After working my butt off on the WM and DE guides, I’m back for some more distro goodness!
To stay politically correct, I’ll state the real title of the post, which should be something like ‘The top 5 New Awesome New Versions of GNU/Linux Distributions Coming out in late 2008′. It sounds lame and it’s long. So nope. Anyways, the first half of 2008 has seen some really cool releases, such as OpenSuSe 11.0, Fedora 9 and Ubuntu 8.04.1 (SSH vulnerability fixed I believe), and some really lame ones too, like Gentoo 2008.0 (the kernel-coping error on AMD64 machines really screwed them up) and Linux XP 2008 (the only distro with trial activation, you have to read this review, it’s rich). We’re not done yet, though. There are still some pretty major distro releases, which will blow your mind. Let’s dive in and see!
1. Debian Lenny 5.0 (around September)
Shut up, Debian is awesome! The second beta of Lenny is already very stable, but lets wait until the strict Debian release team churns out the final version. Aside from the much awaited Iceweasel 3.0 (yaay!), notable new features of the new version of the most important community distribution are the 2.6.24 kernel and lots and lots of upgrades, including improved security.
2. Fedora 10 (October)
Fedora has come a long way, but there’s still this little bit that needs to be improved in order to spread adoption. The new version 10 should be a step forward into the right direction (this time). Haskel support, a new version of RPM, cool artwork, the new KDE 4.1, and improved audio. Go take a look at the top proposed features. Of course, some of them won’t get implemented because new features have to be approved by the FESCo.
3. Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex (October)
New theme and new software. We’ll be seeing the first Kubuntu with KDE 4, a new version of X.org and a Free Software only install option (instead of the separate Gobuntu distro). There is a possibility that the installer will provide a slide-show for new users while installing. User friendly as always. Congrats Ubuntu team, just don’t completely mess it up with that stupid theme.
4. Gentoo Linux 2008.1 (September)
I don’t know a thing about Gentoo 2008.1, but I’m eagerly awaiting it. Why? The 2008.0 release isn’t really up to standards and by the time the 2008.1 version comes out, the new, restructured organization behind it will know how to work together in a better way.
— the next one is just a hunch
5. Puppy Linux 5.0
Puppy rules. And the 5.0 version will rock, I’m sure of it 
Is a cool new distro version coming out in late 2008, that I haven’t mentioned? Share it with us in the comments!
Update: seems like the article went popular! If you like it, please Digg
As promised, today we’ll take a look at the various interesting window managers for the X Window System which aren’t (necessarily) a part of a certain desktop environment (that means Enlightenment DR 17 doesn’t count here people, sorry, please take a look at the desktop environment guide).
So what are window managers? Officially, a window manager in GNU/Linux is a piece of software which controls placement and appearance of windows in a graphical user interface in X. So, what you get is a module which could be used in a desktop environment, or as a desktop environment (in conjuction with other modules, such as a idesk). All the WMs listed here can easily be obtained through your distribution’s respective repositories. You can also visit the project’s website and download the WM from there.
I am a satisfied Openbox user, for instance. There are many other Window managers available for download that were created for X. I’ll try to mention as many cool Window managers out there as possible. If your window manager of choice isn’t listed and it angers you, here’s the deal: instead of swearing and telling me it isn’t fair, maybe you can put together a little description of it, post it in the comments, and I’ll put it in the article, along with a screenshot. Neat, huh? Some window managers that deserve a mention and aren’t listed in this post (because I haven’t tested them and don’t want to make them look bad) are: LarsWM (a fork of 9wm), FVWM, AmiWM, EvilWM, xwm, Enlightenment DR16 & Compiz.
Attention: www.box-look.org is a great site if you are looking for themes, add-ons and more for different window managers.
The list:
1. The *Boxes
They are called the *boxes, because the concept is extremely similar, almost to that point, that these window managers are basically clones. Of course, each has its own goals and quirks, you will see what I mean later.
