Changing desktop environment inside Linux?

Question

Is there a way to say, switch from a KDE environment to a GNOME environment in Linux? And if someone gets an OS of Linux with one version of gnome or kde, and gnome or kde gets an updated version, does the linux updater (like in opensuse or ubuntu) update it? Or is it more complicated than that?

Answer 1

Yes, you can install multiple desktop enviroments and switch back and forth... Check with your specific distro for exact instructions... If you are using kdm, you can select your desktop at the login prompt...



As to the version of the desktop, that depends on your distro... Usually, unless you do a little tap-dancing with the installer, you won't get a major version upgrade of the desktop enviroment (Or any package for that matter) without upgrading to the next "release" of the distro... Usually, what is done, is a particular package stays at the same major/minor version, with only the minor revision level changing, although all the security fixes from the next higher version of a given package are usually "back-ported"...



Some distros, like Gentoo, don't really have a "version" of the operating system... there are new CD Image releases a couple times a year for hardware compatability reasons (So the kernel will be able to recognize new hardware and get itself installed in the first place)... but whenever you do a "general" update, it always brings you up to

"current"... You might say, if someone asks you what version of Gentoo are you running, you could say I'm running the May 18th, 2008 version.

Answer 2

The above two answers are excellent, but a simpler answer may also be appropriate. When you install two or more desktops, then the page for gdm or kdm (if one of those is your login manager) has a session menu. You can select and run any installed desktop using that. Currently I have KDE and XFCE installed because I had a falling out with Gnome when they put Mono into it. I'm thinking about installing fluxbox, which I have on my laptops.



Red Hat/Fedora has a desktop switching tool which allows you to change your Window Manager from within an X-Windows session. A few years back when I was using Red Hat 9 I followed instructions on one web page and ran a KDE session within my Gnome session. Unfortunately, while the instructions weren't distro-specific I can't find them right now. I just went looking.



Most distros have scripts and as they are called hacks and kludges which allow them to do what they were designed for efficiently. Even Slackware, which has been called as close to a vanilla Linux as you can get. This not only means packages downloaded for one distro may not run on others, but that when a new release comes out it has to be tailored to that particular distro before it will run well, so there is always a lag (though I have to admit right now, I have both Iceweasel and Firefox 3-rc1 installed on this machine, and Iceweasel, which is Firefox 2 tailored for debian, crashes more frequently than Firefox 3 even did when it was in beta). You generally do have to upgrade to a new version of your distro to get a desktop upgrade, but even then there is usually a lag (which may only be a few weeks). On the other hand, doing a regular distribution upgrade is strongly encouraged by most distributors.

Answer 3

Most of the big distros offer one or the other by default, and both from their respective repositories.



Of the distributions that I have used, where I have opted to have both KDE and GNOME installed, the screen where one logs on to one's user account offers a Session chooser where one may opt to log into the GNOME desktop or the KDE desktop (or to a shell).



It's been my experience that when the proper repositories are set up, YUM, Synaptic, or whatever your distro's updating tool is automatically let you know when a new version of some software component has been added to the repository.



You should find that when you install whichever Desktop environment you prefer you will be given the most recent version of the Desktop environment that your preferred distro has available.

Answer 4

do no longer deploy Linux, it is not an working device for beginners. to handle each and each of your man or woman factors: a million) some variations could be basic to place in, yet maximum are enormously complicated to apply suited. 2) in case you do screw up your computing gadget it may be difficult to alter returned because of the fact the GRUB Bootloader is impossible to paintings with in case you haven't any longer any know-how of it. 3) Linux has extra viruses than all different working platforms mixed (alongside with homestead windows). They also have a Linux working device (go into reverse) thoroughly committed to hacking and growing to be viruses and malware. 4) No many everybody is Linux experts at the instant. lots of the individuals who use Linux are people who can no longer have adequate funds homestead windows or a Mac (no longer something incorrect with that nevertheless). I comprehend your concern, and this is what i will advise. in case you basically choose to bounce on the computing gadget genuine speedy, examine digital mail, surf the internet, basically easy stuff, attempt Joli Cloud. i will positioned a hyperlink explaining each and every thing approximately it (alongside with setting up it interior homestead windows so as that that's easy to uninstall could desire to you no longer like it). It boots up in approximately 5-10 seconds, and is an rather gentle working device. in case you have heard of the "Chrome e book", Joli Cloud is the competitor to that. different than this is loose! it is likewise possible to get admission to it out of your internet browser in case you pick. desire this enables!