Which DE/WM are you all using?

[SomeGuyDude]

So what's your environment of choice? I just got effing addicted to LXDE myself, just put things back and having a great time playing around with it. No eye candy, but this guy ain't concerned any more. :guitar:

[sub2007]

Xfce for me, it's perfect. I recently tried KDEmod which was great, I was pleasently surprised at how good KDE4 was using KDEmod, but realised that I don't like KDE/KDEmod as much as I like Xfce. I use Compiz as WM which works very well under Arch.

LXDE does look very promising though and is one I am definitely going to try some day.

[crimesaucer]

xfce4 with compiz-fusion.


I also like gnome, I'll probably put the new gnome 2.24 on my computer once it's out of the testing repository.


Gnome seems to "get in the way" far more than xfce4.... Thunar and xfce4 Terminal just are easier to work with, mousepad is faster that gedit.... but I prefer gedit's search/replace feature better than mousepad's.....

[SkonesMickLoud]

GNOME. I'm used to it, I know where (just about) everything is, and I like it.

[cardinals_fan]

I'm using dwm. However, I also like Xfce and Openbox.

[crimesaucer]

GNOME. I'm used to it, I know where (just about) everything is, and I like it.

With Gnome it was things like the gnome keyring and the recursive permissions in directories that always made me miss xfce4.


For example, if I moved a folder from my Vista partition of icons that had 21 different sub-folders, full of 100 icons each.... in Gnome, I always had to change permissions recursively with the terminal.


In xfce4, if I do the same thing, none of my folders, sub-folders, or icons are locked. Same thing if I download and untar something.


I also like the Thunar custom actions better than nautilus scripts..... and for inserting a CD or DVD, I like that it just opens in the /media/cdrom, /media/cd or /media/dvd instead if the way it opens in gnome.

[Pogeymanz]

I am using Openbox, and enjoying every minute of it.

I also have LXDE on an old laptop, because I was too squeezed for time to set up an Openbox-only environment.

I also love XFCE and it will always be my favorite DE.

[chris4585]

On my laptop with arch I have, kdemod 4.1, openbox, and gnome. kdemod for the experience (I despise KDE) but kdemod is pretty. Openbox and gnome are equal in my heart.

[OutOfReach]

Openbox here.
I just love everything about it, less memory usage, faster, etc. It takes some time to configure, but in the end it's well worth it. :)
I like GNOME too, but it just uses too much memory (500-700MB at times)
While I've never seen Openbox go over 400MB.

[Ayuthia]

I've always been a KDE user and KDEmod was a perfect fit for me. Gnome is ok, but it never felt right to me. I really should try other DE/WM, but the changes in KDE4 have been interesting and have kept me busy for the past few months.

[MisfitI38]

Openbox FTW.

[fwojciec]

Openbox is my default WM, but on occasion I also use Compiz-Fusion standalone made to look and behave like Openbox.

[crimesaucer]

In the Arch section, "one of the boxes" will win.

[Rumor]

I wasn't really sure what to choose. I have three desktops running Gnome, one old desktop (p2/400) running LDXE and my Asus eee laptop has fluxbox.

ALL are running Arch.

So I chose Gnome as the majority.

[Dr Small]

Another Openbox addict.

[cardinals_fan]

Another Openbox addict.
Mouse lover! ;)

[SomeGuyDude]

In the Arch section, "one of the boxes" will win.

I'm actually surprised at how many GNOME users there are. I tried it myself but I found it less responsive than Ubuntu's version. That and if I want to use GNOME, might as well stick with Ubuntu since it worked great there: why switch over just to rebuild what I had?

[kpkeerthi]

I use OpenBox (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=5942636&postcount=408).

[handy]

I voted for one of the -boxes, as I really enjoyed setting up Openbox on the iMac, & using it is so simple.

After reading crimesaucer's previous post in this thread, where he gives xfce4 a good wrap, I've decided to give it a run.

[handy]

I have installed xfce4 on my 2nd machine, & at a quick glance I quite like its simplicity & speed.

It has taken no time at all to install it & do the initial setup of the GUI.

I think I'm going to enjoy learning this one.

Thanks crimesaucer. :-D

[SkonesMickLoud]

I actually found XFCE to be slower on Arch. Odd I know.

It was pretty quick under *buntu, but slower than GNOME on Arch.

[will1911a1]

Fluxbox!

