Linux User Interfaces and Environments

One can choose amongst many user-interfaces on Linux. One can simply choose a window manager, or choose a whole "environment" including window manager, supporting applets, and even office suites. The two leading contenders in the latter category are KDE and GNOME...

KDE

KDE is based on the Qt library, is now releasing "alpha" version of Version 2.0, and includes a full-featured office suite, including a frames-based wordprocessor which is capable of simple DTP, which whilst not finished is definitely usable (I used it). The suite includes a wordprocessor, spreadsheet, database app., presentation app., drawing app., and even a graphical front end to LaTeX.

(There were alleged potential licence problems as Qt was not free; this has all been sorted out now.)

GNOME

I quote: "The GNOME project was born as an effort to create an entirely free desktop environment for free systems. From the start, the main objective of GNOME has been to provide a user friendly suite of applications and an easy-to-use desktop.

As with most GNU programs, GNOME has been designed to run on all modern strains of Unix-like operating systems.

GNOME is chock-full of cutting edge technologies. Network transparent component technology using CORBA, extensive use of XML..."

For a full introduction see the info on the GNOME site.

If you have a fast link to the Internet you can do an autodownload/install of the GNOME base and selected apps thanks to Helix.

Simpler Alternatives

An alternative to these "environments" is to use a "simple" window-manager such as fvwm2; it's "a very powerful ICCCM-compliant multiple virtual desktop window manager for the X Window system", and is considerably less of a resource-hog than either KDE or GNOME.

True minimalists will use TWM which comes with every(?) distribution/implementation of X-windows.

Or if you are on the bleeding edge you might try the text-based "command-line". This is good for machines mainly used as servers :-)

For further information on window-managers and environments try themes.org.