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VectorLinux 6.0 Desktop Environments
and Window Managers |
CONTENTS
1. IntroductionNewcomers to Linux are often confused by the variety of various desktops available to Linux. MS Windows and Apple provide only one. The attraction of Linux to some, is its variety. There is a "look" for every taste and a "usable desktop" for everything from very old 486 computers to modern expensive gaming computers. What probably confuses newbies the most is the fact that Linux makes a distinction between a "desktop environment" (DE) and a "window manager" (WM). The former tends to include GUI utilities to easily alter the look of the desktop, automatically update the menu on installation of new applications, provide small useful auxiliary applications and some system configuration tools. The latter however, only creates the window borders on applications and manages movements of windows on the screen. Window Managers by themselves may not provide desktop icons, may not auto update their menu and may not provide GUI tools to change the look of the desktop. However, otherwise they are as configurable as desktop environments but the user sometimes must edit their configuration files by hand, rather than using a GUI tool. We recommend that newbies stick to either the KDE DE when using SOHO or xfce when using Standard. Both these DE's provide facilities for automatic menu updating, easy maintenance of desktop icons and easy to use GUI utilities for changing the look of your desktop. The other environments are less intuitive for the beginner. To satisfy all tastes VectorLinux provides a variety of DE's and WM's, depending on the version of VL:
Notice that each DE-WM link above points to the specific website for each application where full documentation is available that would answer any question you have. The sections below will summarize very briefly the most important concerns newbies have raised on how to deal with each DE-WM, specifically as they would apply to VectorLinux. Where to find the main configuration files and utilities is also listed below. 2. KDE Desktop EnvironmentKDE is supplied with the VL SOHO Edition. KDE and Gnome (not provided by VL) are considered to be the two dominant, heavyweight and most fully-featured desktop environments now in use on most Linux systems around the world. The KDE desktop is relatively similar to that provided by MS Windows Vista. It requires a reasonably modern computer with about 512MB of RAM to run effectively. It can run with just 256MB of RAM but when other large applications are opened your machine may begin to slow considerably. KDE's desktop and its icons can quickly be configured by using one right mouse-button click when the cursor is on the desktop and using that context menu. The KDE Panel can be configured likewise by right-clicking on the panel. Other configuring of the system and its environment can be accomplished by KDE Menu, Control Centre. The configuration options in the control center can keep a hacker busy for months! 3. Fluxbox Window ManagerFluxbox is supplied as an alternative, lighter weight window manager with the VL SOHO 5.9.1 Edition. At the login screen click the "Session" button and choose Fluxbox. Right-clicking on a Fluxbox desktop raises the Applications Menu. There are no desktop icons under Fluxbox but wbar (an animated MacOSX-like launch bar) may be included. Right clicking the Fluxbox panel gives you panel configuration options. In the Menu there is also a "Fluxbox" section where you may alter some Fluxbox settings. Right clicking the top bar on any application window enables complete control over that window itself - often more control than provided by any other DE or WM. Note that neither HAL nor vl-hot will produce desktop icons or raise any windows to enable GUI configuration of any newly attached hardware devices or drives. You will have to determine at what mount point these devices have been mounted and then use the file manager to navigate to them. Please read the Mounting Devices Guide. To configure other aspects of Fluxbox or to edit the Menu you edit fluxbox configuration files which are found in your ~/.fluxbox directory (where "~" represents your home directory, e.g. /home/larry/.fluxbox). Fluxbox config files are:
4. xfce Desktop Environmentxfce is supplied with VL6.0 Standard and VL5.9 Live Standard as the default desktop environment. xfce is less resource intensive than either KDE or Gnome, yet still provides all desktop utilities that most Windows and Mac users would expect. Right-clicking on an xfce desktop raises the Applications Menu. Right clicking the xfce panel give you panel config options. Right-clicking on any desktop icon gives you options for adding more icons, editing that icon and changing the desktop background. The xfce menu is updated when new, properly packaged applications are installed. Both HAL and vl-hot work well with xfce and appropriate icons are created or appropriate applications are launched when you attach new hardware to your machine (i.e. digital cameras, external drives, etc.). Further tweaking of the xfce desktop is done via its extensive "Settings Menu". 5. LXDE lightweight Desktop EnvironmentLXDE is supplied with VL6.0 Standard. To use it you click the "Session" tab on the login screen and choose LXDE rather than the default xfce. LXDE is faster and takes less system resources than xfce, but as a consequence is not as easily configurable by the novice user. Right-clicking on an LXDE desktop raises the LXDE Settings Menu. Right clicking the LXDE panel give you panel configuration options. The main menu contains a "Settings" submenu where you can also configure the look of LXDE's desktop. HAL works well with LXDE's file manager (PCManFM) so that when you attach new hardware to your machine (i.e. digital cameras, external drives, etc.) an entry appears in the rightmost panel of the File Manager (double click the "My Documents" icon). Further tweaking of the LXDE desktop is done via editing files in the ~/.config/lxde directory. 6. IceWM Window ManagerIceWM is an attractive, lightweight and fast Linux window manager and is the default manager for VL Light. The developers of VL Light have spent considerable efforts in making IceWM more newbie friendly. They have included the PCManFM desktop and prepared scripts to auto update the menu when requested. HAL works well with PCManFM and therefore attached USB devices will appear in the file manager right hand panel when you double click on the "My Documents" icon. Right-clicking anywhere on the desktop will enable you to control icons and change desktop settings. If you add new applications you need to update the menu by going to Menu, System, Update Menu. You may change your IceWM desktop theme from the main menu. If you want to delve into details of changing IceWM configuration files they are found in ~/.icewm and the relevant files are: keys, menu, startup, theme, toolbar and preferences. See the IceWM documentation. 7. JWM Window ManagerJWM is included with VL Light and VL Live. Of all the DE's-WM's used in various VectorLinux Editions the JWM Window Manager is probably the fastest and uses the least system resources. It is best used on slower, older computer hardware that has minimal RAM. Therefore, it also has the fewest user friendly features. However, the developers of VL Light have spent considerable efforts in making JWM more newbie friendly. They have included the PCManFM desktop and prepared scripts to auto update the menu when requested. HAL works well with PCManFM and therefore attached USB devices will appear in the file manager right hand panel when you double click on the "My Documents" icon. Right-clicking anywhere on the desktop will enable you to control icons and change desktop settings. If you add new applications you need to update the menu by going to Menu, System, Update Menu. To configure anything to do with JWM you will need to edit your ~/.jwmrc file or the files located in the JWM directory (~/.jwm). To do that you will need to read the documentation at the JWM website. |