Desktop environment
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In graphical computing, a desktop environment (DE, sometimes desktop manager) presents a graphical user interface (GUI) to the user. The name is derived from the desktop metaphor used by most of these interfaces, as opposed to the earlier, textual command line interfaces (CLI). A desktop environment typically provides icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpapers, and desktop widgets. In addition, a desktop environment may offer collaboration support like drag and drop and inter-process notification. On the whole, the purpose of a desktop environment is the consistent integration of a graphical user interface and its applications to the user with a consistent look and feel.
Proprietary systemsThe desktop environments for the popular proprietary operating systems Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X are, in their intended use, relatively unalterable. This imposes a consistent user experience. However, there are alternative themes and third-party software that can completely change both the appearance of common interface elements (such as windows, buttons and icons) and the interface model itself. In Windows, this is accomplished by replacing the default Explorer shell. Apple had the first desktop environment on a personal computer, featured on the Lisa. The first desktop environment was by Xerox with their Xerox PARC. X Window SystemOn systems running the X Window System (typically Unix-like systems), the desktop environment is much more flexible. In this context, a DE typically consists of a window manager (such as Metacity or KWin), a file manager (such as Nautilus or Konqueror), a set of themes, and programs and libraries for managing the desktop. All of these individual modules can be exchanged and individually configured to achieve a unique combination, but most desktop environments provide a default configuration that requires minimal user input. Not all of the program code that is part of a DE has effects which are directly visible to the user. Some of it may be low-level code. KDE, for example, provides so-called KIOslaves which give the user access to a wide range of virtual devices. These I/O slaves are not available outside the KDE environment. An X Window System desktop environment combines a window manager with a suite of standard applications that adhere to human interface guidelines and runs under the X Window System. They are often used with operating systems such as Linux. Whereas a window manager is analogous to the Aqua user interface for OS X, a Linux desktop environment is analogous to Aqua as well as all of the default OS X graphical applications and configuration utilities. Some window managers such as IceWM, Fluxbox and Windowmaker contain rudimentary desktop environments, while others like evilwm and wmii do not. Initially, CDE was available as a proprietary solution, but was never popular on Linux systems due to cost and licensing restrictions.[citation needed] In 1996 the KDE was announced, followed in 1997 by the announcement of GNOME. Xfce is a smaller project that was also founded in 1997, and focuses on speed and modularity. A comparison of X Window System desktop environments demonstrates the differences between environments. Today, GNOME and KDE are the dominant solutions, and often installed by default on Linux systems. Each of them offers:
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