iTWire - Seeing Linux clearly: Demystifying KDE and GNOME

Bringing the world of Linux to you, David cuts through the tech and shows you how it works and how to use it, in terms that apply to any distro.

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Seeing Linux clearly: Demystifying KDE and GNOME

by David M Williams
Monday, 19 May 2008
Page 5 of 5 GNOME and KDE aren’t the end of it. Fedora also offers other window managers and a lightweight desktop manager called XFCE which works well on low-end machines. Related stories A Linux users' guide to Google Chrome It's a joke: In a Linux world without walls who needs Windows? How Windows Vista is turning people to Linux Who writes Linux? (And how you can too!) Isn't Linux just UNIX under a different name? You’re not even restricted to using just one window manager – well, you are at any one time, but you can switch between them. You’re not prevented from having more than one available, and they're all ready for use at whim. Under Ubuntu that’s a bit harder, because it gives no option – but if you are installing or using Red Hat’s Fedora or most any other Linux distro – you should have the freedom to choose, either by selecting the appropriate packages at installation time, or at any subsequent time by calling up the package manager. Even if you are running Ubuntu it’s no big deal; type sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop from a terminal window. Now, provided you have both KDE and GNOME on your system you can choose which one you'd like active when you log in. Along the bar at the bottom of your screen – with accessibility options one side and the system date and time on the other – you’ll find selectable choices to specify the language to use – and the desktop manager to use. You can run with GNOME one day, KDE the next. Which one is best? Well, that’s a matter of personal choice. Some say GNOME is faster and more graphically impressive. Others say KDE is much better for Windows users switching over because it shares a greater similarity with Windows than GNOME does, and that the reason it is more bloated than GNOME is because it offers a lot more customisation options. Personally, I’m more inclined towards GNOME – but on the other hand, whenever Ubuntu comes up you’ll find those who say they run with Kubuntu instead (which is a distro of Ubuntu but with the default bundled desktop manager being KDE and not GNOME.) The great thing about Linux is you’re not stuck with one. Choose both; try them out. See which one you like. KDE and GNOME need not be confusing, mystical, near-apocryphal terms but instead another positive example of how Linux gives you many ways of solving any issue. In this case, the issue is what should your windows look like and behave like, with the two desktop managers both giving their own solution – each offering slick visuals, a powerful and rich suite of apps, and both making a great GUI. Reader feedback: Any other Linux terms we frequently use but rarely disclose? Also, have you come across any great bit of open source software lately? Or thought of a terrific idea for some software, but don't know how to get it off the ground? Please enable JavaScript in your browser to post your comment! Tags See All Tags David M Williams Fedora GNOME KDE Linux Microsoft Open Source Red Hat Software Ubuntu Windows Get stories like this delivered daily - FREE - subscribe now << First page < 1 2 3 4 5 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>