![]() With a name like "Awesome" who needs an explanation? Here's one anyways. Now that you're well-versed on the types of Window Managers out there, let's take a look at some of the more popular implementations of these different WM types.įirst up is AwesomeWM. Basically, you can stack your application windows with added effects like drop shadows and transparencies. Even more simply put, it uses magic to give your windows some visual pizazz out of the box. Without requiring you to have a computer science degree, we'll explain it this way: Compositing WM's utilize a newer method of processing the on-screen rendering of application windows by using a special off-screen buffer to handle sweet effects and eye candy. Stack some papers on that nice IKEA desk of yours and you'll get the idea.ģ) Compositing Window Managers: Tricky to explain but worth the mention. Though, most tiling window managers these days still allow you to "stack" windows as you'll read below.Ģ) Stacking Window Managers: The most popular approach, which emulates a physical desktop where files and folders can be stacked on top of each other. Essentially, there are three types of Window Managers and they're categorized by how they display and render your application windows:ġ) Tiling Window Managers: A WM that "tiles" application windows by default, like a ceramic floor tile, rather than overlapping them on your screen. OK, first let's talk about the different kinds of Window Managers out there. We'll hopefully save you some trial and error here, or at least give you a kickstart. Picking a WM can be tough - trust us, there are tons of choices out there. If you answered "yes" to three or more of the questions above, you may want to try using one of the Window Managers we'll explore shortly. Sure, you could use the cop-out response and say "It depends on the user's preference." However, not to pretend we're in the presidential debate or anything, but we're going to answer that question with more questions:ġ) Do you want your user interface to be lightweight?Ģ) Do you want a very high level of customization in your UI?ģ) Do you like to hack on configuration files and do a lot of tweaking?ĥ) Do you dislike conforming to an OS's strict design and layout rules? (Fight the system!) ![]() This is a fundamental question that even IBM's Watson would have trouble answering. Why use a Window Manager over a Desktop Environment? That is, they provide a method to start an application, move a window around, resize your application window and close said window. WM's are often designed to be highly customizable via configuration files or graphical settings tools, and typically do a single job: managing your application windows. Said differently, a Desktop Environment also provides a Window Manager.īy subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy.Ī Window Manager, on the other hand, has the much more streamlined task of simply managing how you interact with your application windows without all of the extra bloat. And of course, a DE provides a means to manage your currently open application windows. Think Windows' Explorer or OS X's Finder. They often come with a desktop shell, which is a place to hold your fancy shortcut icons, as well as other tools such as file managers. DEs typically provide a handful of applications bundled together to accomplish tasks in a graphical manner as opposed to using the command line. The difference between Window Managers and Desktop Environments is pretty simple - like kindergarten-style, stay within the lines while coloring simple.Ī Desktop Environment is a fully featured graphical user interface to aid with the interaction with your operating system. Desktops Environments and Window Managers, So what's the difference anyways? Catch us after the break to join the age-old battle of choosing your GUI. We're going to get you up to speed on what each of these actually are, some reasons why you'd want to choose a WM over a DE, as well as some of the options you have among the Window Managers out there. When you boil this topic down on the basic level, you've got two choices: Use a fully featured Desktop Environment (DE) with tons of bells and whistles, or alternatively you can use a slimmed-down and streamlined Window Manager (WM). When using Linux, or just about any open source operating system out there for that matter, there's a proverbial Santa's knapsack of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) available.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |