Alrighty. I would like to know the specs on the major (or minor, that's cool too) desktop managers. I would like the fastest one, but I do want my computer to look pretty, too. I am running Debian etch (testing), currently using Gnome and KDE (trying to switch to KDE, but that's a different story for a different time).
Please lend any knowledge you may have. I'll give you donuts.
Have you tried out one of the different versions of Ubuntu..*just say something to get the donut*
Where is my donut ? ;)
I'll try to give you some suggestions, but I'll pass on the donuts... :p
Gnome - relatively fast, although there is some bloat present. Has a very "cute" look to it, and appeals to many people, although some find that it's too limited, and that KDE suits them better.
KDE - the biggest and most bloated desktop manager for Linux. It takes TONS of RAM, and you need speedy computer to run it. If Gnome was geared to look more like Mac, then KDE is more of a Windows-type interface. It's got lots and lots of stuff including cool themes, but you had better not be prepared for it to be super-speedy.
Enlightenment - A newer desktop manager. It's great in the sense that it's really fast, and not nearly as bloated as some of the other managers such as KDE or even Gnome. The interface was designed to keep the amount of buttons at a minimal, with contextual menus playing a large role. My biggest complaint: lack of themes. While there's lots of attractive themes for KDE and Gnome, you're hard-pressed to find a Vista look-a-like, or a really good Mac theme (there are some, but they're not that great). However, if you're not a really picky person about themes, you probably won't mind the selection.
Fluxbox - Fluxbox too, is streamlined so it runs way faster than Gnome or KDE. I can't quite remember if it's faster than Enlightenment. In any case, I've never tried it, so I can't quite give you a personal experience. However, it seems to have a similar idea as Enlightenment for keeping the interface minimal. It also appears that Enlightenment is more popular than Fluxbox, as there's 19 million hits for "Enlightenment" on Google, compared to the meger 2 million hits for "Fluxbox".
I would suggest KDE if you have a powerful computer and want a complex, powerful environment, even if it isn't streamlined. If you like Mac's look, then Gnome might be your style. For absoloute speed, I would recommend Enlightenment.
Hope this helps
Alrighty. I would like to know the specs on the major (or minor, that's cool too) desktop managers. I would like the fastest one, but I do want my computer to look pretty, too. I am running Debian etch (testing), currently using Gnome and KDE (trying to switch to KDE, but that's a different story for a different time).
Please lend any knowledge you may have. I'll give you donuts.
I would reccomend Xfce. Its built in GTK (like Gnome) but uses far less resources and is very very quick and responsive. It may not be quite as fast as fluxbox/blackbox and the like but its easier to customise and tweak.
yes, xfce looks kinda like OSX and is a bit faster than gnome. Xubuntu (xfce ubuntu distro) runs well on machines with 128mb ram
Hmmm.... Well, I do need to be able to customize, otherwise I will probably go insane. Exactly how hard is it to customize fluxbox and enlightenment? Would I have to actually go into the files it uses and modify them, or start learning CSS? oh, and will I be able to run GTK based apps and X based apps on either of these? That's kind of important, considering I'm doing this for my gaming computer.
Exactly how hard is it to customize fluxbox and enlightenment?
If there isn't an interface to do it, it's usually as simple as editing a configuration file in your home directory. The help files document this very well (at least for Enlightenment).
oh, and will I be able to run GTK based apps and X based apps on either of these?
Yup, otherwise they probably wouldn't be as popular was they are now. Just about every window manager for Linux is based on X, so all X apps should work on all desktop managers. Desktop managers just provide graphical glitz, but it's still X working behind all of that.
sweetness. I think I'll give them each a looking into. Thanks guys!
Actually, I was looking around, and I found that they both seem to be only window managers. Are they desktop managers? or do they just work on top of desktop managers?
Actually, I was looking around, and I found that they both seem to be only window managers. Are they desktop managers? or do they just work on top of desktop managers?
Sorry, my bad. I meant "window managers". Desktop managers are something entirely different.
alright, so then do window managers stand on top of desktop managers? I.E. if I have a session with enlightenment is GNOME in the background somewhere?
Secondly, does anyone here use Enlightenment? I am kinda thinking about making the switch, but I wanna do some configurations so I am not so dependant on the mouse. I can't find any obvious ways to set keyboard shortcuts and things like that. For instance, I want a menu button I can access with my keyboard instead of having to click on the desktop. Also, it kinda ticks me off that I have to have the volume control box open on one of my desktops. How do you put on desktop icons? et cetera.
alright, so then do window managers stand on top of desktop managers? I.E. if I have a session with enlightenment is GNOME in the background somewhere?
Most window managers are desktop managers... basically a desktop manager is something that manages multiple desktops... which both Enlightenment and Gnome have built-in, but they're both window managers. You really don't have a need for an external desktop manager, unless it's something fancy like XGL.