1.1 Fluxbox
Probably the most well known of the three, Fluxbox is still a fairly minimalist window manager, looking from the outside. Like other *boxes (it is based on Blackbox), a right click anywhere on the desktop will open a basic menu. You can modify this menu by editing the config text file, or simply use a graphical interface for the job. Fluxbox is in my opinion the best one to start with, as it needs little configuration and is able to handle auto-starting, wallpapers and more by itself. It also comes with a lot of themes pre-installed, no wonder - it is very easy to create your own. The window tabs are one of the special add-ons. Compared to Blackbox, Fluxbox even provides a tray with a window list and icon support for applications, running in the tray (this part is called a ’slit’. Window Maker and KDE dock apps are supported as well. The coolest thing about Fluxbox to me is that it can automatically recognize applications that are able show a wallpaper on your desktop (feh, idesk etc.)
1.2 Openbox
Is another Blackbox clone, albeit completely rewritten in C since v3 - leaner, meaner, faster! When I first installed it on Debian I was like, ‘where’s everything else?’. Extensions are not necessary, but add a lot of missing functionality. PyPanel and other modules make your Openbox experience richer while maintaining a minimalist feeling. Again, installing themes is pretty easy, and so is the configuration (rc.xml and menu.xml, pretty straight-forward XML files), you can even configure key-bindings. If you’re a lazy guy like me, you’ll probably prefer a GUI. Use ObConf. A special feature of Openbox are dynamic menus. You can use them to set up menus which show your Gmail inbox and other cool things.
1.3 Blackbox
The original, written in C++, Blackbox remains a very simplistic widow manager. Like the wiki states, ‘it manages windows, period’, Openbox does not give you a tray, and does not handle the keyboard. A number of add-ons are available, though, since the developers emphasize the importance of keeping up to standards. What surprised me is that it uses the MIT license and not the GPL. In comparison to Openbox and Fluxbox, I can’t give you a real reason except plain curiosity, to try Blackbox out. Maybe someone a bit more experienced could give us a better idea?
2. IceWM
For all you Asus Eee owners, this is the program that draws the windows in the Xandros Linux distro which runs on the Eee. IceWM’s goal is to imitate the Windows 95/98 user interface (to a certain degree). It is light and has some embedded functionality (virtual desktops, GNOME/KDE menu support, tray). Spicing IceWM up with themes can give you a nice-looking desktop environment, suitable for old Windows users, but it’s also worth a try if you’re just looking for a light window manager. Don’t let the ugly default theme scare you away. IceWM is very customizable, you can edit parts of it through text files. As always, GUI configuration apps are available.
3. Special Guest: Avant Window Navigator, or ‘AWN’
As far as I know, this is the only Mac OS X-like dock clone which provides the same full functionality as its Apple counterpart, which means you can use it as a window switcher. AWN has matured a lot since I first tried it, and if you like eye candy and maybe want to try a different way of working with your windows, AWN is the Linux WM for you.It is usually used in conjunction with other window manager, as it can only manage- not draw- windows. So it isn’t a full window manager, this is why the developers describe it as a Window Navigator.
4. AwesomeWM
I hear often about this one on forums. Not only does Awesome WM have an awesome name, it’s also clean and useful, although a bit different. The WMs we are normally used to, are called floating window managers. You know how it looks like, when you open a window. Now, Awesome WM opens your app (say, xterm) full screen. If you open another app, it will separate the screen to two equal spaces for both programs. You can adjust the ’tiles’ later, that’s where the name tiling window manager comes from. There is also a possibility to use it in floating mode, but the floating mode won’t give you window borders. Windows are classified by tags. AwesomeWM’s ca. 150 kB size, focus on the basic functions, and pure awesomeness, are some of the pros which you should consider. I don’t recommend AwesomeWM for people who do a lot of graphic design, though. It’s a bit weird working with it, takes some getting used to, especially with the GIMP.
They are both window managers, used in the GNOME Desktop Environment.
SawFish (previously SawMill) deserves a special mention because it was the default WM of the early versions of GNOME. It is written in a Lisp-like language, through which you can add more functionality (SawFish does not come with a panel). Many people still use SawFish (to my surprise!) and there are GUI config tools available for it.
Metacity is, quite curiously, even more basic. It requires GTK+ (it inherits the theme style) and does not work with GNOME 1.xx. Many people use Metacity but don’t know about it, because the options are shown as desktop options, not Metacity options - Metacity is heavily integrated now. It works nice and must be a very solid WM, as we can see if we analyze the percent of people who using it (basically, most GNOME users).
