Which is better, KDE or Gnome?
One of the most common questions asked by newcomers to Linux is "Which is better, KDE or Gnome?" The answer commonly given is, "It depends. Try them both and see which one you like best." It's a reasonable answer, because it costs nothing but time to try them.…
Article comments
26 - Alejandro Nova
I want to call your attention about a tremendously simple thing: how to change your apps' colors. Where, where the GODDAMNNED HELL is the Color applet in GNOME, for changing apps colors? And don't tell me "Go to www.whatever.net and download our theme". No. I want a slated grey for my apps, and I want to set it by myself.
Please, recall first how this amazingly simple task is done in a sane environment.
Windows 3.1. (http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000341.html). Open your Control Panel, double click on your "Color" icon. Change your apps' colors freely.
Windows (95 to XP, I don't know about Vista). Right click on your desktop, select the option "Properties" in the menu that you'll get, and go to the "Appearance" tab. Change here your apps' colors.
KDE. Go to the KDE Control Center, that is in your K Menu. Under the category "Theme and Aspect", you'll find a "Colors" option. Feel free to change your apps colours.
And... let's see how this marvelous little thing is done in GNOME, our "ultra easy to use" desktop.
Open the terminal and locate a .gtkrc file, under your /usr/share/themes or similar hierarchy. Alternatively, you can load your .gtkrc in GEdit to make this ULTRA EASY task easier for you. You'll see something like this.
style "industrial-default"
{
xthickness = 1
ythickness = 1
GtkWidget::interior_focus = 1
GtkButton::default_border = { 3, 3, 3, 3 }
GtkButton::default_outside_border = { 3, 3, 3, 3 }
GtkRange::trough_border = 0
...
Please, scroll until you see color codes for interface elements. You'll see something like this.
bg[NORMAL] = "#f6f6f6"
bg[PRELIGHT] = "#ffffff"
fg[PRELIGHT] = "#202020"
bg[ACTIVE] = "#d9d9d9"
bg[INSENSITIVE] = "#d9d9d9"
bg[SELECTED] = "#99a6bf"
base[SELECTED] = "#6484a4"
text[SELECTED] = "#ffffff"
#this is selected item without focus:
base[ACTIVE] = "#b6c9cf"
text[INSENSITIVE] = "#757575"
#defaults
base[NORMAL] = "#b6c9cf"
text[NORMAL] = "#000000"
Enter the hexadecimal code for each color you want to change. GEdit won't check coherence between colors, so you'll have to check it yourself. You can change EVERY color (including gradients' beginnings and ends). When you are done (sort of), you save this file under
/home/yourhomefolder/.gtkrc
This surely is user friendliness, isn't it?
27 - Steve
Alejandro Nova- What you're complaining about is customization, not user friendliness. The article clearly states that customization is one of KDE's strengths, and one of Gnome's weaknesses, although it is getting better.
You missed the point of the article, which was that Gnome as a desktop tends to be more reliable and stable, while KDE tends to be more flakey.
For some people it's more important that their desktop works consistently well. If it's more important to you to be able to change the colour of your apps, then you obviously need a more customizable desktop. Of course KDE and Gnome aren't the only choices, they are just the more popular ones.
28 - Dimon
I find customization in KDE to be extremely sucky. Installing a GNOME theme is (usually) a breeze. Not so (usually) with KDE.
29 - Noah
Alejandro,
System>Preferences>Appearance. Then select a theme. Click "Customize" and select the "Colors" tab.
Not sure if this is what your were looking for, but hope this helps!
30 - flux
Even my first look at GNOME DE made me sick. I got about 1000 packages with about 100 DE applications. In GNOME menu I found just a few of them. Who says KDE menu and possibilities of KDE Control Center are confusing and comprehensive? Use Windows then. In Linux world guys try to get all possible software functionality and use max. value of its features! KDE and nothing else.
31 - ro
hmmmm... framebuffered console.... Xfce, if i *really* need a DE
32 - Altern8
Hey
I havent used linux for a few years now since redhat 4. Gnome seems alot more stable then the olden days, KDE seems good too. Im undecided about eaither yet but some good points above.
Cheers
33 - FatButtLarry
Steve,
Very well written article.
I"m impressed to see that you hit every nail on the head. There should be more people like you on the design side of these desktops.
Your article explains in just enough details what applications are NEEDED to stay humane using Linux, and the on-going battle between which desktop to pick.
