Picking a Desktop Environment

BoppreH · 2009-02-04 01:09:24

I have just installed Archlinux: took a long time, but it was very pleasant. And now is time to add a Desktop Environment to it.

Having little experience with linux, realizing how time consuming testing each option can be and maybe missing something important, I come here for suggestions.

Currently, my "requirements" are:
- Big set of options
- Good interaction with small home-made programs (especially wxPython)
- Intuitive
- Following the Arch Way

The last two are way subjective, but I think it deserves mention.

Also, I have tested GNOME. It tripped often (probably my fault), but the main problem was the lack of options: the "win" key couldn't be used in shortcuts; the autohide option on panels was slow and the still visible line was unnecessarily big; I found no quick way to change workspaces (like forcing the mouse through a side, Xfce-style); every opened folder in the default file manager used a new window and there was no visible option to change it...

Did I miss an important configuration file in GNOME? Are the eye-candy and multiple flying widgets on the new KDE worthwhile? Should I go with something more simple like XFCE? Or even more simpler?

denisfalqueto · 2009-02-04 01:20:50

Well, since you are trying, you should give KDEmod for a spin. It is split in several packags, so you don't need to download things you don't still need. If you don't like, is very easy to uninstall.

http://kdemod.ath.cx/

KDE is the environment for my kind of usage because it is very customisable. The 4.2 version has a great performance and is filled with lots of interesing functionality. Anyways, try it, you may like. (-:

Square · 2009-02-04 01:28:46

Well... for what you want... I wouldn't suggest a Desktop Environment. Instead, try Openbox.
You can fully customize openbox, using whatever you like. Any panel, custom desktop menu, scroll on desktop to change workspaces, applications to help with configuration, shortcuts can be modified to use the win key, pcmanfm goes with it well and is a tabbed file manager, etc...
Basically, you're free to set it up as you like. Take a look at some openbox screenshots (I believe there is a thread devoted to them).

BoppreH · 2009-02-04 01:49:50

I made some searches over the "window manager" and the KDEmod ideas. But more questions raised:

- What's the primary difference between KDEmod and KDE? It seems to be better integrated on Arch, but that's all.

- How exactly does this window manager thing works? After the things I read, I'm expecting something along the lines of the X test, with three window contained bash consoles and a clock with poor resolution, unless I install it over and DE...

Wintervenom · 2009-02-04 01:55:35

I say Xfce (4.6 is pretty nice).

BoppreH · 2009-02-04 02:12:03

Wintervenom wrote:

I say Xfce (4.6 is pretty nice).

I'm more used to this one and it's pretty good, but why do you think it's the best option?

Edit:
I would like to add one important thing: I'm not an "icon" fan. I use Launchy for all my application starting needs and I'm even making my own launcher program. So the lack of icons on the OpenBox will not even be acknowledged. And maybe panels can be replaced by other widgets, but SOME eye-candy has to exist. I'm no ready for a painfully ugly window floating alone in the empty white space. But it isn't the case, is it?

Last edited by BoppreH (2009-02-04 02:22:18)

Inxsible · 2009-02-04 02:52:17

I would give another holler for Openbox. Its extremely configurable and amazingly easy to use. It does take some getting used to especially if you have never used a simple WM before. But once you get the hang of it, its pretty easy.

Other *box WMs are fluxbox - a couple of features like grouping windows is pretty useful if you tend to open many windows at the same time.
blackbox, pekwm

Misfit138 · 2009-02-04 02:52:40

Openbox will be as clean or as dirty, as simple or as grandiose as you make it. It is very customizable.
I recommend either Openbox or XFCE4.
Openbox if you want to build up from nothing. XFCE4 if you want a complete DE with sane defaults.

Odd-rationale · 2009-02-04 03:28:13

Just wanted to point out that it is possible to use the "windows" key (Mod4) as a modifier in GNOME. Although there is a bug in the Keyboard Shortcut editor, that will not let you use the Mod4 key, you can still open gconf-editor, browse to /apps/metacity/global_keybindings, and set something like <Mod4>d as a shortcut.

