Re: A silly question...


Urs Hochstrasser (hochstrasse@ubaclu.unibas.ch)
Thu, 15 Jul 1999 21:54:31 +0200


>What is the difference between the desktop apps (KDE, GNOME), and the window
>manager apps (Enlightenment, Ice, WindowMaker)

Weeelll, here's what I figured out so far:

In the UNIX world a certain way of implementing a desktop seems to
have evolved:
1. The basis is the X-Window system
2. On top of that is a Window Manager (it does just that: manage
windows, plus some optional configuration menus. Examples fvwmn,kwm
(KDE Window Manager), WindowMaker, Enlightenment, IceWM, etc.
3. On top of this is a 'Desktop Environment' like KDE, GNOME, etc.,
based on a specific 'desktop'-library ('QT' for KDE, 'gtk' for GNOME)
3a. an important part of this is the File Manager which places the
icons on the desktop and other things
3b. another: the Panel (with a 'Start'-Like button like
you-know-what, and a lot of menus)

In certain cases this way of organisation allows for some
flexibility: you can use the KDE File Manager under GNOME, in GNOME
you can choose between serveral Window Managers, etc.

Themes are used to customize the visual appearance of
a) the window manager (e.g. Enlightenment Themes)
b) the desktop environment (e.g. 'gtk' Themes)
c) individual applications (e.g. ETerm Themes)

Some call it flexibility others complexity...

Cheers
--Urs

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Urs Hochstrasser hochstrasse@ubaclu.unibas.ch
Botanical Institute, Hebelstrasse 1, CH-4056 BASEL
SWITZERLAND Phone +41 61 267 23 07
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