KDE / GNOME Issue

Stephanie · 06-28-2001, 10:49 AM

Out of curiosity, I only use KDE as my desktop. I know I can delete GNOME from my system, but would doing so make it so KDE no longer has the reqiured libraries to run GNOME based programs? Or are the libraries built into KDE?

Also, how does one find out which window manager KDE is using?

trickykid · 06-28-2001, 10:52 AM

KDE is unlike GNOME which requires a Window Manager for it to run on, so I guess you would say it runs off of KDE.
I think if you did remove GNOME, it would affect the GNOME based programs.

GonzoJohn · 06-28-2001, 12:38 PM

I could be mistaken but,

KDE does require a window manager. The latest versions of KDE use KWin, pre 2.x versions used kwm.

(http://www.kde.org/documentation/faq/windowmanager.html)

Since GNOME is based on GTK libraries and KDE is based on QT libraries, you shouldn't have much crossover.

trickykid · 06-28-2001, 12:45 PM

Well all desktop enviroments need a window manager, what I meant to say is that unlike GNOME which builds its environment from other opensource window managers, KDE does not and it developes its own as far as I know of.
But I think your right, it uses Kwin or something like that. Unlike GNOME which can use Sawfish , or enlightenment.....

GonzoJohn · 06-28-2001, 12:50 PM

Not to split hairs ;-)

I've seen KDE 2.x run with Windowmanager as the WM. I've not configured it myself however.

GNOME, since it is part of GNU, has the luxury (my own opinion) of being able to use multiple WMs that are part of the GNU project, like Windowmaker, E, Sawfish and such.

I know, I know, I'm not trying to start a KDE/GNOME war. Just getting facts straight.

trickykid · 06-28-2001, 12:56 PM

Oh that is cool, I am sure anything is possible. I didn't know you could get KDE with a different WM, but hey, its linux, anything is possible right.

That is one reason I like GNOME, it seems more flexible at times. Though after getting KDE 2, I haven't found myself booting into GNOME as often anymore.

gizmola · 06-29-2001, 02:55 AM

Yeah the main issue with KDE from the open source purist camp was that the underlying GUI library called Qt is owned by a company called Trolltech. As Qt is a partly commercial product, even with the allowance by Trolltech for it's free use, enough people were unhappy at the situation, to create the gnome project as an alternative.

GonzoJohn · 06-29-2001, 10:49 AM

Just to close the book on the whole KDE/GNOME thing, Qt is now GPL-ed, so everyone should be happy ;-)