KDE or GNOME

**imported_mblanco2000** · 09-15-2003

I am totally new to linux. Just installed and patched Redhat 9. How do I know if I am using KDE or GNOME as my X-Windowing application.

This is run level 5 correct?

Thanks
MB

**Allblack** · 09-15-2003

The gui runs in runlevel 5 indeed.
There are several ways of checking if it is KDE or Gnome I guess.
Red Hat installs gnome by default so you have to explicitly choose to install KDE.

What does the menu button (equivalent to start in windows) look like?
By default KDE uses a red hat as icon and I believe gnome as a footprint icon.

Someone will post a better answer shortly

**imported_mblanco2000** · 09-15-2003

I have the red hat. So how do I change between the two?

Which one is better or what are the major advatages of KDE or disadvatages.

**variant** · 09-15-2003

kde and gnome are both a bit slow, when you get a bit more familiar with linux you should try other windowmanagers like blackbox or windowmaker (i use blackbox) there are others too all with different featues. but for now i would use KDE it is faster and easyer to use than gnome and konqueror is an exelent web/filesystem browser (you can use konqueror in other windowmanagers too) kde also has a fairly massive set of apps for doing just about anything with your machine.
No doubt others will dissagree with me about what windowmanager is best but everyone has there own faveourite and you will soon find yours. to switch between the two you have to select which windowmanager to load at startup when you log in.

gnomes nautilus browser sucks:)

**Dolda2000** · 09-15-2003

Doubtlessly, I have never fallen for KDE. To me, it just seems like an attempt to mimic Windows, and furthermore, I don't like the programming structure of it. It forces programs to be written in C++ (since it uses QT exclusively), and they fork at startup and everything.

GNOME just seems to much better written in my eyes. Of course, it's not too fast, though.

Under RedHat, both GNOME and KDE have the red hat instead of their normal program menu icon. RedHat has made them both look about the same.

The best way to distinguish between them is probably to drag a selection box on the desktop. If it's filled and alpha-blended, then you're running GNOME, while if it is a simple outlined "Windows like" selection box, then you're running KDE.

**yowwww** · 09-16-2003

I love kde and so do most people. If you didn't install it with red hat, throw in your install cd1 and do an upgrade and select it. Once that is done, reboot and you should see it on your "sessions" tab on your login screen. I don't find it slow at all, but red hat's version isn't the best by far. I usually get it thru apt-get and just get kdebase, kdeutils and kdeadmin. This runs a lot better and is lighter and doesn't come with any red hat themes which is good in my mind. If you do go with the one on the cd, you can pick what packages you want to install. Once installed, you can easily get rid of the bluecurve theme that it comes with by changing your settings in the kde control center under appearance and themes (if memory serves me correctly).

Icewm is pretty good too if you have the time and inclination to mess with it.

**Allblack** · 09-16-2003

I would not mind trying blackbox to see how it differs. Will it just install along KDE and Gnome so I can switch between them?

Is it on the RH install cds?

**bpark** · 09-17-2003

It shouldn't bother with KDE or Gnome if you install fluxbox.

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