Desktop & Window Mangers
 

Okay, I seem to be having a hard time with the different desktop and window managers.

I have pretty much decided I don't like GNOME as a desktop, it wants to take too much control over everything.

I love the WindowMaker window manager, but hate using it with GNOME. I want to get rid of GNOME, but I'd like to keep some of the nice apps that come with it, but the last time I wiped out GNOME, it took out some libraries that were required for other GNOME applications.

I guess my question is, what is the best desktop manager to use with WindowMaker? From what I've read here already, I think some are confused as to what the difference is between with a desktop manager and a window manager. According to the docs with WindowMaker, WindowMaker is a window manager, NOT a desktop manager, and some here have made the comment to use WM as your environment, not GNOME. Well you can't do that, you must have a desktop environment.

If I wipe out GNOME again, what should I use in conjunction with WM? :confused:

Actually, you're incorrect in thinking that you must use a desktop environment with a window manager. Take a look at www.plig.org for basic definition of each.

You can run Gnome applications under WindowMaker, as long as you have that application and the Gnome libraries installed. The case is the same for KDE apps. WindowMaker (or Blackbox, IceWM, twm, fvwm, etc) will function perfectly fine without having Gnome or KDE installed. You have to remember that some of these window managers were being used before Gnome or KDE even existed, so it doesn't make any sense to say Gnome or KDE must be installed (and used in conjunction with a window manager.)


Speck