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Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

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baggister
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Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#1 Post by baggister »

Im on the graphical installation page "Software selection"
Where it shows ..
Debian desktop environment (already ticked by default)
... GNOME (not ticked)
... xfce (not ticked)
... KDE (not ticked)
... Cinnamon (not ticked)
... MATE (not ticked)
... LXDE (not ticked)

I do not understand what is Debian desktop environment in the above context. What is it?
My understanding is that, leaving the above as it is, (with only DDE ticked), GNOME is installed.
Does that mean that if I tick GNOME (so DDE and GNOME are both ticked), there is no difference at all?
Does this also mean if I untick DDE, but tick GNOME, there is no difference?
And if DDE is ticked as well as, for instance, xfce, GNOME and xfce are both installed?

Sorry for the stupid question, I regret to say its a very confusing menu.
I'm busy on these forums :-(

Randicus
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#2 Post by Randicus »

Unless the installer has changed for Jessie, installing only the desktop tools will install the system without a GUI. Leaving it to you to install whatever GUI or GUIs you want. I assume that is still the case, since none of the DEs on the list have been checked. If you want one of them, put a check mark or X on that entry.

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roseway
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#3 Post by roseway »

I'm guessing, but I think the 'Debian desktop environment' probably installs the X server and a basic window manager like TWM.
Eric

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GarryRicketson
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#4 Post by GarryRicketson »

Copied and pasted the key words:
what is Debian Desktop Environment?
into This search window

Did you look at these, see if they help clear up your confusion,..

https://wiki.debian.org/DesktopEnvironment
and
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianDesktopHowTo
from the 2nd: To select the desktop environment that the debian-installer installs, enter "Advanced options" on the boot screen and scroll down to "Alternative desktop environments". Otherwise, debian-installer will choose GNOME.

MALsPa
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#5 Post by MALsPa »

baggister wrote:My understanding is that, leaving the above as it is, (with only DDE ticked), GNOME is installed.
Does that mean that if I tick GNOME (so DDE and GNOME are both ticked), there is no difference at all?
Does this also mean if I untick DDE, but tick GNOME, there is no difference?
And if DDE is ticked as well as, for instance, xfce, GNOME and xfce are both installed?
If you select Debian Desktop Environment AND KDE, for example, you'll get a KDE environment, not GNOME. Same thing with Xfce. I know because I was kinda confused by the same screen, but that's what I did for my Jessie KDE and Jessie Xfce installations.

However, I'm still not sure what would happen if only Debian Desktop Environment OR only GNOME is selected -- if there's any difference in what gets installed.

See also: https://wiki.debian.org/tasksel

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GarryRicketson
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#6 Post by GarryRicketson »

However, I'm still not sure what would happen if only Debian Desktop Environment OR only GNOME is selected -- if there's any difference in what gets installed.
rom the 2nd: To select the desktop environment that the debian-installer installs, enter "Advanced options" on the boot screen and scroll down to "Alternative desktop environments". Otherwise, debian-installer will choose GNOME.
It say pretty clear,.. "other wise debian-installer will choose Gnome"

MALsPa
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#7 Post by MALsPa »

GarryRicketson wrote: It say pretty clear,.. "other wise debian-installer will choose Gnome"
Then why even list a GNOME option along with the Debian Desktop Environment option?

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GarryRicketson
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#8 Post by GarryRicketson »

MALsPa wrote:
GarryRicketson wrote: It say pretty clear,.. "other wise debian-installer will choose Gnome"
Then why even list a GNOME option along with the Debian Desktop Environment option?
Who knows, I don't,... besides that I used this :
debian-live-8.0.0-i386-mate-desktop.iso
And it did not have those options.

baggister
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#9 Post by baggister »

GarryRicketson wrote:Copied and pasted the key words:
what is Debian Desktop Environment?
into This search window

Did you look at these, see if they help clear up your confusion,..

https://wiki.debian.org/DesktopEnvironment
and
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianDesktopHowTo
from the 2nd: To select the desktop environment that the debian-installer installs, enter "Advanced options" on the boot screen and scroll down to "Alternative desktop environments". Otherwise, debian-installer will choose GNOME.
I did indeed look at those, but the info wasn't there.

ps, I've been using startpage for a while now! (although I invariable switch to the enemy afterwards - more hits :-( )

baggister
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#10 Post by baggister »

Ok, good to see nobody really knows! hahaha!!
Reassuring I'm not alone at the very least.