[Anzan]

Fluxbox with GTK apps and Nautilus (no desktop).

[tgellen]

Have to say I'm lovin' LXDE and Openbox at the moment on my Dual Core laptop. Always been a big Openbox fan but now that I've got the hardware I'm tempted to try LXDE and Compiz-Fusion ...

[Dr Small]

Mouse lover! ;)
If I could get used to a tiling window manager, I would probably eliminate my mouse! :P

[ch_123]

Failing to note that there was a seperate "KDEmod" option, I voted for regular KDE by mistake... the horror :p

[hrod beraht]

...effing addicted to LXDE myself...

My thoughts exactly!

http://i34.tinypic.com/23w4jsz.png

Bob

[crimesaucer]

I have installed xfce4 on my 2nd machine, & at a quick glance I quite like its simplicity & speed.

It has taken no time at all to install it & do the initial setup of the GUI.

I think I'm going to enjoy learning this one.

Thanks crimesaucer. :-D

I'm glad you like it, I found this old "patch/ugly" hack for making the xfce4-panel transparent like the gnome-panel.... some of the plugins will show with an ugly gray background (the battery, and the pager), but I just removed them and added the battery to my conkyrc, and got a screenlet for my pager.

http://crimesaucer.deviantart.com/art/Murrine-Black-Red-White-100574174

the patch from the xfce4 page: http://blog.xfce.org/?p=177

[handy]

I actually found XFCE to be slower on Arch. Odd I know.

It was pretty quick under *buntu, but slower than GNOME on Arch.

On my machine xfce is surprisingly quick!?

I'm glad you like it, I found this old "patch/ugly" hack for making the xfce4-panel transparent like the gnome-panel.... some of the plugins will show with an ugly gray background (the battery, and the pager), but I just removed them and added the battery to my conkyrc, and got a screenlet for my pager.

http://crimesaucer.deviantart.com/art/Murrine-Black-Red-White-100574174

the patch from the xfce4 page: http://blog.xfce.org/?p=177

Thanks.

I like the transparency, I'll have a play with that later on today.

[SomeGuyDude]

Have to say I'm lovin' LXDE and Openbox at the moment on my Dual Core laptop. Always been a big Openbox fan but now that I've got the hardware I'm tempted to try LXDE and Compiz-Fusion ...

LXDE works with Compiz??

[chris4585]

LXDE works with Compiz??

http://blog.lxde.org/?p=30

I've heard of it too, not sure how they do it though.. can't be with openbox..

[MisfitI38]

LXDE works with Compiz??

Well, of course it does, you silly man. ;)
It'll work with whatever you tell it to. :D

[chris4585]

double post

[RiceMonster]

Xfce and Openbox. I switch between them depending on how I'm feeling. Right now, Xfce.

[handy]

I've dumped Gnome from my 2nd machine. XFCE suits me better, its kind of like a cross between Openbox & Gnome.

[Gigamo]

AwesomeWM here.

[C!oud]

AwesomeWM here too :D

[freduardo]

On my main laptop and my desktop I use Openbox.

On my old laptop, I'm currently trying out Awesome3 (it's in the AUR)

[mips]

I'm mostly a KDEmod user but I also like LXDE & Openbox.

[Canis familiaris]

xfce4 with compiz-fusion.


Same

EDIT: Sorry didn't realize this is Arch Subforum..

[crimesaucer]

Same

EDIT: Sorry didn't realize this is Arch Subforum..

No worries..... people post in here that use all sorts of different distros.


As for xfce4 and compiz..... I'm really liking the quick and stable feel of it, and the nice looks of compiz-fusion. I can't wait for xfce4.6 out this winter.

[SomeGuyDude]

Is XFCE really an improvement over GNOME in Arch? When I popped Xubuntu onto my machine it felt like basically the same thing.

[cardinals_fan]

Is XFCE really an improvement over GNOME in Arch? When I popped Xubuntu onto my machine it felt like basically the same thing.
Xubuntu is very bloated for an Xfce system - lots of GNOME contamination. Give it a shot in Arch.

[handy]

Xubuntu is very bloated for an Xfce system - lots of GNOME contamination. Give it a shot in Arch.

I have recently done a couple of installs of xfce, they were both very quick & simple to install & for basic setup of the GUI. The installation is so much smaller than Gnome or KDE.

