Who here uses a different WM/DE (i.e. not GNOME, KDE, Xfce)

[The Toxic Mite]

Hey guys!

Yet I bring up another poll! This time, it's on who uses a different desktop environment/window manager other than GNOME, KDE and Xfce, the three most common desktop environments.

A poll will be attached in about a minute, so get your finger on the pulse! :D

-TTM-

P.S. I use AfterStep instead of GNOME (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AfterStep)

[RiceMonster]

I use Xfce most of the time, but I often use dwm (http://dwm.suckless.org/) as well.

So yes.

[angry_johnnie]

I use Xmonad (http://www.xmonad.org/), most of the time. Other than that, it's either Openbox, or FVWM, which is what I'm using right now.

[kk0sse54]

Awesome WM (http://awesome.naquadah.org/)

[jomiolto]

I prefer Openbox.

[.Maleficus.]

Dwm mostly and I've tried Xmonad and AwesomeWM.

[hessiess]

Generally I use DWM or Xmonad.

[XubuRoxMySox]

I'm using LXDE (http://lxde.org) most of the time, and "bare bones" Openbox some of the time.

[sunexplodes]

PekWM. All the fun of Openbox, with more flexible, better-looking theming.

[.Maleficus.]

PekWM. All the fun of Openbox, with more flexible, better-looking theming.
Ah, I forgot about PekWM. I used it quite extensively for a while and found it far better than both Openbox and Fluxbox.

[jomiolto]

Hmm, every time I've checked this thread the poll has been at 50%/50%. I wonder if it's just a coincidence or if there's some deeper conspiracy at work :-k

[Daisuke_Aramaki]

i have been alternating between Fluxbox, dwm and evilwm. but of late, have been using scrotwm a lot. Just these 4.

[The Toxic Mite]

Hehe!

I really recommend AfterStep.

old skool cool \\:D/ :D

[Daisuke_Aramaki]

Hehe!

I really recommend AfterStep.

old skool cool \\:D/ :D

if you really want old school, get back to twm, which i still use on some machines.

[danbuter]

I use LXDE and OpenBox, along with Gnome and xfce.

[nebkor]

I've been using Fluxbox now for many years, but am considering trying out something like Awesome or PekWM.

However, I installed Xubuntu 9.04 last night, and found that certain essential services, such as my wireless card, don't work if I'm not using Xfce4 as the WM; I stumbled on this thread because I was looking for posts about using alternate WMs.

It was very late by the time I wrapped up my fiddling around, so I was not able to find a solution. Clearly, there is some daemon or process that is holding on to some resources (either devices or files), but I could not even issue iwconfig commands as root (well, I could issue them, but no change was made to the state of the card).

My dream would be to edit some files in /etc/network and have it Just Work, rather than having to worry about gnome-specific processes that aren't going to be there if I'm not running Gnome. Does anyone have any insights or tips? Maybe a pointer to a good doc about what all is going on when you log in to the default [X]ubuntu desktop?

[sunexplodes]

If yer using the SAME network every time, there ARE files you can edit to make it just work. If you want to be able to change networks, yer outta luck.

[sertse]

I alternative between fluxbox and xfce mostly. Or even *both*, usually fluxbox but using xfdesktop as well, for the menus instead of fluxbox menus

[thisllub]

Hmm, every time I've checked this thread the poll has been at 50%/50%. I wonder if it's just a coincidence or if there's some deeper conspiracy at work :-k

I think it just attracts people who use other desktops.

I use E17 on my desktop because it is the only window manager that handles multiple monitors independently.

I use OpenBox on my laptop when I use Linux.
Currently it is OpenSolaris and I am sort of stuck with Gnome which is my least favourite of all.

[HappinessNow]

I use E17 on my desktop because it is the only window manager that handles multiple monitors independently.



Nice.

I dabble in ratpoison (http://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/)a bit.

[cammin]

I usually use Openbox.

[Mark76]

ROX-Desktop.

[VCoolio]

I'm enjoying enlightenment/E17 on top of Ubuntu. Leightweight and beauty combined.

[Neheb]

Currently using openbox, but when I get more time i plan to try out awesome and maybe some other wm's

[kerry_s]

i use xfce4 or jwm, currently using xfce4.

[Chilli Bob]

I use Puppy Linux a lot, and have quite a fondness for JWM and IceWM. I have tried converting Ubuntu to JWM and/or IceWM a few times now, but keep breaking them. I really should RTFM.


