Is Cinnamon a desktop environment or a window manager? (Or both?)





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As far as I understand it:




  • X11 is how you draw primitive things;

  • A (compositing) window manager is something that uses X11 to provide the tools for drawing more complex things, and position them in layers on screen;

  • A desktop environment is something that uses a window manager to provide the bare essentials of a GUI-based operating system, like a control panel, calculator and solitaire apps, task bar, etc.


If my understanding is correct - what is Cinnamon? Its wiki article (and the tag here on SU) describe it as a "desktop environment", but I can't find what window manager Linux Mint uses by default in its wiki article, and the Tara release notes mention improving the "window manager" in the Cinnamon 3.8 section.










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    3















    As far as I understand it:




    • X11 is how you draw primitive things;

    • A (compositing) window manager is something that uses X11 to provide the tools for drawing more complex things, and position them in layers on screen;

    • A desktop environment is something that uses a window manager to provide the bare essentials of a GUI-based operating system, like a control panel, calculator and solitaire apps, task bar, etc.


    If my understanding is correct - what is Cinnamon? Its wiki article (and the tag here on SU) describe it as a "desktop environment", but I can't find what window manager Linux Mint uses by default in its wiki article, and the Tara release notes mention improving the "window manager" in the Cinnamon 3.8 section.










    share|improve this question

























      3












      3








      3


      2






      As far as I understand it:




      • X11 is how you draw primitive things;

      • A (compositing) window manager is something that uses X11 to provide the tools for drawing more complex things, and position them in layers on screen;

      • A desktop environment is something that uses a window manager to provide the bare essentials of a GUI-based operating system, like a control panel, calculator and solitaire apps, task bar, etc.


      If my understanding is correct - what is Cinnamon? Its wiki article (and the tag here on SU) describe it as a "desktop environment", but I can't find what window manager Linux Mint uses by default in its wiki article, and the Tara release notes mention improving the "window manager" in the Cinnamon 3.8 section.










      share|improve this question














      As far as I understand it:




      • X11 is how you draw primitive things;

      • A (compositing) window manager is something that uses X11 to provide the tools for drawing more complex things, and position them in layers on screen;

      • A desktop environment is something that uses a window manager to provide the bare essentials of a GUI-based operating system, like a control panel, calculator and solitaire apps, task bar, etc.


      If my understanding is correct - what is Cinnamon? Its wiki article (and the tag here on SU) describe it as a "desktop environment", but I can't find what window manager Linux Mint uses by default in its wiki article, and the Tara release notes mention improving the "window manager" in the Cinnamon 3.8 section.







      linux xorg window-manager cinnamon desktop-environments






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      asked 4 hours ago









      Adam BarnesAdam Barnes

      220126




      220126






















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          6














          Cinnamon's a desktop environment, as it's wikipedia page and archwiki page both state.



          Cinnamon uses it's own window manager called muffin, installing the cinnamon package also installs the muffin WM package on Debian.



          Cinnamon also has "a bundle of programs running on top of a computer operating system, which share a common graphical user interface (GUI)" as Wikipedia's Desktop environment says is a basic definition. It's programs are X-Apps, but like all programs they're generally voluntary if you want to remove & use others instead.



          Additionally, the archwiki page also states:




          Cinnamon does not support using a different window manager.







          share|improve this answer


























          • ArchWiki seems strong. Is that something I could rely on to get any information regarding Linux? Or is it limited to stuff relevant to Arch?

            – Adam Barnes
            4 hours ago






          • 2





            ArchWiki is a very professional source, not only for Arch and derivatives.

            – GabrielaGarcia
            4 hours ago











          • Arch's wiki is generally fantastic, mostly relevant to packages available to any linux, but sometimes the system config info seems specific to arch

            – Xen2050
            3 hours ago



















          0














          I would consider it to be both a desktop environment AND a window manager. On Ubuntu, Muffin is NOT a dependency for the Cinnamon desktop environment, although you can install manually if you want. (Maybe Cinnamon the window manager uses Muffin's libraries?). When cinnamon is launched, if you launch a task management-type program (such as top), you'll probably notice a program called "cinnamon" running. If you kill cinnamon, X11 will look exactly like it does when there is no window manager (windows won't have any borders or titlebars, windows will be clumsily stacked and unmovable, etc).



          If you have some window manager running, and you run the following command from a terminal: cinnamon --replace, your window manager will be replaced with the Cinnamon window manager.



          PS: You can totally open windows without a window manager. Thus, X11 can draw more than "primitive things", and can in fact play videos, run office suites, browse the web, etc. without the need of a window manager. In practice, however, you won't want to attempt to do any of these things without a window manager, as simple things like launching programs, switching/moving/resizing/minimizing windows, and sending keyboard strokes to a specific window will become a HUGE pain.






          share|improve this answer
























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            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

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            2 Answers
            2






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

            votes






            active

            oldest

            votes









            6














            Cinnamon's a desktop environment, as it's wikipedia page and archwiki page both state.



