What is the default look of Linux?

[Legendary_Bibo]

Windows and Mac OS X has their default look that if you were to change it with third party software, stuff would just look out of whack besides the fact that to change the appearance you'll have to run software that pops up at every boot up, and just becomes an annoying pop up, and stuff just looks out of place. With using Ubuntu, and themes things just sort of fit in, and even any eye candy just works as if it's natively part of the system. Does Linux have a default appearance? Linus has multiple desktop environments each with a constant increase in the amount of themes they have on a daily basis which just always fit into the system. Even Mac OSX and Windows themes just fit into it.

[amauk]

The technical answer is no
Linux is just a kernel, so cannot have a "default look" anymore than a particular car engine can have a "default body style" or "default hubcaps"

It's an engine,
The style comes from other components

Does Gnome have a default look, Yes
Does KDE have a default look, Yes
Does <insert window manager here> have a default look, Yes

[Cuddles McKitten]

Here it is:


user@hostname:/$ _

[xjesse]

Here it is:


user@hostname:/$ _

That made my night! :lolflag:

[sidzen]

The CLI is the original default.

[red_Marvin]

But then we could start to discuss the different shell environments.

[Paqman]

The CLI is the original default.

If you're going to go trawling the past, why not punchcards?

[AllRadioisDead]

If you're going to go trawling the past, why not punchcards?
>>Implying everyone uses a GUI

[Spice Weasel]

In X Windows? This (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/X-Window-System.png). (But with the real default the background is slightly more damaging to your eyes.)

In the CLI? This. (http://blog.cauwenbergh.be/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/framebuffer.jpg) (Ignore Tux, that's a framebuffer)

[Paqman]

>>Implying everyone uses a GUI

Not an unreasonable assumption, surely, since almost everybody does. WIMP is the dominant interface paradigm for desktops, and has been for decades. Using the CLI on a desktop is a very obscure and little-used way of interacting with a PC these days.

[Johnsie]

There is none. Everyone just does their own thing and the whole thing is a mess. There is no consistency.

[Paqman]

There is none. Everyone just does their own thing and the whole thing is a mess. There is no consistency.

This. I'm not surprised at all that Google elected to throw everything out and start from scratch for ChromeOS.

[Spice Weasel]

In a way that is a good thing, because it gives the user the freedom to choose how their OS works and how things are done.

[smellyman]

default gnome and KDE I believe.

[Paqman]

In a way that is a good thing, because it gives the user the freedom to choose how their OS works and how things are done.

Sure, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't start off good.

[Spice Weasel]

default gnome and KDE I believe.

Not every Linux distribution uses GNOME and KDE, but I think that 80% include the X Window System, so technically TWM (http://i56.tinypic.com/23uoqkz.jpg) is the most included desktop since it is the default window manager for X11.

[smellyman]

Not every Linux distribution uses GNOME and KDE, but I think that 80% include the X Window System, so technically TWM (http://i56.tinypic.com/23uoqkz.jpg) is the most included desktop since it is the default window manager for X11.


thats true, but id didn't want to find pics of lxde, sfce, jwm, icewm, e17 etc...........

here is default then.

[Bachstelze]

If you're going to go trawling the past, why not punchcards?

So tell me, when I follow the guide linked in your signature and install from a Minimal ISO, what's the default interface I get?

[Paqman]

So tell me, when I follow the guide linked in your signature and install from a Minimal ISO, what's the default interface I get?

And when the teeming millions start using the CLI on the minimal ISO i'll change my tune :) I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for that to happen. Besides, the whole point of that script is to help people get their graphical environment of choice installed.

The CLI is certainly the default interface for servers. But a desktop OS in 2010 is by convention a GUI environment.

[Dustin2128]

There is none. Everyone just does their own thing and the whole thing is a mess. There is no consistency.
which is linux's greatest strength. Would you prefer it if you were only allowed to use the DE that the distro manager declared the default DE? What linus torvalds declares supreme DE? I like KDE, but I also like openbox, xfce and fluxbox. More distros tend to use GNOME. 97% of windows and OS X systems look more or less exactly the same as the default; freedom of choice is what sets FOSS operating systems like linux and BSD apart from the rest. Not drones, individuals.

[slackthumbz]

Not an unreasonable assumption, surely, since almost everybody does. WIMP is the dominant interface paradigm for desktops, and has been for decades. Using the CLI on a desktop is a very obscure and little-used way of interacting with a PC these days.

Sir, I seriously beg to differ. Anyone that uses a *NIX type system in any professional capacity most likely still does a LOT of their work via a CLI simply because it still has yet to be surpassed in its elegance and efficiency when compared to most GUIs.

[forrestcupp]

If you're going to go trawling the past, why not punchcards?

Because this thread is about Linux, and punchcards predate Linux by a long time. ;)

[Tibuda]

Linux does not have a "default look", but Linux distributions have.

[Paqman]

Sir, I seriously beg to differ. Anyone that uses a *NIX type system in any professional capacity most likely still does a LOT of their work via a CLI simply because it still has yet to be surpassed in its elegance and efficiency when compared to most GUIs.

That depends entirely on what they're using the workstation for. You're not going to do DTP on the CLI. The majority of (non-IT) people that use a desktop OS in their work will just be using an office suite and maybe a couple of specialised apps off their servers anyway.

