What's the best windowmanager/Desktop environment for Linux?

[cnhoff]

I use Suse 8.2 at the moment with windowMaker, because i don't like the bloated KDE.

Windowmaker is "only" a windowmanager as i understand it, and although i like it generally, it lacks some features of a full-grown Desktop environment like KDE or Gnome.

So, what are your expiriences/suggestions? What do you use? What about Gnome or other options? I just want to get some input on this, so i can dcide, wether i need something else than WindowMaker

 

[Electrode]

This isn't going to be pretty...

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Heh...

There is no best. I like waimea the best. Sawfish is cool too. Everything else is limiting KDE and Gnome are pretty worthless IMO, if you know how to use a computer. For getting newbies into linux, KDE is nice.

The biggest problem I have with stuff like blackbox, fluxbox, window maker, and lots of other window managers, is that you can't configure the input. Sure you can assign whatever keys to maximize or close windows or whatever, but what if you want to change mouse behavior? Very important (IMO I guess).

 

[Sunner]

If you want something that's lightweight, but still not a PITA to configure(come on now, is it really that exciting having to edit text files to change friggin menu entrie? ), try XFCE.
Or IceWM.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

(come on now, is it really that exciting having to edit text files to change friggin menu entrie? )

Unix is text files! Get used to it!!

 

[n0cmonkey]

I use blackbox because it is easy. I don't want to spend a lot of time configuring anything. I don't need a lot of features or key bindings or anything else. I need simple beause I ain't that bright

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

(come on now, is it really that exciting having to edit text files to change friggin menu entrie? )

Unix is text files! Get used to it!!

Well, there are limits to everything, and I draw the limits for when configuration through text files crosses over from powerful to annoying at WM menus

Heck I love playing around with stuff, so I mess around with lots of programs, installing and uninstalling, and having to change those damn text files for the boxes gets really annoying after a while.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

(come on now, is it really that exciting having to edit text files to change friggin menu entrie? )

Unix is text files! Get used to it!!

Well, there are limits to everything, and I draw the limits for when configuration through text files crosses over from powerful to annoying at WM menus

Heck I love playing around with stuff, so I mess around with lots of programs, installing and uninstalling, and having to change those damn text files for the boxes gets really annoying after a while.

Make a script.

~/scripts/box_menu_add -n New\ Program -e /usr/bin/path_to_new_program

That's a hell of a lot nicer than clicking through heirarchial trees and textboxes and dialog thingamajiggers in some gui program - IMO of course

The power of textfiles only crosses over to annoying when you stop using your imagination

 

[HarryAngel]

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

(come on now, is it really that exciting having to edit text files to change friggin menu entrie? )

Unix is text files! Get used to it!!

Well, there are limits to everything, and I draw the limits for when configuration through text files crosses over from powerful to annoying at WM menus

Heck I love playing around with stuff, so I mess around with lots of programs, installing and uninstalling, and having to change those damn text files for the boxes gets really annoying after a while.

Make a script.

~/scripts/box_menu_add -n New\ Program -e /usr/bin/path_to_new_program

That's a hell of a lot nicer than clicking through heirarchial trees and textboxes and dialog thingamajiggers in some gui program - IMO of course

The power of textfiles only crosses over to annoying when you stop using your imagination

Im with Sunner on this one, even if i prefere textfiles to a large extent it dosent make me cooler if somebody can get the same work done in a shorter time through a gui couple of things to weigh in here. Productivity, time and results.

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: cnhoff
I use Suse 8.2 at the moment with windowMaker, because i don't like the bloated KDE.

Windowmaker is "only" a windowmanager as i understand it, and although i like it generally, it lacks some features of a full-grown Desktop environment like KDE or Gnome.

So, what are your expiriences/suggestions? What do you use? What about Gnome or other options? I just want to get some input on this, so i can dcide, wether i need something else than WindowMaker

I don't really have any *favorite* window manager, but I prefer IceWM because its crisp and simple.

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: Electrode
This isn't going to be pretty...

What kind of window manager is that???

 

[Sunner]

Originally posted by: wizardLRU

Originally posted by: Electrode
This isn't going to be pretty...

What kind of window manager is that???

Ratpoison?

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: wizardLRU

Originally posted by: Electrode
This isn't going to be pretty...

What kind of window manager is that???