I'm really enjoying xfce, though I have some other Arch problems to deal with before I have a fully functioning internet again, but that's another story. ;-)

[crimesaucer]

Is XFCE really an improvement over GNOME in Arch? When I popped Xubuntu onto my machine it felt like basically the same thing.

For me, xfce4 with compiz-fusion seems a lot faster than gnome with the same compiz-fusion settings. (On Arch)


Slim (with out the xfce4 splash) is much faster than GDM, and if you use xfce4 without compiz.... with or without the "xfce4-compositing" enabled..... it's about as fast as you can get..... I notice it when I scroll a long page, or open apps.

[Daisuke_Aramaki]

xmonad, and kde

[medic2000]

Planning to install KDEMod3 on my laptop.But XFCE calls me with its stability and simplicity and sweetness :)

[Kooothor]

xfce + arch rocks :)

[chucky chuckaluck]

i've used openbox more than anything else, but i'm going through a dwm nuthugger stage now (could last a long time now that i finally got dmenu working).

[doorknob60]

I use Openbox, but I also use a lot of the lxde apps, but I voted openbox because I have openbox-session in my .xinitrc instead of lxsession or whatever Lxde uses :-) Fromerly I used KDE4 (still have it installed). My mom uses KDE4 on her Arch too. EDIT: When I say KDE, I mean KDEmod, but it's still KDE so yeah :-P To be more specific, I use PcmanFM, Lxpanel, and Lxterminal so it's using a lot of LXDE's default apps, even though I never did a full Lxde installation.

[sujoy]

xmonad and stumpwm

openbox and XFCE are good too, but i can't live without tiling :)

[will1911a1]

I'm actually kind of surprised at how many votes Gnome received. I don't know why, but I figured the boxes would have far and away more votes than anything else.

[Rumor]

I'm actually kind of surprised at how many votes Gnome received. I don't know why, but I figured the boxes would have far and away more votes than anything else.

Well, given that this is an Ubuntu forum and how many folks come over to Arch from Ubuntu, it may be that the high percentage of Gnome users are simply sticking with something familiar.

However, iirc, there was a similar thread in the Arch forums some time ago and Gnome ranked quite high even there.

[will1911a1]

Now that you mention it I think I remember that poll and I thought it was odd then too.

[RedSquirrel]

When I used Arch, I ran Fluxbox SVN/git with a nifty PKGBUILD I made with my own two hands. :D

Later on, I used mostly Openbox.

These days, I mainly use dwm or Openbox (on Gentoo).

[C!oud]

Switched to Xmonad and currently trying out dwm

[Dr Small]

Well, given that this is an Ubuntu forum and how many folks come over to Arch from Ubuntu, it may be that the high percentage of Gnome users are simply sticking with something familiar.

However, iirc, there was a similar thread in the Arch forums some time ago and Gnome ranked quite high even there.
Maybe this poll should have been biased to Arch users only. Then again, if only Arch users voted, where are you all? 79 votes!!.. Hmm, I think we had a quite a few non-Archers vote.

[phoochka]

Yea, when I used arch (and I'm sure I will again!) I always used openbox, couldnt stand the default gnome on it. Makes me appriciate what ubuntu have done with gnome to make it feel sort of "natural" And compared to the mess in gnome the 2-3 xml files in openbox are so much more smoother to config, sort of similar to arch-linux itself.
Also I couldnt get compiz working in arch (maybe I'm getting too old to keep editing xorg.conf's) but I'm getting an urge to buy a cheap netbook just to put arch with a *box or tiling wm on it! :P

[Darkade]

I really like Openbox, no eye candy, but it's super fast!
To add some funcionality I also use fbpanel ;)

[SomeGuyDude]

Now that you mention it I think I remember that poll and I thought it was odd then too.

Maybe for all the crap it gets, GNOME is just a pretty solid DE? :guitar:

I really should have put an option for Tiling WM's, my bad.

[Xiong Chiamiov]

Xubuntu is very bloated for an Xfce system - lots of GNOME contamination. Give it a shot in Arch.

I quite disliked XFCE until I tried it on something other than Xubuntu. I was amazed that it was actually quite a decent little DE...

I've been a KDE user until 4, which frustrates me with its inability to let me do things I'm used to doing. The KDE devs obviously haven't read The Prince recently...

