Several Basic Concepts about xwin

Several Basic Concepts about xwin: What is the relationship between GUI, window manager, desktop, and interfaces (if any) and Xwindow?
In the world of X, things are divided into many components. Unlike other operating systems, everything is a part of the OS. Here are some definitions:

Interface is a common term that refers to the connection between two mutually independent components of a computer system and a bridge. It is usually used to indicate that "user interface" (user interface) is the link between a user and a computer system.

GUI is another common term. Graphical user interface. It just thinks it sounds so beautiful; it is a user interface mainly composed of images. Mac OS and Windows are both GUI. In fact, many of them are currently used for desktop computers.

In Mac OS and Windows, the graphical interface component functions are implemented in the operating system. You can only use those components. This method is simple, but not flexible. Unix and Unix-like operating systems do not have the built-in function. To use the GUI, you have to use the window system ). X is one of them-it seems to be the only one.

The function provided by X is to construct a square (window) on the screen and draw the elements in it. It does not support these functions:

A) Move windows, change their sizes, and close them,

B) standard controls such as button menus

C) To design user interfaces, programming standards, or interactive operations between programs (such as drag-and-drop or standard help systems?

Window manager is a program that allows you to move windows and change their sizes. It also supports shrinking a window into an icon or task bar. There is usually a Program Execution Agency. The user can use window manager to do what he wants -- any X application should be able to work on any window manager. However, you can run one in sequence. This means that you can switch to any number of window managers, but you can run one at a time. All programs on the screen can be managed by the running window manager.

A widget set is a common tool library that programmers use to construct standard controls such as buttons and menus (X programmers call them widgets. The wedget set used by an application is selected by programmers rather than users. Many people Install Multiple widget sets so that multiple programmers can run programs written using different widget sets at the same time.

Finally, Let's explain the desktop environment and desktop environment. This is the latest and most vague term X. It basically means that "the Mac OS and Windows graphic interfaces are available, while X does not have what it should have ". It is usually a group of applications, libraries, and methods for creating new applications that share a sense of common appearance and operation. For example, if all KDE applications use the same widget set (Qt) and helper programs, can you sacrifice them? You can install multiple desktop environments at the same time, and you can run applications in different desktop environments in one desktop environment, you don't have to switch to the past (of course you have to install that desktop ). That is to say, if you use GNOME, but you like KDE's word processor KLyX, you can run KLyX without running any other KDE programs, but it cannot interact with your GNOME programs. You can even run GNOME and KDE core programs at the same time. In fact, this is meaningless. You will have two file managers, two panels, and so on.

Are all Window managers (such as GNOME, KDE, or FVWM95) running on X windows?

Yes, although GNOME and KDE are not Window managers (they are desktop environments ). KDE is associated with a window manager named KWM. GNOME is not working with any window manager. You can use any window manager you want, although some are specially written for GNOME (Enlightenment is one ). But they all need X to run.

What does an application mean by GNOME or KDE? What if it wasn't? Can you still run it?

This only means that it is written using the GNOME or KDE library. (1) The program may not be based on GNOME and KDE at the same time. (2) You have to install the GNOME library to run the KDE-based software. (3) you can run GNOME applications and KDE applications in parallel. 4) If you use any environment, you can always run applications that are not based on this environment.

What is GTK + (for GNOME) or Troll (for KDE?

GTK and Qt (Qt is the Troll Tech product used by KDE) are both widgets. That is to say, they provide buttons, menus, scroll bars, and various objects for developers to use. Note that applications not based on GNOME or KDE can use GTK + or Qt, but all GNOME programs use GTK +, and all KDE applications use Qt.

Linux (or UNIX) Windows Manager history is different from Windows 98/95 users

? In particular, how does one evaluate Microsoft's restriction on their choice by giving users only one desktop?

A desktop is believed to be designed for ease of use by users.

This is a complicated problem. In essence, Windows provides a constructor composed of a window system, Window Manager, widget set, and desktop environment. Therefore, everyone can only use it, you cannot choose what they like.

