En GUTL I find a quite interesting article (especially for new users) where its author, friend Delio Orozco González, after doing a little research to understand the difference between Desktop Environment and Window Managers.
Specifying concepts: "Desktop environments" and "Window managers".
According to Wikipedia, a desktop environment (DE for short) is a set of software to offer the user of a computer a friendly and comfortable interaction. It is a graphical user interface implementation that offers access and configuration facilities, such as toolbars and integration between applications with skills such as drag and drop.
Desktop environments generally do not allow access to all the features found in an operating system, due to the absence of a graphical interface. Instead, the traditional command line interface (CLI) is still used when full control over the operating system is required in these cases. A desktop environment usually consists of icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpapers, and desktop widgets. (1)
In general, each desktop environment is distinguished by its particular appearance and behavior, although some tend to mimic characteristics of existing desktops. The first modern desktop environment to be commercialized was developed by Xerox in the 80s. Currently the best known environment is that offered by the Windows family, although there are others such as the Macintosh (Classic and Cocoa), or also open source ( or free software) like GNOME, KDE, CDE, Xfce o LXDE, commonly used in distributions Linux o BSD(2)
From this moment the question arises: what then is a "Window Manager"? According to the same source, a window manager is a computer program that controls the location and appearance of windows under a window system in a graphical user interface. (3) The actions associated with the window manager are usually: open, close , minimize, maximize, move, scale and keep a list of open windows. It is also very common for the window manager to integrate elements such as: the window decorator, a panel, a virtual desktop viewer, icons and a wallpaper. (4)
Windows and Mac OS X platforms offer a window manager standardized by their vendors and integrated into the operating system itself. On the other hand, the graphical X Window system, popular in the field of Unix and similar systems, such as GNU / Linux, allows the user to choose between several managers. Window managers differ from each other in many ways, including appearance, memory consumption, customization options, multiple or virtual desktops, and similarity to certain existing desktop environments, among others. (5)
Among the most popular "Window Managers" are AfterStep, FVWM, AmiWM (Friend Windows Manager), Blackbox, CTWM, Enlightenment, Fluxbox (derived from Blackbox version 0.61.1), IceWM, Kwin (the window manager that KDE uses), metacity (the window manager of some versions of Gnome), open box (based on Blackbox and is the LXDE window manager), VTWM, Sawfish and many others. (6)
And to finish a statement. When I started in the world of GNU / Linux I was using, of course, Gnome and KDE. Then, looking for performance, I migrated to XFCE and LXDE; finally, with a little more knowledge about the system and its potential, I have migrated to Enlightenment and I am pleased for a reason: I can create and transform, which are the natural trades of man, according to José Martí; Meanwhile, I have been able to customize the UI (User Interface = User Interface) to interact with my operating system: Debian 6.
References:
1.-http: //es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entorno_de_escritorio.
2.-Idem.
3.-http: //es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestor_de_ventanas
4.-Idem.
5.-Idem.
very interesting for newbies to delve into this topic, and why not, so that we don't forget those of us who already know ^^
Very good. There are still people who don't know the difference. I like the part where you say "Kwin (the window manager that KDE uses), Metacity (the window manager of some versions of Gnome)", I think that with those examples you can better appreciate the difference between the desktop environment and the manager of windows.
very well explained, it is something that is easily confused when you are not familiar with it
That Enlightenment is not already a desktop since its version e17?
If it is not, then I do not understand again what is and what is not a DE and WM (!)
It is that there you enter a terrain that is not explained in this post. For me "desktop" is not the same as "desktop environment". E17 is not a desktop environment, it is a very complete window manager that can be used as a desktop. When you talk about desktops I think of Unity, GNOME Shell, Plasma, E17, ...
And that no enlightenment is not the same as e17 ??
enlightenment = e17?
AND? In my comment I write that "desktop" is not equal to "desktop environment". I think you have not read it correctly.
When E17 improves / adds certain basic applications and when it develops a framework, then it will be a full-fledged desktop environment.
According to the Enlightenment FAQ:
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They explain it in: http://www.enlightenment.org/?p=about/e17
They don't seem to want to become something like GNOME or KDE.
Whoops! The appointment is not seen. I'll put it back to you:
What exactly do you mean by "Enlightenment DR17 will be a desktop shell?"
It means that DR17 will combine features of a window manager and a file manager. It will provide nicely integrated GUI elements for managing your desktop elements, both files and windows. It does * not * mean that DR17 will be another application framework like Gnome and KDE.
LOL !! Okay ! I think it is becoming clear… it is that I am a fan of enlightenment, although I admit that it still has to go, but I hope it improves a lot.
Although well, now you touched on the shell issue ... so we see it like this? like a "shell"?
XD
Shells have become very popular.
If you ask me, shells are always popular, I have an Argentine friend who lives in search of the shell ... XD
Hehehe !!
In Spain, rabbit hunts are more common.
LOL !!! XD
I will keep it in mind. Great ! Now I realize that it doesn't matter what country you are from, or what operating system you use, much less if you prefer DE or WM ... in the end, we are all about the same
Here in Mexico it's called: «You defleam Lent» XD
(Although it's a bit off topic, I can't find the right expression. Zorry!)
According to Bodhi Linux, the line is getting more subtle:
http://www.bodhilinux.com/e17guide/e17guideEN/intro.html
Anyway. Perhaps in the future desktop environments will incorporate the window manager or the managers themselves will incorporate functions previously considered in the environments. For the end user it may well not matter much I think.
Knowing the difference, I look at this article and I feel that it is not clear how far a DE goes and how far a Window Manager goes.
It is like wanting to explain the difference between water and oil and just stay that both are liquid.
One of the differences is that a desktop environment allows you to configure the hardware of the computer while a window manager does not and you must resort to the terminal.
The moment you install applications that allow hardware configuration from graphic mode, you are turning your window manager into a desktop environment. Hence comes the confusion with the E17; started as a window manager but has evolved.
All desktop environments include a window manager, while a window manager is simply the minimum software required to connect to the X server and launch graphical applications.
Well, here wouldn't it be to say e16 is a window manager and that e17 is already a desktop environment? With Enlightenment (e17) we configure the hardware (resolution configuration, device management, it has its own initial application manager, among others).
It will be useful for many new users or those who still do not understand the difference well.
It's simpler than it sounds, the window manager handles windows, and the desktop environment uses the window manager and has its own applications to do certain things that a window manager alone cannot. Regarding enlightenment: «Enlightenment is not just a window manager for Linux / X11 and others, but also a whole suite of libraries to help you create beautiful user interfaces with much less work than doing it the old fashioned way and fighting with traditional toolkits ', That's enlightenment XD.
Good
I am new and did not know.
Thank you!