Secondly, does anyone here use Enlightenment? I am kinda thinking about making the switch, but I wanna do some configurations so I am not so dependant on the mouse. I can't find any obvious ways to set keyboard shortcuts and things like that. For instance, I want a menu button I can access with my keyboard instead of having to click on the desktop. Also, it kinda ticks me off that I have to have the volume control box open on one of my desktops. How do you put on desktop icons? et cetera.
I do have to admit that although I do use Enlightenment, I am still quite a newbie at it, having only used it for about a month so far (and it's actually less than that, dual-booting between OS X and Linux).
I think xkbset and xmodmap are what you're looking for as far as keyboard shortcuts go... you can use them to remap the keyboard to do mouse shortcuts, for example I only have a one-button mouse on my MacBook, so I have to do a lot of remapping to make it work. To use them properly, write a little script that calls the programs and automatically runs when you log in to Enlightenment.
Personally I've never done this, so I hope it works, but try this link for adding icons to your Enlightenment desktop:
http://www.etherdoxproject.org/index.php?id=how+to+add+icons+to+your+E+desktop
Hope this helps
give a try to icewm-gnome it's a fast windows-like manager with gnome support :D
( #apt-get install icewm-gnome
After that use
# aptitude)
-------------
I presume you have lack of power and don't want to spend money ... I'll buy a cheap asrock AM2 motherboard and the cheapest amd am2 64x2 chip and 2 ddr2 667 modules (1 Gb in two 512 mb modules to take advantage of ddr2)
that could be around 250 US$
You may install debian for am64 from scratch or searh google for documents for upgrading from debian testing to debiantestingAMD64 I've seen then but I can't remember the url
good luck
Alrighty. I would like to know the specs on the major (or minor, that's cool too) desktop managers. I would like the fastest one, but I do want my computer to look pretty, too. I am running Debian etch (testing), currently using Gnome and KDE (trying to switch to KDE, but that's a different story for a different time).
Please lend any knowledge you may have. I'll give you donuts.
Best way to go is to get the debian Netinstall cd. Choose just to install the base system and when you boot it up just apt-get to your hearts delight.
I personally prefer to get the first cd from
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/weekly-builds/
for example
wget http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/weekly-builds/amd64/iso-cd/debian-testing-amd64-CD-1.iso
for upgrading from other debian
http://www.us.debian.org/releases/etch/amd64/release-notes/ch-upgrading.en.html
If you dont want X you dont even need CD1. The daily netinstall build is about 150mb and contains a base system.
I would strongely suggest iceWM. Its super light and easily integrates shortcuts.
heres a screen shot.
>I would strongely suggest iceWM. Its super light and easily integrates shortcuts.
While I like window managers that are streamlined, I also dislike it when they have clunky Windows 3.1-like interfaces.
I also dislike it when they have clunky Windows 3.1-like interfaces.
better not mention TWM then...
While I like window managers that are streamlined, I also dislike it when they have clunky Windows 3.1-like interfaces.
You can completely reskin IceWM. In fact, I have seen an IceWM theme that pretty faithfully copies Vista.
You can completely reskin IceWM. In fact, I have seen an IceWM theme that pretty faithfully copies Vista.
It still looks like crap though,
http://digilander.libero.it/puppylinuxitalia/IceWM_Vista_Black.png
and judging by the stats shown in the right hand corner its not much lighter than a cut down gnome (nearly 50mb of ram used)
If you're looking for WM ideas and configs, try going to forums for various distros and see if they have a wallpaper/screenshot thread. The Gentoo forums does one each month (not everyone even runs Gentoo :P) but they're all very open about sharing configs and backgrounds. I'm pretty sure Ubuntu forums has one too.
has anyone seen my nice backgrounds on gnomelook btw?
and judging by the stats shown in the right hand corner its not much lighter than a cut down gnome (nearly 50mb of ram used)
Actually my GNOME desktop used 182 mb of ram immediately after boot.
btw, the linux kernel tries to use up all the ram. Its designed that way. I left my computer on for three days and used it, by the end I had never gotten rid of any page files and had used up a total of 1.8 GB of ram (I have 2 GB).
i only use 48mb / 384mb on my debian etch box. (disable all unnecasary services, turn off wallpaper)
What WM do you use? I am using up 600 mb currently. iceWM supposedly only uses 815 k. But once I reboot I will use 44mb.
How many processes are default after you run xorg?
i use gnome. i did a standard debian etch netinstall using the netinstall cd (150mb) and then did apt-get gnome-desktop. Then i turned off any unnecesarry services using the gnome service manager.
After that the whole system uses between 40 - 59 mb ram. I currently have this setup running on a pc with 64mb ram. Its able to run mozilla and a the cut down gnome desktop.
WOW. Gnomes zipper then I thought! I thought you could not run Gnome without at least 256 mb or something?
no i happily run it on machines with 64 and 128 ram. Just ensure that no background is on (for some reason that uses about 20mb????) and that beagle is NOT installed. Turning off unnecasarry services also saves ram.
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