which *box

[llawwehttam]

I am looking to set up a fast desktop with a lightweight desktop environment/ window manager.
I have decided on Arch with one of the *box environments but I am very used to either gnome, kde or IceWm and haven't used any others.
Currently I use Gnome but want to go more lightweight and the most experience I have had with openbox is as a window manager until I can fix my compiz setup.

I do like the look of openbox and I really would like to use it but I would like to know how openbox, blackbox and fluxbox are different.

Anyone have any advice or recommendations.

[chris200x9]

fluxbox all the way it's light and I like how it has it's own panel.

[SemiBuz]

IMO, Openbox is unbeatable.

[Tibuda]

Where's the poll?

Openbox for me...

[Psumi]

Openbox here.

[llawwehttam]

Poll added
This should be interesting...

[Grifulkin]

Openbox all the way.

[Simon17]

Xbox is the best.

[sertse]

Fluxbox is arguablly "simpler" - (Plain text config FTW, vs Openbox's xml). In before someone mention's Openbox's gui tools - they don't include all the functions OB has.
Fluxbox includes a panel to go with it.
Lightness will slightly edge with Fluxbox (but no modern, or even old computer will experience any difference. you have to be ancient to care....)

Openbox on the other hand is much more customisable.
Openbox prob also has more themes.

Openbox is will also probably win the poll, because they either don't mind customising and will stick to the gui tools, or are hardcore and don't mind xml editing. :)

[llawwehttam]

Openbox is looking good to me right now. I am now quite used to conky and a few similar programs so XML editing isn't too much of a hastle for me. What are the GUI config tools like?

[Psumi]

Openbox is looking good to me right now. I am now quite used to conky so XML editing isn't too much of a hastle for me. What are the GUI config tools like?

sudo apt-get install menu

that should make it so that the debian menu works in the openbox right-click menu.

[juancarlospaco]

IceWM, FluxBox, (...) is not a desktop environtment, but a Window Manager.

[The Real Dave]

Personally, Openbox. Very easy to set up and configure. Install obmenu, obconf and tint2 also. Obmenu is just a graphical interface for editing the right click menu, obconf it a settings manager, and tint2 is a panel :)

[urukrama]

Openbox, by far. It is a powerful window manager that never demands your attention.

I recommend you read the official documentation for Openbox. It is very thorough and good. The Openbox guide linked to in my signature might also be useful.

[Firepower-EX]

Personally, I would say Openbox. It is way more customizable, and looks very nice while still being lightweight. I have used it on Arch, before I screwed it up by trying to install quick-init from the AUR.

Instead of using a panel like tint2, another great option would be to use only Stalonetray, which is just a system tray that floats on your desktop. It is more coherent and logical if you prefer to use keyboard shortcuts to change workspaces and Alt-Tab. And the GUI tools, obconf and obmenu are easy and intuitive.

[RedSquirrel]

I would suggest installing both Openbox and Fluxbox and trying them out. They're quite small and light on dependencies so you're not adding all that much by having them both installed.

Personally, I prefer Openbox these days but I still use Fluxbox on occasion. When I use Openbox with a panel, I prefer fbpanel. (One can run Openbox without a panel quite comfortably.) As urukrama wrote above, the Openbox docs are excellent.

It's nice to see some new Openbox releases coming out. (It was stuck on 3.4.7.2 for a while. :))

[stanca]

I'm using both of them too,fluxbox and openbox.Openbox can be very nice and customizable too,but from my personal experience,taste and point of view I found Fluxbox much better,more customizable(the themes/styles looking nicer too) and good looking.It supports full alpha and true transparency,xcompmgr works fully and better with it,no need for patches like xcompmgr-dana or cairo-compmgr for openbox.
Just my 2 cents.;):)

[fillintheblanks]

gnome + compiz FTW.

[The Toxic Mite]

AfterStep FTW!

[spupy]

Openbox doesn't have tabs!! Explain yourselves, openbox fanboys, how do you live without tabs?!

That said, fluxbox doesn't show the window-switcher thing when alt-tabbing, but I can live with that. <3 Fluxbox

[baddog144]

If I'm using a *box, openbox. Most of the time I'm using wmii though :)

[MooPi]

My recent Openbox system. I call it my Yugo sport computer. 3GHz of minimalist power
http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss36/MooPii/Ubuntu-Lite/th_2010-02-13-193527_1440x900_scrot.png (http://s559.photobucket.com/albums/ss36/MooPii/Ubuntu-Lite/?action=view&current=2010-02-13-193527_1440x900_scrot.png)
http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss36/MooPii/Ubuntu-Lite/th_2010-02-13-195033_1440x900_scrot.png (http://s559.photobucket.com/albums/ss36/MooPii/Ubuntu-Lite/?action=view&current=2010-02-13-195033_1440x900_scrot.png)
Simple menu GNU/Linux minimal homebrew system.

[thisllub]

Openbox + gmrun.

Pipe menus are only limited by your imagination.

[gsmanners]

It really says something about the poll that the OP lumped together IceWM, XFCE [sic], and LXDE which are not in any way even similar.

[chucky chuckaluck]

i'd put pekwm in a class with openbox and fluxbox. they're all very similar and all very good. it's usually a minor annoyance that ends up deciding one's choice.

(the only time i don't use openbox is when i'm bored with it.)

[Rhubarb]

At first place I'd try wmii (http://wmii.suckless.org/) (window manager improved) - it's a tiling window manager that's VERY fast.
Information on the arch wiki is here (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Wmii).

At second place, I'd probably use fluxbox.
I haven't tried out any of the other *boxs, but I'd definitely read up on wmii and give it a try if you think you'd like it.

[RedSquirrel]

Openbox doesn't have tabs!! Explain yourselves, openbox fanboys, how do you live without tabs?!

I don't use tabs all that often when I run Fluxbox, so I don't miss them when I'm running Openbox. ;)



That said, fluxbox doesn't show the window-switcher thing when alt-tabbing, but I can live with that. <3 Fluxbox

I used to find that alt-tab thing in Openbox rather annoying, but I've gotten used to it.