[nsxwolf]

At this point in my life I'm just not willing to look at a desktop environment besides macOS and Windows unless it is completely different. Is there anything out there that is trying radical new concepts and not just trying to emulate macOS/Windows/Gnome/KDE et al?

[pqb]

I noticed in one of your comments in this thread that you are looking for new ideas for UI. As other commenters have said, you might be interested in tiling window managers like i3 [0] or sway [1]. They really are a gem for productivity and sometimes for the eye [2].

However, I love the concept of a scrollable window manager like PaperWM [3]. When I had a smaller screen (24" 16:9) I complained a lot about the unused space on my screen. With PaperWM I was finally happy with its dimensions, because I could have a huge IDE on the left and a small part of terminal on the right. This way I could see if something was being printed to the terminal, while my editor took up 80% of the screen.

[0]: https://i3wm.org/

[1]: https://swaywm.org/

[2]: https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn/

[3]: https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM

[nsxwolf]

PaperWM is interesting. My only experience with scrolling desktops has been bad - because it was a remote desktop connection on a too-small monitor. You're fighting with windows-within-a-window quirkcs and guest/host issues. But when the entire local desktop experience is based around the idea that could change things.

I may try it out. It sounds a bit like playing a real time strategy game with a large scrollable map, something I'm very used to.

[sz4kerto]

Depends on what you mean by completely different. For many, libre/FOSS is a fundamentally different paradigm as you can tweak it ad infinitum and also rely on it being stable (as in: not changing) for a long time. This is a niche, but it's important for some people.

If you mean the UI, then tiling window managers like Sway are quite different.

But I don't think UIs will ever be factor that draws people to Linux et al., it'll mostly be the feeling of freedom.

[bravetraveler]

Do you have much experience with tiling window managers?

While not flashy, I really appreciate the keyboard-driven/instant approach they offer. The killer thing for me: I never guess where something will open

edit: hah, look at all these window manager posts - hi friends

[bitigchi]

You are talking about "Tracker", the main GUI of Haiku. Read the user manual for all the niceties it has.

[ploum]

Regolith (which is Ubuntu + i3 + very sane default settings)

https://regolith-desktop.com/

(can’t live with a MacOS anymore)

[cody_coconuts]

I haven't really ever needed much more than a customizable tiling window manager like i3. What kind of features are you looking for?

[nsxwolf]

I'm not necessarily looking for anything in particular, just new concepts and ideas. I know I can't go back to the 1960s and experience a completely different evolutionary path... There's certain things that have to exist now no matter what (like... windows)... but I'm very interested in novelty.

[2OEH8eoCRo0]

Gnome is very different than KDE, MacOS, or Windows.

[capableweb]

I mean, not really, not if you compare it to something like i3, sway or awesomewm. I think when someone is asking for something radically different, then Gnome is not that different from the rest of the ones you listed.

[RussianCow]

In what way? I haven't used Gnome in a few years, but it seemed very similar to macOS and Windows last time I tried it.

[kitsunesoba]

Rather than macOS, as a long time Mac user I actually find GNOME most similar to iPadOS. It's almost exactly what one would get if they were asked to turn iPadOS into a desktop OS.

[2OEH8eoCRo0]

Which part is similar?

[kitsunesoba]

Note that I'm talking about the stock experience (no extensions or even gnome-tweak-tool).

- Top bar which acts as a status bar rather than a global menubar

- Somewhat modal UX that works best with keeping 1-3 windows on screen at all times

- No way to minimize windows

- Inclination towards gestures over keystrokes

- Simplified mobile-esque app UIs that eschew menubars entirely in favor of hamburger menus

- Greatly reduced levels of configurability relative to other DEs

- Heavily padded widgets that seem better suited to touch than KB+M

- Use of touch-inspired designs like switches over checkboxes

- No traditional desktop

…among others.

Don't get me wrong, it's very polished which is what leads me to use it, but it's not really a traditional desktop environment.

[smoldesu]

Speaking for myself here:

- No AppIndicators in default spec

- All UI is scaled to work for touch interfaces

- Default windowing support amounts to split-screen

- App "icon" style launcher, even using the same sliding-widget model people loathe on iPad

- Quick-settings menu pane in the top corner, almost identical to the iOS/iPad one in GNOME 40

I could go on, but I think it's safe to say that GNOME (especially GNOME 40) is derivative of iPad UI design. Other visual cues (dock, lockscreen, stylesheet, calendar, etc.) are pretty plainly inspired by the Mac UI.

[linuxlonewolf]

The AppIndicator support is being worked on: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/xdg/xdg-specs/-/issues/84