Gnome vs. KDE

Ah! Figured out how to switch between window managers, or desktop environments, or whatever these things are called. After looking all the heck over the place within the KDE options, it turns out you select it as you're logging in -- you just have to click the button at the bottom of the screen.

According to my Linux magazine, there's an ongoing debate between window managers, with Gnome and KDE being the two most popular. Each has their foundational orientation: KDE for mega-options, Gnome for being streamlined.

Based on the descriptions of each that I'd read, I'd always figured myself to be a Gnome-type guy. But now that I actually use them and look at them, I can see why KDE has such appeal. In brief, (1) it acts more like recent versions of Windows, whereas Gnome is more bare-bones-y, and (2) it has some nice newbie-friendly touches, like making it easier to get to your various drives, whereas in Gnome you have to poke arond for a bit.

Because of this, I've set The Lady's account to default to KDE. Mine is set for Gnome, because it does load a heck of a lot faster. And -- near as I can tell -- all the menu items are there.

Time will tell.


--GG

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POST-SCRIPT: Under Gnome, I just couldn't figure out how to un-mount my USB key. Found a list of devices and drives, but it didn't seem to contain any ''un-mounting'' options. Switched over to KDE, and figured it out within about 30 seconds: Went to the ''Devices'' desktop icon; right-clicked on the ''removable storage device'' icon; and chose the ''un-mount device'' option.

But, in all fairness: Did a quick web search on how to un-mount USB keys via Gnome, and discovered that the Gnome version included with Mandriva 2006 is fairly outdated: 2.1, rather than 2.6 (current), or even 2.4 (reasonably recent). This kind of makes sense, since KDE (version 3.4) is the default environment - - but it appears that newer versions of Gnome now also have some useful ‘’go here’’ desktop icons.

And, the Gnome task bar at the top of the screen that I would occasionally manage to (accidentally) produce appears to be standard in more recent versions of Gnome.

So, not a completely fair test: a recent version of KDE, versus a mouldy version of Gnome. I'll have to install Ubuntu (which defaults to Gnome) on the mega-tower, and see how I like it.

But -- not tonight. ;)


--GG