Loading ...Quick way to switch from KDE to GNOME or viceversa
This tip is submitted by reader Zacharie:
switchdesk is the command to switch from KDE to GNOME or viceversa. This command provides a simple method of choosing between the various desktop environments available under Fedora Core, Cent OS and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
If X Windows is running, switchdesk will bring up a dialog box which allows the user to choose between the available desktops installed on the system.
Task: To switch from GNOME to KDE, use the command
$ switchdesk kde
Task: To switch from KDE to GNOME, use the command
$ switchdesk gnome
Please note that file ~/.Xclients, ~/.Xclients-default stores the currently selected desktop.
A note about other distros/BSD
switchdesk is RedHat and friends only command. If you are using different Linux distribution or FreeBSD, open ~/.xinitrc file and type full path to your desktop manager. For example, to use xfce4 desktop:
$ vi .xinitrc
Append following line (your path may be different use, which command to get exact path):
/usr/X11R6/bin/startxfce4
Save and close the file. Enjoy new desktop.
While login you will see option for different desktops (provided that all of them are installed). Usually this is located below Username / password box or lower left button. Just select appropriate desktop (KDE/XFC4 etc).
Load KDE while running Gnome
You can load KDE while running Gnome desktop (thanks to sweta for pointing it out):
Just open your gnome terminal and type the command:
$ startkde &
Want to stay up to date with the latest Linux tips, news and announcements? Subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter or RSS feed to get all updates.
You can Email this page to a friend.
You may also be interested in other helpful articles:
- Difference between KDE and Gnome Desktop systems
- Top 10 Hits and Zeitgeist of 2006 for your edification and fun
- Cisco Nexus 7000 Network Switch Can Route 15 Terabits Per Second
- FreeBSD and Linux changing Desktop Environments/login manager
- FreeBSD IPFILTER (ipf) outgoing passive ftp problem
Discussion on This Article:
Leave a Reply
We encourage your comments, and suggestions. But please stay on topic, be polite, and avoid spam. Thank you very much for stopping by our site!
Tags: .xinitrc file, desktop environments, desktop manager, enterprise linux, FreeBSD, gnome desktop, Kde, Linux distribution, red hat enterprise, switchdesk_command
excellent tip. I am using fedora core 5 and switch desk is good for swithing desktops
any way this can be used on any of the UBUNTU variants?
great tip…but it’s “X Window” isn’t it?
Foul! Doesn’t work! Command isn’t found and can’t be installed via “apt-get”. Not a standard X command!
I’d like to see Gnome and KDE Running at the same time using XGL - imagine ctrl and the desktop swizzles round in all its XGL glory with a different desktops on different faces of the cube. That would be really sweet!
once using the startkde command, how do I close kde and return to gnome?
also it doesn’t close gnome, as i can still see and use the gnome-panel
also, would it even be possible to have kde on one face of the cube, and gnome on the other?
Well, I know this is a little late and wrong, but the answer to quitting kde after you start it with the startkde command is:
> kdeinit_shutdown