A question about multiple windows managers

[wdhpr]

I am using the latest version of Mepis which uses KDE as its default. I would like to check out Gnome.

Question 1) Can I install Gnome on a separate windows within mepis.

Question 2) By doing so will this effect the overall operating system in the event if something goes wrong.

Question 3) How in the heck is it done? Or at least where can I find a step by step guide?

I have looked at and researched various linux sites and haven't been able to come to a straight forward conclusion. I know I can install Gnome, but I was hoping to to try it out first without making drastic changes to my default windows.

Cheers
Wdhpr

[bk_7312]

Hi wdhpr,

Yes, you can install Gnome in Mepis (not sure what you mean by 'on a separate windows') and it does effect your overall OS and it can be done really simple. The following instructions describe what I did to install Gnome as specific as I can remember, also see here for debtboy's original instructions: Which Window Manager??

First, open synaptic package manager and search for 'gnome', select the package called 'gnome' with a description of something along the lines of 'The GNOME Desktop Environment' and mark it for installation. Let it download and install.

While waiting, create a new user account. You can do this before or after installing Gnome if you want. Then after installing Gnome, reboot (logging out and logging in again would work as stated by debtboy but didn't tried it), when you are asked to provide your password to log in, there is a button labeled 'session type', click it and select Gnome. Then log in as usual and you will find yourself using Gnome, to switch back to KDE, simply log out and click 'session type' and select KDE to revert to using KDE.

That's it, as simple as that. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to ask.
__________________
Tomorrow is Christmas...
So today must be Christmas Eve!

[Jojoyee]

Originally Posted by bk_7312

Yes, you can install Gnome in Mepis (not sure what you mean by 'on a separate windows') and it does effect your overall OS and it can be done really simple. The following instructions describe what I did to install Gnome as specific as I can remember, also see here for debtboy's original instructions: Which Window Manager??

First, open synaptic package manager and search for 'gnome', select the package called 'gnome' with a description of something along the lines of 'The GNOME Desktop Environment' and mark it for installation. Let it download and install.

While waiting, create a new user account. You can do this before or after installing Gnome if you want. Then after installing Gnome, reboot (logging out and logging in again would work as stated by debtboy but didn't tried it), when you are asked to provide your password to log in, there is a button labeled 'session type', click it and select Gnome. Then log in as usual and you will find yourself using Gnome, to switch back to KDE, simply log out and click 'session type' and select KDE to revert to using KDE.

That's it, as simple as that. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to ask.
__________________
Tomorrow is Christmas...
So today must be Christmas Eve!

All sounds very familiar. That was exactly the similar steps when I installed KDE onto Ubuntu, except that I didn't create another user account. It actually works nicely with the two desktops installed on one system, except that I notice the cursor is changed to that of KDE when I'm still in Gnome.

For a 100% perfect feel of two separate desktops without any mix-up, I now have one partition for Ubuntu (using Gnome), another for Kubuntu (using KDE). Re-starting a system and booting into another is pretty fast in Ubuntu or Kubuntu, not that slow as in Windoze.

Merry Christmas...

[wdhpr]

bk_7312;18901]Hi wdhpr,

Yes, you can install Gnome in Mepis (not sure what you mean by 'on a separate windows') and it does effect your overall OS and it can be done really simple. The following instructions describe what I did to install Gnome as specific as I can remember, also see here for debtboy's original instructions: Which Window Manager??

Hi bk_7312 & JoJoyee

Yes what I meant was windows manager. Knowing the correct terminology helps when trying to track something down on the web.

Somehow I missed that exchange between you and debtboy.
After reading that exchange I decided that my curiosity wasn't worth the chance of messing up my very very stable Mepis OS. It sounds as though it should be straight forward, allowing different users the ability to choose the windows manager of their choice. But what I'm seeing is some cross over issues. I will stick with KDE. Beside I also have Puppy linux on a bootable USB stick which I believe is gnome so I can play around with that.

Merry Chistmas

Cheers
Wdhpr

[bk_7312]

Originally Posted by Jojoyee

All sounds very familiar. That was exactly the similar steps when I installed KDE onto Ubuntu, except that I didn't create another user account. It actually works nicely with the two desktops installed on one system, except that I notice the cursor is changed to that of KDE when I'm still in Gnome.

I forgot to mention this, creating a new user account is actually for the other window manager (WM), as in after you install the other WM, you should log in to your newly created account with the other WM just in case something went horribly wrong (it rarely does but you can't be too careful) while installing the other WM. It's easier to delete your newly created account if it became corrupted than to fix a corrupted account, then again if the problem affects the whole system then there's no point in doing so.

I also didn't create a new account when installing Gnome for I felt no need for that but since I encountered the problem with 'everything English turning blank when trying to view and input Chinese text' (search the forum to find out more), my account became corrupted and I had to delete it and create a new one. Since then, I never dared doing anything that involved editing files outside the /home partition again.

BTW, this is completely off topic but anyone here managed to get Linux to view (and input if possible) Chinese text or any other languages (like the ability to view and input multiple languages)?

[Jojoyee]

Originally Posted by bk_7312

BTW, this is completely off topic but anyone here managed to get Linux to view (and input if possible) Chinese text or any other languages (like the ability to view and input multiple languages)?

I have had Linux to view and input Chinese text using IBus with no issues. There's also a perfect Help Desk here for Ubuntu Linux Chinese Setup.

For creating multi user accounts, the same happened to my Windows too. I had experienced once whereby I had to use a second account to log in as the first user account was corrupted. A good practice to create an extra account I think for either Linux or Windows.

[bk_7312]

Originally Posted by Jojoyee

I have had Linux to view and input Chinese text using IBus with no issues. There's also a perfect Help Desk here for Ubuntu Linux Chinese Setup.

Unfortunately for me, Ubuntu and Mepis are not two of the same as I can't get Mepis to view and input Chinese using the above methods. To be exact, Firefox can view Chinese characters but Konquerer the file manager can't and neither of them can input Chinese so I guess I'll keep looking but for now I'll just use Windows for now.

Happy New Year Everyone!