One of those tools is PackageKit. PackageKit is a background service charged with updating and installing software on your computer. But because PackageKit itself is just a background service, it requires a front end so that end users can take advantage of the system. One very powerful front end is KPackageKit. KPackageKit is the KDE front end for PackageKit, whereas Gnome PackageKit is the GNOME front end (see my article “Installing applications in Linux with GNOME PackageKIT.”)

One of the things I like about KPackageKIT, over the Ubuntu Software Center, is that it can not only install applications, it can update your already installed applications. But unlike USC or Synaptic, you will have to know the name of the software package in order to find it. KPackageKIT does not show all software available. Instead you start up the tool with a blank slate and search for what you want to install. You can search by:

• Description.
• File name.

But you can also apply various filters to your search. Included search filters are:

• Collections.
• Installed.
• Development.
• Graphical.
• Free.

Let’s take a look and see how software is installed with KPackageKIT.

Starting KPackageKIT

Figure 1

You can start the application two ways: Command line or from the menu. To start from the command line hit <Alt>F2 to open the run dialog and enter the command kpackagekit. To start the tool from the KDE menu click on the menu, click on the Computer tab, and then click on the KPackageKIT entry (see Figure 1).

When KPackageKIT starts what you will see is a fairly simple interface (see Figure 2). From this window you are able to:

• Install software.
• Update your system.
• Configure KPakcageKIT.

Figure 2

Let’s install the Scribus DTP tool as an example. Follow these simple steps:

1. Select Software Management.
2. Open up KPackageKIT and enter “scribus” (no quotes) in the search area.
3. Click the downward-pointing arrows of the software(s) you want to install.
4. Click Apply.
5. When the new window appears, click Install Now.
6. If dependencies are necessary, OK them.
7. Enter your sudo (or root – depending upon your distribution) password.
8. Wait for the installation to complete.
9. Click OK to dismiss the window.

Updating your system with KPackageKIT is just as simple. Follow these steps:

1. Open up KPackageKIT.
2. Click on the Software Update section.
3. If there are updates available, either select the updates you want to run or click the Select All Updates button.
4. Click Apply.
5. Enter your password.
6. Wait for the update to finish.
7. Click OK to dismiss the window.

Configuration

From within the Configuration section there are a minimal number of options to configure. The primary configuration to take care of here is adding new software sources. To add a new repository follow these steps:

1. Click on the Settings section.
2. Click the Edit Software Sources button.
3. Click on the Other Software tab.
4. Click on the Add button.
5. Enter the complete apt line for the source (not just the address).
6. Click OK to dismiss the address window.
7. Click Close to dismiss the Software Sources window.

If you manually edit your /etc/apt/sources.list (or your Yum repository file – depending upon your distribution) these changes will appear in KPackageKIT.

Final thoughts

Although not perfect, KPackageKIT is certainly a viable solution for Linux software installation. If you need a simple KDE-based means of installing software, and do not want to use the command line, this tool might be just what you need.

Related posts

• Where do I find Linux software? (9)
• Leave No Trace in KDE with Sweeper (6)
• Konqueror tips and tricks (2)
• Installing Linux applications with Aptitude (12)
• Installing KDE 4.3.2 on Ubuntu (9)

The only problem you will find is that some of the many distributions do not ship with KDE installed. If you want KDE on these distributions you must install it. In this article I am going to walk you through the steps for installing the latest KDE on a Ubuntu system. Now you may be saying to yourself: “Why don’t I just install Kubuntu and be done with it? That’s a good question. The answer? Most new users have no idea that Kubuntu even exists and will have already installed the GNOME-based Ubuntu. For those people who already have their Linux running, they might want to give the KDE desktop a try as well. That is where tutorials like this come in handy. And of course, once we get KDE installed, we will also take it one step further and install support for Compiz so you can have your 3D effects just like you can on GNOME.

Installation

Unfortunately you can’t just open up the Ubuntu Software Center, do a search for KDE, and install. You will have to add repositories to you /etc/apt/sources.list file before you can run the installation command. Fortunately, this is as simple as issuing a few commands.

