Which Window Manager??

[debtboy]

For you GUI Linux users...
The X-Windows System (X) is the GUI interface and protocols which Desktop Environments (KDE, GNOME, etc...) and Window Managers are written for. The same X-Windows platform comes with every distro, but each distro decides which Desktop Environment and Window Manager to use as default. They also decide which DE & WM will be included in the disto.

This means nothing as you can download packages or source and install any DE & WM you wish to use.

This is probably where people see the biggest differences within each distro, but any distro can be added to or subtracted from to look like any other distro.

That being said, what Window Manager do you prefer??

[bk_7312]

So far, I only tried JWM from Puppy Linux and KDE 3.5 from MEPIS. Don't know much about the others so I can't really say much about them, so I decided to vote for KDE if it's OK. I'm thinking of trying GNOME soon. Anyways, what made you pick AfterStep as your favorite Window Manager? Just curious about other Window Managers, that's all.

[debtboy]

Originally Posted by bk_7312

I'm thinking of trying GNOME soon. Anyways, what made you pick AfterStep as your favorite Window Manager? Just curious about other Window Managers, that's all.

That's a good question...
I started experimenting with different Window Managers long ago (10+ years)
and came across Enlightenment. Once I managed to get it installed
(no simple task back then) there was no turning back. It had graphics like
I had never seen. Virtual desktops, layers of backgrounds, very creative.
As time went on, the graphics (not the most stable) didn't mean as much as
functionality and configurability. I had also been using AfterStep
(under another login) which had a floating menu and retractable
icon blocks, completely configurable.
The best feature is the wharf file in which you can configure all the
icon blocks, where they are located and associated programs.

Your choice of Kwin (KDE) is awesome, well thought out and very intuitive.
When used as part of KDE, it can't be beat, but not exactly my taste.
I enjoy loading a Window Manager that takes some time to figure out
(there are plenty of them out there).

[bk_7312]

Originally Posted by debtboy

That's a good question...
I started experimenting with different Window Managers long ago (10+ years)
and came across Enlightenment. Once I managed to get it installed
(no simple task back then) there was no turning back. It had graphics like
I had never seen. Virtual desktops, layers of backgrounds, very creative.
As time went on, the graphics (not the most stable) didn't mean as much as
functionality and configurability. I had also been using AfterStep
(under another login) which had a floating menu and retractable
icon blocks, completely configurable.
The best feature is the wharf file in which you can configure all the
icon blocks, where they are located and associated programs.

Your choice of Kwin (KDE) is awesome, well thought out and very intuitive.
When used as part of KDE, it can't be beat, but not exactly my taste.
I enjoy loading a Window Manager that takes some time to figure out
(there are plenty of them out there).

That's a good answer, you seem to love a good challenge. Configurability is a good thing to have but a system that's too flexible isn't good for me, you have no idea how long I've spent 'playing' with the control center and other settings just to make MEPIS look like how I want it to look like, but I ended up with what I started with plus a few (many) minor (not major) changes, it was fun though. Can't do this lot using JWM in Puppy Linux.

Still wondering when should I try GNOME or whether I feel like trying it. Fedora 11 just delayed their release yet again. Initially, it was set to be released on 26th May, they delayed it till 2nd June and now again till 9th June. Too many bugs I guess.

[debtboy]

Originally Posted by bk_7312

Still wondering when should I try GNOME or whether I feel like trying it. Fedora 11 just delayed their release yet again. Initially, it was set to be released on 26th May, they delayed it till 2nd June and now again till 9th June. Too many bugs I guess.

bk_7312,
If you want to try a new Desktop Environment or Window Manager,
just create a new user, install the DE/WM package (if needed),
log out and log back in picking the new DE/WM.

Mepis is Debian based and I always stick with RH based, so I can't
give you a step by step, but go to your package manager (Synaptic I believe)
search gnome and install the desktop environment. If Synaptic is like Yast on
openSUSE, it will list all dependencies and install them for you.
If you prefer the command line, I believe it is:
apt-get gnome or something similar, this command is distro based.
(look it up on google)

With KDE and Gnome installed and multiple users,
you should have a login screen where you can select the session (DE/WM).

I could go through installing the source for all linux, but it is difficult for new users
(and myself sometimes ) while packages (.rpm, deb, etc...) handle the install
and uninstall much better!!
If a package is available, use that over source, use source when a package isn't available for your system.
just my 2 cents...

I will install an app from source sometime this weekend on the command line thread.

[bk_7312]

Originally Posted by debtboy

bk_7312,
If you want to try a new Desktop Environment or Window Manager,
just create a new user, install the DE/WM package (if needed),
log out and log back in picking the new DE/WM.

Mepis is Debian based and I always stick with RH based, so I can't
give you a step by step, but go to your package manager (Synaptic I believe)
search gnome and install the desktop environment. If Synaptic is like Yast on
openSUSE, it will list all dependencies and install them for you.
If you prefer the command line, I believe it is:
apt-get gnome or something similar, this command is distro based.
(look it up on google)

With KDE and Gnome installed and multiple users,
you should have a login screen where you can select the session (DE/WM).

I could go through installing the source for all linux, but it is difficult for new users
(and myself sometimes ) while packages (.rpm, deb, etc...) handle the install
and uninstall much better!!
If a package is available, use that over source, use source when a package isn't available for your system.
just my 2 cents...

I will install an app from source sometime this weekend on the command line thread.

I did found Gnome in Synaptic but I don't think I need to create a new user because I already have me and root at the login screen.

Gnome eats up 764MB of space so I may need to enlarge my /root partition a little, I'm beginning to wonder whether a /home partition is necessary or not since I can save everything to my Windows partition in case I need them while booting to Windows.

Don't know when will I be able to use Gnome yet be rest assured it'll be soon. Just need to sort out a few things first.

[debtboy]

Originally Posted by bk_7312

I did found Gnome in Synaptic but I don't think I need to create a new user because I already have me and root at the login screen.

Gnome eats up 764MB of space so I may need to enlarge my /root partition a little, I'm beginning to wonder whether a /home partition is necessary or not since I can save everything to my Windows partition in case I need them while booting to Windows.

Don't know when will I be able to use Gnome yet be rest assured it'll be soon. Just need to sort out a few things first.

The /home is usually the largest directory, all users and user files
are placed under it.

You are correct, you don't need another user,
I just always use one for testing different Desktop Environments/Window Managers.
You never know what's going to happen when you fire up a new
DE/WM, you might even corrupt the user's GUI profile.
Better safe than sorry, adding and deleting a new user is easy,
fixing a corrupted profile isn't quite as easy.

[bk_7312]

Just finished installing Gnome. It's going to need a bit of 'getting use to' but which DE/WM doesn't?

Two strange things happen after installing it. First, when you turn off the computer, it normally shows a MEPIS background, but now, it shows Debian. Second, Gnome seems to become the default DE/WM and I don't know how to change it back.

On the good side, Gnome seems to have installed some new apps (which is great) but I can't find much settings to tweak in Gnome like I can with KDE. Gnome seems to have a better way of arranging things three different categories instead of a start menu (which seems much neater but I still find it a bit awkward to use).

In conclusion, I would stay with KDE for now, but some Linux (like Linux Mint and OpenSUSE) uses Gnome that looked like KDE.

http://www.linuxmint.com/img/screens...a/mintmenu.png
http://en.opensuse.org/Imageesktop-gnome111.png

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[Mike Connor]

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[peter]

There's also the opinion that people should stop using them if they are no longer in primary school.