GNU, gnome, and KDE

Source: Internet
Author: User
Tags gtk

What is GNU In GNU/Linux?

GNU is a technical organization, the GNU program, also known as the genu program. It was launched by Richard Stallman in September 27, 1983 and is a hero of the might and magic age, see Eric Ramond's hacker history). Richard Stallman was first created in net. this message was published on the Unix-Wizards news group with an article explaining why the program was initiated, such as the GNU declaration, one reason is to "reproduce the spirit of cooperation and mutual assistance between the software community ".
This organization is a collection of hackers, and most of them are true masters of core technologies. Most of their works are compilers, lexical/syntax analyzer, underlying function libraries, and other masterpiece. What's more important is not their technology, but their philosophy! Their philosophy is technical "Communism"-people are for me, and I am for everyone. They published a copyright license agreement-GPL-a sacred declaration. Unlike the moderate and modest BSD Protocol, it is full of revolutionary vigor and fighting spirit. Its emergence marks the birth of a new world-the GPL world!
GNU was originally developing its own operating system, Hurd, but the progress was very slow for various reasons. At this time, a Dutch hacker made a Linux statement and announced that it complies with the GPL copyright agreement. Linux has developed very fast. It complies with the GPL copyright protocol and integrates many GNU software. (Note that Linux is just a kernel and does not contain peripheral applications ), therefore, the Linux system we use should be completely called GNU/Linux.

The goal is to build a fully functional, easy-to-use and user-friendly desktop environment for Unix or Unix-like operating systems based on free software. He is the official desktop of the GNU program.

What is gnome?

The GNU network Object Model Environment (gnome) is part of the GNU program and an important part of the open source code movement.

What is KDE?

KDE (K desktop environment) is a network-transparent modern desktop environment in UNIX operating systems. UNIX workstations require a desktop that is as easy to use as the desktop environments of MACOs and Microsoft Windows, Kde was born.

Comparison between GNOME and KDE

From the programming perspective:
Gnome is implemented based on the object-oriented C language structure. Because of the versatility of the C language, gnome/GTK interfaces can be used in any language.
However, Kde is based on C ++, and the source code of C ++ must be preprocessed to become a pure C ++ program, therefore, the result is that there are not many gnome programming languages in KDE.

 

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KDE and gnome are similar: they are essentially desktop environments and must be used with the window manager to provide user interfaces similar to MS-Windows, CDE, and MACOs. Therefore, they all have graphical file managers. The objects displayed in the file manager can be folders, subfolders, programs, links, etc.
Both KDE and gnome have many "Native programs ". The "Native program" means that the libraries used by these programs are the same as those used in the desktop environment, and the desktop environment can define the interaction between the program and the outside world. These "native Programs" cover a wide range. Although most programs seem rough and characteristic, they are easy to use.
Although KDE and gnome are two different desktop environments, you will find that they are not too difficult to collaborate. You can run kppp or Konqueror of KDE in gnome. Of course, this will lose a small part of the function, for example, the Konqueror drag function cannot be implemented in gnome. In addition, you must load Qt and GTK + in the memory at the same time.
Both KDE and gnome are open-source, and they can run mainstream Linux applications well.
Online comments on KDE and gnome do not reflect the real situation. In fact, Kde was launched one year earlier than gnome, and its leading position has been retained so far with exquisite and stable performance. Compared with the commercial QT library of Kde, gnome was free of charge at the beginning. I am inclined to Gnome because it is an open-source software in the true sense, rather than using it because of its technology.
In this case, Kde and gnome are not much different for general users. They all provide a powerful graphical interface, which is even more efficient than command lines. They are not the best desktop environments (MACOs is better in comparison), but they are growing rapidly and are expected to surpass those ancient desktop environments in the near future.
Some people claim that gnome is not as stable as Kde, but in fact it is the opposite. gnome is relatively robust and can always perform tasks smoothly.
The differences between the user interfaces of the two systems are not obvious, but some potential things play a crucial role. Take the mouse for example. In Kde, you can open a program by clicking it, whether on the desktop, on the panel, or in the File Manager. In gnome, click on the panel, but double-click it elsewhere. It is hard to say which method is better. The KDE method seems more unified and comfortable to use. However, for those who have developed the double-click habit, if they forget to double-click them accidentally, they will open two windows. This is a very annoying thing.
KDE File Manager Konqueror is more sophisticated and sophisticated than gnome's Nautilus. In addition to file management, Konqueror is a Web browser that supports cookies. It adopts a plug-in architecture, which makes it possible to embed other applications in Konqueror. For example, when you click on a PDF file, Konqueror will call the PDF reader and embed it into its own framework. In this case, the File Manager of gnome cannot.
On the other hand, gnome's window manager (sawfish) is more mature. The KDE window manager can work well by default. If you modify the options, it may cause some faults. For example, when you drag a file in Kde, a dialog box is displayed asking whether you want to copy, move, or link. However, this dialog box often disappears because the mouse focus function of the window manager is faulty. You may have to try it multiple times before it can be successful. This rarely happens in gnome. Gnome's control panel provides excellent control over the behavior management of user interface elements.
In theory, Kde and gnome are separated from their respective Window managers, so you can select different Window managers without losing function. In fact, replacing the gnome window manager is much easier than KDE. You only need to change the option on the control panel. What contradicts gnome's flexibility is that window managers often provide features that are dependent on or even conflicted with Gnome. For example, gnome's overall appearance is controlled by desktop themes, but these desktop themes are selected by two completely independent control centers. One is gnome, the other is sawfish or another window manager. The control panel of KDE is more unified.
Gnome's sawfish has many features lacking in KDE Window managers. For example, sawfish can easily modify shortcuts. In addition, sawfish can remember the size and position of a window. During the next operation, the window will be exactly the same as the last one. Is it much better than displaying the default status for each running? While KDE looks a little dull.
The QT used by KDE is much stronger than GTK + used by gnome in menu nesting. When selecting a sub-menu, gnome often discards the parent menu. You must carefully open the sub-menu layer. In Kde, you can move your mouse over a single menu (or even a diagonal line) without worrying about dropping the parent menu. This is one of the main features of KDE.
Gnome provides better support for standard UNIX Web browsers (Netscape) and supports drag and drop between browsers, file managers, and gnome-terminal. Although similar operations can be performed in Konqueror, they are not very thorough. Gnome can also perform drag and drop dance in OpenOffice ".
After talking about this, will you choose KDE or gnome?
KDE is suitable for users who want to have a friendly user interface but do not know how to set details. If it is stable, Kde will provide you with excellent services and fulfill your legitimate needs. KDE is proving how an open-source team creates an interface-friendly desktop environment.
Gnome is much more stable than Kde, at least for now. The philosophical ideology behind gnome is consistent with the Unix philosophy: each program completes its single task and gives the user all what he needs to create a perfect and suitable environment. Although it takes a lot of time to turn around with a lot of configuration options, it can create a more suitable environment for you. Gnome's distributed object model is also the next-generation GUI prototype.

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