The first two commands you need to issue will add the proper repositories to your sources.list file. With the help of these commands you will not need to open that file up in an editor, as they will simply add the necessary lines for you. So open up a terminal window and issue these two commands (NOTE: Each command is one line long so just copy and paste each command, one at a time, into your terminal. After you copy one command hit enter and then copy paste the next command.):

sudo sh -c "echo 'deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-ppa/backports/ubuntu jaunty main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list"

and:

sudo sh -c "echo 'deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-ppa/staging/ubuntu jaunty main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list"

Now that you have the necessary lines you will need to add the correct GPG key with this command:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 8AC93F7A

Finally, for the installation, issue the command:

sudo aptitude install kubuntu-desktop

This will require a fairly hefty download, so give this some time. During the installation you will have to do one bit of configuration which is to choose your graphical login manager. I would suggest sticking with the GNOME login manager GDM.

Compiz support

Now it’s time to build in some Compiz support. You will find, after you install KDE that, no matter how you configure it, KDE will not work with Compiz – even if Compiz is working perfectly with GNOME. That is because you have to add KDE Compiz support. To do this issue the command:

sudo apt-get install compiz-kde

Once that installation has completed you will then need to open the Compiz Configuration Settings Manager (use the command ccsm) and then, under the General category, check the KDE Compatibility check box. You should now be good to go with both KDE and Compiz.

Final thoughts

Do not judge KDE 4.x on previous releases. You owe it to yourself and to the developers of KDE to give the 4.3 release a try. Once you do I think you will see it has matured quite a bit over the last year. And now, with the help of this tutorial, you can do just that.

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CentOS is a community-driven spin off of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This is different from Fedora in that it is not: 1) Not bleeding edge and 2) Geared toward Enterprise and not average desktop usage. CentOS is built to be 100% compatible with its bigger brother Red Hat Enterprise Linux while remaining a completely free operating system. In a nutshell CentOS is Red Hat Enterprise Linux without the branding and graphics. So, if you’re looking for an enterprise-class desktop operating system, and you do not want to spend the cash necessary for RHEL, CentOS is the distribution you’ve been looking for.

But how easily does it install? If you have ever installed Linux using the traditional installation disk method you will be just fine. It will, however, require some patience – and a torrent client.

Download and burn

The first, and arguably the lengthiest, step is to download the installation DVD (or you can download the 6 installation CDs if you do not have a DVD burner. Navigate your browser to the CentOS download page and navigate to the architecture you want to download. Once there you will click on the DVD torrent link which should hopefully open up your torrent client to begin the download. Once the torrent download is done (and the DVD is pieced together) burn the image to disk and you are ready to install.

Begin the installation

Obviously the first thing you will need to do is insert the DVD into the machine you wish to install CentOS on and then reboot. When you do you will be greeted with a text-based screen offering a few choices, since we are just going to go straight to the installation, hit Enter when prompted for installation. Anaconda will start up and the first graphical window will appear – the ever-pointless “Welcome” screen. Hit Next to finally begin your installation.

The next two windows are all self-explanatory (and not worth wasting screenshots on). You have:

• Language selection
• Keyboard selection

Figure 1

Now we get to the meat of the installation: The partitioner. The first phase of the partitioner (see Figure 1) requires you to:

• Choose a partition layout.
• Decide if you want the system encrypted.
• Select the drive(s) to use.
• Choose advanced storage options (Add iSCSI or disable dmraid).
• Review the partitioning layout.

When you select Next, depending on your choice of partition layout, you may be warned about deleting data. If you are unsure, make sure you go over the choices and dismiss the warning.

The next window requires you to set up networking. You have two choices: DHCP or Manual. The configuration of either choice is very simple. If you do set up your networking manually take note of the hostname. You can leave the default (localhost.localdomain) or you can be creative and add a descriptive hostname. Just don’t use an FQDN here as that could cause networking issues.

The new few windows are also self explanatory:

• Timezone
• Root password

Remember, this is not a Ubuntu-based installation. The root password is very important. Do NOT base this on a dictionary word. Use your best judgement for administrator passwords here.