I use KDE at home and Gnome at work, and I experience the same functionality vs. reliability issues that you've mentioned above.
For the record, I slightly favor Pidgin over Kopete, and KDE over Gnome. Just slightly tho. ;)
-Tres
34 - doorknob60
I started with Gnome in Ubuntu 7.04, and I liked it. Then, after a few months of Ubuntu, I decided to install the kubuntu-desktop metapackage to install KDE. I liked it, but I was just so used to Gnome and I didn't want to relearn everything again. Then, in Ubuntu hardy, I got mad at Gnome when the new version removed some configuration options to become "simpler". Then, I downloaded the KDE flavor of Debian and never turned back :) KDE for life!
35 - Jan
Just upgraded to OpenSuse 11.0 with KDE 4.0 as the default desktop. Before I used to run OpenSuse 10.3 with KDE 3.5 which was quite good, but the 4.0 seems to be quite unstable and the new system of the 'Gadgets' on the desktop instead of the regular icons seems quite strange. I think I am gonna try Gnome 2.22 now...
36 - Mike
To the poster above me, wait till KDE 4.1 comes out. It's supposed to fix everything unstable with 4.0
I've been using Linux since before Ubuntu even got started. I started with Mandrake Linux 6.2. But I barely even touched it, and was using Windblows most of the time. When 8.0 came out, Linux was drawing me in.
Back then, I loved KDE. For me, it was the thing to start with, coming from Windows. But when 9.0 came out, I got bored and decided to install other desktops. I fell in love with Gnomes look and feel. I didn't care that I couldn't customize it to the extreme. For me, it just felt right, about all I can really say.
But it was the ability to choose between the two that finally got me to uninstall Winblows for good, which I still do not have installed.
Linux is about choice. Sure, sometimes I feel like there are too many choices out there, too many distributions, etc. But if those choices didn't exist, we'd have a Windows or Mac clone.
On my newest computer, I FINALLY got everything working perfectly. It took a while to get my webcam working correctly in Mandriva. At one point in time, i even considered going back to Windblows, recently. I'm finally glad I didn't.
In any desktop on Linux, we will all get peace of mind of running a quiet and smooth sailing machine. No more huge worry of spyware or adware or viruses, or other crappy Windows prone problems.
I have worked with KDE/Gnome/Xfce/Enlightenment/Fluxbox, etc.
I seem to always come back to Gnome. But everything I do works in any environment. Therefore I'm good in anyway, so long as I'm in Linux. Currently, Mandriva is installed. Went back to my roots after trying Red Hat(back in the day) SuSE, and Ubuntu. I have 4 desktops installed and throughly enjoy the fact that I can switch to any of them at any time without installing an entirely new distribution.
I prefer Gnome, but then, as others have mentioned it will always be what you feel comfortable using most. I can't recommend one or the other more. But I'll always insist people try more than one.
Linux is just cool like that!
37 - John wills
I think for a newbe KDE is the choice because it is good looking and like windows start menu. But gnome have better response and is better for a speedy user.
38 - Bitten
adolf102
Maybe elaborate more instead of whining next time. Or better yet, go write your own article.
39 - Alek
lame post.
40 - Kristian
KDE 4 is the best!
I used to switch between the two, but since KDE 4 was released I've exclusively used KDE.
GNOME doesn't even come close to KDE4. Looking at gnome now, it's like looking at Amiga Workbench 1.0 from 1985.. Seems to follow the same philosophy, except the GTK common dialogs are hideous compared the Amiga's usable dialogs.
KDE4 is the future! GNOME is yesteryear.
41 - Larry
I have just the opposite problem with digital camera. Works in KDE but not Gnome.
42 - Justin
Excellent article. I use Gnome on Ubuntu 10. KDE seems to have a lot more cool apps but I just use them in Gnome. Amarok 0wnz!
-Justin
43 - Meh
Gnome = Uninteresting and bland experience, you get what you pay for. Historically it was just there to hump X before man discovered how to doodle.
KDE = Started as an alternate form of free form eye candy, historically seen as a jackass for leeching off goodies. Like everything else in the free world, people would rather pay nothing and like their cake and eat it too. KDE just happens to look nicer facts are facts, overtime however KDE embraced the bandwagon.
So if you forget history Gnome and KDE are somewhat on equal footing in to days distros I guess its just a matter of comfort. Some people like the bland experience and some like useless kinks and whats not plastered to their hot seat. I like a bit of both worlds, I don't think there is any desktop environment that actually cuts it.