Re: kde or gnome?

[Mike Werner <reznaeous@earthlink.net>]

Ian Zimmerman wrote:
<snipped>
> I tried both KDE and Gnome; in fact I tried installing Gnome multiple
> times, and always came to the same conclusion (which is: I run KDE :).
> The problem I have with Gnome is a bit subtle, and not obvious to
> someone who's installing Linux or even a Linux GUI for the first time
> and deciding between what's out there.
> 
> Namely, Gnome does not include its own window manager; KDE does.
> Gnome depends on hooks for Gnome support compiled into an external
> window manager, and at present the only window manager with full
> support for Gnome seems to be Enlightenment, AKA `E'.

Also sawfish (aka The Window Manager Formerly Known As Sawmill), which is
the one I use with Gnome.

For me, the seperation of the window manager is a positive point.  I like to
fiddle. ::grin::  I've gone through quite a few wm's during the time I've
used Linux.  Currently, I'm on Gnome/Sawfish, but there's a better than even
chance that over the next year or so I'll try out a few more.

> And E is a _HOG_.  I mean, it's a hogggg.  There seems to be no easy
> way to make it not use bitmap textures for everything imaginable on
> the screen, including caption bars and even menus.  The results are
> predictable.  With KDE, the entire Linux boot sequence is still much
> faster than Windoze; with Gnome and E, it's a toss-up :-(  That's on a
> 32M/P160 machine, which doesn't strike me as minimalistic.

Agreed - E is a hog.  There are wm's that are lighter than sawfish, but I
find sawfish to be quite acceptable.  I'm currently on a PII300, but not too
long ago was on a P166 - both machines with 64 megs RAM - and found sawfish
to work reasonably well on both machines.

But what it all comes down to, really, is what works best for *you*.  That's
one of the things that I *really* like about Linux - you've got the choices
out there.
-- 
Mike Werner  KA8YSD   | He that is slow to believe anything and
                      | everything is of great understanding,
'91 GS500E            | for belief in one false principle is the
Morgantown WV         | beginning of all unwisdom.