Figure 2

The next screen (see Figure 2) is the package selection screen. You can go with the default, which will create a standard GNOME-based desktop installation. Your choices in this window are:

• Desktop – GNOME
• Desktop – KDE
• Server
• Server – GUI
• Virtualization
• Clustering
• Clustering – Storage

I will opt to shy away from the standard install and go with a KDE desktop (later I will deal with other options). You can also add additional repositories at this point and choose to customize now or later.  If you choose to add new repositories you will have to have an active network connection.

When you click Next the installation will check all dependencies and then move on with the install. When the dependency check passes (and it should), click Next and the installation of packages will begin. Depending upon how many packages you have selected (as well as the power of your machine) the installation time will vary.

Finally, once all packages are installed, you will be asked to Reboot your system. Click the Reboot button and remove the install DVD (the installer will auto-eject when able). The system will then reboot and you will have a working CentOS 5.4 installation. Oddly enough, if you go with KDE you will be surprised to find out CentOS has not updated to KDE 4.

Of course, upon first boot, you will have to take care of some house keeping. Included in this house keeping is:

• Enabling/configuring a firewall
• Setting up SELinux
• Setting time/date
• Creating a user
• Sound card test
• Install additional software (if applicable)

Final thoughts

Although the CentOS installation isn’t nearly as easy as installing from a Live CD, the installation process doesn’t require a degree in engineering to get through. And when you’re done, you will have a fine (although outdated in some instances) working Linux distribution that is geared toward (but not only for) enterprise use.

We’ll deal with CentOS more in the future (as well as other distributions). But for now, enjoy your installation.

Related posts

• Leave No Trace in KDE with Sweeper (6)
• Konqueror tips and tricks (2)
• Keep your Linux system up to date with KPackageKit (4)
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• Get To Know Linux: The Pager (4)

In this article I am going to show you a few tips and tricks that you can apply to the Konqueror web browser to make your Konqueror (and KDE) experience even more flexible and powerful than it already is.

KIO Slaves

KDE Input/Output slaves allows Konqueror to take advantage of external applications making it far more usable. Depending on what kio_slave you want to use the input for Konqueror will be different. Let’s take a look at some of the more useful slaves.

fish://

If you start an address with fish:// you are telling Konqueror to make use of the ssh protocol. With this you can connect to a remote ssh server and even copy/paste to that server from within Konqueror. To do this you would enter an address like:

fish://USERNAME@ADDRESS

Where USERNAME is an actual username on the remote machine and ADDRESS is the actual address of the remote machine. You will be prompted for a password, unless you already have this connection set up for passwordless secure shell connections (see “Five handy secure shell tips and tricks“).

imaps://USER@PASSWORD@ADDRESS:PORT

Where:

• USER is the actual user name.
• PASSWORD is the users password.
• ADDRESS is the address of the imap server.
• PORT is the port used for the imap server.

Quick search

If you enter gg: linux in the Konqueror address bar you will get a page with the Google results of the string “linux”. Konqueror has a lot of pre-configured quick search shortcuts like this. For example:

• gg – Google
• fm – Freshmeat
• froogle – Froogle
• msdn – Microsoft Developer Network
• odp – Open Dictionary
• tr – Technorati
• wp – Wikipedia

You can also create your own by issuing the command kcmshell4 ebrowsing in either the run dialog or a terminal window. In the new window click the New button and then fill out the following information:

• Search Provider Name: Give your shortcut a name.
• Search URI: The URI the site you are adding uses.
• URI Shortcuts: Comma delineated list of shortcuts.

So let’s say I want to create a short cut for searching amazon.com. To do that I would enter the following information:

• Name: Amazon
• URI: http://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=\{@}
• URI Shorcuts: az,amazon

So now if I want to do a search for the string “Linux” on amazon.com I would just enter:

az: Linux

In the address bar.