Ratpoison?

Each to his own.....

 

[thornc]

The one that suits your needs!!!

I tend to drift beetween xfce, windowmaker and IceWM... but I like the Ximian desktop too!

In the end give a simple WM like BlackBox and I'll be happy!

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: thornc
The one that suits your needs!!!

I tend to drift beetween xfce, windowmaker and IceWM... but I like the Ximian desktop too!

In the end give a simple WM like BlackBox and I'll be happy!

uhmm ... didn't you just post in another thread that the lack odf a standard desktop was a downside of linux??

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: ergeorge

Originally posted by: thornc
The one that suits your needs!!!

I tend to drift beetween xfce, windowmaker and IceWM... but I like the Ximian desktop too!

In the end give a simple WM like BlackBox and I'll be happy!

uhmm ... didn't you just post in another thread that the lack odf a standard desktop was a downside of linux??

LOL, I was just thinking that myself...... That traitor

 

[thornc]

Yes I did, but if you read my last post in there you'll understand what I meant there.

Here I stated what is my personnal tastes, not what I would advice someone else to use, specially someone new to linux!!!

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: HarryAngel

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: BingBongWongFooey

(come on now, is it really that exciting having to edit text files to change friggin menu entrie? )

Unix is text files! Get used to it!!

Well, there are limits to everything, and I draw the limits for when configuration through text files crosses over from powerful to annoying at WM menus

Heck I love playing around with stuff, so I mess around with lots of programs, installing and uninstalling, and having to change those damn text files for the boxes gets really annoying after a while.

Make a script.

~/scripts/box_menu_add -n New\ Program -e /usr/bin/path_to_new_program

That's a hell of a lot nicer than clicking through heirarchial trees and textboxes and dialog thingamajiggers in some gui program - IMO of course

The power of textfiles only crosses over to annoying when you stop using your imagination

Im with Sunner on this one, even if i prefere textfiles to a large extent it dosent make me cooler if somebody can get the same work done in a shorter time through a gui couple of things to weigh in here. Productivity, time and results.

I just illustrated that you can get it done in a shorter amount of time! And more importantly its a more elegant solution imo.

 

[Sunner]

Well, if you want that script to be able to put the menu entries in certain places, say alphabetically, in certain submenus, etc, it's gonna be one huge behemoth of a script eventually.
Granted the feel good factor would be pretty cool once it's all done, but to me, a simply way to edit the menus seems more elegant.

This is one area where most WM's are lacking though, Gnome 2.2 improved on this with their right click->add, but KDE's menu editor is too big and klunky for my liking.
The WM's would do well to do it the same way as Windows IMO, Im no fan of Windows' WM, but that's one thing they've done right IMO.

 

[Nothinman]

come on now, is it really that exciting having to edit text files to change friggin menu entrie

Debian generates all my menus for me.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

come on now, is it really that exciting having to edit text files to change friggin menu entrie

Debian generates all my menus for me.

A feature that annoys the fvck out of me. I suppose it's only saving grace is the fact that you you're not forced to use it

And I think that's what we're talking about here, after all, who wants the huge ass debian menu? (other than you )

 

[Nothinman]

So don't install the 'menu' package.

I don't use the menus often, but when I do it's nice to know that every package I've installed has an entry.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
So don't install the 'menu' package.

I don't use the menus often, but when I do it's nice to know that every package I've installed has an entry.

I don't, but some wm's have it as a "require".

It is a nice idea in theory - my problem with it is that it takes me longer to hunt around to figure where they placed a program in the menu, than it would take to just pop up an xterm and run it.

 

[TheOmegaCode]

I'm at a crossroads when it comes to which I prefer. I really like not having to dig through a convoluted mess, on the other hand I really don't feel like taking the time to organize/create my own menu every time I install a new WM.

Typically, I just bite the bullet and use the default menu. However, when it's a WM I think I'm going to use for a while, I make my own menu...

 

[Nothinman]

It is a nice idea in theory - my problem with it is that it takes me longer to hunt around to figure where they placed a program in the menu, than it would take to just pop up an xterm and run it.

I don't know, the menus make sense to me.

Typically, I just bite the bullet and use the default menu. However, when it's a WM I think I'm going to use for a while, I make my own menu...

I use a little GTK quick-launch type program, it's small, simple and stays out of the way.