[tomthedrummer1992]

Hi guys,

What are GNOME, KDE and Xfce desktop environments, what are the differences and how do they work?

Also, when would you use each one? I really don't understand this Linux stuff very much and am just trying ot get started, but I would like to know the differences between these three before I really get started! Thanks!


Tom...Getting bored of windows....

[hAvAAck]

They are the GUI, the graphical user interface that the operating system is based upon. Whatever platform the OS is written on, makes applications, scripts, etc be based in the same platform. For instance a script in gnome would have to be rewritten to do the same thing in KDE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNOME
http://www.gnome.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kde
http://www.kde.org/
Some people will say that KDE is snappier than Gnome, but honestly I wouldn't know.
Can I assume that in your transition from windows to linux, you're deciding in the *buntu family (ubuntu, kubuntu, xubuntu) and this is where your question stemmed from?

[KanoakaVirus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNOME

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xfce

Hope this helps a little.

[KanoakaVirus]

beat me to it by seconds

[tomthedrummer1992]

Originally Posted by hAvAAck

They are the GUI, the graphical user interface that the operating system is based upon. Whatever platform the OS is written on, makes applications, scripts, etc be based in the same platform. For instance a script in gnome would have to be rewritten to do the same thing in KDE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNOME
http://www.gnome.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kde
http://www.kde.org/
Some people will say that KDE is snappier than Gnome, but honestly I wouldn't know.
Can I assume that in your transition from windows to linux, you're deciding in the *buntu family (ubuntu, kubuntu, xubuntu) and this is where your question stemmed from?

Yes this is true. However, Mandriva has also attracted my attention...

[hAvAAck]

That's the great thing about live CDs, pop it in, see if you like it and go from there. I'm running Ubuntu and the Ubuntu forums are great with tech support. Not saying I don't often come here or other forums that I browse for help, but they have teams set up to handle different types of specific problems relating to *buntu. It's not all that scary once you get used to how it works. I still get confused sometimes, but it's getting better. I'd suggest you grab a mandriva Live CD and a *buntu Live CD, boot them up and see how it goes. I know ubuntu has all my hardware drivers, and I recently got my wireless mouse/keyboard functioning properly, so I'm loving it. Take the dive! Nothing is stopping you!

[tomthedrummer1992]

I do love the Buntu forums - I am a memeber there myself!

The main thing that concerns me is finding some software to do what I want. I want to be able to set up a playlist of MIDI files and run through them. I don't really want to do it through wine as I am using this laptop for shows and I don't want to have too much running! I know how to disable all the Internet and everything in Windows - I don't in Linux!

[hAvAAck]

There are so many codec packs in the repositories it's not even funny. You'll be able to do anything in the multimedia realm that you speak of with no problem.
As far as doing too many things at once, don't worry about it. *nix is built to run on pretty much any machine. If you have a relatively up to date box, it will run without a hitch as far as multi tasking