desktop_environments

Desktop Environment

A desktop environment is a collection of softwares that provide a desktop environment user experience. There are composed of the following types of softwares :

Desktop Environment Core

Display Server

From the user perspective, the display server is invisible. However, my understanding of how it works is limited, so feel free to complete it.

Windows Manager

Windows Compositor

A windows compositor is used to provide animations to the display of windows. This is often implemented by the windows manager.

Workspace manager / Virtual desktops pager

A workspace manager is used to organise windows on 'virtual' screens, allowing you to organise your windows. This is often implemented by the windows manager

Desktop

Taskbars (toolbars specific to the desktop)

Application

Status

Settings tweaker

Application launcher

Start menu (ubuntu menu) vs application launcher (portable apps) vs dmenu

Examples :

• Windows 8 tiles
• Ubuntu search
• Windows 10 search
• Ubuntu applications

Wallpaper manager

Widgets

Desktop icons

Theme manager

Colors, Fonts, Character sizes (access other componants files about graphics)

Desktop manager ?

Quick switching elemtents

Notifications manager

Login Screen / Display Manager

Logout / Shutdown screen

Screensaver

Settings softwares

CLI vs GUI

Setting software

Languages

I/O Manager

Screens manager

Sound manager

Network manager

Clipboard manager

Power manager

Storage manager

Specific core softwares

Terminal emulator File manager Package manager

Other softwares

Text editor Image viewer Document viewer (PDF, Latex, Ebooks, ...) Media player Web browser Calculator

Screenshot Screen recorder

Office suite IRC Client