| KFREEEDOOOMMMM!!!! |
[Jul. 5th, 2009|09:09 am] |
In the decade since I've become a regular Linux user, I've used a plethora of window managers. FVWM2, IceWM, Enlightenment (I want R17!!!), KDE, Gnome, XFCE. For a long time I used whatever the default choice was for my distribution. Partially this was due to the slow net connections I had, and also due to my inexperience with the operating system. Without the skills to fix something when it broke, I didn't really want to mess it up too badly. As it was, I tended to reinstall once every couple months anyways.
While all these window managers are still alive and well, two of them have risen to the rank of super powers. Of course, I'm talking about KDE and Gnome. I believe I used KDE first, and Gnome when it was still tied to Enlightenment, so I have bounced back and forth between them quite a bit over the years. Historically, I have been a Gnome user, but recently I have made the switch to KDE 4.2, and this switch has lasted for more than a week (to my surprise). In the past, switching to a non-Gnome desktop has led to a lack of a required function, such as sound not working properly, or an inability to easily use network shares. I can handle a bit of annoyance, such as having to manually mount a USB key, but a lack of sound makes it hard to skype with clients.
I forget the original impetus try KDE again, especially since it failed me on our Macbook under Ubuntu 8.10, but with Jaunty I decided to give it another shot. Bingo. Sound worked this time, and more importantly the screen brightness control worked properly (which last I checked was still buggy under Gnome).
So I decided to give it a shot on my work desktop, and have been sticking with it. I like the appearance, very clean and, despite obviously being inspired by the Windows 9x paradigm, is more modern-looking than Gnome. Admittedly, my desktop does not have the horsepower to run compiz (old PCI graphics card) so Gnome could easily look awesome with the addition of a better video card. It is, however, a work machine, so I don't really need fancy graphics (yes I do).
However, this post is not about a review of KDE, it's about the power of Free/Libre Open Source software. The beauty of F/LOSS is the choice it gives users. I can choose to use Gnome, or I can choose to use KDE. I can (and have) even use Enlightenment if I wish, or TWM if I want a small, fast, ugly as fsck desktop with no fancy features at all. I can even mix and match components. KDE's wireless connection manager does not work very well on my work machine, but Wicd does. And if/when KDE stops fulfilling my needs, and/or is surpassed by Gnome, or E17, or something which hasn't even been released yet, I can switch to that if I choose to. Mac and Windows users can switch to a different look, if they want, but it takes some hacking and/or apps to do the hacking for you. With F/LOSS, I have the freedom to do it with a minimum of fuss. Freedom means choice, and while I'm free to choose Windows or OSX, I choose GNU/Linux, because Freedom unexercised, is soon lost. |
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