[MooPi]

We have these discussions now and then and they are pointless. The beauty of Linux is not the standard interface but the ability to do what you need with Linux. If you so desire load up on every bit of eye candy you can cram onto the desktop or ?

[Simian Man]

Sir, I seriously beg to differ. Anyone that uses a *NIX type system in any professional capacity most likely still does a LOT of their work via a CLI simply because it still has yet to be surpassed in its elegance and efficiency when compared to most GUIs.

Maybe, but the vast majority who use the command line do so from a graphical environment. I'm in a terminal almost all day, but there's no way in hell I'm booting into runlevel 3 for that.

[slackthumbz]

That depends entirely on what they're using the workstation for. You're not going to do DTP on the CLI. The majority of (non-IT) people that use a desktop OS in their work will just be using an office suite and maybe a couple of specialised apps off their servers anyway.

A fair point, here's what my desktop generally looks like. Obviously I'm a tad biased.

[Mark76]

It'd make more sense to ask what's the default look of KDE/Xfce/Gnome.

[forrestcupp]

I found the default look of Linux:


http://fandewindows.com/images/WindowsME.png

[aG93IGRvIGkgdWJ1bnR1Pw==]

There is no default, every distro does it its own way, and if you install Linux without using a distro (ie, Linux From Scratch), there are countless possibilities. Even if you limit it to CLIs, there's still a dozen shells out there, and they all have customisable prompts, so there you have it.

[Mark76]

There is no default, every distro does it its own way, and if you install Linux without using a distro (ie, Linux From Scratch), there are countless possibilities. Even if you limit it to CLIs, there's still a dozen shells out there, and they all have customisable prompts, so there you have it.

You ran out of patience when trying to choose a user name, didn't you ;)

I know the feeling :(

[Shpongle]

You ran out of patience when trying to choose a user name, didn't you ;)

I know the feeling :(
lol

[Penguin Guy]

GNU/Linux is the core of the system; by default, the UI is text-based (i.e. what you see when you press Ctrl + Alt + F1 (and escape with Ctrl + Alt + F7)).

Correction: TTY is third-party, there is no default UI.

[koenn]

by default, the UI is text-based (i.e. what you see when you press Ctrl + Alt + F1.
this.

Al the rest is, as the OP said, "3th party software" , "software you'll have to run at every boot"

[Bachstelze]

this.

Al the rest is, as the OP said, "3th party software" , "software you'll have to run at every boot"

The tty is also third-party software (agetty in Ubuntu's case, which predates Linux). ;) There is no default Linux interface, each distribution chooses the one that suits its goals best. I'd argue that the default interface in Ubuntu is Gnome, that's what you see at boot in the vast majority of Ubuntu systems.

[limestone]

But then we could start to discuss the different shell environments.

tty

[Bachstelze]

tty

See above. There are a lot of ttys.

[red_Marvin]

tty
I am not talking about xterm or urxvt gnome-terminal or the like.
I am talking about bash, zsh, ksh, csh.

[Bachstelze]

I am not talking about xterm or urxvt gnome-terminal or the like.
I am talking about bash, zsh, ksh, csh.

Since they can all be made to look exactly alike, do they really matter in terms of looks?

[red_Marvin]

Bachstelze: I suppse you've got a point there, I interpreted it a bit further as in meaning UI in general.

[Bachstelze]

Bachstelze: I suppse you've got a point there, I interpreted it a bit further as in meaning UI in general.

This whole thread is a bit pointless anyway: there is nothing in Linux that resembles a default UI. The kernel just sends raw data over a (physical or virtual) wire, and lets you do whatever the heck you want with it. Virtually any hardware device or software program could be used as an UI for Linux, as long as you can program it to understand data sent by the kernel.

[jwbrase]

Not an unreasonable assumption, surely, since almost everybody does. WIMP is the dominant interface paradigm for desktops, and has been for decades. Using the CLI on a desktop is a very obscure and little-used way of interacting with a PC these days.

Not really "for decades". More like "for slightly less than two decades". As I understand, DOS without Windows was still fairly standard into the early '90's.

[Frogs Hair]

Beyond the default or starter theme that comes with many distributions and appears after first boot , there is personal preference .

[matthewbpt]

There is no default look... though you could argue that some form of shell is I suppose.

[t0p]

Different strokes for different folks, 'ennit? You choose a distro, and that distro has its own default appearance depending on the devs' choice of window manager, panel, dock, etc. Use a different distro and you'll see it has a different default appearance when it boots.

[jurialmunkey]

There is no default look for it; it is simply code that passes on instructions. Its like asking what the default look is of an .mp3 or what is the default look of a car with Goodyear tires -- tires can go on any suitable car (it might be Ferrari or it might be a Kia); mp3s can be played with any suitable devices (it might be an iPod, a media player, a dvd player or an online flash player).

[forrestcupp]

Did you get the idea yet that there is no default look? If not, I can tell you again. :)

[Legendary_Bibo]

Did you get the idea yet that there is no default look? If not, I can tell you again. :)

Got it!
I just didn't know if there was some core default look (GUI wise) at some point that linux had, even in the past that just kind of branched off.

[forrestcupp]

Got it!
I just didn't know if there was some core default look (GUI wise) at some point that linux had, even in the past that just kind of branched off.

Each desktop environment has their own default look. But if you want to go down history lane, here is a screenshot of the X Window System running in Unix in the late 80's and early 90's:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/X-Window-System.png