switching between kde and gnome desktop environment question

[federer2nadal]

Hi all.
I have a question about switching between desktop environments like kde and gnome. I'm using ubuntu 10.04 with gnome 2.x and with a really cool theme I found and mixed. I would like to check kde desktop because I kinda like the appearance of it. I have also cairo dock and compiz configured for my needs. my question is whether I can switch to kde desktop without losing my customized gnome environment if I decide to switch back to gnome? (I know that to switch session you need to log out but that's not the point)
the next question is how can I install kde without losing the customized gnome theme I have ?( if the answer for the first question is negative)
the final question is whether I lose data when I switch desktop and if do than what specifically.

thanks in advance for all helpers.

[3Miro]

Gnome and KDE can live side by side without conflicting.

Installing "kubuntu-desktop" will only change the boot screen and nothing in Gnome itself. Here is a tutorial about different environments.

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/index.php

You will lose your Gnome settings only if you decide to remove Gnome. If you keep both KDE and Gnome, then you will have both.

[ajgreeny]

Your gnome customised settings should not be changed in any way by logging into kde, though your menu-bar may become rather larger and difficult to navigate as all the kde applications will be added to it. Also in previous versions of kde 3.5.x, which is the last time I used it, desktop icons could be added rather than the widgets, which I am not sure about, and those icons would then also appear on your gnome desktop and vice-versa. Your theme will not be affected, and the same will apply to the kde desktop settings, which should not be affected by your gnome settings.

None of your data files will be affected in any way.

[federer2nadal]

so I can freely change between desktop environments like kde and my customized gnome without any data loss?
even the compiz settings I have now won't get affected?

[Copper Bezel]

KDE doesn't use Compiz - it uses another window manager (with similar capabilities) called KWin instead.