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#1 2005-03-22 18:05:33

El Guapo
Member
From: 51N 114W
Registered: 2005-03-21
Posts: 13

Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

Sorry for the silly question but after some searching I am still curious as to what the difference is between a WM and a DM.  Does a WM need a DM to be installed in order to work?  What are the differences between a WM and a DM?

This question seems so elementary but I couldn't seem to find an answer anywhere.  Maybe I should already know.

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#2 2005-03-22 18:36:03

oscar
Member
From: Kiruna, Sweden
Registered: 2004-08-13
Posts: 457

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

It's not DM, it's DE (desktop environment).

A window manager keeps track of your windows, resizes them etc., while a DE can be a whole suit of programs (including a WM, of course) - like a archive manager (like file-roller or ark), file managers (nautilus or konqueror) and even a browser.


To err is human... to really foul up requires the root password.

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#3 2005-03-22 18:40:18

phrakture
Arch Overlord
From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
Website

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

think about it this way: a WM does exactly what it's name says - it gives the user control over the windows... by allowing you to move, resize, close, etc windows...
DEs however, add things on top of that... such as desktop icons, preference settings... and some of their own apps sometimes too...

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#4 2005-03-22 19:15:09

El Guapo
Member
From: 51N 114W
Registered: 2005-03-21
Posts: 13

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

Thanks for your help.  The reason I ask this is that I have never had the choice of installing a WM or a DE before.  Distros were always KDE or GNOME  specific.  Of the two I always preferred GNOME and now that I get to choose I am almost blown away with the choices. 

I guess I will just try a bunch until I find the right one.

Thanks.

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#5 2005-03-22 19:40:22

eerok
Member
From: Canada
Registered: 2005-03-20
Posts: 171

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

This might help you choose some to try:

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?t=3372


noobus in perpetuus

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#6 2005-03-22 19:49:43

phrakture
Arch Overlord
From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
Website

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

Well, what type of usability are you looking for?  Some people find kde/gnome/xfce to "heavy", others find plain WMs too "light"
Alot of people tend to like xfce....

I personally would suggest trying fluxbox... as alot of people like it.... you could also try ion or wmi if you want heavy keyboard support (but I wouldn't suggest them to anyone... they're a bit esoteric...)

I personally use wmi (and wmii soon)

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#7 2005-03-22 20:25:01

hudson
Member
Registered: 2004-07-06
Posts: 78

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

yeah, there are many WMs out there, I prefer xdm with fluxbox its small, fast and just perfect for my needs. Its like...so clean, tiny and fresh it reminds me of the summer..hmm hope it will come soon, cause I really could need some sun wink

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#8 2005-03-22 20:58:12

eerok
Member
From: Canada
Registered: 2005-03-20
Posts: 171

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

I used blackbox for a long time -- what's up with all the "boxen" -- are they really improvements?  I looked at fluxbox, but apart from a default date format that I dislike, I don't see much difference ...

I know fluxbox uses some different libraries, but what's wrong with blackbox?

(My favorite now is e16, btw, so I'm not biased or anything ... just honestly curious.)


noobus in perpetuus

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#9 2005-03-22 21:15:42

phrakture
Arch Overlord
From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
Website

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

eerok wrote:

I know fluxbox uses some different libraries, but what's wrong with blackbox?

for a long time, blackbox was dead, I guess... wasn't being developed anymore... in that time, fluxbox gained alot of features (try fluxbox-devel... that's version 0.9.X, not 0.1.14)

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#10 2005-03-22 21:56:34

eerok
Member
From: Canada
Registered: 2005-03-20
Posts: 171

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

Ah, thx ... I thought it might be because blackbox went dead, but then I heard reports of a new version ...

I really suck at keeping on top of all the news  lol


noobus in perpetuus

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#11 2005-03-22 22:36:09

iphitus
Forum Fellow
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2004-10-09
Posts: 4,927

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

Simplified explanation i wrote ages ago:

http://mandrakeusers.org/index.php?showtopic=16264

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#12 2005-03-22 23:44:27

phrakture
Arch Overlord
From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
Website

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

nicely put iphitus - you should post that in the "Desktop Environments" as a sticky, or in the wiki... it's a very nice explaination

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#13 2005-03-22 23:52:25

Dusty
Schwag Merchant
From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Registered: 2004-01-18
Posts: 5,986
Website

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

hey Phrakture, iphitus has more posts at the Mandrake Users forum than you do here. Hahahahahaha!

iphitus: He's right, this would look good in the wiki, if you have time to convert it.

Dusty

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#14 2005-03-23 00:39:45

phrakture
Arch Overlord
From: behind you
Registered: 2003-10-29
Posts: 7,879
Website

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

Dusty wrote:

hey Phrakture, iphitus has more posts at the Mandrake Users forum than you do here. Hahahahahaha!

wow

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#15 2005-03-23 08:37:55

iphitus
Forum Fellow
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: 2004-10-09
Posts: 4,927

Re: Window Manager vs. Desktop Manager

Hehe, yeah, I used arch linux for months before I joined here and I only started checking here frequently at the start of this year.

Anyway, that page is wikified.
http://wiki2.archlinux.org/index.php/Wi … %20they%3F
Maybe I shoulda chosen a smaller name lol.

Offtopic: I have written a fluxbox faq,
http://aslan.no-ip.com/~iphitus/fluxbox.php

and a winmodem howto:
http://aslan.no-ip.com/~iphitus/linmodems.php

reckon I should wikify them too?

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