Re: What Window Manager/Desktop Environment do you use, and why?

On 2025-06-10, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

On 10/06/2025 11:57, Nuno Silva wrote:

On 2025-06-10, Marc Haber wrote:
>

Borax Man <rotflol2@hotmail.com> wrote:

Many things are easier, but one thing I found was that the option to
install different software was less obvious.  My first Linux
installation gave me a choice to install GNOME and KDE and other Window
Managers.  The choice was there upfront.  I chose GNOME as it was
selected, and KDE wasn't and I didn't see the point in installing a
second, initially.
>
It isn't much easier today.  Now some distros have spins, so it appears
that if you want a different DE, then you need to download an entirely
different installation image.  The choice has just been moved from
within the installer to one that is made before installation, which in
my view, is even more confusing.

>
I have been using Debian for > 20 years and you just install a new DE
if you want to. The login manager offers you at every login which kind
of session you want. I don't think it was ever any different.
>
The "spins" came with Ubuntu, and even on a normal Ubuntu I'd expect
KDE Plasma to show up in the login menu after an "apt install
kde-standard". I still think that a "spin" of a Distribution either
originates with a sick marketing idea of with incompetence.

>
The idea of different distributions for different DEs does sound
strange.

Why?
 You don't normally e,g. change your cars colour after you have bought
ut...

What?

Some day I'll understand the fascination with car analogies... here I'm
also baffled because I don't even see how does that even relate.

If we were talking about computer cases, it'd be a more suitable
analogy. We're talking software. And an operating system.

But allow me to try to work along with the analogy: don't cars usually
offer different colors? So you could ask for a different one when
buying. How's that any different from choosing which DE to use, if any,
during installation?

Saying you need a different distro for this is like saying you can't buy
Ferrari if you don't want it in red (...although it *does* seem they
won't allow at least one color choice, pink!?).

Different install media, OTOH, could make sense, to ensure it's
not too large (but how bug can it get nowadays?).

--------------------------^^^

sabugabiga ((s)ed command)

IIRC a typical 'with desktop and normal apps' is around 6GB these days.
Headless serve <1Gb.

Ok, that's not small. It might still go well with just two discs, given
there is DVD. But it might also be too much for some settings.

And that's with several DE and WM options?

But this really should be just an option, even if offline you're limited
by what the install medium carries, it shouldn't be difficult to switch
options.

>
It almost never is - for tekheads.
>
This argument reminds me of a society I briefly joined and then left.
They wanted to become mainstream, but they didnt want to change.
>
Ubuntu/Mint have bent linux towards a very easy install for ex-Windows
users.
>
But YOU don't have to install them.

--
Nuno Silva