Window Manager update for Dom0

[joanna]

Perhaps we should switch to something more lightweight in Dom0 (after all we're not gonna use most of the KDE features, such as file indexing, web browsers, etc. anyway). Perhaps to Xfce4? Just need to ensure we have proper decoration for Qubes (and also Expose effect).

[smoku]

Did we consider using Compiz in Dom0?
Compiz is independent of the desktop and supports its own window decorators.
Modern computers able to run Qubes should run Compiz just fine.

[joanna]

When choosing the Dom0 Window/Desktop? manager, we should look at the following features/properties:

• Support for composition and modern window management via Expose-like effect
• Convenient menus and ability to create short cuts/favourites (perhaps in a form of a Mac-like dock)
• Small&lightweight, build from components that we can easily throw away (example of components we don't need in Dom0: file management/searching/indexing, email/web integration, etc)
• It must support well external video output (for presentations)
• Should offer a screen saver + desktop locking

[smoku]

Compiz:

• Composition: checked
• Exspose: Compiz plugin "Scale"
• Menus/Shortcuts?: depends on the underlying desktop (Compiz is Window Manager only)
• Small&lightweight: Compiz is fully plugins based. We can enable only minimal set of plugins we want
• External video output: there is a Compiz plugin specifically for cloning a desktop to external screen (with proper scaling)
• screen saver + locking: it's XScreenSaver job

Additional bonus - when changing underlying desktop, but staying with Compiz as WM we still have Compiz decorations. And Compiz is able to use GNOME or KDE decorators, so we could reuse our KWin decorator.

[smoku]

Consider also GNOME3 Shell and Ubuntu Unity.

[joanna]

Perhaps we should stay with what we have and tested so far (KDE) instead of changing this in the last moment. So, I think we should release Qubes 1.0 with current Dom0 WM, and get back to consider another WM only in post Qubes 1.0.