so is there a full-on desktop that's pretty tiny? if i want to know what time/day it is i can look at the clock on my wall etc
> -----Original Message----- > From: Stephan Engelke [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 19 May 2000 10:06 > To: Dominic Blythe > Subject: Re: dumbass wm question > > > Hi Dominic, > > Dominic Blythe writes: > > can somebody please explain the relationship between desktop, > > window-manager, filemanager, X etc? i jus' don' get it. > > OK, let's start with the easy part: A filemanager is a program which > helps you to manage your files (delete, copy, remove,...) Well known > from the dark ages of DOS are e.g. the Norton Commander. Or more > recently the Windows Explorer. The Midnight Commander ist an > example of a filemanager running on UNIX systems. > (The premier filemanager of course being the "cp-rm-mv-ln" combo :-) > > X, or the X-Server is a program which, overly simplified, enables the > use of graphics on the screen as opposed to a pure text console. It > puts the screen in a graphics mode and enables other programs, such as > a windowmanager (e.g. sawmill or Window Maker) or a terminal emulator > (e.g. xterm), or any other program. > > A window manager is a piece of software which provides functionality > to drag windows around on the screen, to resize them, to close them, > in short which enables any kind of handling a window. > Starting an xterm will give you a window but without any boder - that > what the windowmanager does for you. It's the "look & feel" part of > X-windows. > > KDE and GNOME are so called desktops or rather desktop environments. > They provide you with a windowmanager, a filenmanager and > some other nifty things like a task bar, and such, some personal > productivity software, all with a consistent look and feel and a > consistent (sometimes even intuitive) behavior. > > Hope this helps a little. > > Cheers -- Stephan > -- > Stephan Engelke > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > *** "He's dead, Jim. You grab his wallet, I'll grab > his tricorder." *** >