What desktop environment should I get into?

[mrcoulson]

I'm very new to Linux and have an Ubuntu server. To this point, I've done all configuration with CLI, but I feel like I need to have the ability to fall back on a GUI. I know it's not best to run a server with the GUI, but I'd really love one just for a few weeks while I'm learning my way around. Don't you ever think, "Man, if only I just had a mouse right now!"? Sometimes I do. It would be a nice comfort when repeated attempts at doing it in CLI are not working.

So, what is a good and lightweight desktop environment? I don't need a lot of extra apps -- just the ability to manipulate some configurations if needed.

And once I install one, does it still start in CLI? This is what I envision: I can start and stop the GUI as I need it like starting and stopping any other program. And once I feel like I'm ready to fly without it, I can just remove it. Reasonable expectations?

Jeremy

[ATL™]

i'm pretty fond of openbox.

[Locutus_of_Borg]

i'm pretty fond of openbox.

additional vote for openbox

[earthpigg]

additional vote for openbox.

if you want a start-menu-equivelant that will automatically update when you install new software, and other full-blown-desktop functionality... consider LXDE.

it runs on top of openbox and is the most lightweight of what i personally would consider a 'desktop enviornment'.


once I install one, does it still start in CLI?

it does if you want it to.

when you install openbox/lxde/whatever-you-choose, make sure you use apt-get's --no-install-recommends option and read what packages it is installing. make sure none of those packages are a 'display manager'.

gdm
slim
kdm

are a few examples of display managers you want to ensure your WM/DE of choice doesn't install alongisde itself unless you want it to.

a display manager will replace the current CLI-based "login:________ password:_______" thing you have going.

it will be graphical, but from the display manager you can choose to immediately drop right back down to the command line.

if you decide you do want one, GDM is ubuntu's default, is freedesktop.org compliant, and requires minimal configuration. once you install a new WM or DE, it will pick up on that and give you the option to start it without any additional configuration.


anything that is freedesktop.org compliant: will usually work completely unmodified and unconfigured (beyond installing/activating/starting it) with lxde, gnome, xfce, and a bunch of others.... but not kde.

[mrcoulson]

Great!

Okay, before I proceed, I have questions about what I've found at http://icculus.org/openbox/index.php/Help:Installing. Do I need to install all of those packages under "Dependencies in Ubuntu and Debian" before doing "apt-get install openbox"? I just don't want to screw something up! A fourth OS reinstall in one week would not be my idea of success.

Jeremy

[mrcoulson]

Sorry if my questions seem retarded, but I've only ever used Windows and Mac OS where it's all installers or executables or dragging a file from the mounted disk image to Applications and enjoying the day. I get nervous when I read things like "Once you have the above dependancies installed, you are ready to build Openbox. Untar the Openbox archive and from inside the source tree, run..."

Jeremy

[earthpigg]

Do I need to install all of those packages under "Dependencies in Ubuntu and Debian" before doing "apt-get install openbox"?

hell no you dont. this isn't slackware (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slackware#Dependency_resolution), its ubuntu.

and ignore that crap about 'untaring' this and 'building' and 'source trees' and all the rest.

thats for people compiling from source.

thats for people not using an easy-to-use distribution that has already done the building from source for you.

heed my advice: unless there is a very compelling reason not to, install everything from apt-get install, every time always no matter what. ubuntu put those repositories there for a reason!

[mrcoulson]

apt-get every time! Yessir!

I'm going to give this a shot now!

Jeremy

[earthpigg]

good luck to you, sir :D