I love many of the new KDE apps, though, so I haven't wanted to deal with having multiple versions of KDE installed. I tried fluxbox on top of KDE for a little while, then XFCE, but have now ended up using awesome, with a few KDE apps (well, amarok and dolphin). I'm still slightly less proficient with it than I was with a floating wm, but I can see that I will be able to be so much more productive once I learn all of the hotkeys, and reassign some of them to make more sense to me. So far about the only thing I've done is change the terminal to sakura and xmodmap caps lock to another mod4 (win) key.

[RedSquirrel]

Maybe for all the crap it gets, GNOME is just a pretty solid DE?

I'm running it right now (gnome-core + plus assorted goodies on Intrepid). It doesn't seem all that bad to me, but it does consume more of my RAM than I'd like. I'll admit that I'm enjoying the GNOME Games. :D


I really should have put an option for Tiling WM's, my bad.

Yep. :p

[SomeGuyDude]

I'm running it right now (gnome-core + plus assorted goodies on Intrepid). It doesn't seem all that bad to me, but it does consume more of my RAM than I'd like. I'll admit that I'm enjoying the GNOME Games. :D

Basically my opinion. I don't know why everyone says KDE is the DE for converting Windows users.

If it was lighter on the resources I'd probably be still using it, but it was just to heavy.

[Rumor]

I think part of Gnome's appeal is that it is less than KDE. One of the things that has always bothered me about KDE is that there are (for me) too many menu choices and options.

I don't think the Gnome tools are fewer than those offered by KDE, but they are easier to get at, if you know what I mean. Compare K3b with Brasero or Gnomebaker for example. All three will burn cd's or dvd's just fine. K3b offers a whole lot of options that I will never use. I just want a simple CD burning app.

One criticism I see leveled at Gnome is that it is not as customizable as KDE. I really don't agree with that. I can change all the aspects of the look and feel that I want to change. I can use Openbox seamlessly with Gnome to make it even more minimal.

Gnome is simple. Some see that as a weakness. I see it as a strength.

[SkonesMickLoud]

In my experience, GNOME is just as customizable as KDE, it's just a bit harder to get at. KDE has "Control Center" (I think), whereas GNOME has gconf-editor. Someone lookig at gconf-editor for the first time is doubtlessly going to be a bit shy.

I also think that GNOME has more poplarity amongst those that start with Ubuntu is that it is the "default". Friends tell them about Ubuntu, and they might see Kubuntu and think that it's not the same thing. I know I did the same...

Good thing there are WM's around.

Also, changing my vote to Fluxbox, which would actually tie the two! Flux is FTW...

[Portmanteaufu]

I switched to Enlightenment (e17) a couple of weeks ago and I've really enjoyed using it thus far. It seems remarkably shiny considering how little memory it seems to be taking up.

[RiceMonster]

whereas GNOME has gconf-editor.

I always hated that, because it reminds me of regedit.exe (which I sometimes refer to it as).

[Barrucadu]

GNOME also has gnome-control-center

[chucky chuckaluck]

I always hated that, because it reminds me of regedit.exe (which I sometimes refer to it as).

gconf editor must be the least helpful configuration tool i've seen. and you're right, it's a lot like regedit.

[Skorzen]

Gnome, as long as it's been the one I've been using since the beginning and, sincerely, I don't have too much time to play with the *box world. I also hate the way KDE works.
The next one I will try is xfce. It looks good and lightweight.

[Grant A.]

I use a personal combination of Fluxbox, ROX, and Feh to make my own little DE. Well, on my laptop which has arch running perfectly.

[Chrysalis]

I have kdemod3 and 4 installed. I personally find kdemod3 as fast as 'the boxes' and xfce and it looks sexy too (kubuntu doesnt really do it justice). KDE4 is starting to come together too... konsole, kate with vi mode, dolphin, amarok, krita are becoming killer apps for kde as photoshop, MSoffice and fb2k are for windows. The problem is that its taking TOOOO long, it will probably be 4.3 (or another year) until they finish all the apps/new features and finally start optimizing the code... kde4.5+ (or 2-3 years) until it is as polished and fast as 3.5 is.

The complaints about too much settings dont really make sense, the options are there 'if' you wanna change them and if you do you only change them once. Clearly better then browsing the 'gnome registry'. To me its the other way around, i find gtk apps vary plain (2 buttons in a gui window) designed for the clueless and often missing core functionality.

