'plain old X11' included 'xdm' as the display manager, and 'twm' as the window manager.
The 'display manager' is responsible for giving 'users' access to 'displays' - although in this context you could probably replace 'display' with 'X-terminal' as it really includes screen/mouse and keyboard as the resources managed. You don't need a 'display manager'. Many old X11 systems, such as Sun workstations, were managed by letting users log in via a normal text 'login' session, and then starting the X server manually by executing 'startx' (or openwin) at the command line prompt. The 'Window Manager' is responsible for implementing the 'look and feel' of your GUI, controlling such things as window placement, window title bars, some way to get applications started etc. The 'desktop' is a relatively new concept, of which 'window management' tends to be a subset. Having the window manager as a separate program is what allows X to configured to look like a Mac or MSWindows box, whereas with the other two you are stuck with the standard paradigm. You can work without a 'window manager' if you are running a dedicated application having total control of the display, such as an ATM machine. Regards, DigbyT On Thu, Dec 28, 2006 at 04:29:35PM -0600, Shawn Parker wrote: > i could be wrong, but isn't the display manager simply the 'login > screen?" like gnome's gdm or x's xdm. the window manager is the > minimal desktop. something like fluxbox or similar. > > although, i'm sure there is more to it than that...and probably a > better explination. > > On 12/28/06, Rick Thomas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >Showing my ignorance... (I'm an old "command line" guy who mostly > >just needs a simple console terminal.) > > > >Can anyone explain (or point me to a good document on) the following > >questions: > > > > > > > >What's the difference between a "display manager" and a "window > >manager"? > > > >Do I need both? Can you give some examples of each and explain their > >features/advantages/disadvantages? > > > >And how does any of this differ from plain old "X11"? > > > >Thanks! > > > >Rick > > > > > >-- > >To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > -- > http://silolabs.net/~sparker/pubkey.txt > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact > [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Digby R. S. Tarvin digbyt(at)digbyt.com http://www.digbyt.com -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
