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**Fenyx** · Jun 03, 2006, 08:10 AM

Re: Switch between Ubuntu / Kubuntu ...

Historically speaking, there was only Ubuntu. But then, KDE users also wanted to experience the benefits of Ubuntu, without sacrificing their desktop of choice. And so Kubuntu was started, but started only as a sort of project, which later on became an official "derivation" (for lack of a better word) of Ubuntu.

This is not an artificial and unnecessary gap. The difference between GNOME (Ubuntu) and KDE (Kubuntu) is neither artificial nor unnecessary. While GNOME apps and KDE apps will sometimes work within each other, they are very different in many ways.

You can use Ubuntu artwork in Kubuntu, or vice versa. But don't expect for Kubuntu to magically act like GNOME.

I'm not exactly sure how you can "dynamically" change between kdm and gdm, without going to the command line. But one will always be the default, unless you edit some files. I'm not knowledgeable on this, though.

**johann_p** · Jun 03, 2006, 01:29 PM

Re: Switch between Ubuntu / Kubuntu ...

I am puzzled because I switched from Suse to Ubuntu (and now "Kubuntu"). Under Suse, it is no problem to just have GNOME and KDE side by side and modifying which session manager to use is a matter of seconds under Yast.

Of course, switching between session managers is only rarely done, but still, to compare them, users might want to do it some time (I am still using gdm after installing kubuntu and wanted to try and look at kdm just to test it).

I really do not see all this seperation between GNOME and KDE -- especially since there are both GNOME and KDE programs that are so good that you want to use it under the "other" window manager and ones that are so bad that you want do avoid them.

Also, if more than one user uses a computer (something quite commong in the Linux world), they might have different preferences about which window manager to use or which programs they prefer.

With all this taken into account, it seems to be odd having to decide between "distros" for this.

**IMQ** · Jun 03, 2006, 05:41 PM

Re: Switch between Ubuntu / Kubuntu ...

johann_p,

If you prefer Ubuntu but want Kubuntu, or mor precisely, KDE desktop and all the apps, then I suggest you try to uninstall kubuntu-desktop and reinstall ubuntu-desktop via synaptic. If any KDE packages become uninstalled as a result of uninstall kubuntu-desktop, I would just re-install the missing packages.

Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Edubuntu can co-exist but only one can be set as preferred desktop. I have one partition with all three installed with Xubunbu GDM, Kubuntu as preferred desktop.

If you prefer Ubuntu, don't pick other *buntu-desktop when using synaptic. The *buntu-desktop is just a convenient way for users to quicky install their preferred desktop without jumping through hoops.

**Fenyx** · Jun 03, 2006, 08:19 PM

Re: Switch between Ubuntu / Kubuntu ...

There are two fundamental things in this issue:

1. Different distributions do things differently. If different distros did things the same way, then lines distinguishing them will be even more blurry. Then you might begin to say "why should we have different distros when they all do the same things?". Like I said, early on, there was no Kubuntu, nor was there a concept of having a KDE version of Ubuntu. When the need for it arose, though, it was decided, for some reason or another, by people who make the choices in Ubuntu, to have a separate team/installer for the KDE Ubuntu, which they named Kubuntu. It was a separate project under the same umbrella. Different people work for the different projects, although some people might work in both. It's no different in Debian, Fedora or SuSE. Different teams work on GNOME and KDE. Now, you might ask why they had to change the name? Because they wanted to. And "maybe" (insert my own opinion here) because they want things to be easy for your average non-technical desktop user. They just choose which DE they want to work with initially and just download that. You also have to take into consideration that Debian, Fedora, and SuSE's installers comes with multiple CD's, giving you the option to install either or both DE's. Ubuntu is more or less committed to keeping the basic main installer in 1 CD.

Now, whether Kubuntu and all the other *buntus are separate distros is debatable. I for one take the stand that they are the same distros, offering single CD installers for your DE of choice. It's much simpler that way, not to mention easier to download.