As many others my introduction to linux was with Ubuntu and i spent my first month trying every application i could find and aside from thunderbird, firefox and openoffice (which i was using in windows already) every other gtk app was missing core features that I wanted/needed/missed. At this point i realized that i was fighting an uphill battle here and i was much better off with windows, but i didnt want to give up on linux and opensourse just yet so i tried XFCE, openbox etc which were great, but i found myself in the same dilemma as in Ubuntu with poor opensource gtk apps until i tried kubuntu then opensuse and finally found myself at home in arch and kdemod and a mix of kde/qt/cli apps that satisfy my needs. Its not perfect though (nothing is)... moving kdemod3 to /opt with the release of kde4, kde4 still beta at best, arch packages that dont really get tested and brake things more often then i would like, these are some major downfalls i can think of, but its what works for me best when i weight all the pros/cons.

I install xfce though for family/friends who just use browser/mail/skype and a cheap/old computer on either debian or arch depending on if i see them often enough to do pacman updates or not.

[hessiess]

use to use Awesome becouse it was easy to configure. But as vers 3 isnt so easy im now using a custom verson of DWM(default with the mouse/bar code removed).

[markp1989]

I use openbox

[ST.x]

Awesome3 on laptop and Xfce4 on desktop. Screenies here (http://balancest.deviantart.com/)

[zephyrus17]

I'm currently using Gnome. Used to use Gnome+Openbox. I might go for Openbox only in the future, but currently, I'm enjoying my AWN too much. When I went Gnome+Openbox I hated how I had to choose between the gnome desktop or the OB right-click menu. Obviously I went for the OB menu, but at the same time I lost my desktop.

I've tried KDEmod (3 and 4.1) for a very, very short time, but soon switched back to Gnome because it was simply unfamiliar. I admit that coming from Ubuntu, I have a certain warmth to Gnome more than KDE. And that I'm just more 'used to' gnome. I'm sure that if I started with Kubuntu, the feelings would be reversed.

I do admit, though, that gconf-editor is rubbish and completely confusing. It's just can't compared to KDE's control center. I hope the gnome people do something about it.

[elmer_42]

I used to use Openbox. Now I've taken to experimenting with tiling WMs. The first one I tried out was Awesome, but it was too complicated for me to understand without some sort of basic guide. I next decided to try out wmii, and the welcome prompt really helped me out. This is my favorite part of a tiling wm:
http://arch.kimag.es/resized/83735443.png (http://arch.kimag.es/share/83735443.png)

[mojoman]

Fluxbox. Sometimes a fool around with openbox or even Xfce4 but I always return to the flux.

[zephyrus17]

I used to use Openbox. Now I've taken to experimenting with tiling WMs. The first one I tried out was Awesome, but it was too complicated for me to understand without some sort of basic guide. I next decided to try out wmii, and the welcome prompt really helped me out. This is my favorite part of a tiling wm:
So it just automatically resizes the windows and tiles them?

[pulsewidth]

I've been using a combo of Fluxbox and ROX for some time now and have found it to be very usable. For a change of pace I'm trying out LXDE this week. I often transfer files between my laptop and my desktop using SSHFS, so I'll replace the stock PCManFM with the experimental version. I'm also switching out lxpanel for fbpanel. For system monitoring I've gone back to gkrellm after a dalliance with conky. So far I'm quite liking LXDE...

[elmer_42]

So it just automatically resizes the windows and tiles them?
No, but it's not too hard to resize them myself. Alt + Right click resizes.

[zephyrus17]

Hmmm.. So what's the main advantage/selling point with tiling WMs over others?

[SomeGuyDude]

The idea is that you take full advantage of screenspace because there's no empty areas around the windows. You don't need to move windows around or anything, everything's up on screen at all times (each workspace, anyway). You can do nearly everything via the keyboard, so you become incredibly efficient most of the time.

There are disadvantages, such as that if you don't NEED to have everything up at all times it feels a little unnecessary. Another big one is that since (on my screen) three windows was the maximum for usability, things became a little difficult if I didn't want to keep switching spaces. For example, if I was editing two text files while flipping through my file manager and reading instructions online, I have to either try and figure out what tiling configuration makes things usable or switch workspaces constantly. Then if I wanted to do something nutty like chat with someone or watch a movie things got even weirder.

