In computing, the desktop environment ( DE ) is a desktop metaphor implementation created from a series of programs running on a computer operating system, which share a common graphical user interface (GUI) - sometimes described as a graphical shell. The desktop environment is mostly visible on personal computers until the emergence of mobile computing. Desktop GUI helps users to access and edit files easily, while they usually do not provide access to all the features found in the underlying operating system. In contrast, the traditional command line interface (CLI) is still used when full control over the operating system is required.
The desktop environment typically consists of icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpaper, and desktop widgets (see Graphical user interface elements and WIMP). The GUI may also provide drag and drop functions and other features that make desktop metaphors more complete. The desktop environment aims to be an intuitive way for users to interact with computers using concepts similar to those used when interacting with the physical world, such as buttons and windows.
While the term desktop environment initially describes the style of the user interface following the desktop metaphor, it also comes to describe the program that embodies the metaphor itself. This use has been popularized by projects such as the Common Desktop Environment, the K Desktop Environment, and GNOME.
Video Desktop environment
Implementation
On systems that offer desktop environments, window managers along with applications written using the widget toolkit are generally responsible for most of what users see. The windows manager supports user interaction with the environment, while the device provides software libraries for applications with integrated look and behavior.
A windowing system of some type generally interfaces directly with the operating system and underlying libraries. It provides support for graphics hardware, pointing devices, and keyboards. The windows manager generally runs on top of this windowing system. While the windowing system can provide multiple window management functions, this function is still considered part of the window manager, which happens to be provided by the windowing system.
Applications created with a particular window manager usually use windowing tooling, generally provided with the operating system or window manager. The windowing toolkit gives application access to widgets that allow users to interact graphically with apps consistently.
Maps Desktop environment
History and general usage
The first desktop environment was created by Xerox and sold with Xerox Alto in the 1970s. Alto is generally considered by Xerox as a personal office computer; failed in the market because of bad marketing and very high price tags. With Lisa, Apple introduced a desktop environment on affordable personal computers, which also failed in the market.
The desktop metaphor was popularized on commercial personal computers by the original Macintosh from Apple in 1984, and was further popularized by Windows from Microsoft since the 1990s. In 2014, the most popular desktop environments are derived from the previous environment, including the Aero environment used in Windows Vista and Windows 7, and the Aqua environment used in macOS. Compared to the X-based desktop environment available for Unix-like operating systems such as Linux and FreeBSD, the exclusive desktop environment that comes with Windows and macOS has a relatively fixed layout and static features, with a highly integrated "seamless" design that aims to providing the most consistent customer experience throughout the installation.
Microsoft Windows dominates market share among personal computers with desktop environments. Computers that use Unix-like operating systems such as macOS, Chrome OS, Linux, BSD or Solaris are less common; However, by 2015 there is a growing market for cheap Linux PCs using X Window System or Wayland with a wide choice of desktop environments. Among the more popular are Chromebooks and Google Chromeboxes, Intel NUC, Raspberry Pi, etc.
On tablets and smartphones, the situation is the opposite, with Unix-like operating systems dominating the market, including iOS (BSD-derived), Android, Tizen, Sailfish and Ubuntu (all Linux-derived). Microsoft Windows phones, Windows RT, and Windows 10 are used on a small number of tablets and smartphones. However, the majority of Unix-like operating systems that are dominant on handheld devices do not use the X11 desktop environment used by other Unix-like operating systems, relying on interfaces based on other technologies.
Desktop environment for X Window System
On systems running X Window Systems (usually Unix-family systems such as Linux, BSD, and formal UNIX distributions), the desktop environment is much more dynamic and customizable to meet user needs. In this context, the desktop environment usually consists of several separate components, including a window manager (such as Mutter or KWin), file manager (such as File or Dolphin), a set of graphical themes, along with toolkits (such as GTK and Qt) and libraries to manage desktop. All of these individual modules can be exchanged and configured independently to suit users, but most desktop environments provide default configurations that work with minimal user settings.
Some window managers? -? Like IceWM, Fluxbox, Openbox, ROX Desktop and Window Maker? -? Contains relatively rare desktop environment elements, such as an integrated spatial file manager, while others like evilwm and wmii do not provide such elements. Not all program codes that are part of the desktop environment have an effect that is directly visible to the user. Some may be low level code. KDE, for example, provides so-called KIO slaves that give users access to a variety of virtual devices. The slave I/O is not available outside the KDE environment.
