a while now (10 years that it has become my main OS and 9 as my only OS*) so I think I’ve had my share of Linux GUIs. Gnome, KDE, fvwm2, Xfce, fluxbox, blackbox, WMaker, Enlightenment…

No matter what I try, though, I always end up going back to KDE. I kinda like how things work but mostly because I like Qt. However most wouldn’t say KDE is a lightweight Desktop Environment. On the contrary, it’s damn slow and a memory eater. Even with all desktop effects turned off it feels slow on my netbook (Dell Inspiron M101z with 4GB of RAM).

With version 4, KDE finally became, IMHO, a world-class looking DE with nothing to lose on Windows XP or 7 or Mac OSX but the user had to pay the price with a much slower environment than KDE 3. If I we were talking about a desktop machine I’d probably not be ranting about this but I also want to be able to use what I like in the machine I have. Windows Vista had a terrible reception because of its bloat and for being impossible to run on a netbook. Windows 7 came to fix that.

In terms of lightweight Linux Desktop Environment the options are many but most of them (if not all) are GTK-based meaning that for those who like Qt you can either stand KDE slowness or leave it.

I believe that’s gotta change. I believe that Qt users also need something that can be run smoothly on netbooks because as much as you may call them limited hardware, I believe that a 1.6GHz dual-core processor with 4GB of RAM.

For now I’ve moved to Xfce but I still want my Qt back and I start to believe that maybe what we need is a new Qt based Desktop Environment. One that is more focused on what users that a bit more hardware than your average Joe is. One that focus more on the right features for power users than on trying to please everyone. One I can run on any recent netbook without needing to be told that linux is slower than windows or mac.

Before someone tells me that I’m ranting but not giving any concrete ideas of what I’d like to see on my utopic Qt Desktop Environment, here it goes:

Simple and minimalistic: I don’t need fancy effects, I don’t need wobbly windows. Drop the eye candy, drop the workspaces. We can leave the multi-desktop though.

Omnibox-like functionality: KDE actually already have something like that. Just press Alt-F2 and type away but it should be have a more central role in the whole interface.

Quick access to the command line. If you’ve used Yaquake you know what I’m talking about. THAT should be made part of the environment itself. Improve on it. You already can do multi-tab and multi-window.Press F12 and it’s here, press F12 again and it’s gone. Ran a script from the omnibox? The terminal will roll down from the top and will open a new tab to run your script.

Easy to setup: Right here I don’t mean that a graphical configuration tool is a must but at the very least a simple config file (or simple set of them) would make life easier. Even if at some point things became automatic the config files should be there and should be easy to find and edit.

Easily scriptable/automatic actions/recorded actions: something like Apple’s Automator would be nice too have too.

*Disclosure: we have an iMac at home because of my wife