2. GNOME and KDE are different, essentially and superficially. No matter how you turn it around, that's a fact. Just because you can't "see" it doesn't mean the difference is not there nor does it mean that it is invalid. Developers from both DE's take great care to make sure that apps from one DE will work in another. Although it might seem to work well in the eyes of a regular user, under the hood, it is very different. It's a good thing, though, that you don't see it. It means that they are successful in hiding details that would make your head spin.

In order to see the difference between GNOME and KDE, you have to dig a bit to learn the history and differences between the two. There's a lot of history, not to mention controversies/issues, to read about. But it might be beyond the scope of this thread to discuss those, unless of course you want to.

I don't really see any problem, or actually any relation to the problem, about using/preferring one DE's apps within another. Just because you can and might prefer to use iTunes in Windows doesn't mean that there's no difference/separation between the two. That's almost basically the same thing in GNOME and KDE.

There's also no problem with different users using different DE's on the same machine. Installing kubuntu-desktop on Ubuntu will give you the option to log into a KDE session in GDM, while installing ubuntu-desktop on Kubuntu gives you the option to log into a GNOME session in KDM (or whichever *DM you prefer as default, which also can be changed). You don't have to change Display/Session managers at all. Any user can use whatever they want. The advantage of this setup is that you download/install only what you need, when you need it.

There's no problem if you don't want to decide between different distros. If you're content with what you are using, there's no reason to try something else if you don't want to. Linux is all about choices, choosing between package managers (RPM, DEB, or TGZ), between distros, between desktop environments (GNOME, KDE, Xfce, etc), between window managers, etc. It also means that you have the choice NOT to choose at all. This is a freedom that comes with Linux, something that Windows does not have. In Windows, you are basically stuck with the choices they have made for you.

Perhaps the many different choices is quite overwhelming and puzzling for someone who's not used to it. But the fact is that the choices are there and that they are good for you, even if you don't use/try any/all of them.

Might I suggest you try to read on the fundamental differences between GNOME and KDE so that you could "see all the separation" between the two. (wikipedia might be a good place to start).

**mhumm2** · Jul 21, 2007, 09:39 AM

Re: Switch between Ubuntu / Kubuntu ...

Originally posted by johann_p

How can I dynamically change the display manger between kdm and gdm?

This is my question too. I'm new to Linux (6 months) and I happened to install KDE because I was familiar with it from my BSD days. Anyway, I'd love to be able to boot my system and have a menu appear (KDE or Gnome) and after I make my choice for that session, the chosen login screen comes up and the chosen desktop environment comes up.

I don't care about the history or what makes a distro. I just want to be able to use either with the same kernel.

So technically speaking, how exactly do I do it?

Assumption: Since I already installed Kubuntu, I run Adept and install the Gnome desktop. Okay, then what?

Mark

**Rog131** · Jul 21, 2007, 03:49 PM

Re: Switch between Ubuntu / Kubuntu ...

How can I dynamically change the display manger between kdm and gdm?

Is this what you really want ? Or do you mean: How can I dynamically change between KDE and GNOME ?

Here is this:
anyway to switch between gnome and kde?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=253761

Notes
+ You can run kde, gnome.. whatever in the window
That is: Gnome session over kde desktop or Kde session over Gnome desktop (or
another kde session over kde desktop)
+ Really simple, just say:

Code:

gdmflexiserver --xnest

and window pops up - log in - and you have kde and gnome running together.

- This works with gdm not with kdm

But as Jucato wrote:

Installing kubuntu-desktop on Ubuntu will give you the option to log into a KDE session in GDM,
while installing ubuntu-desktop on Kubuntu gives you the option to log into a GNOME session in KDM.

Note #1
In Feisty:
Same user prevented from logging in in nested login
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...dm/+bug/122046

So you can't log in twice - make another user or
edit /etc/gdm/gdm.conf. There is line:

Code:

#AlwaysLoginCurrentSession=true

change this (and uncomment)

Code:

AlwaysLoginCurrentSession=false

Note #2
You can easily change default display manager:

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure kdm

or

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm

And choose your favorite display manager

Note #3
Backup before you edit systemfiles (gdm.conf)

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Switch between Ubuntu / Kubuntu ...

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