6. AfterStep
Making lists is always a tough job, heh… how should I introduce AfterStep? It takes some of its elements from NEXT’s NextStep OS. There’s a pager to select the current virtual desktop, a taskbar called a WinList and a module similar to a Dock, called a Wharf, which controls launching and manages different applets. AfterStep is a great WM with lots of originality and the flexibility of FVWM (the WM AS is based on) built-in. If you decide to try it out, do use a big screen for a better experience. The main AfterStep page provides pre-compiled binaries, more screenshots and lots of other goodies.
7. WindowMaker
WindowMaker may remind you a bit of AfterStep. This window manager also tries to emulate the NeXT interface. It has similar functions like Afterstep, although without the FVWM foundations, so if you put it all together, along with a Wharf with drag-and-drop support, graphical config tools and support for gradients for nicer window decoration, you get AfterStep’s older brother. WindowMaker is still an extremely popular window manager for X with both the Linux and the BSD crowd. Just take a look at how WindowMaker kicked the other WM’s asses in this poll.
8. JWM
Joe’s window manager reminds me of IceWM, but has an even lighter feel to it. Lots of light GNU/Linux distributions use JWM (DSL, Puppy, SliTaz) due to its low memory footprint. There is a number of add-ons available, SliTaz for instance provides a Panel. JWM is skinnable, but I’ve never seen a really good skin. To me, JWM would always be a second choice to IceWM (more stuff, nicer skins), but as both are very light on computer resources, I suggest you first try the latter, and then see what works best for you.
I hope you liked my little reviews! You can find out even more on this handy little website.
Disclaimer: I never met anyone from either company, so here are only my views on the matter. I hear the former CEO of Linspire said it’s going to ruin the company, because the shares will become worthless. While I’m no expert on shares etc. and since I’ve never been a CEO, the guy’s probably right about this. But for us users, what we’re going to see, is a new direction for the not-so-popular Click ‘n’ Run and maybe even a new, merged distribution?
Click ‘n’ Run. Currently, what Linspire has done with Click ‘n’ Run, isn’t really impressive. I’ve got my APT, and so do Ubuntu users and all the other distros already have their package management systems. No distro is going to adopt Click ‘n’ Run, the organization around the distro wants to be able to control all aspects of it, right? That means Linspire had to do all the work for a something I’ve never seen anyone use. Since Click ‘n’ run is perhaps one of the most interesting assets of Linspire,maybe the guys at Xandros have an idea about what they’re going to d with it. hey must have a lot of experience, after all they are one of the oldest Linux distro-based businesses.
Distro. Face it, at the moment we’re witnessing the rise of Ubuntu, followed by cool distros such as Fedora, Debian, SuSe Linux, Mandriva and others. The last time Iv’e seen anyone use Linspire is when it was still called Lindows and Xandros got help from the huge sales of the Eee PC. The Xandros OS is a horrible show of what Linux could do, it actually makes peopel turn away and choose the nicer-looking XP, even though everyone knows Linux could look and perform much better. Putting this aside, I think that a merged distro would be in order to challenge the other major distributions and finally secure a good place for Xandros + Linspire in the top 5. Is it doable? I don’t know. But if they don’t do something real fast, the others are going to run them over and everybody will forget Xandros or Linspire ever existed…
We need something USEFUL and INNOVATIVE! TRY HARDER!
(and good luck)
I hadn’t expected such a response to my article about choosing the right desktop environment when I was writing it, but as most commenters noted, it was a really quick write-up, a kind of a brainstorming session about desktop environments where I indicated the pros and cons. Well this time, I tried improving it. More info, more research and more work are contained in this post. Enjoy, and favorite it if you like in the case you’re in a dilemma with you Linux install.
There will be a follow-up post about Window managers, so if you’re interested in that, subscribe to my feed and you’ll be updated when it’s published!
Note these are my personal impressions, so feel free to post your opinion on the article but please keep it friendly, no flame wars/accusations/RMS eats babies etc.
We’ll start with the more popular projects.
1. GNOME
You will find GNOME available in most popular distributions such as Fedora, Ubuntu and Mint. The GNOME project must be doing something right! Choose GNOME if you want a robust, polished, simple and customizable environment. GNOME has everything a standard desktop user would need. I especially like GNOME’s configuration tools and stock apps - simple straight to the point.