            Cinnamon uses it's own window manager called muffin, installing the cinnamon package also installs the muffin WM package on Debian.



            Cinnamon also has "a bundle of programs running on top of a computer operating system, which share a common graphical user interface (GUI)" as Wikipedia's Desktop environment says is a basic definition. It's programs are X-Apps, but like all programs they're generally voluntary if you want to remove & use others instead.



            Additionally, the archwiki page also states:




            Cinnamon does not support using a different window manager.







            share|improve this answer


























            • ArchWiki seems strong. Is that something I could rely on to get any information regarding Linux? Or is it limited to stuff relevant to Arch?

              – Adam Barnes
              4 hours ago






            • 2





              ArchWiki is a very professional source, not only for Arch and derivatives.

              – GabrielaGarcia
              4 hours ago











            • Arch's wiki is generally fantastic, mostly relevant to packages available to any linux, but sometimes the system config info seems specific to arch

              – Xen2050
              3 hours ago
















            6














            Cinnamon's a desktop environment, as it's wikipedia page and archwiki page both state.



            Cinnamon uses it's own window manager called muffin, installing the cinnamon package also installs the muffin WM package on Debian.



            Cinnamon also has "a bundle of programs running on top of a computer operating system, which share a common graphical user interface (GUI)" as Wikipedia's Desktop environment says is a basic definition. It's programs are X-Apps, but like all programs they're generally voluntary if you want to remove & use others instead.



            Additionally, the archwiki page also states:




            Cinnamon does not support using a different window manager.







            share|improve this answer


























            • ArchWiki seems strong. Is that something I could rely on to get any information regarding Linux? Or is it limited to stuff relevant to Arch?

              – Adam Barnes
              4 hours ago






            • 2





              ArchWiki is a very professional source, not only for Arch and derivatives.

              – GabrielaGarcia
              4 hours ago











            • Arch's wiki is generally fantastic, mostly relevant to packages available to any linux, but sometimes the system config info seems specific to arch

              – Xen2050
              3 hours ago














            6












            6








            6







            Cinnamon's a desktop environment, as it's wikipedia page and archwiki page both state.



            Cinnamon uses it's own window manager called muffin, installing the cinnamon package also installs the muffin WM package on Debian.



            Cinnamon also has "a bundle of programs running on top of a computer operating system, which share a common graphical user interface (GUI)" as Wikipedia's Desktop environment says is a basic definition. It's programs are X-Apps, but like all programs they're generally voluntary if you want to remove & use others instead.



            Additionally, the archwiki page also states:




            Cinnamon does not support using a different window manager.







            share|improve this answer















            Cinnamon's a desktop environment, as it's wikipedia page and archwiki page both state.



            Cinnamon uses it's own window manager called muffin, installing the cinnamon package also installs the muffin WM package on Debian.



            Cinnamon also has "a bundle of programs running on top of a computer operating system, which share a common graphical user interface (GUI)" as Wikipedia's Desktop environment says is a basic definition. It's programs are X-Apps, but like all programs they're generally voluntary if you want to remove & use others instead.



            Additionally, the archwiki page also states:




            Cinnamon does not support using a different window manager.








            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 3 hours ago

























            answered 4 hours ago









            Xen2050Xen2050

            11.4k31637




            11.4k31637













            • ArchWiki seems strong. Is that something I could rely on to get any information regarding Linux? Or is it limited to stuff relevant to Arch?

              – Adam Barnes
              4 hours ago






            • 2





              ArchWiki is a very professional source, not only for Arch and derivatives.

              – GabrielaGarcia
              4 hours ago











            • Arch's wiki is generally fantastic, mostly relevant to packages available to any linux, but sometimes the system config info seems specific to arch

              – Xen2050
              3 hours ago



















            • ArchWiki seems strong. Is that something I could rely on to get any information regarding Linux? Or is it limited to stuff relevant to Arch?

              – Adam Barnes
              4 hours ago






            • 2





              ArchWiki is a very professional source, not only for Arch and derivatives.

              – GabrielaGarcia
              4 hours ago











            • Arch's wiki is generally fantastic, mostly relevant to packages available to any linux, but sometimes the system config info seems specific to arch

              – Xen2050
              3 hours ago

















            ArchWiki seems strong. Is that something I could rely on to get any information regarding Linux? Or is it limited to stuff relevant to Arch?

            – Adam Barnes
            4 hours ago





            ArchWiki seems strong. Is that something I could rely on to get any information regarding Linux? Or is it limited to stuff relevant to Arch?

            – Adam Barnes
            4 hours ago




            2




            2





            ArchWiki is a very professional source, not only for Arch and derivatives.

