Liam_on_Linux (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
liam_on_linux) wrote2013-09-25 11:50 pm
liam_on_linux) wrote2013-09-25 11:50 pm
Playing with Ubuntu's new Mir display server in the Saucy Salamander alpha
Back in early September, Ubuntu announced that the nightly builds of Ubuntu now supported their new Mir display server, the planned replacement for X.org.
So I tried it. My impressions from that time were:
<<
As of last night - very late last night - I have Ubuntu "Saucy Salamander" up & running with the Mir display server. I am really quite excited about this. Glitches everywhere, but it works!
It's what would have been beta 1 if they still did things like alpha & beta releases, which they don't, because the SABDFL knows all and we must trust in his wisdom. Or something.
Also, I was very amused to read its kernel startup messages.
The kernel version is "Linux 3.11 for Workgroups", & it says:
MODSIGN: Loaded cert 'Magrathea: Glacier signing key XXXXX'
... during boot. :-)
>>
Soon after, I was horrified to discover the vconsole bug.
But it's getting there.
A fortnight later, ish, I've had another look at the alpha.
It's improved, significantly. They've fixed the security issue - stuff typed in a vconsole no longer appears in the foreground XMir app.
There is still a fair bit of screen flickering, but substantially less. From a quick play, I'd go so far as to say it's usable now; it's gone from horrible to merely distracting. It's the sort of thing I probably lived with in the era of OS/2 2 and Windows 3. :¬)
It's not there yet, not ready for prime-time, but then, they have about a month to go. I'd say it was approaching beta-ready.
So I tried it. My impressions from that time were:
<<
As of last night - very late last night - I have Ubuntu "Saucy Salamander" up & running with the Mir display server. I am really quite excited about this. Glitches everywhere, but it works!
It's what would have been beta 1 if they still did things like alpha & beta releases, which they don't, because the SABDFL knows all and we must trust in his wisdom. Or something.
Also, I was very amused to read its kernel startup messages.
The kernel version is "Linux 3.11 for Workgroups", & it says:
MODSIGN: Loaded cert 'Magrathea: Glacier signing key XXXXX'
... during boot. :-)
>>
Soon after, I was horrified to discover the vconsole bug.
But it's getting there.
A fortnight later, ish, I've had another look at the alpha.
It's improved, significantly. They've fixed the security issue - stuff typed in a vconsole no longer appears in the foreground XMir app.
There is still a fair bit of screen flickering, but substantially less. From a quick play, I'd go so far as to say it's usable now; it's gone from horrible to merely distracting. It's the sort of thing I probably lived with in the era of OS/2 2 and Windows 3. :¬)
It's not there yet, not ready for prime-time, but then, they have about a month to go. I'd say it was approaching beta-ready.