ROX-Desktop.

I quite like the Rox desktop, but can't stand Rox-filer. There must be something wrong with me.;)

[nebkor]

If yer using the SAME network every time, there ARE files you can edit to make it just work. If you want to be able to change networks, yer outta luck.
I found the solution: ensure that 'nm-applet' gets started, and it will dock in Fluxbox's toolbar and happily communicate with NetworkManager, which is started by some init script, so it's already running. Now, I'm completely happy with 9.04!

I might still check out PekWM, though, just to see what it's like.

[Chronon]

I've been trying out E17 lately. Still quite new with it, though.

[tjwoosta]

I have many wm's installed and configured where I can easily switch between them with slim. Usually I use fluxbox with xcompmgr for drop shadows. Sometimes Im in the tiling mood and I use awesome wm.

[dragos240]

Awesome WM (http://awesome.naquadah.org/)

Sounds awesome.

[Anzan]

Fluxbox.

Sometimes Window Maker.

Sometimes GNOME just to keep up with mainstream and see what the kids are up to these days.

[doorknob60]

Yes, Openbox.

[sunexplodes]

I found the solution: ensure that 'nm-applet' gets started, and it will dock in Fluxbox's toolbar and happily communicate with NetworkManager, which is started by some init script, so it's already running. Now, I'm completely happy with 9.04!

I might still check out PekWM, though, just to see what it's like.

Even easier, you can just add NetworkManager to your daemons array, but I'm not sure where ubuntu keeps that stuff (arch has it in /etc/rc.conf). That way it'll load no matter what DE/WM you're using.

[hatten]

musca

[tsekhanovsky]

Fluxbox - everytime, but sometimes i'm using GNOME, just to look new features

[nebkor]

Even easier, you can just add NetworkManager to your daemons array, but I'm not sure where ubuntu keeps that stuff (arch has it in /etc/rc.conf). That way it'll load no matter what DE/WM you're using.

Actually, NetworkManager already starts; it gets started by init and run as a daemon. The missing piece was nm-applet, which I'm almost certain needs to be started by "me" (that is, the process is owned by my account), so that I'm allowed to tweak the settings while it's running. A line in Fluxbox's startup file is all that was required.

[jpkotta]

I've been using Fvwm for years.


Actually, NetworkManager already starts; it gets started by init and run as a daemon. The missing piece was nm-applet, which I'm almost certain needs to be started by "me" (that is, the process is owned by my account), so that I'm allowed to tweak the settings while it's running. A line in Fluxbox's startup file is all that was required.

I think Wicd (http://wicd.sourceforge.net/) is better than NM.

[drascus]

on my eeepc I use lxde because I am really impatiant and don't want to deal with performance issues.

[Post Monkeh]

i can understand why a desktop environment would make a big difference (although given that i far prefer ubuntu to vista now and couldn't face wrecking it i've been far too scared to try anything other than the 3 supported desktops of gnome, kde * xfce) but how much difference can a window manager actually make?

[SuperSonic4]

On the laptop I use a CLI only, dunno if it counts or not

[.Maleficus.]

i can understand why a desktop environment would make a big difference (although given that i far prefer ubuntu to vista now and couldn't face wrecking it i've been far too scared to try anything other than the 3 supported desktops of gnome, kde * xfce) but how much difference can a window manager actually make?
Most of the people here who use a different window manager don't use a desktop environment at all. When I use Dwm or PekWM, they're basically replacing Twm, the minimal window manager that comes with Xorg. KDE, being a desktop environment, packages everything that a user "needs" into one unified deal - because Dwm and PekWM are running on their own, there's no task bar, no file manager, nothing. You add that all yourself, and it makes a huge difference.

[Eisenwinter]

Wow, this is only the one millionth time this topic has popped up here.

[Post Monkeh]

Most of the people here who use a different window manager don't use a desktop environment at all. When I use Dwm or PekWM, they're basically replacing Twm, the minimal window manager that comes with Xorg. KDE, being a desktop environment, packages everything that a user "needs" into one unified deal - because Dwm and PekWM are running on their own, there's no task bar, no file manager, nothing. You add that all yourself, and it makes a huge difference.

i see that a lot of applications are gnome or kde specific (some will work regardless, some have different versions for different environments) do you have to forgo these applications altogether, or is there a way to work round it, or are the gnome/kde apps actually just apps that will work on any desktop environment, but simply look best in their native desktop?

sorry if my questions seem simple, it's just something i've been thinking about for a while but like i said, i'm a bit too afraid to wreck my laptop to start experimenting - i've got an ubuntu system that works perfectly for most things i need it for and i'd hate to have to start again - but i always wonder if i could be pushing more performance out of it.