So while it is possible, it is not really obvious. Hopefully someone will fix this in the next version of GNOME...

Mikko777 · 2009-02-04 11:38:07

KDE all the way, it does all the things you asked for in your original post.

Diff between kdemod and kde:

-split packages
-more ppl maintaining
-patches and backports when needed, so its not tied to arch rules.
-buildscripts

Edit: Oh usually you get a choice of trunk/ betas/ stable version and theres a lot of kde devs using kdemod

Last edited by Mikko777 (2009-02-04 11:40:15)

joeda · 2009-02-04 13:12:43

Openbox +1

Comes with a minimal configuration tool, sophisticated and powerful config files and support for all the stuff you like. Rock solid. Just isn't in your way (in opposite to poser-KDE)

joe

tjwoosta · 2009-02-04 13:48:19

i say try fluxbox

it is very much like openbox, except it comes with a panel and workspace switcher that are easily themed from your fluxbox theme

jordz · 2009-02-04 14:44:37

BoppreH wrote:

Also, I have tested GNOME. It tripped often (probably my fault), but the main problem was the lack of options: the "win" key couldn't be used in shortcuts; the autohide option on panels was slow and the still visible line was unnecessarily big; I found no quick way to change workspaces (like forcing the mouse through a side, Xfce-style); every opened folder in the default file manager used a new window and there was no visible option to change it...
Did I miss an important configuration file in GNOME? Are the eye-candy and multiple flying widgets on the new KDE worthwhile? Should I go with something more simple like XFCE? Or even more simpler?

FYI:
- You can change the speed and size of autohide in gconf-editor.
- Change workspaces with ctrl+alt(+shift if you want to move a window) + arrow.
- In the options of nautilus (file manager) you go to the tab "behavior" and tick "Always open in browser windows": http://tinyurl.com/af257t

Don't know about binding the win key to do anything, because I don't use it

BoppreH · 2009-02-04 15:10:25

Jordz and Odd, thanks for clarifying it for me. I did feel like something was missing, and it seems to be the gconf-editor.

And a funny thing is that I've never heard about "Openbox" before coming here, and it seems so popular on this distro. I think it's because Arch and Openbox follow the same philosophy.

Now, I will relog into my GNOME environment and play around with this gconf-editor, trying to tune it the way I want. Then I will try Openbox. I think I'm ready to spent some time configuring it. And then, KDEmod. The modular philosophy seems pretty good and KDE itself was always an important option for me, so I think a try would be worthwhile.

I will come back in a few hours. Thanks for the replies.

quarkup · 2009-02-04 15:52:36

I recommend you the kde4.2

but when you said

- Good interaction with small home-made programs (especially wxPython)

I don't know, maybe openbox would fit in all of you questions.. (kde4.2 would fit anyway I guess)

Last edited by quarkup (2009-02-04 16:00:16)

BoppreH · 2009-02-05 14:31:29

I think Openbox is what I was looking for. I couldn't run any wxPython program, but I think it's a package fault and it wouldn't work on any other DE / WM, so I will have to work on it the same way.

Thank you

bgc1954 · 2009-02-05 14:44:21

Inxsible mentioned it in passing but you might want to check out pekwm. The syntax of the menu file is a little more straightforward than the menu.xml file in openbox--for me anyway, and the pekwm themes can use bitmaps so can be a little nicer on the eyes if you're into that sort of thing.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-02-04 01:09:24

Picking a Desktop Environment

#2 2009-02-04 01:20:50

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#3 2009-02-04 01:28:46

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#4 2009-02-04 01:49:50

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#5 2009-02-04 01:55:35

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#6 2009-02-04 02:12:03

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#7 2009-02-04 02:52:17

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#8 2009-02-04 02:52:40

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#9 2009-02-04 03:28:13

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#10 2009-02-04 11:38:07

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#11 2009-02-04 13:12:43

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#12 2009-02-04 13:48:19

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#13 2009-02-04 14:44:37

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#14 2009-02-04 15:10:25

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#15 2009-02-04 15:52:36

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#16 2009-02-05 14:31:29

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

#17 2009-02-05 14:44:21

Re: Picking a Desktop Environment

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