9 replies to this topic

[AdvMutant]

:pinguin:
Ello! | iz w@|\|t C|e5|<t0p! XD

I want to install some kind of GUI on my Gentoo. I'm having trouble with Xorg cause it won't detect VirtualBox's display, but I'm not worried about it now as I'm getting a netbook in a week or two(w00t!) to use with Gentoo. So, even if I will install Xorg, I'll have to chose a desktop environment. I can simply stay with text+Xorg, because I don't really need anything else.
On the other hand, I can install KDE/Gnome/XFCE. I heard that XFCE is the lightest, so it's a good option. I'm a newcomer from Windows but I'm never afraid to learn, I don't need anything to be "Windows-like".

So I need some advice. First, a little weird question(especially from a Windows user) -
Why do we need these GUIs? I can simply use Alt+F<1-9> to open new terminals and use them for multi-tasking, and use Xorg when needed such as links in graphical mode, or read PDFs and stuff. Unlike most users, I do just fine without any kind of pointing device(mouse, trackpad, etc).
So what are the advantages of having GUI on my system?

So if I decide to install one, let me bring up a classic subject - KDE vs. Gnome vs. XFCE vs. anything else. Which one is best for a netbook? I'm not yet sure which[netbook], so please be general.

Sorry if the questions are silly, I just couldn't find an answer anywhere.
Thanks for any help. Mike.

Edited by AdvMutant, 27 November 2010 - 05:45 AM.

[Bailey]

I dont think this question is silly, and secondly I am looking for further comments so will knw more about this.. waiting for more replies

[DarkLordofthePenguins]

A GUI allows you to do things requiring a cursor, such as raster graphics editing. The nice thing about Linux, though, is it provides several keystrokes, and allows you to change them as well, which means you don't have to use the mouse for everything. On my Debian box, when I'm in GNOME, I can press Alt+Tab to rapidly cycle between open windows, I can toggle full-screen mode using Alt+F11, I can maximize and minimize with (if I remember correctly) Alt+F5 and Alt+F10, and several others. The interface is much more efficient than either Mac OS or Windows (both of which I've used extensively).

[artificial]

AdvMutant said:

So if I decide to install one, let me bring up a classic subject - KDE vs. Gnome vs. XFCE vs. anything else. Which one is best for a netbook? I'm not yet sure which[netbook], so please be general.

Actually, it's just a matter of taste. Every desktop manager has its advantages and its drawbacks. Nevertheless, if you're going to install one of the desktops mentioned above, I recommend XFCE for it is resource-efficient. Fluxbox and OpenBox are also very popular.

Greets,
artificial

[DarkLordofthePenguins]

I've looked at screenshots of Fluxbox and it looks pretty **** sexy. I'm thinking of trying it myself.

[AdvMutant]

Hmm... I don't know about that Fluxbox thingy. Is the app menu launched with a left/right click instead of a start button? Looks kinda weird to me. Is that comfortable?

[artificial]

DarkLordofthePenguins said:

I've looked at screenshots of Fluxbox and it looks pretty **** sexy. I'm thinking of trying it myself.

Hehe, but keep in mind that you first have to configure it. AFAIK, there are hardly any graphical tools for that.

AdvMutant said:

Looks kinda weird to me. Is that comfortable?

As I already said, it's a matter of taste. ;)

[AdvMutant]

lol
It will make the desktop look clean, I'll have to try it as soon as I'll finally finish with Gentoo. Today I finally had enough time to install it, but unfortunately I discovered that my IDE-USB adapter is a low-quality Chinese product. A waste of 30$. Plus I lost my 1GB memory card with the USB MicroSD card reader, which I saved just for such a case. Geez, I'm so not organized...

[DarkLordofthePenguins]

AdvMutant said:

lol
It will make the desktop look clean, I'll have to try it as soon as I'll finally finish with Gentoo. Today I finally had enough time to install it, but unfortunately I discovered that my IDE-USB adapter is a low-quality Chinese product. A waste of 30$. Plus I lost my 1GB memory card with the USB MicroSD card reader, which I saved just for such a case. Geez, I'm so not organized...

Lol, yeah, those Chinese people will cheat you any chance they can get. You must remember that this is the same country that runs Evony, hacked Google a year ago, and spams online communities with ads for fake Nikes.

No offense to the Chinese; it's just what's been happening.

[AdvMutant]

Too bad pretty much everything is made in China, here at least.