Clarifications needed! :)

ftornell · 2008-08-21 07:39:14

Hi,
Need clarifications, tried the wiki but didn't get smarter! hehe

Desktop Environment
Handles desktop icons, bars, menus, window boarders and so on.
Example: Gnome & KDE

Window Manager
Handles frames/window boarders and has nothing to do with desktop or the desktop icons?
Example: Openbox, Fluxbox, Enligthenment

Window Managers are smaller and just handle frames, and DE handles it all? Correct?

What else are there?
If I'm using openbox and wanna have a theme on the application buttons and layout?

moljac024 · 2008-08-21 07:55:00

Desktop Environment is just a collection of software that is designed to work together. For example, a window manager, a terminal emulator, a file manager/web browser, text editor, program that handles the desktop background and icons, panels etc...

But it must include a window manager. Every Desktop Environment has a window manager. GNOME has Metacity, KDE has Kwin, XFCE has Xfwm as it's window manager.

So, when you're using Openbox you're essentially building your own Desktop Environment because you choose what other programs you will compliment it with.

Last edited by moljac024 (2008-08-21 07:57:15)

ftornell · 2008-08-21 07:58:15

Ok, and if I wan't to make applications look more fancy in openbox there is an engine/theme for that as well that can be added?

hk2717 · 2008-08-21 08:02:11

You are quite right. Window manager mainly just handles window borders. You need additional application to getup wallpaper and desktop icons. For wallpapers, you need something like feh or nitrogen, for desktop icons, you need pcmanfm or something similar.
If you use a standalone window manager, I think you need to mainly rely on GTK+ apps, instead of QT. You could use any GTK theme switcher (I recommend lxappearance) to change the look of the applications. As for the buttons, they are part of the GTK icon theme thing, you can change that with lxappearance too. If you use QT apps without KDE, as far as I know, you cannot change their look.

You may refer to http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Openbox for more information.

ftornell · 2008-08-21 08:11:17

hk2717 wrote:

You are quite right. Window manager mainly just handles window borders. You need additional application to getup wallpaper and desktop icons. For wallpapers, you need something like feh or nitrogen, for desktop icons, you need pcmanfm or something similar.
If you use a standalone window manager, I think you need to mainly rely on GTK+ apps, instead of QT. You could use any GTK theme switcher (I recommend lxappearance) to change the look of the applications. As for the buttons, they are part of the GTK icon theme thing, you can change that with lxappearance too. If you use QT apps without KDE, as far as I know, you cannot change their look.
You may refer to http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Openbox for more information.

Sweet, ill have a look at the lxappearance application and see if it ends my hunger!

Inxsible · 2008-08-21 15:05:00

When you install a DE, you get everything - auto-mount of usb drives, desktop icons, - the whole shebang !

With a WM - you need to install each app yourself - which is sometimes difficult because you probably dont know the names of all the apps. I don't think anyone remembers, unless they use that app consistently.

With a DE - everything is set up for you - choices made by the DE
With a WM - you set it up the way you want- with your choice of apps.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-08-21 07:39:14

Clarifications needed! :)

#2 2008-08-21 07:55:00

Re: Clarifications needed! :)

#3 2008-08-21 07:58:15

Re: Clarifications needed! :)

#4 2008-08-21 08:02:11

Re: Clarifications needed! :)

#5 2008-08-21 08:11:17

Re: Clarifications needed! :)

#6 2008-08-21 15:05:00

Re: Clarifications needed! :)

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