Arch Linux

dtjohnst

Member

Registered: 2007-03-01

Posts: 85

XFCE vs OpenBox

I'm currently running OpenBox and have been for a few months now. I really have no complaints about it, but I'm interested in trying something new. I think the big contender right now is XFCE, but I was wondering if anyone has experience with both and can maybe compare the two? Or if anyone knows of a good website that does a great comparison of the major WM's that'd be great too.

Thanks

Hohoho

Member

Registered: 2007-06-23

Posts: 222

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

Openbox is a window manager, XFCE is a desktop environment, how can you compare those?

XFCE's window manager though isn't bad, a little less configurable and less flexible key bindings than Openbox.

Husio

Member

From: Europe

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 359

Website

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

You can use Openbox with XFCE environment.

slackhack

Member

Registered: 2004-06-30

Posts: 738

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

it's probably better to just try it out and see for yourself if you like it or not. that will tell you more in 10 minutes than you'll find out from what anyone else says about it.

ozar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2005-02-18

Posts: 1,686

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

Yeah, nobody here can decide for you which one you'll like better, so as said above it's best for you to try XFCE and decide for yourself.  Make a backup of your Openbox installation, then install XFCE and if you don't like it, you can restore your Openbox setup easily enough.

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oz

ProzacR

Member

Registered: 2007-04-29

Posts: 272

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

If you intrested in trying so try it.

venox

Member

From: Curitiba, Brazil

Registered: 2003-08-23

Posts: 137

Website

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

I like both. XFCE is a great DE, it's lightweight and user-friendly. On the other hand, Openbox uses a very little amount of memory and is very minimalistic (as a DE).

If you want something more user-friendly and with fancy menus, go with XFCE. If you want something minimalistic, go with Openbox.

But currently I'm using wmii and it's great.

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Stalwart

Member

From: Latvia, Riga

Registered: 2005-10-18

Posts: 445

Website

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

XFCE + Openbox = fun

But i prefer running openbox standalone

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cry0x

Member

Registered: 2007-04-11

Posts: 91

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

I would assume that you're running Openbox in the first place because you're a minimalist?
Here's how it goes for me:

*Install Archlinux
*Install Openbox
*Wonder if I would want more features of _____ DE
*Install XFCE, GNOME, or KDE
*Cry at bloat
*Remove XFCE, GNOME, or KDE
*Install Openbox

Similarly, I always return to Archlinux for the same reason:

*Install Archlinux
*Wonder if I would prefer apt-get over pacman
*Install Debian
*Cry at bloat
*Remove Debian
*Install Arch

YMMV

As a side-note, the GNU way of doing things is to have a very small program designed for each function. One function only, but does it as well as it possibly can. Openbox meets these requirements as a window manager, IMO. A DE is a bunch of small programs trying to do many things, with a lot of redundancy. Doesn't work out so well.

Last edited by cry0x (2007-06-27 08:15:03)

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Who is this doin' this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funkin'?

arox1

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2006-07-08

Posts: 174

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

I was using Openbox for some time but I returned to XFCE. It has some nice features like changing desktops when cursor reacher screen edge. Also it feels more complete, I don't have to build my desktop myself.

It was fun at first but now I just want something that works out of box

.:B:.

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2006-11-26

Posts: 5,819

Website

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

I combine Openbox with the XFCE panel . I like the features Openbox provides (especially the pipe menus), so it looks like a great marriage to me .

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Got Leenucks? :: Arch: Power in simplicity :: Get Counted! Registered Linux User #392717 :: Blog thingy

arox1

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2006-07-08

Posts: 174

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

I did this too

XFCE panel is a very good panel xD

KomodoDave

Member

From: Oxford, UK

Registered: 2007-04-22

Posts: 162

Website

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

What's the more selfish thing to do - (a) try it yourself (which takes what... 2 minutes?) or (b) make a post asking everyone else to do a comparison for you, which is entirely subjective and has no guarantee of being in accord with what your own opinions would be.

Seriously, just try it, it's hardly difficult to install and have a play.

- Dave

heleos

Member

From: Maine, USA

Registered: 2007-04-24

Posts: 678

Re: XFCE vs OpenBox

I started out using fluxbox, then changed to openbox. I recently made the switch from openbox to xfce, and I really like it. And about DE's having a lot of redundencies, I don't see that with xfce. It seems to have a single app for everything, and nothing really overlaps. An example would be mousepad. That's all they give you for a text editor. In KDE, i noticed there was Kwrite, and Kedit, and maybe some others I haven't noticed. Seems to me that XFCE is doing a good job with the GNU philosophy.

The reason I switched to xfce was because I was using some xfce programs anyway. I was using xfburn as burning software, thunar as a file manager (basically for the volume manager) And I like how quickly apps load on XFCE. I think it would be interesting to try XFCE with openbox as the WM, I may have to try that when I get home