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Clarify and expand discussion of window managers.

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Nathaniel Beaver
2015-09-11 19:34:31 -05:00
parent a5e16cd938
commit 70c3fedd42
1 changed files with 32 additions and 22 deletions
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README.rst
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@@ -1004,9 +1004,38 @@ or for one process to read a file
while another process is writing to it,
since applications do not lock files by default.
----------------------------
No choice of window manager.
----------------------------
-----------------------------------------
Lack of control over desktop environment.
-----------------------------------------
Windows has many ways to customize its appearance;
there are many `alternative shells`_ and `visual themes`_,
and it's possible to `change the login shell`_
or `run without explorer.exe at all`_.
.. _alternative shells: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alternative_shells_for_Windows
.. _visual themes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_%28computing%29#Operating_systems
.. _run without explorer.exe at all: http://lightquick.co.uk/running-windows-without-explorer.exe.html
.. _change the login shell: https://superuser.com/questions/108265/how-do-you-replace-the-logon-shell-with-iexplore
It's even possible to run the KDE desktop environment on Windows.
https://windows.kde.org/
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/79007/
However, ultimately Microsoft controls the Windows API,
such as how low-level libraries ``user32.dll`` and ``gdi32.dll`` respond to function calls.
As a result, Microsoft can exert control over the Windows desktop environment,
such as making it `impossible to disable the dwm window manager`_ on Windows 8.
.. _impossible to disable the dwm window manager: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh848042%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
Projects like Wine are something of a threat to this control,
since it provides an open-source implementation of libraries such as ``user32.dll``.
Perhaps that's why `Windows rejects a registry with the Wine configuration key`_.
.. _Windows rejects a registry with the Wine configuration key: https://www.winehq.org/pipermail/wine-devel/2005-February/033868.html
The Linux kernel does not require a particular desktop environment,
or indeed any graphical desktop at all.
@@ -1017,25 +1046,6 @@ for `desktop environment`_ and `window manager`_ on Linux.
.. _desktop environment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_X_Window_System_desktop_environments
.. _window manager: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_X_window_managers
.. TODO: Make this part more specifically about needing keyboard for initial setup.
.. connect a monitor, keyboard, and mouse for the initial setup; then disconnect them and use them elsewhere.
.. http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/a-cheap-effective-home-server-using-windows-8/
Microsoft does not provide the `Windows NT desktop window manager`_ and `Windows NT kernel`_ separately;
the window manager is a `tightly coupled`_ component of the kernel,
and as of Windows 8 the `DWM cannot be disabled`_, even for servers.
.. _Windows NT desktop window manager: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969540.aspx
.. _Windows NT kernel: https://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/Going+Deep/Windows-Part-I-Dave-Probert#53470
.. _tightly coupled: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_manager#Microsoft_Windows
.. _DWM cannot be disabled: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh848042%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
While there are a number of `alternative shells`_ and `visual themes`_ for Windows,
the underlying windowing system is the same.
.. _alternative shells: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alternative_shells_for_Windows
.. _visual themes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_%28computing%29#Operating_systems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Non-resizable dialog boxes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~