Split views

Figure 1

Not only can Konqueror do tabs, it can do split windows. Say you want to do some comparing of windows, or just want to be able to see more than one window at a time. With Konqueror you can split the view either horizontally or vertically by going to the Windows menu and selecting either Horizontal or Vertical and you can have two windows open at once for simple viewing. NOTE: Whichever window has the focus is the window that the address bar will effect. In other words, if you want to change the page on the right pane, click on the right pane and then enter the url in the address bar. If you want to close a pane <Ctrl><Shift>R will close the active window.

Final thoughts

Konqueror is a very powerful, flexible tool that can be extended well beyond its intentions. Have you found a cool trick that applies to Konqueror as either a web browser or file manager? If so, share it with your fellow Ghacks readers.

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Many people assume the KDE desktop environment is just as flexible as the GNOME desktop. In most ways it is. But there are some instances where you might find KDE not quite as intuitive as GNOME. Does that mean it’s less flexible? Not necessarily. But there are certain instances where figuring out how to configure default applications might not be as easy as you would think. That is where Ghacks comes in. And in this article I will show you just how to get KDE icon double clicks to work exactly as you would expect them to.

What to look for

To get all of this working the KDE System Settings will be used for the majority of these tasks. Outside of that you will use, very much like in GNOME, the right click menu from within the file manager Dolphin. You will find the System Settings tool in the Favorites menu of the KDE Kickoff menu.

“Open With”

Figure 1

The “Open With” dialog should be familar to most any PC user (regardless of operating system or desktop). To open this menu all you need to do is right click the file type (icon) you wish to act upon. When you click on the entry a sub-menu will appear containing the “standard” installed applications that associate with that particular file type. To open that file with a particular application just select the application from the sub-menu. If the application you want to use is not within that menu select the entry labeled “Other…”, which will open up a new window (see Figure 1).

What you need to do here is locate the application you want to associate this file type with. Once you have located the application select it and click OK. Now, if you want to always associate that file type with that particular application make sure you check the “Remember application association for this type of file” check box. Now if you can’t find the application in the Known Applications tree you can always just enter the full path to the executable in the text field at the top. For example: If I want to open all .txt files with the Nano editor in the text field I would enter aterm -e nano,  check the “Remember application…” check box, and click OK. Now when I double click a .txt file the Nano  editor will always open in the aterm console emulator.

File associations

Figure 2

Now for the big stuff. If you open up the System Settings tool click on the Advanced tab and then click on the File Associations button (see Figure 2). In this window you will see quite a bit can be configured. Let’s take a look at associating a plain text file with the same editor (just for simplicity).

When you expand the Text section you will see “plain” among the listings. Click on the “plain” entry to reveal everything you can do with this.  Take a look at the Filename Patterns. Here you can associate different file extensions with the plain text file type. You can add and remove extensions for further expand (or limit) the type of file that will be associated with this particular file type.

Below the Filename Patterns section you will see the Application Preference Order. Here you can give preference to various applications as well as add new applications to associate with a file type. If you want one particular application to get top priority over all otheres, select that application and click the Move Up button until it is at the top.

One last section to examine is the Embedding Tab. What you can do here is associate an application, embedded inside of another application, that will be used on this file type. In this section you have to make sure the application in question is one that can be embedded.

After you take care of all your configuration needs, click Apply to save your changes.

Figure 3

From within the System Settings window you can also take care of the Default Applications for a file type. From within the General tab click on the Default Applications button to open up this configuration window (see Figure 3).

In this window you can configure the following:

• Email client
• Embedded text editor
• File manager
• Instant messenger
• Terminal emulator
• Web browser
• Window manager

For the most part these give you the option of selection one or two options from a drop-down list. Some, such as Terminal Emulator, give you the option of configuring a non-standard emulator. For this option you will enter the explicit path to the emulator’s executable file.

After you get through these configurations, click Apply and you’re done.

Final thoughts

Although not quite as flexible as the GNOME system, you can certainly make the KDE default application system work as well as you need. With the help of the “Open With” dialog, Default Applications, and File Associations you should be able to make your KDE desktop react exactly how you want.

