The Free World: The Storm Cometh…
There are a lot of desktop managers available for GNU/Linux, but KDE and Gnome are arguably the two best known. I’ve used both and prefer KDE, but a lot of people have also tried both and prefer Gnome. To each their own, I say. That’s one of the wonderful things about GNU/Linux - choice.
However, in a particularly crappy piece of news for the GNU Project’s Gnome, Linus Torvalds himself stated that Gnome’s mentality is ‘a disease’ and that KDE is the way to go.
Yikes! That’s gotta hurt…
I’m curious what readers of New Linux User are using for their desktop manager? How many people are using one of the ‘big two’ and how many people are using something else altogether? What are *you* using?
Here’s the Usenet posting link.
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5 opinions for The Free World: The Storm Cometh…
Kevin Humphrey
Dec 13, 2005 at 9:56 pm
I’ve been using KDE for years and have become rather attached to it.
I actually spent a couple of days in Gnome a week or so ago, but couldn’t just get comfortable.
I’d love to play around with some of the lightweights like Enlightenment, but free time is non-existent in my life right now. ;)
Kyle
Dec 14, 2005 at 6:25 am
I’m using KDE too. I did try Gnome back when I loaded up vanilla debian at home and didn’t like it much, but I didn’t spend much time with it, either. I’ve heard great things about Enlightenment but havne’t tried it either. I couldnt get Fluxbox to do anything I really liked.
That disease comment is pretty harsh. But Linus hasn’t ever been one to mince words, has he?
Jon
Dec 14, 2005 at 6:33 am
I’m a KDE guy myself, but I started with Gnome on Fedora but that was a while ago now. I think the last time I played with Gnome was when I installed Ubuntu before I made it into Kubuntu :)
This debate has been raging on forever and I don’t understand why some people get so upset about it. I don’t really care what other people use as their desktop manager, but a lot of people do with a vengeance.
I played with Elightenment 16 (I think 17 is the most current) and really liked the scrolling desktops and the ‘iconification’ of windows. I think Enlightenment is a window manager vice a desktop manager, but in any case I found it very cool. I took it off, though, because I needed more time to get comfortable with it and stupid Linspire doesn’t have a ’sessions’ function on the login screen to easily switch. I may throw it in my Kanotix desktop and have another go with it, though. It was pretty neat.
Kyle: Nope - Linus seems to be a pretty straightfoward guy. “Never in doubt!”
daveb
Jan 3, 2006 at 9:43 am
I’ve used Gnome from the start, not by preference (I ‘m an Ubuntu user, pre-Kubuntu and it was my first Linux experience). At the most, I’ve only played with KDE for a few minutes. Linus’s comment definitely caught my attention and has had me thinking about switching. Gnome works fine, IMO, but when someone like Torvalds speaks, it’s hard to ignore, especially when it’s that damning. I’ve yet to muster the courage and and do some KDE vs. Gnome thread reading in forums. It’s daunting. Perhaps I’ll just install both and get it ovver with.
Jon
Jan 3, 2006 at 9:51 am
Hi Dave,
I started with Gnome on Fedora, but when I moved to Kanotix I started using KDE and have never looked back.
Since I haven’t really used Gnome in over a year, it’s not really fair for me to put forth an opinion on it, all I can say is that I don’t use it and I prefer KDE.
I think you’re on the right track. Installing them both and having the ability to switch back and forth is probably the best way to get to know them both. And heck, no one is saying that you have to make a decision 100%. Use them both if you want :)
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