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Intro to Linux Window Manager & Desktop Environment (Gnome, KDE, Xfce, xmonad, …)

Xah Lee, , …,

This page is a overview of Window Managers and Linux Desktop Environments, with instruction on how to install them.

What's the difference between Desktop, Window Manager, X11?

The term Shell, or Linux GUI Shell, is sometimes used to refer to a core part of Desktop Environment.

Almost all linux GUI apps are written using either Gnome's libary the “GTK+ toolkit”, or KDE's library the “Qt framework”. For most linux GUI app, you have to check which lib it's from. For example, the apps in Ubuntu are mostly GTK+ based apps.

What are the popular {Window Managers, Desktops} for Linux?

See also: Linux DeskTop Overview 2012 (X11, CDE, KDE, Gnome, Unity, Xfce, …)

How to install/switch to a different linux desktop?

Just install it, then re-login. In the login panel, there's a menu to let you choose from installed desktops or Window Managers.

To install:

similar for others. Do apt-cache search ‹name› to find the proper package name.

On RedHat/Fedora based linux, use YUM to install. yum is the command-line package-management utility for RPM-compatible Linux, similar to Debian-based linux's apt-get (Advanced Packaging Tool).

Example of using yum: sudo yum install xmonad-gnome.

(thanks to Jeff Weiss)

{Unity, KDE 4, Gnome 3} = Fancy

Ubuntu Unity 5.12 2012-april 2
Ubuntu's Unity 5.12 interface, 2012 April. img src

Unity and GNOME 3's UI are bleeding-edge, “simplified”, “smart”. Basically, they tried to innovate, and threw-away the classic desktop metaphor. The new UI is often more suitable to mom & pop computer-illiterates, but annoying for those who know what they are doing. When Apple innovates UI, it usually works. But when linux folks try …

Linus switched to GNOME when KDE turned into fancy shit with KDE 4. Then GNOME 3 became fancy shit, so he switched to Xfce.

Old Machine? Use Light-weight Desktop: Xfce, LXDE

If you hate the fancy UI, or prefer a classic, standard UI that doesn't suck the blood out of your old GPU, then use Xfce or LXDE.

xfce desktop screenshot 2012-10-15
xfce desktop. (the taskbar has been slightly customized.) 〔☛ Xah Linux Box Config

Xfce

LXDE

According to Wikipedia, LXDE beats Xfce in minimal memory consumption, while Xfce is similar to GNOME 2.

since GNOME moved to GNOME 3, leaving GNOME 2 dead in the water, some people forked GNOME 2 and is now named MATE (desktop environment).

Window Manager Only, Absolute Minimum Light Weight

Xfce and LXDE are light-weight, but they are still Desktops, with bundled GUI apps chosen for you. The following are bare minimum Window Managers. They are usable only if you know linux well.

Openbox

Openbox. sudo apt-get install openbox

No desktop, no taskbar, no menu, no nothing. Once installed and in Openbox, the screen is complete blank except a text terminal. Right click on the blank screen to get a context menu. Use 【Alt+Tab ↹】 to see opened apps.

Not recommended.

tried Openbox, decided it's unusuable, reboot back to xfce, but the wm is f�cked. Mouse/touchpad doesn't work anymore. Basic keys such as 【Alt+Tab ↹】 or 【Alt+Space】don't work. This means, i can't switch windows/apps, can't resize/move/hide windows, can't see a list of windows. The only thing you got that works is a small-window terminal. (lucky me!)

mv ~/.cache ~/.cache_old, then sudo shutdown -r now, solved it.

Other minimal ones, probably similar:

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