It’s certainly possible – both SUSE and Mandriva already do it. Mandriva has groups much like Fedora, but it has more fine-grained groups, so if you select a KDE install you get a rather different package set from a GNOME install (not just the actual desktop packages differ, the auxiliary applications you get change as well).

We should implement a menu where you can choose your desktop.
Gnome / XFCE / LXDE / KDE
These could be slim, everyone can simply install new software using yum.
This way we have enough space on the dvd.

KDE is the fattest part, XFCE, LXDE and Gnome often use the same software.

This should be possible, or not?

There still would be the problem that someone has to host it :/

I think the problem lies in the inflexible way package groups work. “Graphical internet applications” for example, will always give you the same applications (ekiga, transmission etc.), regardless on what desktop you have chosen.

Right, that’s exactly the problem. Comps needs to be conditional on a desktop selection done a step before the package selection if we want installers to be useful. (I guess “none (text mode only)” could also be one of the choices for the minimalist server crowd, e.g. it’d install things like lynx, mutt etc. if you choose the Internet client apps group.)

offers a desktop choice on their DVD, what’s wrong about doing that on the Fedora DVD as well

Right on topic. As my last stement, the point is; the targetgroup for the DVD is wrong. Don’t get me wrong about this statement; xfce and lxde not being average user. It is the choice between a ‘try to fit all purposes solution’ and the ‘let me make my own choice solution’.

The choice of which manager to install is appropriate for the DVD distribution and this could be consider for the non-average (or more experienced?) user. It would justify to ask a user this question from the DVD installer when on download he already made the choice between ‘no worries, easy install’ or ‘more experienced, or advanced’ install.

I agree that the community should decide… since the current DVD does not do well what it is advertise for…

Spins are the only way to get a decent system with an alternative package collection. In theory one could install a minimal CLI system and then add the X server and desktop packages, but that’s not an option, especially not for “normal” users. I think the problem lies in the inflexible way package groups work. “Graphical internet applications” for example, will always give you the same applications (ekiga, transmission etc.), regardless on what desktop you have chosen. Users who just want Fedora with an alternative desktop environment basically have no choice to achieve that with the DVD. And I think I don’t even have to mention removing groups on a running system, which will most likely remove programs required by other groups.
Additionally, creating install media that pre-selects another desktop environment is impossible without directly editing the comps file in the installer .iso because pungi does not allow to adjust the comps file in any way.

@Gerard
In general I agree with you, but I am sure that users are intelligent enough to make a choice between desktop environments. When you ask “Maybe the target group of xfce and lxde are not the average user?”, then we end up with the question of the Fedora target audience, which is discussed elsewhere. I think, when even openSUSE, the distro dedicated to make the Linux desktop easy to use for anyone, offers a desktop choice on their DVD, what’s wrong about doing that on the Fedora DVD as well, if that’s what the Fedora community think is good? To find out about that, we would of course need some kind of process to determine which groups should end up on the DVD. As Mike pointed out in the mail Christoph linked to, when XFCE and LXDE get on the DVD, then the Sugar guys may want to as well, and then maybe the Moblin guys or Eclipse advocates etc… The community should decide, in my opinion.

You can understand the installation should remain small for easy distribution. You can’t expect a new user to understand choosing between different Window Managers when he just wants to install for a first use. It is all of the first use experience… those users are already bothered with the question of partitioning and other stuff they don’t want to bother about. This is also the reason why Ubuntu gained a lot of momentum…

When a user starts to get ‘accustomed’ to the desktop he has, he might start to become adventurous and maybe choose the ‘Window manager preference’ and see alternative options.

Maybe the target group of xfce and lxde are not the average user?… can’t you assume in a way they already have an internet connection? if not, they should choose the spin. The alternative would be an approach as the Fedora Community remix http://fcoremix.wordpress.com/. But those discs are bloated for the average user.

The current DVD image is targeted to the upgrading user. Maybe this is the wrong targeted usergroup?