I'm sure these questions has been asked, and answered before, but I cannot get 'search' to find it for me. Could someone please refer me to link that explains basic differences between:
XFCE
Gnome
LXDE
KDE
Fluxbox
I'm ready to buy CD-ROM or DVD, and no idea which version to get,so need to study this more. Also, anyone have opinion on which version is easier for a new guy to Linux to teach himself?

My other question:
Is there simple/easy way to find out which 'kernal' designation is being used in any given distro...say for example, 'Ultimate Edition 2.7'?

Checkout this link: http://www.suite101.com/content/choo...nments-a201598

Your list does not list Linux distributions, it lists out the desktop managers and environments. As you are very new to Linux, that may be more than you need at this point. There are various distributions aimed at new users: Ubuntu, Kubuntu or Linux Mint are good start points. They can all be run as live distributions (this means that you can run them from the CD/DVD without installing them) and you should test a few to see which is the most comfortable fit for you.

www.distrowatch.com is pretty much the go-to place to get an idea of what each distribution offers.

This may help too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...p_environments

To find out which kernel a particular version of a particular distro is using, you might want to visit that distro's website.

By the way, you don't have to buy the CDs/DVDs. You can legally download almost all of the distributions and give them a try. So you can decide for yourself which distribution with which desktop environment is the best for you.
If you later want to donate to a distribution you like, you can still buy the CD/DVD.

GNOME 2, Xfce, and LXDE are pretty similar in feel. GNOME 2 is the most bloated but has the most features and bundled apps, followed by Xfce, followed by LXDE (the lightest, but with the least amount of features).

GNOME 3 works completely differently form any other desktop. Basically, the main desktop is much cleaner, and it doesn't have a "minimize" function. But when you move your mouse into the top-left corner, an overlay covers the desktop and lets you lauch programs and organize windows inot groups that you can switch between. I tried it from mthe live CD on their site, and it seems pretty neat, but I don't know how I'd like it in the long run since I only played with it for a few minutes.

KDE is more like a traditional desktop, but is very heavyweight and has a lot of eye candy and bundled apps.

Fluxbox is not a desktop, it's just a window manager. No bundled apps, not even desktop icons (note that you can use a separate application for that, if you really want desktop icons). Very minimalist. By far lighter on resources than any of the other choices you listed.

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By the way, if you're looking at Ubuntu 11.04 (which is scheduled for release on April 28), it uses the Unity desktop which is also very different from GNOME2, XFCE, and LXDE

My question was a 'two-parter', which maybe was not as clear as it could of been. For the first part, I'm aware these are not distros. I've already settled on Linux Mint, Ultimate Edition, etc., to try out and see which I like best. This first part of the question was only aimed at getting info on which version (Gnome,KDE,Xfce, etc.)CD/DVD to buy...these are the differences I'm not clear on.

Second part of the question was to find (hopefully easy) way to discover which 'kernal' is being used on any given distro. Although I cannot give specific examples, I have on occasion needed to know this, and only found out by accident, or with much effort!

But this much I already know. I'm looking for something to help me decide which CD or DVD to buy of my chosen distros, as most come in Gnome, and at least KDE. Some add Xfce, LDXE,Fluxbox, and Universal. Now I think Fluxbox has something to do with emulators/virtualization...way too much for me to deal with, so that one I cross off. Universal edition I hear is censored/abridged, so thats out! This leaves Gnome, KDE, Xfce,& LDXE; I need to know enough about these, and how they compare, to choose one.

The differences bwtween DEs (desktop enviroments) and WMs (window managers) could fill a small book.

You can get a CD/DVD with whatever desktop and then try the others after you have installed if you want.

Kernel, not that I can say much about other peoples spelling.

The easiest way to check what kernel a distro/version comes with is to check distrowatch-

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=mint

Its not always 100% accurate though.

You don't have to purchase a CD or DVD. You can download any of the configurations that interest you and try them for free. You just have to burn the ISO file to a CD or DVD yourself.

Nobody can tell you which window manager to use. You may like one that another person doesn't like and vice versa. Just try them all and make up your own mind.

I have printed out the wiki article and will study it closely.

I've tried looking over "distro's website". Sometimes its easy to find, sometimes its well hidden, and sometimes its too well hidden (or non-existent). It all depends on the distro...sorta like with finding hardware info!

It's also worth noting that any current distro is "snapshot" of the stable software at the time - so the kernel it comes with is not necessarily going to be the most up to date - that is easily fixed with a simple online update however.

If yo have a good graphics card, a decent amount of memory and a recent processor, KDE or Gnome would be very comfortable on that system. Lighter WMs such as XFCE, Fluxbox, LXDE etc are designed to run well on older, less powerful systems. However, that is not a rule nor is it set in stone - you may find that you prefer a lighter environment despite having a more powerful PC. One of the strengths of Linux is that there is a lot of choice and no one will make you prefer one thing over another. I've tested stacks of distros and a number of DEs and WMs and have settled on LXDE/Openbox. That is purely because a) I have an older system and b) I prefer it

I thought that Xfce and Lxde are actually DEs, not WMs? That is probably splitting hairs though....

I'm in a similar position- I like KDE 4.X, but I'm using Xfce more and more, even on the machines I have with more than enough power to run KDE 4.X.

DE choice might also depend on what programs you use. I can't live without Kaffeine, Amarok and K3B so KDE is a must have.