Unix Hub // Operating Systems // GNU/Linux v // The Difference Between Desktop Environments (DE's) and Window Managers (WM's)

NeoTerra
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The Difference Between Desktop Environments (DE's) and Window Managers (WM's)

Desktop Environments:


  • Desktop environments are comprehensive GUI front-ends. Essentially DE is what you have in Windows and Mac OS's, where settings can be changed with a GUI interface. DE's also include their own window manager, file manager, login manager, tray applet, clocks, network config applets, power management options, icon packs, themes, etc.
  • Desktop environments are more user friendly as little work has to be done with the command line in order to change settings.
  • Desktop environments come with a range of pre-installed programs beyond the usual system applets. Examples of these would include OpenOffice (word processing), Abiword (word processing), VLC player (media player), Amarok (music player), KOffice (office suite), Chromium (web browser), Firefox (web browser), etc.
  • Desktop Environments are usually more resource intensive, as a lot of the work is done behind the scenes (running login managers, file managers, etc).

Examples of Desktop Environments:


  • GNOME: GNOME stands for GNU Network Object Model Environment, and was one of the first DE's to be made along with the GNU project. It tends to be fairly resource intensive. GNOME typically caters toward netbooks, and recently with the Unity version, aims to mimic tablet interfaces. Typical GNOME desktop:
    Spoiler:
    [Image: GNOMEDesktop.jpg]
  • KDE: KDE is the other most popular desktop environment. A little bit more resource intensive than GNOME, KDE is the desktop environment that most resembles Windows/Mac GUI's. KDE is a wordplay on Common Desktop Environment. Typical KDE desktop:
    Spoiler:
    [Image: KDEDesktop.jpg]
  • Xfce: Xfce is another popular yet more "lightweight" DE. It uses the GTK+ toolkit and is based in C. Xfce is less resource intensive than GNOME/KDE, but is still significantly more resource intensive than NOT using a DE. The Xfce name is derived from the XForms Common Environment. Typical Xfce desktop:
    Spoiler:
    [Image: 800px-XFCE-4.10-Desktop.png]
  • LXDE: LXDE, standing for Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment is a "lightweight" DE. Although it boasts to be lightweight, LXDE is still more resource intensive than no DE at all, and tends to be the least responsive DE in my experience. Typical LXDE desktop:
    Spoiler:
    [Image: 799px-LXDE_desktop_full.png]

Window Managers:


  • Window managers are simply what they sound like: a window manager. Window managers simply provide a GUI for programs: the close, minimize, and maximize buttons are examples of that a WM adds to a program.
  • Launch menus are also included in some WM's. For example in Fluxbox, the default config is that when a user right clicks, a menu will show up with a list of categorized programs.
  • Window managers are highly customizable, and allow the user to tweak his system to his needs.
  • Unlike desktop environments, window managers do not include all other moving parts of the GUI. Usually a WM only consists of providing menus and buttons, and occasionally a tray applet. Login managers, GUI front-ends for system settings, and other GUI related apps must be installed separately.
  • Stacking Window managers. Stacking window managers (or floating window managers) draw all windows in a specific order, allowing them to overlap using a technique called the painter's algorithm. This is what you see in Windows/Mac GUI's, where windows can be stacked on top of each other, usually in a specific order.
  • Tiling window managers. Tiling window managers organize windows into non-overlapping areas instead of the usual stacking method. This gives the desktop a more 2D look.
  • There are thousands of WM's, it would be impossible to list them all in this thread.

Examples of Window Managers:


  • Openbox: Openbox is a popular WM out of the literally thousands of WM's out there. A stacking minimalist WM, it tends to be a favourite for performance and appearance. An offshoot of Openbox is Fluxbox. Example of highly customized Openbox desktop based on the Elementary theme.
    Spoiler:
    [Image: 800px-Openbox-elementary3.png]
  • DWM: dwm is a dynamic, tiling window manager that exhibits the principles of minimalism. An offshoot of dwm is the awesome WM. A dwm setup showing some tiled terminals in the background:
    Spoiler:
    [Image: 800px-Dwm-shot.png]
  • awesome wm: A tiling WM based of dwm. An awesome setup showing multiple terminal windows open.
    Spoiler:
    [Image: 750px-Awesome_screenshot.png]
  • There are hundreds if not thousands of other WM's such as: fvwm, ratpoison, icewm, and Enlightenment.

--I hope you found this distinction useful in your linux/*nix endeavours.--
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Post: #1 // 21-07-2012
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Test-Run
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HQ as always.
But doesn't it belong in the Screen-shots, Wallpapers, Configurations, Customization and Xorg related configurations section?
I don't doubt you.


Test-Run

We make mistakes, because we are humans,
that is something we can't be proud of.
But we are more then just humans, we are geeks
and that is something to be proud of.


Introduction/Contributions:
http://forums.unixhub.net/showthread.php?tid=27
Post: #2 // 22-07-2012
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NeoTerra
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I don't think so, this is more of a general linux tutorial/explanation. Most noobs wouldn't look under the screen-shot section for this.


Update: I am adding spoilers to the thread to make it cleaner.

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Post: #3 // 22-07-2012
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CrossFold
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Nice tutorial NeoTerra. Spoilers don't work I think ? Or maybe its just me..
Post: #4 // 24-07-2012
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NeoTerra
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(24-07-2012 08:51 AM)CrossFold Wrote:  Nice tutorial NeoTerra. Spoilers don't work I think ? Or maybe its just me..

They don't work for some reason. I'll have to look into that. They work on my other posts.

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Dyzaster
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This is very nice, i get this question alot and i think i will just start to link this to them instead of explaining it myself. You simplified the answer very well.


Also, Spoilers are working for me.

I am The Dyzaster. I am not an "Anon" My Avatar represents my beliefs, it does not mean that i'm an UB3R HAX0R who Ddos's websites while my mommie makes me a sammich.


I Deleted System32 out of Linux so my OS runs faster then yours.
Post: #6 // 19-11-2012
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NeoTerra
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(19-11-2012 06:31 PM)Dyzaster Wrote:  This is very nice, i get this question alot and i think i will just start to link this to them instead of explaining it myself. You simplified the answer very well.

Also, Spoilers are working for me.

No problem.

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Post: #7 // 19-11-2012
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bash
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http://xwinman.org/


This site has all the WMs compatible with X.


Great thread Neo
Post: #8 // 20-11-2012
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