Window Managers

It is possible to customize your desktop for Macs and Windows. However, it is very difficult to install a different window manager for your operating system. Part of this is because the source code and interfaces into the underlying OS are closed. Maintaining a consistent user interface and experience is very important, so it is unlikely that they would ship with more than window manager even if they were open.

One thing that is cool about Linux is the fact that there are many window managers for the X Window System. In addition to the standard Gnome and KDE desktops, many distributions ship with other window managers, such as FVWM and TWM.

Each window manager has its own philosophy. Some, such as ION and Ratpoison, try to forgo using the mouse at all and make everything accessible from the keyboard. Others, such as Blackbox take a minimalist approach and are extremely lightweight.

I’m sticking to Gnome for now, but it is nice to have choices!