A third issue is that configuration. It's not like OB or GNOME where you can tweak some files to change a few properties. You have, quite literally, total control and this carries with it a huge plus and a huge minus. The plus is obvious, the minus is that you have to hardcode and I just plain don't want to be doing that.

Lots of people like them, and if that's your thing I'd have to say that WMII is the king of the hill, but I just cannot get used to it.

[zephyrus17]

OOooo.. Hardcore sounds nasty. I think I'll stick with OB or compiz. I'm not that productive.. yet.

[chucky chuckaluck]

So it just automatically resizes the windows and tiles them?

yes. and, of course, in a lot of the tiling wm's, you can change the layout (vertical, stacked, etc) or vary the sizes with a keyboard combo.

[elmer_42]

Well, I've switched from wmii to dwm. It's nice and minimal. I'm also really liking how Firefox looks without window decoration (pic (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide)). The only problem I have run into is that I do not need 9 desktops. Guess I should change that in config.h.

[cardinals_fan]

Well, I've switched from wmii to dwm. It's nice and minimal. I'm also really liking how Firefox looks without window decoration (pic (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide)). The only problem I have run into is that I do not need 9 desktops. Guess I should change that in config.h.
They can't hurt, but it's easy enough to get rid of them. By the way, that link leads to the Arch Beginner's Guide.

[chucky chuckaluck]

"number 9... number 9... number 9... "

[RedSquirrel]

Well, I've switched from wmii to dwm. It's nice and minimal. I'm also really liking how Firefox looks without window decoration (pic (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Beginners_Guide)). The only problem I have run into is that I do not need 9 desktops. Guess I should change that in config.h.

They're actually called "tags", a more general concept compared to desktops/workspaces. ;)



By the way, that link leads to the Arch Beginner's Guide.

That was very sneaky (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/). :twisted:

[elmer_42]

They can't hurt, but it's easy enough to get rid of them. By the way, that link leads to the Arch Beginner's Guide.
I think I was replying to a second topic and got the links confused. Sorry about that, it should lead here (http://arch.kimag.es/share/86906437.png).

[C!oud]

Been on a wm testing spree switched from Xmnonad to Awesome3 back to Xmonad then to wmii followed by a horrible experience with ion and then on to ratpoison and finally I'm now with Echinus

[cardinals_fan]

I think I was replying to a second topic and got the links confused. Sorry about that, it should lead here (http://arch.kimag.es/share/86906437.png).
That's better :D

[Kowalski_GT-R]

I'm using LXDE over a Hardy Cli install,

very satisfied with it!

[Bachstelze]

KDE all the way since '99.

[der_joachim]

Netbook Remix. Although it is on top of gnome (would it be possible to ditch gnome and use another underlying WM instead? hmmm), I voted 'other'. First, I do not particularly like gnome (but I love NBR), and second, it makes me feel more interesting. :)

[smartboyathome]

E17 user here. Nice eye candy, light too. ;)

[SomeGuyDude]

KDE all the way since '99.

Just out of curiosity, what is your application list for basic tasks? I ask because I'm SO used to GTK-only that I'm curious what the alternatives are (I'm still eying KDEmod).

[OutOfReach]

(I'm still eying KDEmod).

All I can say is go for it, I tried it on Friday and I instantly fell in love. I've always been a lightweight app kind of guy (Openbox) but KDEmod is just awesome. But of course in a couple of days, maybe a week I'll be back to Openbox since I just felt like I wanted to get away from lightweightiness for a while.
BTW there's no reason why you can't use GTK apps in a Qt enviroment. I still use a lot of GTK apps in KDEmod such as Thunar (even though Dolphin is pretty good) and I even found a deafult KDE color scheme (Obsidian Coast) that mostly matches my GTK theme (Shiki-Brave)

[RiceMonster]

Just out of curiosity, what is your application list for basic tasks? I ask because I'm SO used to GTK-only that I'm curious what the alternatives are (I'm still eying KDEmod).

It's similar for me as well. I keep seeing KDE4 screen shots and getting interested, but I end up not liking it every time I try.

[Sorivenul]

Using ion2 mostly now, ratpoison, or one of my own.

[Bachstelze]

Just out of curiosity, what is your application list for basic tasks? I ask because I'm SO used to GTK-only that I'm curious what the alternatives are (I'm still eying KDEmod).

