[opensuse] KDE and GNOME: What exactly are they
I'm having a problem describing either KDE or GNOME to my friends. I know they're not like Windows in terms of being the Operating System, so what is the technical term for both of these (window managers?) and what is the best analogy to use when describing them? *Note: I am not trying to start a flame war of KDE vs. GNOME, I just really want to know how to describe them. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Am Montag, 20. November 2006 13:36 schrieb John Meyer:
I'm having a problem describing either KDE or GNOME to my friends. I know they're not like Windows in terms of being the Operating System, so what is the technical term for both of these (window managers?) and what is the best analogy to use when describing them?
I would say they're "Desktop Environments". -- David Mayr, http://davey.de openSUSE LINUX, http://opensuse.de -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
I'm having a problem describing either KDE or GNOME to my friends. I know they're not like Windows in terms of being the Operating System, so what is the technical term for both of these (window managers?) and what is the best analogy to use when describing them?
I would say they're "Desktop Environments".
I use that... or "User Interface." Desktop Environment seems to whoosh over the heads of some 'less than technical' people, but User Interface seems to be something they can deal with. C -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 11/20/2006 04:41 AM, Clayton wrote:
I'm having a problem describing either KDE or GNOME to my friends. I know they're not like Windows in terms of being the Operating System, so what is the technical term for both of these (window managers?) and what is the best analogy to use when describing them?
I'd say they're like two totally different dashboard designs for the same car. Saill -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
I'd say "Two different ways of putting together the part of a program that you see on the screen". Not completely correct, but close enough. Russell Jones John Meyer wrote:
I'm having a problem describing either KDE or GNOME to my friends. I know they're not like Windows in terms of being the Operating System, so what is the technical term for both of these (window managers?) and what is the best analogy to use when describing them?
*Note: I am not trying to start a flame war of KDE vs. GNOME, I just really want to know how to describe them.
-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 20 November 2006 12:36, John Meyer wrote:
I'm having a problem describing either KDE or GNOME to my friends. I know they're not like Windows in terms of being the Operating System, so what is the technical term for both of these (window managers?) and what is the best analogy to use when describing them?
*Note: I am not trying to start a flame war of KDE vs. GNOME, I just really want to know how to describe them.
Desktop managers / window managers call them either dont for about X either that has the overall control with kde or gnome calling the shots for the user .. Pete . -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
I would say they are a Graphical User Interface or GUI, with linux being the Operating System or OS. I would say xorg is the interface between the GUI and the graphical hardware. Your window managers I would say are KDM, XDM, GDM. XFCE, and so on. If you consider windows to be the OS, I don't, then explorer would be the equivalent of KDE or GNOME or others. John -- Registered Linux User 263680, get counted at http://counter.li.org -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
[...] Your window managers I would say are KDM, XDM, GDM. XFCE, and so on.
I'm sorry to correct you, but as the "DM" in KDM, XDM and GDM indeicates, they are Display Managers. They allow access to a display - after correct authentication normally. XFCE should go to the list where you enumerated KDM, GNOME and so on ... -- David Mayr -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
You could say as I have seen it mentioned a few times that they are Desktop Environments, which means that they are/offer utilities and graphical tools while being graphical themselves and in a full plethora of desktop capabilities somewhat like Windows but a lot better :). The way to put everything together is something like this Linux Kernel > other OS tools > X Server > Display Managers > Windowing/Desktop Environments I maybe wrong so please correct me :) George -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 20 November 2006 12:36, John Meyer wrote:
I'm having a problem describing either KDE or GNOME to my friends. I know they're not like Windows in terms of being the Operating System, so what is the technical term for both of these (window managers?) and what is the best analogy to use when describing them?
Unlike free software operating systems, proprietary operating systems tend to maintain a one-to-one relationship between the kernel (the OS' engine) and the bits the user sees and interacts with (the graphical user interface (GUI) - the windows, cursor, buttons, etc). The kernel is the back-office (in an insurance firm) or the kitchen (in a restaurant) or the shop-floor (in factory) - the people in the backroom, away from the public eye. The GUI is the salesforce or waitering staff or installers - the people the public see and deal with directly. In proprietary systems, there is usually no way to change the customer-facing people - Microsoft or Apple have decided that they want all those people to be age 30, male, with brown hair, and wearing suits. This is for reasons of brand awareness, GUI consistency, etc. "If you use our kernel, you also have to take the GUI we give you", and there is no real alternative to that. (There have been a couple of "independent" GUIs for Windows, but they're not widely used, so they don't really affect the argument.) With free systems, there is no one-to-one link imposed on you. You can choose to deal with the kernel through a number of GUIs, depending on your own personal preference. Given the work involved in creating a GUI, the number of alternatives is not infinite, but it is considerable: KDE, GNOME, GNUstep, XFCE, IceWM, e17, etc. So you can decide that you want all your customer-facing staff to be age forty, female, matronly-looking, blue-rinsed, or age 50, male, solemn, grey-haired, or teenagers, sloppily-dressed, tending to drop things and fall asleep at inopportune moments, etc, etc. You can even mix-and-match within certain limits. So basically what it comes down to is that you, the user, have more choice. You can decide how you want your interface to look, and choose the "window-manager" that comes closest to that. And you can change it to something else whenever you feel like it. The above may or may not be helpful as an analogy, but it is rather amusing to speculate on what the different window managers would look like if they were people .... -- Pob hwyl / Best wishes Kevin Donnelly www.kyfieithu.co.uk - KDE yn Gymraeg www.eurfa.org.uk - Geiriadur rhydd i'r Gymraeg www.rhedadur.org.uk - Rhedeg berfau Cymraeg www.cymrux.org.uk - Linux Cymraeg ar un CD -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Mon, 2006-11-20 at 23:49 +0000, Kevin Donnelly wrote:
With free systems, there is no one-to-one link imposed on you. You can choose to deal with the kernel through a number of GUIs, depending on your own personal preference. Given the work involved in creating a GUI, the number of alternatives is not infinite, but it is considerable: KDE, GNOME, GNUstep, XFCE, IceWM, e17, etc. So you can decide that you want all your customer-facing staff to be age forty, female, matronly-looking, blue-rinsed, or age 50, male, solemn, grey-haired, or teenagers, sloppily-dressed, tending to drop things and fall asleep at inopportune moments, etc, etc. You can even mix-and-match within certain limits.
The above may or may not be helpful as an analogy, but it is rather amusing to speculate on what the different window managers would look like if they were people ....
GNOME is a well-meaning liberal bureaucrat in an neat, but slightly dull, suit with a firm belief in accessibility, standards and disclosure. They speak with a modest tone, with exacting grammar with polite and formal words. KDE wears a shorts jacket and jeans over expensive t-shirt. Their longish hair is thinning and they drive a sports-car. They're the quintessential hip engineering kid that made it to the big time. Their speech is both commercial and technical, and desires success in both fields. XFCE is a straggly latter day punk with a need for speed. XFCE has a notable lack of body fat, and likewise their clothing consists of a t-shirt that somehow managed to hand of its back and threadbare jeans. Their speech is 'leet and their concerns are entirely based around two words: "faster" and "more". Enlightenment wears colourful clothes, and has more pockets than a magician. He's often found with his friend Mac.... and so on ;-) All the best, Lev -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (11)
-
Clayton -
David Mayr -
David Mayr -
George Stoianov -
John Meyer -
John Pierce -
Kevin Donnelly -
Lev Lafayette -
Peter Nikolic -
Russell Jones -
Saill White