The Reasons I hate Open Source Software and Love MS. 597
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Snit
From "A Practical Guide to RedHat Linux 8" by Mark G. Sobell:
OK. I would guess that it also controls the look and feel of the close print dialog - for those programs...
"A desktop manager is a picture-oriented user interface to system services (commands). It allows you to run application programs and use the filesystem (copy, move, and delete files) by manipulating icons and using menus instead of typing the corresponding commands to a shell." p.175.
"A window manager, the program that controls the look-and-feel of the basic GUI, runs on top of a desktop manager and controls all aspects of the windows in the X Windows System environment. The window manager defines the appearance of the windows on your desktop, as well as how you operate and position them: open, close, move, resize, iconify, and so on. The window manager may also handle some session Debt Management functions, such as how to pause, resume, restart, or end a windowing session." p. 180
It's possible to run a WM without a DE. You get a black screen with windows floating in it. You can also configure a WM to not have borders on the windows. Looks funky as hell and it's kind of hard to work with, but it can give you an idea of what each of those programs actually do.
generally you will find that certain combinations work better than others.
In one sense (and please don't flame me for this) the architecture of Linux GUI systems is slightly reminiscent of Windows 3.1. If you will recall Win 3.1 was an executable that ran in DOS. The DEs and WMs are executables that run on the Linux kernel. There's less separation of the kernel and the windowing system in XP.
The really neat thing about the Linux architecture becomes apparent when you are running workstations on a network. Depending on how the permissions are set up, it's possible to remotely open a window on someone elses desktop over the network. When you do that, *your* window manager will be controlling the look of that window on *their* desktop, which may not be the same WM in use on the other workstation. Three distinct funtions: kernel, window manager, and desktop manager.
Multiple desktops and Expose address *different* problems, which is something most people don't seem to get whenever they come up. Multiple desktops address the same problem that Apple addresses by providing for hiding...
Rod