Initially, CDE was available as a proprietary solution, but never popular on Linux systems due to cost and license restrictions. In 1996, KDE was announced, followed in 1997 by the GNOME announcement. Xfce is a smaller project that was also established in 1996, and focuses on speed and modularity, such as the LXDE that started in 2006. Comparison of the X Window System desktop environment shows the difference between environments. GNOME and KDE are usually seen as the dominant solution, and these are often installed by default on Linux systems. Each offers:
- For programmers, a set of standard APIs, programming environments, and human interface guidelines.
- For translators, collaboration infrastructure. KDE and GNOME are available in many languages.
- For artists, workspaces to share their talents.
- To the ergonomics specialist, the opportunity to help simplify the work environment.
- For third-party app developers, the reference environment for integration. OpenOffice.org is one such application.
- For users, a complete desktop environment and a set of important applications. These include file manager, web browser, multimedia player, email client, address book, PDF reader, photo manager, and system preference app.
In the early 2000s, KDE achieved maturity with GNOME. The Appeals Project and ToPaZ focuses on bringing new advancements to the major releases of both KDE and GNOME respectively. While striving for the same purpose, GNOME and KDE differ in their approach to user ergonomics. KDE encourages applications to integrate and operate, highly customizable, and contains many intricate features, all while trying to set reasonable defaults. GNOME on the other hand is more prescriptive, and focuses on finer detail of basic tasks and overall simplification. As such, each attracts a different user community and developer. Technically, there are many common technologies for all Unix-like desktop environments, most definitely the X Window System. Thus, the freedesktop.org project was established as an informal collaboration zone with the aim of reducing duplication of efforts.
Because GNOME and KDE focus on high-performing computers, less powerful or older computer users often prefer alternative desktop environments specifically designed for low-performing systems. The most commonly used lightweight desktop environments include LXDE and Xfce; both using GTK, which is the same basic device used by GNOME. The MATE desktop environment, the GNOME 2 fork, is comparable to Xfce in RAM usage and processor cycles, but is often considered more as an alternative to other lightweight desktop environments.
In the meantime, GNOME and KDE enjoy the most popular desktop Linux environment status; then, other desktop environments increasingly popular. In April 2011, GNOME introduced a new interface concept with version 3, while the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution introduced its own new desktop environment, Unity. Some users prefer to retain the traditional GNOME 2 interface concept, which results in the creation of MATE as a GNOME 2 fork.
Sample desktop environment
The most common desktop environment on a personal computer is the Microsoft Windows built-in interface. It's titled Luna on Windows XP and Aero from Windows Vista and beyond. Also common is Aqua, included with Apple macOS.
The mainstream desktop environment for Unix-like operating systems uses the X Window System, and includes KDE, GNOME, Xfce, and LXDE, whichever is user-friendly and exclusively tied to the operating system used.
A number of other desktop environments also exist, including (but not limited to) CDE, EDE, GEM, Interactive Desktop IRIX, Sun's Java Desktop System, Jesktop, Mezzo, Project Looking Glass, ROX Desktop, UDE, Xito, XFast. In addition, there is FVWM-Crystal, which consists of a powerful configuration for FVWM window managers, themes and further adds, all of which form "construction kits" to build desktop environments.
X window manager that is meant to be stand-alone - without other desktop environments - also includes reminiscent elements found in a typical desktop environment, the most prominent Enlightenment. Other examples include OpenBox, Fluxbox, WindowLab, Fvwm, and Window Maker and AfterStep, both of which feature NeXTSTEP GUI look and feel.
The Amiga approach to the desktop environment is crucial: the original Workbench desktop environment in AmigaOS evolves over time to come from whole family descendants and alternative desktop solutions. Some of the descendants are Scalos, Ambient desktop from MorphOS, and Wanderer desktop from open source OS AROS. WindowLab also contains features that are reminiscent of the Amiga UI. Opus software A third-party directory, originally just a navigation file manager program, evolved into a complete desktop replacement for Amiga called Directory Opus Magellan.
There is a Shell Workplace running on IBM OS/2 or eComStation.
The BumpTop project is an experimental desktop environment. The ultimate goal is to replace the 2D paradigm with a "real-world" 3D implementation, where documents can be manipulated freely across virtual tables.
Desktop Environment Comparison
Perbandingan beberapa lingkungan desktop
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Wayland is a new alternative to X Windows that can run multiple different desktop environments.
Comparison of desktop environment
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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