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LinuxNoob2 09-24-2013 06:44 PM

Looking for a certain OS
 
I've been learning about Linux recently and I had a friend with a nice OS (I believe that's what it's called) for Linux . Anyways, It has no icons, no toolbars and the background takes up the whole page until a command prompt goes upwards, but only one line up. I can't really explain because I am the very new at Linux and trying to learn. Could someone identify the OS he has?

smallpond 09-24-2013 07:03 PM

That must be the new system. My system has a card punch and reader.

Sumguy 09-24-2013 08:01 PM

Maybe Arch Linux with Openbox?

Ztcoracat 09-24-2013 08:02 PM

Hi: LinuxNoob2-:)

Did you by any chance get a look at the OS's DE?
From your description it sounds like it might be Arch Linux.
Aside from that w/o any icons, toolbars etc. it could be that your friend may have had the terminal open or was running his OS in console mode--

There is an amazing number of distributions so your description is hard to determine.
You can benifit from viewing them at http://distrowatch.com/

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=arch
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?dis...ion=elementary

cascade9 09-25-2013 04:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LinuxNoob2 (Post 5034130)
I've been learning about Linux recently and I had a friend with a nice OS (I believe that's what it's called) for Linux . Anyways, It has no icons, no toolbars and the background takes up the whole page until a command prompt goes upwards, but only one line up.

'Linux' is just the kernel, the desktop (could be from a 'desktop enviroment', 'DE', or a 'window manager', 'WM') is provided by other software.

In most cases, you can not tell what linux vesion is being used just from the desktop enviroment/window manager, as you can run almost all DEs/WMs on most linux distrobutions.

It could well be openbox, like Ztcoracat and Sumguy have guessed, but there is no way of knowing which distro is being used.

brianL 09-25-2013 04:42 AM

Another possibility: with some desktop environments, you can autohide the panels (the thin strips containing menus and icons at the top and/or bottom of the screen) so that they only show when the mouse-cursor is over them. See if you can get more information from your friend.

TobiSGD 09-25-2013 07:32 AM

To get a feeling how far you can go with customizing your desktop environment/window manager and what is possible you might want to have a look at the threads in the Linux - Screenshots subforum.

Firerat 09-25-2013 07:41 AM

I guess you could always just ask your friend.

rtmistler 09-25-2013 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firerat (Post 5034489)
I guess you could always just ask your friend.

My thoughts exactly. And further, your friend can help you installing and configuring the same OS. Cautionary note, you're picking an OS based on "some amount of time observing someone else", but as you've said; you're new to Linux and learning.

That said, what you saw appears to have been a command prompt.

TroN-0074 09-25-2013 08:44 AM

Anyway for your description that can be any OS using OpenBox windows manager. you can install OpenBox in the distro you are currently using and just log into it.

FluxBox is another windows manager you can use with lots of similarities to OpenBox
you could also check out BlackBox. Perhaps you already have TWM in your computer you can log int to that

Tell us what OS you are using and we can tell you how to get set up with one of these minimalist windows manager

Good luck to you

Sumguy 09-25-2013 10:02 AM

Wait! I'll bet the friend was running Xmonad as his DE! (Which can be run, as others have pointed out, under many different Linux distros).

OP, Google/Youtube "Xmonad" and see if that looks like what you saw....bet it is!

LinuxNoob2 09-25-2013 04:02 PM

I'm believe I'm going to learn and try to replicate this myself in arch...

Ztcoracat 09-25-2013 06:59 PM

Good luck to you; LinuxNoob2 on whatever distribution you decide upon-

Still curious what distro this is that your friend is running.
So; kindly, If you have time; ask your friend; share it with us so we can know what OS it is:-

Habitual 09-25-2013 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LinuxNoob2 (Post 5034830)
I'm believe I'm going to learn and try to replicate this myself in arch...

That's the ticket!
Very Admirable.


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