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Aside from helping new users, KDE does have a lot to offer. And like the GNOME desktop, the KDE menu can be fine tuned to meet your needs. The KDE menu editor is a bit more powerful than GNOME’s Alacarte. With this editor you can quite literally move EVERYTHING around in your menu as well as add and remove items.

The KDE menu

It might be best to start off explaining a bit about the KDE menu. The menu I am speaking of is the “K” menu in the panel. In KDE 4.x this menu was changed (and renamed to the Kickoff Menu) to look and feel more like a “ribbon” menu. You can switch this back to the classic by right clicking the “K” and selecting “Switch to Classic Menu Style”. In all actuality I much prefer this style of menu anyway. This is also the only way to edit the Favorites menu in the Classic Menu – by:

1. Switching to the Kickoff Menu
2. Editing your favorites
3. Switching back to Classic Menu
4. Restarting Plasma

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s first start with opening up the menu editor.

Menu editor

Figure 1

No matter which menu style you are in, right click the “K” and select “Menu Editor”. When the Menu Editor opens (see Figure 1) you will see every sub menu that exists in your menu. From this point you can add a new item, sub menu, or separator by clicking their respective buttons.

If you were to add a new Item at this point that item would not be contained within a sub-menu. To keep your menu well organised you will want to contain all menu entries (items) within a sub-menu.

Figure 2

Let’s stick with the example that has found its way into all three articles – we will create a menu entry that will open Firefox automatically to the Ghacks page. The first step is to select the Internet sub menu in the left pane. Once that entry is selected click the New Item button which will open a small window asking you to give the item a Name. Let’s call this simply Ghacks. After you give the item a name click OK to open the editor to that item (see Figure 2). This is where you fill out all the necessary information for the menu entry. The information you need to enter is:

• Name: Ghacks
• Comment: Ghacks
• Command: firefox http://www.ghacks.net
• Icon: Click the icon button and select an icon you like.

Everything else is optional. There really is no reason to add this to the system tray. Having Launch Feedback enabled only gives you a bouncing indicator that the application is starting – you can keep that enabled.

The advanced tab allows you to configure a work path, indicate the command must be run in a terminal, run the command as a different user, and create a shortcut key for the menu entry. If this entry is something you do often, it might be a good time to add a shortcut key.

After you comeplete entering all of the details, click the Save button and you’re done. You will now see your Ghacks entry in the Internet sub-menu of the KDE Main menu.

Favorites

Figure 3

Adding items to the KDE Kickoff Favorites menu is simple. Click on the “K” menu to open it up. Navigate to the sub-menu that contains the item you want to add (We’ll add our new Ghacks item) and right click the item. When you do this a new menu will open (see Figure 3) where you can select Add to Favorites. Select that and your item will automatically be added to the Favorites menu. Simple!

Final thoughts

The KDE menu system is quite an elegant one. With the ability to completely personalize your KDE menus, it is one of the most user-friendly desktop menus available.

Related posts

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• Konqueror tips and tricks (2)
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• Installing CentOS 5.4 (5)

How many times have you had far too many applications up on your desktop and you found that wading through the windows added too much extra time to your work load? Being an IT professional or a power-user keeping your desktop organized can keep your work efficient and your desktop clean. But how is it used? Let’s find out.

What it does

The pager effectively creates multiple instances of your desktop that give you more work spaces to use. So instead of having a single screen to use you can configure your desktop for multiple desktops. This makes organizing your work very simple. Say, for instance, you want to have one desktop for writing, one desktop for on line work, one desktop for graphics, and one desktop for administrative tasks. This is not only possible but simple. And this allows you to have far more applications open without them getting in the way of one another (or having so many windows minimized to your panel that you can not tell which application is which.) Of course moving back and fourth between desktops will depend upon which desktop you are using. Let’s examine how each works.

