Re: Revert to simple Window Manager

On Sun, Jun 10, 2007 at 10:33:43PM -0600, Telly Williams wrote:
Hi,

I'm currently using the Gnome Desktop environment. As I learn to
use Linux/GNU more, I find that I want to slim down my computer as much
as possible. Hence, I would like to use just a window manager instead
of a full GUI. Is it possible to revert (maybe, apt-get remove gnome)
my GUI and simply use a window manager, or will I need to do a complete
reinstall? Will removing the GUI (Gnome) break my system? Are there
any links on the web that anyone has that discusses this issue? Thanks.
~Telly
The *nix system is layered:
console or text apps
frame-buffer apps
[add X server]
x based apps
[add tool kits like gtk or qt or kde...]
gnome,kde, and other apps

if you remove X and various higher bits, you still have fb and console
apps. Its always good to know the 'commandline' when X has trouble.

then there is session management and interoperability, a display
manager, and window management:
'gnome' include: X, a display manager(gdm), a window manager(metacity),
a session manager and various toolbars and inter-related programs and
tools.

you can remove or replace various bits:
you can:
replace the WM (metacity) with a lighter one like twm
change the desktop environment(remove gnome and replace it with xfce)
disable or remove the display manager(gdm) and use startx (at the
console)

Also, desktop environments also run various memory intensive ´services'
that add to the overall memory footprint. So use 'ps -A f' to see all
those beasties.

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