Desktop environments provide additional features to users running an X Windows session, including menus, trays, panels, icons, and other tools. Some common desktop environments are Gnome, KDE, Xfce, Workbench, and Enlightenment. There can be confusion between window managers and desktop environments, as some environments bundle window managers along with other programs. Desktop environments and window managers are started through configuration files and scripts located depending on the Linux distribution and installed desktop manager.

1. Desktop Environments
Done by : Pasant Ramadan
Grade 10AG

2. Desktop enviorment

As mentioned in previous lessons, the role of the
Desktop environment is to provide the user with
additional features while running an X Windows
session.

There features that may include menus to start
programs, trays or panels to indicate currently
running programs, icons that represent files or
programs on the desktop background, docked
applets, and other useful tools and utilities.

3. Desktop Environments

There are many Desktop environments that are
available for download and installation including:

Gnome

KDE

Xfce

Workbench

Enlightenment

Windowmaker
Most commonly used...
There is sometimes confusion
between a window manager and
a desktop environment. Some
desktop environments consist of
a window manager, or bundle a
suite of programs including the
window manager...

4. Starting SM, WM, DE

By now, you should realize that rules for starting DM,
SM, WM, DE (Desktop Environment) are started
from a configuration file and/or a script file.

The location of these files usually depends on the
Linux distribution you are currently using, and the type
of Desktop / Window Manager that is installed...

Refer to X Power Tools Chapter 8 sections 8.4, 8.5,
and 8.6 for examples involving Gnome, KDE, & Xfce