GNOME

GNOME Pager

The GNOME pager resides in the Panel. By default it will appear in the bottom panel on your desktop. In the image to the left you can see the Pager in the left side. This pager has the default four desktops that all GNOME desktops will have upon installation. To switch from one desktop to another you can either click the desired desktop with the mouse or you can hit the key combination Ctrl-Alt-arrow (Where arrow is either the left or right arrow key.) So if you want to move from desktop 1 to desktop 2 you would hit the Ctrl-Alt-right arrow key. If you want to move from desktop 4 to desktop 1 you would hold the Ctrl-Alt keys and then tap the left arrow key three times.

To configure this pager you could right click anywhere on the pager and select Preferences. Within the Preferences you can define how many desktops you want and you can rename your desktops (to help you organize your work.)

KDE

KDE Pager

The KDE pagers functions in just the same way as the GNOME pager. The biggest difference is the aesthetic layout of the pager on the KDE Panel. Switching from one desktop to another in KDE is a bit different than in GNOME.

KDE Pager in Action

To switch from one desktop to another requires a different key combination. To move around from one desktop to another click and hold the Ctrl key and then tap the Tab key until you are on the correct desktop. When you are on the correct desktop, release both keys and you will be on that desktop. You can see (in the image to the right) this in action. You can also simply click on the desktop you want to go to in the pager and you will be zapped to that desktop.

If you right click the pager you can access the Pager Settings menu where you can configure the number of rows to display on the Panel and what to display (Names or numbers of desktops).

Final Thoughts

I could continue on with practially every desktop in the Linux operating system because each has its own version or implementation of the pager. But by showing GNOME and KDE you get to understand the fundamentals of this very handy tool. Using the pager can keep your work organized and your desktop clean.

Related posts

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So where do you take control of runaway process and/or frozen applications? Does Linux have a system monitor the Windows system monitor? Yes. There are a number of ways. Since this is a “Get to know Linux” article, I will show the easiest (read: GUI) method of achieving this goal. Later I will focus another article on a command line method.

GNOME

Gnome System Monitor

When using the GNOME desktop the GNOME System Monitor is the tool you use to control processes and applications. You will find that in the System Tools entry of the Application menu. GNOME system Monitor will be labeled “System Monitor”.

As you can see, in the image to the left, there are four tabs within this application. The most important tab you will use is the Processes tab. When you click on that tab you will see every process running on your system. Some of these processes the standard user can not kill (they require root privileges.)

To kill an application (or process) scroll through the list, select the target application, and click the End Process button. You will get a confirmation window asking if you are sure you want to end the process. Confirm this and the process will end.

Instead of having to scroll through a long list of processes, if you know the application is sucking up a lot of your CPU you can click on the %CPU column until the arrow is pointing up (at which point the most CPU intensive application will be listed on top.)

KDE

KDE System Monitor

The KDE desktop has a very similar application for ending processes. This utility works in the same way that the GNOME System Monitor works. Locate the application or process, select the listing, and click the Kill Process button.

Like the GNOME version you can click the CPU % column to bring the CPU-intensive applications to the top.

The KDE version of this tool also allows you to filter the processes by All, System, User, Own, and Programs only. This helps you to locate your problem child quicker. You can also do a search for a process or application with this tool. Simply enter the name of your application in the text area and the entries will update automatically.

Final Thoughts

Controlling rogue applications or processes is just as easy in Linux as it is in Windows. With outstanding graphical utilities, you can ensure your system doesn’t have applications eating up your memory or your CPU cycles.

Related posts

• Quick Archiving in GNOME (1)
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Sweeper is a KDE utility included with KDE 4.2, is released under the GPL, and is currently enjoying version 1.2. Sweeper is very simple to use, does one thing and does it well.  Simplicity is certainly one of the best features in Sweeper. You start it up, select what you want to clean, and press the Clean up button. Sweeper is so simple to use, there is no documentation. So why am I writing about Sweeper? Because no one knows about this handy utility.

Starting and Using Sweeper

You can find Sweeper in the Accessories menu under the GNOME desktop. In KDE 4.x you can do a search for Sweeper (in the main menu search) and it will show up. Finding the Sweeper entry can be rough in KDE 4.x. If you click on the Main menu click on the Applications tab and then click on the Utilities entry and then click on the More Applications entry. Under the More Applications entry you will see System Cleaner menu entry, click on that to open Sweeper.