Alright - I unticked Debian Desktop enviroment and selected XFCE. Cheers everyone.

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dasein
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#11 Post by dasein »

MALsPa wrote:However, I'm still not sure what would happen if only Debian Desktop Environment OR only GNOME is selected -- if there's any difference in what gets installed.
I can't speak to what happens in Jessie, but in Squeeze and Wheezy, if "desktop environment" is UNticked, then it doesn't matter what DE is selected--X isn't installed.

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GarryRicketson
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#12 Post by GarryRicketson »

then it doesn't matter what DE is selected--X isn't installed.
It is important to select "Desktop Enviroment", even if no particular desktop is selected ,
If X ( a desk top enviroment ) is not installed, one will no be able to get any desktops or window managers to work, ( I am pretty sure), they all need a "desk top environment".
This may be hard for some people to grasp, but it makes perfect sense to me, and I
can not think of any better way to explain.
Perhaps this will help clarify :
HOWTO: Install X Window System and a Desktop Environment
If you do not install a desktop environment, that is ok, but you will get the :
So, you have just installed Debian GNU/Linux. Good for you! But, what now? All you have is a black screen in front of you with no mouse pointer or application menu or anything! What gives?!
As mentioned, in the above link.

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#13 Post by Wheelerof4te »

Don't get me wrong, but there's a lot of confusing misinformation here.

When you get to ''software selection'' stage of the install, it asks you which desktop environment (GUI) you want to install (since Jessie). If you:
1. Leave everything BUT the ''standard system software'' UNchecked, you will get no DE. Only command line (console). From there, you can install any GUI you want, provided you have configured your sources.list and have Internet connection. Xorg is not installed either.
2. Leave ''Debian Desktop environment'' checked, you will get GNOME 3. That's default GUI and you don't have to check GNOME also.
3. If you want some other GUI and not GNOME 3, check DE that you want to install, but UNcheck ''Debian desktop environment''. You don't need that, since you already have selected DE to be installed.

You should have searched about Debian more before deciding to install it, but that's the fault of Microsoft's handholding.Not yours.

No_windows
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#14 Post by No_windows »

I've wondered the same thing. The problem with the stock answer of searching for an answer with a search engine, is that the terms are very generic. I believe "Debian Desktop Environment" is various additional tools/parts that are not a part of each of the desktop environments listed in the menu, but I have not tested that theory. Look here: https://packages.debian.org/jessie/task-desktop

I do not believe Jessie installs Gnome by default. That is Wheezy behavior, as I just found that out yesterday. It took me a minute to figure out how I had gotten Xfce before. Wheezy has the "advanced option" menu where you select the alternate desktop environments, before anything really starts. Jessie gives the option after starting the install, and it's not buried several layers deep, like in Wheezy.

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roseway
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#15 Post by roseway »

Wheelerof4te wrote:Don't get me wrong, but there's a lot of confusing misinformation here.
And unfortunately you've added to it. In Jessie, "Debian desktop environment" doesn't install Gnome. You have to select the Gnome option to get that.
Eric


runfrodorun
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#17 Post by runfrodorun »

My understanding is also that Gnome would get installed unless there is a different one ticked. Perhaps this has changed in recent years.

-RJ
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Some abrasive.
No systemd.
Wow.

slacka
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#18 Post by slacka »

So what is the difference between only Checking "Debian Desktop Environment", only checking "Gnome", and checking both "Debian Desktop Environment" and "Gnome"?

Wheelerof4te
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#19 Post by Wheelerof4te »

^I installed MATE once only by checking it. Check GNOME if you want GNOME. Check anything else if you want anything else. It's that simple.

hhh
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Re: Installing Jessie - what is Debian Desktop Environment?

#20 Post by hhh »

baggister wrote:Does that mean that if I tick GNOME (so DDE and GNOME are both ticked), there is no difference at all?
Yes. Just tick DDE, that will default to GNOME.
Does this also mean if I untick DDE, but tick GNOME, there is no difference?
No, you have to check DDE.
And if DDE is ticked as well as, for instance, xfce, GNOME and xfce are both installed?
Yes, that's what the GNOME option is there for. If you check DDE and only Xfce, GNOME will not be installed. You can check other combinations of environments with or without GNOME included.

See 6.3.5.2. Selecting and Installing Software

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