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i'm new to linux and slowly converting over from windows hell.
i've seen a few screen shots with some very nice looking interfaces, transparent menus are the one feature that stuck out. in my recent mandrake 2005 LE installation, i chose Gnome during the install. to be honest im not quite sure what Gnome is.
could somebody clarify what the difference is between KDE and gnome (i'm sorry if thats a FAQ). as a new linux user, should i be using one of them over the other?
You really should try them both, then pick your favorite after playing with them some.
I personally like certain aspects of both, but use neither of them, anymore. Instead, I use XFCE4, or Fluxbox (window manager), but we don't want to throw too much at you right away.
Gnome and KDE truly are the big boys when it comes to desktop environments under Linux.
There are plenty of window managers, which are basically the framework/gui that your applications run in. KDE and Gnome are heavyweight window managers, or more accurately Desktop Environments. Although the can be made to look quite similar, and can run each other's applications they have different toolkits for making windows, and also quite different look and feel. It's not by any means a hard and fast rule but a lot of users coming from a Mac background prefer Gnome, and a lot coming from Windows prefer KDE due to similarities. Gnome seems to be very well integrated with itself whereas KDE is well known for its high level of customisation options. I would recommend checking out these sites to get an idea of how these DEs can be made to look and feel - kde-look and gnome-look
Both are excellent resources, and will also have a lot of user submitted screenshots to show you differences.
Also, you might like to try one or two of the less mainstream desktop environments like WindowMaker and Fluxbox. I have a soft spot for Windowmaker. It might not seem as functional as KDE and friends, but it looks great and - once you get used to it - works really well. Fluxbox is good for machines with less memory etc.
__________________ I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso
"The best GUI" is about the same in my head as asking "The Best Linux" or "The Best Flavor of Ice Cream". It all depends on your personal taste. I offer the same advice to you that I do to folks who ask "Which Linux": try out a few and see if one strikes your fancy.
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