Sweeper Window

The image to the left is the only window for the Sweeper application. There is no window for settings, options, or preferences. This one window is where all the action takes place.

Once you open up the window you will see two panes. The top pane is where you select the various types of data you can clean up. The lower pane is the information pane. As data is cleaned you will see a message in the bottom window indicating the data has been cleaned up.

The buttons along the bottom are pretty obvious. The left-most button selects all data types, the middle button selects none of the data types, and the right-most button does the clean up job.

Once you clean up your system and you close Sweeper, the next time you open the application all data types will be, once again, selected. Having all data types selected is the default action and can not be changed. You can also not add data types to the applications. This is truly a “what you see is what you get” utility.

Final Thoughts

Sweeper is a great way to keep your Linux system clean and free of the tracks you often do not want to leave behind. Instead of having to manage numerous tools for this job, why not employ one single tool to do the trick for all of those cookies, files, and histories you do not want to leave around.

Related posts

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• Get To Know Linux: Process Management (1)
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With that in mind let us begin by illustrating the differences between a desktop environment and a window manager. We’ll begin by showing how the Linux graphical desktop is layered.

As you can see, in the image below, there are basically three layers that can be included in the Linux desktop:

• X Windows – This is the foundation that allows for graphic elements to be drawn on the display. X Windows builds the primitive framework that allows moving of windows, interactions with keyboard and mouse, and draws windows. This is required for any graphical desktop.
• Window Manager: The Window Manager is the piece of the puzzle that controls the placement and appearance of windows. Window Managers include: Enlightenment, Afterstep, FVWM, Fluxbox, IceWM, etc. Requires X Windows but not a desktop environment.
• Desktop Environment: This is where it begins to get a little fuzzy for some. A Desktop Environment includes a Window Manager but builds upon it. The Desktop Environment typically is a far more fully integrated system than a Window Manager. Requires both X Windows and a Window Manager.

A Desktop Environment generally includes a suite of applications that are tightly integrated so that all applications are aware of one another. A Desktop Manager will also include some form of panel that includes a system tray where small widgets can be placed for quick action or information.

Linux Desktop Layering

Much of the confusion starts to peek out when you examine such Window Managers as E17 (Enlightenment 17).

The most recent iteratio of Enlightenment includes many of the elements usually found only Desktop Environments even though Enlightenment is still considered a Window Manager. To this point I generally refer to such desktops as Desktop Managers.

There are two main Desktop Environments: GNOME and KDE. If you are curious as to which is right for you, here is some advice. The latest default GNOME will make users of OS X feel right at home, KDE 3.x will make Windows XP users feel at home, and KDE 4.x will make Windows Vista users feel at home.

As to which Window Manager is best suited for which user? Since there are so many Window Managers I will highlight my favorites.

• Enlightenment: You want plenty of eye candy but not something as resource-intensive as KDE or GNOME.
• Fluxbox: You want minimal and fast.
• Afterstep: You want something old-school to give you hours of tinkering fun.
• Xfce: You want a Windows-like interface without the bloatware of GNOME or KDE.
• Compiz-Fusion: This is a full-blown 3 dimensional window manager rife with plugs that do just about everything. If you want something to seriously impress your friends, this is where you want to look.

One of the most wonderful things about the Linux desktop is that it is only limited to your imagination. You can make the Linux desktop look and feel exactly how you want it. You can go from complete minimalism to the full-blown 3D goodness of Compiz-Fusion. I will give you one warning: Playing with the Linux desktop might be as much of a time-suck as World of Warcraft.

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Choose the right distribution.

Let me begin at the begining, or at least the best starting point. The Linux operating system is built with a number pieces. The most underlying piece is the kernel – that is the heart of Linux. On top of the kernel rests a ton of libraries, drivers, and system applications. Overlaying that is user-space console applications. The next layer is the X Windows system. X Windows is the piece that gives Linux a graphical environment. The final layer is the desktop.