            – GabrielaGarcia
            4 hours ago





            ArchWiki is a very professional source, not only for Arch and derivatives.

            – GabrielaGarcia
            4 hours ago













            Arch's wiki is generally fantastic, mostly relevant to packages available to any linux, but sometimes the system config info seems specific to arch

            – Xen2050
            3 hours ago





            Arch's wiki is generally fantastic, mostly relevant to packages available to any linux, but sometimes the system config info seems specific to arch

            – Xen2050
            3 hours ago













            0














            I would consider it to be both a desktop environment AND a window manager. On Ubuntu, Muffin is NOT a dependency for the Cinnamon desktop environment, although you can install manually if you want. (Maybe Cinnamon the window manager uses Muffin's libraries?). When cinnamon is launched, if you launch a task management-type program (such as top), you'll probably notice a program called "cinnamon" running. If you kill cinnamon, X11 will look exactly like it does when there is no window manager (windows won't have any borders or titlebars, windows will be clumsily stacked and unmovable, etc).



            If you have some window manager running, and you run the following command from a terminal: cinnamon --replace, your window manager will be replaced with the Cinnamon window manager.



            PS: You can totally open windows without a window manager. Thus, X11 can draw more than "primitive things", and can in fact play videos, run office suites, browse the web, etc. without the need of a window manager. In practice, however, you won't want to attempt to do any of these things without a window manager, as simple things like launching programs, switching/moving/resizing/minimizing windows, and sending keyboard strokes to a specific window will become a HUGE pain.






            share|improve this answer




























              0














              I would consider it to be both a desktop environment AND a window manager. On Ubuntu, Muffin is NOT a dependency for the Cinnamon desktop environment, although you can install manually if you want. (Maybe Cinnamon the window manager uses Muffin's libraries?). When cinnamon is launched, if you launch a task management-type program (such as top), you'll probably notice a program called "cinnamon" running. If you kill cinnamon, X11 will look exactly like it does when there is no window manager (windows won't have any borders or titlebars, windows will be clumsily stacked and unmovable, etc).



              If you have some window manager running, and you run the following command from a terminal: cinnamon --replace, your window manager will be replaced with the Cinnamon window manager.



              PS: You can totally open windows without a window manager. Thus, X11 can draw more than "primitive things", and can in fact play videos, run office suites, browse the web, etc. without the need of a window manager. In practice, however, you won't want to attempt to do any of these things without a window manager, as simple things like launching programs, switching/moving/resizing/minimizing windows, and sending keyboard strokes to a specific window will become a HUGE pain.






              share|improve this answer


























                0












                0








                0







                I would consider it to be both a desktop environment AND a window manager. On Ubuntu, Muffin is NOT a dependency for the Cinnamon desktop environment, although you can install manually if you want. (Maybe Cinnamon the window manager uses Muffin's libraries?). When cinnamon is launched, if you launch a task management-type program (such as top), you'll probably notice a program called "cinnamon" running. If you kill cinnamon, X11 will look exactly like it does when there is no window manager (windows won't have any borders or titlebars, windows will be clumsily stacked and unmovable, etc).



                If you have some window manager running, and you run the following command from a terminal: cinnamon --replace, your window manager will be replaced with the Cinnamon window manager.



                PS: You can totally open windows without a window manager. Thus, X11 can draw more than "primitive things", and can in fact play videos, run office suites, browse the web, etc. without the need of a window manager. In practice, however, you won't want to attempt to do any of these things without a window manager, as simple things like launching programs, switching/moving/resizing/minimizing windows, and sending keyboard strokes to a specific window will become a HUGE pain.






                share|improve this answer













                I would consider it to be both a desktop environment AND a window manager. On Ubuntu, Muffin is NOT a dependency for the Cinnamon desktop environment, although you can install manually if you want. (Maybe Cinnamon the window manager uses Muffin's libraries?). When cinnamon is launched, if you launch a task management-type program (such as top), you'll probably notice a program called "cinnamon" running. If you kill cinnamon, X11 will look exactly like it does when there is no window manager (windows won't have any borders or titlebars, windows will be clumsily stacked and unmovable, etc).



                If you have some window manager running, and you run the following command from a terminal: cinnamon --replace, your window manager will be replaced with the Cinnamon window manager.



                PS: You can totally open windows without a window manager. Thus, X11 can draw more than "primitive things", and can in fact play videos, run office suites, browse the web, etc. without the need of a window manager. In practice, however, you won't want to attempt to do any of these things without a window manager, as simple things like launching programs, switching/moving/resizing/minimizing windows, and sending keyboard strokes to a specific window will become a HUGE pain.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



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                answered 1 hour ago









                TSJNachos117TSJNachos117

                26639




                26639






























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