If you like innovation though, I don’t believe GNOME is necessarily the way to go: it’s a big project with cool people working on it, but I’m not sure if they already know what the next step is going to be. GNOME still remains a default choice for most people and is the leading desktop environment, which makes getting support easier. There is also a multitude of sites on the Net with themes and add-ons for GNOME.
What I’d suggest is that they build an experimental fork of GNOME for people to try out new things. Stock GNOME became really boring in the past years. We don’t need Cheese, we need something NEW!
2. KDE 4
To most KDE 3 users, KDE 4 came as quite a shock: while it retains the KDE philosophy, which is ultimate configurability, some changes are so radical that it looks more like a fork than the next version of the second most popular desktop environment for Linux. That is why I can’t say whether I feel KDE 4 really is a step forward - but here’s the cool stuff: it looks great (Qt4 did the trick there), supports Plasma widgets, is pretty configurable (though not as much as its predecessor).The thing that I don’t like with KDE 4 is that it still has an overwhelming beta feeling to it. It doesn’t give you the impression of being production-ready, because it crashes a lot and still has some issues with GNOME apps and lots of other inner workings which I’m not really knowledgeable about. The only stable, polished and usable version is probably the openSuSe KDE 4 desktop. If you want to experiment and see something cool, then sure, why not. KDE 4 certainly has vision, but is more or less still a thing to play, not to work with.
3. KDE 3
My first KDE experience was when I booted the Knoppix Live-CD. I liked it a lot, but it was so filled with options and icons I was a bit overwhelmed. That’s really the main difference between KDE and GNOME. You can do a lot with GNOME, but KDE really lets you customize everything. No, sorry, more than everything. It’s not really something for the new user - in my school ,where I set up a Knoppix machine, I erased and removed lots of icons and options, so nobody would be confused. It takes a while to get used to KDE. An ironic thing is that there is also a huge pile of themes and add-ons for KDE, but only the default theme looked nice to me. The cosmetics department will prefer KDE 4. In conclusion, whatever I say that bothers me about KDE 3 isn’t really credible, because most of it can be changed in the KDE control center. The only cons I can really think of is KDE’s mediocre speed and simply too many colors (inconsistent icons, especially in the tray).
4. XFCE
Home users might consider switching to XFCE if they think GNOME is a bit too slow or their computers. XFCE won’t be a huge performance improver, but it’s got all the basic stuff GNOME has, and provides excellent GTK+ integration, so your GNOME apps won’t look weird. XFCE also provides tools for configuration, though there is not an abundance of options. Most people that choose XFCE by themselves love it. For me personally, XFCE was a cute environment and I hear it is still in very active development. You should check XFCE out if you want to have a good-looking desktop that isn’t just a window manager, but still brings you some speed and simplicity.
There are two versions of Enlightenment. DR17 is the new Enlightenment, completely rewritten. What sets Enlightenment DR17 apart from other desktop environments is that it is focused on eye-candy while not (ab)using your computers resources as much as other DE’s tend to. Enlightenment is pretty popular these days, I know a few people who simply love it. When you install DR17, you’ll be able to decide… it’s gonna be a radical change for most of you, because of the approach that DR17 takes. You may find it beautiful, or kitschy. I belong to the latter, but maybe you’ll like it. You can use Enlightenment only or in conjuction with other environments, like GNOME. DR17 enables you to choose which modules of Enlightenment you want to use. There is also a Ubuntu version with a custom Enligtenment desktop avaliable. Try it out if you want and write your impressions in the comments section.
Well, that’s it, I haven’t had any experience with other complete desktop environments. If you do, please comment and tell us about it, I’d be glad to learn more about DE’s, and so would other readers.
What is your desktop environment of choice?
This is what the first alpha version of Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex will look like. The 8.10 version of Ubuntu GNU/Linux won’t be a long-term support version, so Canonical will get a chance to test-drive some new features. Aside from the updated GNOME 2.24.0 and a new kernel version, kernel 2.6.26, the most notable feature currently is the long-awaited theme change. In the screenshots currently published on the Interwebz I can only see lots and lots of brown and I’m not liking it at all. How about you?
