compiz, emerald, & WMs ...

[user1397]

so correct me if i am wrong, but my understanding is the following:

-compiz is a window manager, like metacity or openbox or kwin.

-emerald is a window decorator (which is what exactly? like, what are the default window decorators for gnome, kde, etc)

-compiz and kwin are compositing window managers, while metacity and openbox etc are stacking window managers

is this all correct?

[slackthumbz]

so correct me if i am wrong, but my understanding is the following:

-compiz is a window manager, like metacity or openbox or kwin.

-emerald is a window decorator (which is what exactly? like, what are the default window decorators for gnome, kde, etc)

-compiz and kwin are compositing window managers, while metacity and openbox etc are stacking window managers

is this all correct?

No, Metacity can also be used as a window decorator in compiz (I think) either that or the default compiz window decorator uses metacity settings (since it responds appropriately to any gconf changes to metacity)

[Spice Weasel]

There are very few non-tiling WMs that don't also work as window decorators. EvilWM is one of them, so is Compiz.

This is a very good explanation of how these things work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvbAawBGmgE

[Pogeymanz]

No, Metacity can also be used as a window decorator in compiz (I think) either that or the default compiz window decorator uses metacity settings (since it responds appropriately to any gconf changes to metacity)

Metacity is not a decorator. gtk-window-decorator can inherit metacity's themes.

Most WM's are their own decorators, but Compiz is just a WM so you need a decorator.

[3Miro]

Most WM come with their own decorators, compiz can use one of Emerald, gtk-window-decorator or kde-window-decorator (the last two use metacity and kwin themes).

Openbox is the only strictly stacking manager that I know of. Compiz is the only strictly composing WM. The others can have composition either enabled or disabled. Kwin, Metacity and Xfwm4 can go either way.

[Pogeymanz]

Openbox is the only strictly stacking manager that I know of.

You don't know of very many window managers, do you? ;-)

Openbox, Blackbox, PekWM, Fluxbox, IceWM, JWM, EvilWM, Sawfish...

[3Miro]

You don't know of very many window managers, do you? ;-)

Openbox, Blackbox, PekWM, Fluxbox, IceWM, JWM, EvilWM, Sawfish...

Yes. I have heard of many of those, but I have only used Openbox so I didn't want to make assumptions.