Linux Desktops: GNOME vs. KDE
When I first started using Linux on my laptop, I really had no clue that I could make a choice between the desktop environment. I just used the default that came with Ubuntu, which was GNOME. Now I know that you can choose a variety of desktops for Linux. Most Linux distributions will have one as the default, but you can always add another one later.
The two most popular Linux desktop environments are GNOME and KDE. Both GNOME and KDE look and feel like Windows, with some differences, of course.
I started off with GNOME, but ended up going with KDE. GNOME for me worked fine, but for some reason I felt like I was using an interface from the Windows 95 era. This just an aesthetic nitpick, but the GNOME desktop design was flat and two-dimensional. The options for changing the look and feel were few.
I liked that GNOME was fast and sleek, and did the job. But I could never get the desktop effects to work on my laptop. They always crashed under GNOME.
It wasn’t until I installed PCLinuxOS on a second laptop that I got to experience KDE (version 3.5). KDE finally brought that polished feeling to the desktop I was missing in GNOME. I actually felt like I was using a modern computer.
So I decided to try KDE out on my Ubuntu laptop. Unfortunately, when I installed the packages, the experimental KDE 4 was installed, instead of the stable KDE 3.5. My panel disappeared off my desktop, the new widgets were bulky and annoying, and a lot of the elegance from KDE 3.5 was gone. However, my desktop effects finally worked, and after much tweaking, I got my KDE 4 desktop to calm down.
I’ve decided to stick with KDE 4 even though it’s not quite ready for prime time. I know the next version will be released soon enough and it will only get better. A lot of people have complained that KDE 4 focused too much on eye candy, but for me, the long-term potential of a widget-based desktop is actually quite positive. If Linux is going to be a viable alternative to Windows, it needs to have interactive, 3D desktop features.
GNOME seems to be about the past; KDE seems to be about the future. So I’m putting my lot in with KDE.
My final verdict is that you should go with GNOME if you want a simple, sleek desktop without a lot of bells and whistles. Go with KDE 3.5 if you want more of a polished desktop environment. And if you are really brave, try KDE 4.
Update: Alas, since I have installed KDE 4.1 Beta 2, I am losing hope that KDE 4 will be usable in the near future. Read my full update.
Final update (for now): KDE 4.1 broke completely on an Ubuntu upgrade. I have switched to GNOME with XFCE as a backup for the foreseeable future. Too bad.
I love technology but I am also quite aware of the negative impact it can have on the environment. Still, I think it's technology that has the most potential to save us. Here you'll find articles on the green tech aka clean tech, such as alternative fuel, green computing, and e-cycling. You'll also hear about the "green" and the "tech" - from green household cleaners to why Linux is the progressive operating system of choice.