Linux is separated into distributions. A distribution is, for all intents and purposes, a “brand” of Linux. There are many distributions: Ubuntu, Fedora, Red Hat, Mandriva, PC/OS, gOS, SuSE, etc (hundreds of them in fact). Each distribution is based on a different base. There are five main bases: Debian, Slackware, BSD, RPM, and Gentoo. Each “base” is formed around a package-manager (a package manager is a system for installing, removing, and managing the software that is on the system.)

How a distribution puts together its version of Linux defines their audience. Some distributions are better suited for new users. These are:

• Ubuntu
• PCLinuxOS
• Mandriva
• Linspire

Some distributions are better suited for mid-level experience users:

• SuSE
• gOS
• Fedora
• Red Hat

And some distributions are better suited for advanced users:

• FreeBSD
• Debian
• Gentoo

NOTE: As gHacks user MrBuddha has already pointed out, BSD is not actually a Linux distribution but a variant of the BSD operating system. I do generally lump BSD in with Linux because they are both UNIX-derived operating systems and share a number of similarities.The lumping in of BSD is two-fold: 1) simplicity and 2) applications created for Linux generally can be used on BSD.

If you are a new user your choice of distribution should be limited to the top four listed. That will make your learning curve far more shallow. Distributions such as Ubuntu have done everything they can to make using Linux simple. From the installation to the desktop, you will find these distributions to be the easiest operating systems you have ever used.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
But what makes them easier?

Let’s take a look at the Linspire distribution. The Linspire mission has always been to make Linux the easiest operating system available. And many of the easier-to-use distributions are following suit. Linspire and Ubuntu can be found on many pre-installed computers. One of the aspects that makes these distributions so much easier is package management. Each of the easiest distributions have a centralized location for software installation. If you want to install something, you fire up Synaptic (or whatever opens when you click Add/Remove Software) and search for a package to install. It’s simple. But don’t think, for a second, that you’ll have your operating system up and running and have to install a bunch of software. A Linux operating system usually comes complete with everything you need. You could effectively install the operating system and never have to install another piece of software again.

Another piece of the puzzle that makes one distribution easier than another is choice of desktop. There are some Linux desktops that make the migration from Windows a no-brainer. Both KDE and GNOME can be made to mimic the look and feel of Windows so well some users wouldn’t know they are using Linux.

Freedom of Choice

Ultimately the choice is yours. Do you select a distribution that targets new users or do you go for a more advanced Linux? Don’t fret. Most modern Linux distributions offer Live versions of their operating systems. This means you can boot from the LiveCD and run the operating system without making any change to your computer. This allows you to test-drive Linux. Do this with the easiest distributions and I bet you’ll find one that meets your needs.

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Luckily, the guys at Amarok have decided to give the Windows users a taste of what this music player is all about. The process of porting Amarok to Windows is well under way and seems to be going quite well.

All their hard work is paying off. They recently released a version of the program for Windows users to take out for a test run. There is one small thing though. You can’t just download the program. You also have to have the KDE installer and all its binaries.

Techbase has posted a full tutorial on how to go about setting up Amarok for Windows. The first thing you do is download and run the KDE installer. This will allow you to run all KDE apps (like Amarok) on your Windows machine. Apart from the installer, you will also need to download some libraries. Otherwise you’ll wind up with ‘missing dlls’ and other similar error messages.

Once you’ve set up KDE on your machine, do a test run to check if it is working properly. Once past this stage, download the Amarok package and run it on your machine. Amarok will be installed and all ready for you to try out.

I’m not quite jumping for joy yet. The KDE installer and its binaries are well over 200 MB to download, which is huge for me since I don’t have a very fast connection. Plus I’m pretty much command-line challenged and I’m a little scared that I’ll screw something up and suffer the wrath of the other folks who use the machine. Basically, I haven’t decided yet. Maybe I’ll give it a shot over the weekend.

Are you going to give Amarok a try? What did you like / not like about it? Linux users, what’s the best and worst thing you’ve noticed about Amarok? Let’s hear your voices in the comments.

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