Konqueror for web browsing (I used to use Firefox before KDE 4 but now Konqueror is pretty much in par with it, so I use it), KMail for email, Kopete for instant messaging, MPlayer (what else?) for video and Konsole for, well, console. :p

That's pretty much about it, KOffice serves me well enough when I need a word processor or spreadsheet (and I never was a big fan of OOo), and I still use GIMP for image manipulation.

[mikjp]

Desktop 1: JWM
Desktop 2: FVWM

Greetings,

Mikko

[mips]

BTW there's no reason why you can't use GTK apps in a Qt enviroment.

Only problem is they don't look so great on KDE. QT apps look great in Gnome but unfortunately the reverse is not true. I would love for GTK apps to come to the table and look just as good in kde.

[chucky chuckaluck]

Only problem is they don't look so great on KDE. QT apps look great in Gnome but unfortunately the reverse is not true. I would love for GTK apps to come to the table and look just as good in kde.

i've always thought gtk apps looked better than qt apps (which is besides the point, i suppose). if one leaves the gtk theme alone when using gtk apps in kde, i think it's a lot easier to match the kde and qt apps to the gtk apps. (the kde appearance controls and qtconfig allow one, i think, to be more flexible.)

here's an example of what i'm talking about...

http://e.imagehost.org/t/0044/blblscr.jpg (http://e.imagehost.org/view/0044/blblscr)

while the widget styling is hard to match, the color scheming is a lot easier.

[derekr44]

GNOME. I'm used to it, I know where (just about) everything is, and I like it.

+1. I've gotten used to manipulating it.

[mikjp]

Just testin awesome. It's kinda weird at least in the beginning...

[Mark Gyver]

I started seriously using Linux just over two years ago with Debian Etch which came with GNOME as the default DE. I got used to that enough that I had mostly stopped booting into XP for a while by the time I found out that there were other options and found KDE extremely usable by comparison.

I also tried a few versions of Ubuntu, but didn't really like them that much for post-configuration usability until Kubuntu 8.04 (the KDE 3 version; KDE 4 wasn't nearly feature-complete enough for me and ran fairly slow on my circa 2000 machine) which I then installed on my machine's XP partition via WUBI and then migrated towards Kubuntu eventually being the only OS on the system.

Then I went to college which involved getting a newer laptop (a Lenovo ThinkPad T61p) and finally had the chance to try Arch, about a week before the distro switched to KDE 4. While Arch was at 3.5.x, it was nice and such; but when they switch to 4.1.x, I found it unusable. I tried GNOME again, but eventually settled on KDEmod 3. I'll probably switch to Arch's KDE 4 again within a couple weeks of it reaching 4.2.

[Xiong Chiamiov]

Just testin awesome. It's kinda weird at least in the beginning...
The problem I've found with awesome is that now I have a hard time using a floating window manager. This is just another thing that makes me useless in my programming labs (I already couldn't take off my shoes, sit like L, or blast Hans Zimmer), and gives me a short answer to why I won't use Windows or OS X.

In my experience, new computer users have a hard time understanding overlapping windows ("Where did it go?"), so I tend to think that any OS that's trying to be user-friendly (ahem (http://www.over-yonder.net/~fullermd/rants/userfriendly/userfriendly1.php)) should use a tiling wm. Granted, there aren't any that are very GNOME-like or anything (no button to shutdown, run things via run prompt or dmenu, etc.), but that could be fixed.

[Themaister]

Pure Openbox. Slick 'n easy.

[billgoldberg]

After installing Arch, I first used XFCE4 for a while, but I don't know, it seems a bit buggy to me.

I now use Gnome.

If it were up to me I would use fluxbox, but my brother has to use this pc also, and he's not a fan.

[kaivalagi]

Tower: Gnome on ubuntu for main OS, second OS running Arch with openbox (at the moment, I like fiddling)
HTPC: Gnome on ubuntu (mythbuntu with gnome rather than xfce)

I sometimes think of using Arch for my main OS 'cause I like the speed and bloatless appeal...but then I do like the hassle free ubuntu experience when I want to concentrate on work and not on the OS itself. Running Arch would mean getting side tracked fiddling too bloody much...and I wouldn't find the time for python hobby projects either :)

[Dr Small]

If it were up to me I would use fluxbox, but my brother has to use this pc also, and he's not a fan.

Setup multiple accounts?

[dusanx]

Used awesome but it was slow and had some problems. Switched to xmonad and everything works fantastic :)