[.Maleficus.]

With the right dependencies installed, any application will work with any DE or WM. If you want to run Amarok on Gnome, all you need are the Qt libraries and Amarok's other dependencies. Want to run Banshee on KDE? Install gtk2.

As far as looking good goes, KDE and Gnome can force the application to use the native look-and-feel of the DE. For instance, Firefox is a GTK application. When I'm not using Dwm I'm using KDE, so all I had to do was install the correct package (can't remember what it's called) for KDE to force GTK apps to look like Qt apps.

[tjwoosta]

Any apps should work with any environment, so long as you have the correct dependencies installed. KDE3 apps require QT3 KDE4 apps require QT4 Gnome apps require GTK2, some other apps will require GTK1. The thing is if your going for performance, its not all about the WM. Changing the WM will make a difference, but using lightweight apps to go with it will make a much bigger difference.

[The Toxic Mite]

Bump :P

[hatten]

i can understand why a desktop environment would make a big difference (although given that i far prefer ubuntu to vista now and couldn't face wrecking it i've been far too scared to try anything other than the 3 supported desktops of gnome, kde * xfce) but how much difference can a window manager actually make?
more space and less bloat is the main reasons i have a wm. They are also faster, doesn't take up that much harddrive space, keep strangers from your computer, and you can choose from like hundreds of different wm's.

[decoherence]

I like Antico.... all that Qt4 goodness minus the KDE4 'bloat' (even though I'm running KDE4 now)

Other than that, PekWM and the venerable and wonderful IceWM. I'm a bit of a workspace ****, though.

[Dimitriid]

I am debating between installing Openbox + pypanel or LXDE. Whats a good auto mounting tool other than letting Hal mount everything? ( which has given me problems in the past )

[The Toxic Mite]

bump

[Anzan]

Try LXDE. There will be an official Lubuntu release coming.

It's a bit too Win 95 looking in its default but its quite configurable and uses Openbox as its WM.

[stanca]

Yes.Gnome,E17 and Fluxbox.:D8-)

[xuCGC002]

Nowadays it's either LXDE or IceWM.

[Greg]

Xmonad, though I've used evilwm in a second X on occassion. Thinking about playing around with Flux or Pek one of these days...

[Mornedhel]

Sawfish on otherwise relatively vanilla Gnome.

[Le-Froid]

Fluxbox here

[racerraul]

Yup... E17 (OpenGEU 8.10) & Gnome (Ubuntu 9.04)

[hagg_k]

LXDE-
less strenuous for my underpowered aging laptop- but still nice and usable. breath of fresh air for the comp.
k

[Little Bit]

Robin has his LXDE-flavored Ubuntu on the studio's computer. I've played with Gnome a little, trying to expand my horizons a bit. I like it and all that... but the way he has the LXDE set up is so pretty and easy and fast. Playing with Gnome was alot slower, but that might only be because I'm such a n00b and still learning. On my own computer at home (with stupid internet issues because the router at our house sucks), I still ordinarily use "Robin's Remix."

Amy

[Shippou]

Hello. I am using Openbox, since I am using Crunchbang.

[Anzan]

Crunchbang is great. I prefer Fluxbox to Openbox but #! has really a great configuration for it. It's really the best Ubuntu derivative distro to my tastes.

[~sHyLoCk~]

compiz :D

[Shazaam]

9.04- e17.
9.10- stock Gnome so far :)

[Ibidem]

I use IceWM whenever possible...It starts really fast (2-3 seconds, I think) on an Atom.
And it was decent on a ~500 MHz PIII. Plenty of themes too, and it's fairly easy to use-- without "getting in the way".
You can understand the config files, unlike GNOME & Xfce.
Run functionality is builtin (<Meta>+<space>), virtual desktops ( over 10 supported, on the taskbar), wallpaper, network monitor, launchers are defined in the config files like so:
hint icon command
Supports EWMH...
Memory wise, it's close to OpenBox (it took ~20 MB of RAM with Dapper), but I find it easier to use.

[hatten]

Ratpoison. Unbeatable.