How is the general Desktop Environment (CDE? Is it because it consumes too much system resources or is not open source code and is not widely used by Linux users?

Yes, it occupies too much memory. You can get it from RedHat.

--
Tim

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Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1998 00:34:46 + 0100 (AMT)
From: Hans Nieuwenhuis, niha@ing.hj.se

Today I saw your email from Linux Gazette, and I decided to try to answer your question.

Yes:

X-Windows is designed as a client-server system. The advantage of this is that you can run the server on another machine different from the one where your monitor is located. You need a client. This may be a program or a window manager. The window manager asks the server to create a window to communicate with it. When the server receives a request, it will give a title bar and ask the application to create its own interface. Basically, the window manager is between the server and the application, but it is not necessary. You can run an application directly on the server without a window manager, but the only thing you can do is run the specified application, close it, and close the X server (that is, can not move it, change the window size, etc ).

GUI refers to a graphical user interface, which means that all information displayed on the screen is represented by Windows, menus, buttons, and so on, just like Windows. All interfaces are interactive. interfaces are built on these windows and buttons. The main purpose of GUI is to provide a unified system for displaying windows and collecting information. A good example is the shortcut key Alt + F4 in MS Windows. With this key, you can close any window on the screen. A window manager may be part of this system. This is true in both KDE and CDE. Their common feature is that they have their own Window managers, and you can get a unified form on the desktop. Basically, what you see on the desktop is a collection of applications that can run on a system. A unified graphic user interface can be characterized by drag & Drop and point & shoot, and the association of applications with a certain file type. Your question about GNOME or KDE is as follows: if a program is designed to be in which environment it is, it can communicate with other applications in this environment. Drag and Drop is an example. Some programs do not have a desktop environment designed for them, but some do. For example, I use the KDE program, but I don't like their Window manager. Therefore, I use Window Maker, which is not designed for the KDE environment, therefore, I have to lose some functionality that cannot be used.

These two libraries: GTK + and Qt (Troll you mentioned) are toolkit. They are used to draw windows, buttons, and menus. These will help you build your interface. If you want to run an application designed for a special environment, such as GNOME, you need at least the GNOME library, such as GTK + and anything else.

As I mentioned earlier, the design of client-server in X-Windows allows users to choose their preferred window manager more flexibly. But basically, they do the same as win95/98 systems. Win95/98 limits you to a look and feel of the same style (although you can change the background color, it is still true ), however, it does not give users the freedom to try other styles and operations. Many popular Window managers allow you to define other key combinations. If you do not like GNOME, you can use KDE, and vice versa. (Other types)

All I know about CDE is that it is based on the Motif Toolkit (different from GTK ++ and Qt) this toolkit is not as free as GTK + (more specifically, it is not GPL ). I think this may not be the main reason why it is used in Linux. However, I don't know whether it consumes much system resources. I personally don't use it because it looks silly :-)

Well, I hope these things will be useful to you. If you have any questions, don't hesitate ............

--
Hans Nieuwenhuis

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Date: Sat, 05 Dec 1998 00:29:34-0500
From: sottek, sottek@quiknet.com

I think I can spend some time answering your questions on Linux Gazette. From your perspective, I can tell you that although you are a beginner in Linux, you can see some basic differences in interface work. At present, I am working in Inter to manage Unix Cad tools. I want to explain these differences to those administrators every day. I think you will understand more than they do.

1. The difference between GUI, window manager, desktop, and interface

Are there any relationships between them and X Windows?

X windows is a way to draw things on your screen. All X windows clients (the Part painted in front of you) know how to respond to certain commands, such as "drawing a Green Box" and "drawing a dot" to allocate memory for customer images ...... This is not like Windows. All applications send these commands to your client. This is achieved through TCP/IP, even if your application and client are on the same machine. This is very important. In MS Windows, the primary design defect is the lack of a network layer in the window system. Every X application (any window ...... Xterm netscape xclock) view "DIS