In addition to the Linux OS, GNU commands, and application software programs, like the Open Office Suite (Writer, Calc, Impress, Base) - another key component to using Linux is a Linux desktop.

Earlier, you learned about Linux desktops in general and now you're going to learn more about

the specifics of various Linux desktops.

Linux Desktops Provide Linux With Its "Point-And-Click" Graphical Environment

A Linux desktop can be install - or not be installed - when the Linux OS is installed.

Linux Commands Training Tips: A Linux desktop is not installed on many Linux server systems because it is not required. A desktop requires a substantial amount of memory, some disk space, and uses additional processing power. Therefore, some Linux servers are installed without desktops and are administered and managed entirely by using Linux commands.

If a Linux desktop is installed, then the Linux OS will have a GUI (pronounced gooey) interface that includes a “graphical desktop environment”. This “environment” is supplied by a collection of software components called the X Window System, and other software components: a GUI desktop and a window manager.

The X Window System - Linux Software Foundation For A Linux Desktop

There are lots of desktops that can be installed and used (one at a time) with Linux.

Two of the most popular desktops are the GNOME desktop (pronounced "nome" - as in small mythical creature) and the KDE desktop.

The software components of the X Window System deliver a foundation for a “GUI desktop”, such as the GNOME or KDE desktop environments. The GUI desktop works with a window manager, such as Sawfish, to present the “look and feel” of the desktop environment.

The “GUI desktop” causes the screen of your system to look like a desktop. This allows you to work in a “point-and-click”, mouse-driven environment, with a graphical interface to the services of the operating system.

You use this “point-and-click” graphical interface to interact with the operating system to do many different tasks, such as viewing the file system, providing input, accepting output and running software programs.

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