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Graphical User Interface
• GUI vs. CLI• Easier and more intuitive
• More popular and advanced
• Needed for graphics, web browsing
• Linux GUI• advanced features
• not always stable on every hardware
• X Windows System• Basis of Linux GUI
• For UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, etc.
X - Introduction
• Developed by MIT and DEC in 1994
• Commercial and free versions• Free version for Linux: XFree86, X.Org
• Based on Client-Server model
• X Server• Runs on your machine
• Responsible for handling graphics
• X Clients• Software that needs to display on screen
• Sends request to X server for display
• Client and servers maybe on different machines• need a network or Internet connection in between
Hardware requirements
• Support depends on your video (graphics) card
• Most major cards are supported
• x.org, xfree86.org for current support
• Best to use a popular video card• Nvidia or ATI
• Integrated
• At least 32 MB video memory
XFree86, Xorg
• Free implementation of X Window System on Linux
• Usually installed by default
• If not started after boot, startx on command line• Only one per computer
• Configure by editing file• /etc/X11/XF86Config, /etc/X11/xorg.conf
• If problem persists, unstable• logout
• Ctrl-Alt-Backspace
• Reboot (Ctrl-Alt-Delete)
Window Manager
• An X Client itself
• Sits above X server to manage windows
• WM manages applications within windows• manages window positions
• window movements, opening, closing
• Examples: fvwm, Enlightenment, Afterstep, Blackbox
• Not very useful without a Desktop Manager / Desktop Environment
Desktop Manager
• Built on top of a Window Manager
• Adds functionalities to a WM
• Provides advanced and consistent GUI to user
• Provides• A WM (of course)
• A file browser
• Configuration utilities• Desktop
• Network
• Security
• Session management (login, logout, restart)
• Applications• Graphics
• Text Editors
• Games
• Office Suites
GNOME
• GNU Network Object Model Environment (GNOME)
• http://www.gnome.org
• Started in 1999
• Provides a uniform desktop environment
• Can work with many window managers• Sawfish
• Metacity
• More ‘eye-candy’ than KDE• less advanced
• slightly less stable
• Highly configurable
• Accessible