Desktop Environments: what I am learning so far

**johnnybgoode83** · October 3rd, 2012

Originally Posted by Peripheral Visionary

"Trying out a DE" takes a bit of time! It took me a year to choose a favorite (and three more DEs have come along since then) because really exploring a desktop environment is soooooo much more than just the default settings of whatever DE your distro comes with. My friend had his Xfce looking more like Unity (only faster on his old hardware) after playing with settings and changing icon sets, themes and such. Xfce is so versatile and configurable it will take a long time for me just to finish exploring the possibilities of it. I know the same is true for all the others.

Don't rush, take time to play with each one before you swap it for another. And have you tried no desktop environment at all yet? You'll be amazed at what can be done with just a window manager (have a look at some screenshots from Crunchbang Linux users to see what awesomeness can come from a setup with only the Openbox window manager and Conky).

14 posts before xfce gets a mention. That doesn't sit right with me.

**GeForce 9500GT** · October 4th, 2012

Originally Posted by NormanFLinux

Have you tested Pantheon/Gala yet? Nice, fast and stable even if its features are admittedly OSX simple and not bleeding edge like so many Linux desktop environments are.

Can you provide us a link to those environments?

**zombifier25** · October 4th, 2012

Originally Posted by GeForce 9500GT

I forsee in the future that we end up more and more with desktop environments that doens't suit the needs of the end-user. I think the end of Gnome is near, and when Gnome goes down it drags Canonical's Unity with it.

I sincerly hope that Cinnamon will run better and smoother on Ubuntu, i really do.

This is all matters of opinion. For example, some of us here have been wanting Windows to die for a while, but it won't in the forseable future. Likewise, lots of us here likes GNOME 3.

Originally Posted by GeForce 9500GT

Can you provide us a link to those environments?

*cough Google *cough.

Pantheon is the DE of elementary OS, and Gala is the window manager. Check out elementary OS and see if you like it.

**GeForce 9500GT** · October 4th, 2012

For example, some of us here have been wanting Windows to die for a while.....

I don't think Windows will die in the near future. I think Windows will evolve. Looking at XP and Windows 7, there's a hugh difference already. I do think that Windows will cut off their own leg if they continue adding more and more eye-candy into Windows. That might be very nice for new users, but the more experienced users would rather have a fast and stable system which cannot be guaranteed with all that extra eye-candy which also consumes system resources. And it makes Windows a bulky operating system, too much code which makes the kernel more unstable.

**thatguruguy** · October 4th, 2012

Originally Posted by GeForce 9500GT

I don't think Windows will die in the near future. I think Windows will evolve. Looking at XP and Windows 7, there's a hugh difference already. I do think that Windows will cut off their own leg if they continue adding more and more eye-candy into Windows. That might be very nice for new users, but the more novice users would rather have a fast and stable system which cannot be guaranteed with all that extra eye-candy which also consumes system resources. And it makes Windows a bulky operating system, too much code which makes the kernel more unstable.

I'm not sure where to begin in responding to this post. I'll make two quick points and ask one question.

1. No one said they expected Windows to die in the near future.
2. the words "new" and "novice" are synonymous. And I'm not sure you're in a position to speak for the majority of experienced users.

Question: Do you actually believe that userspace code has an impact upon the stability of a kernel?

**GeForce 9500GT** · October 4th, 2012

Originally Posted by thatguruguy

I'm not sure where to begin in responding to this post. I'll make two quick points and ask one question.

1. No one said they expected Windows to die in the near future.
2. the words "new" and "novice" are synonymous. And I'm not sure you're in a position to speak for the majority of experienced users.

Question: Do you actually believe that userspace code has an impact upon the stability of a kernel?

I'm not sure if you are in the position to speak to me like that. Your post looks like ranting towards me....

And now back on-topic!

**kevinmchapman** · October 4th, 2012

Originally Posted by GeForce 9500GT

I'm not sure if you are in the position to speak to me like that. Your post looks like ranting towards me....

And now back on-topic!

If you don't know the answer, just say so

**thatguruguy** · October 4th, 2012

Originally Posted by GeForce 9500GT

I'm not sure if you are in the position to speak to me like that. Your post looks like ranting towards me....

And now back on-topic!

You made a point, and I asked a question relating to that point. I'm not sure how that could be considered "ranting."

It appears that you believe that "extra eye candy" in Windows (and by extension, Ubuntu, since that is what we're actually talking about) renders the kernel unstable. I'd like you to back that up.

**zombifier25** · October 4th, 2012

He has a point though. In Windows the GUI is almost synonymous with the underlying engine (you can't use Windows without explorer.exe, etc. while in Linux you can strip all down)