KDE or GNOME?

[beagle]

I recently installed Fedora Core on my old IBM machine. I've never used linux before, so I cannot decide which GUI to use.
If anyone has any suggestions on KDE or GNOME, please let me know ASAP.
PS- Until I know which is better, I'm using KDE.

[nathandelane]

Neither is better than the other and both may be installed at the same time. KDE is more like a Windows interface, while GNOME is sort of like it's own style, with multiple tool or task bars that you can customize however you want. It's really your choice. Even better is learning the text-mode interface. For example hold down on Ctrl+Alt+Shift and press F1. This will get you into text-mode (Alt+F8 or Alt+F9 will get you back to your GUI). Text mode is faster and you have more control over everything because you see pretty much everything.

[beagle]

Hey, that's really cool!
I've never used text mode before. I'm going to stick with that, instead of using any GUI.
Thanks!

[sync350]

I tried using that, but my monitor just went to an "OUT OF FREQUENCY" sign. On my distro (Suse), I had to use Alt+F7 to get out of it, just in case anyone else can't escape it :p

As for GUIs, I prefer Gnome, I like how it gives more of a smooth feel to it, KDE seems a little to Kluttered (hehe) for my tastes.

[nathandelane]

I tried using that, but my monitor just went to an "OUT OF FREQUENCY" sign. On my distro (Suse), I had to use Alt+F7 to get out of it, just in case anyone else can't escape it :p

Ah yeah, I think that Linux sets this up automatically, so depending on your computer it may be different as in your case. Also, you get multiple terminals with text-mode. The one you go to initially is terminal 0 or tty0. If you want to go to a different text-mode terminal, just hold down Alt and press F1-(in your case)F6. To get back to your first terminal use Alt+F1. The other terminals are independent of each other so that you can do multiple tasks while in text-mode and not have to background all of your processes.

Anyway I'm glad you like it. My preference is GNOME also. I just like the features it has, and that it doesn't look like Windows.

[atrius]

Are you sure that you hold Alt+f* key to change terminal? Almost every Linux box I own the combo is Ctrl + Alt + F* key.

Anyway. KDE is far more programmable and customizable, in my opinion - KDE4.1 looks quite nice. Having said that, Gnome is my favourite - but the best UI is the command line

[fly3rbug]

It is pretty funny to know that this question is being asked all over the web. And the only result is that they both have there pros and cons. So its more of what do you like most. Try installing them both and switch once in a while until you have your favorite. I myself use GNOME however it doesn't look like gnome anymore (I pimpt it). GNOME is bythaway the most used gui for linux.

[beagle]

Anyone here up for making their own Linux GUI? (I'm just kidding, but if you want to......)
Despite the countless angry PM's and angry responses I will get, I have decided to go with KDE, simply because it has the least eye candy, which I don't need, since I'm running Linux on an old, memory-shy IBM system that was originally designed to run Windows 95.
Every once in a while, I will use GNOME again, but I always give up and switch over to KDE after the computer crashes. (I have both GNOME and KDE installed on my system. It's Fedora Core 8)
Thanks everyone.

[jester-colony]

For memory lacking machines XFCE definitely beats resource hogs like GNOME or KDE. My personal favorite is Openbox, even lighter than XFCE, which focuses on simplicity and speed which I use on all my computers because i just love a fast clean desktop