Debian 7 default DE?

[cwwgateway]

Yeah, install the base debian, and apt-get install xorg with whatever X enviroment you want .
I can't stand the default install of kde or gnome on most distros, as you always end up with gdm/kdm .
Just more junk running in the background that I don't need .
I like E16 .

Hi h3z... Do you use E16 or E17? Until recently, E16 was technically the latest stable release, so I'd be curious how many people used E16 instead of E17. Assuming you did mean E16, how was the experience compared to more modern WMs (especially E17)?

Anyway, on the subject, I agree with those who say you can install whatever you want and there isn't really a default. TBH, I've never installed Debian with the default DE (although I haven't done too many debian installs yet) - personally I like to install Xfce. As long as I have the freedom to install whatever I want, I don't see a problem with any DE or WM being the default. While my favorite is Xfce, I have no problem with Gnome being included in the CD - there doesn't seem to be a defacto standard anymore (with so many new DEs/Shells appearing due to Gnome 3), so it seems logical to continue with the previous DE's successor (despite it being very different). Anyways... just my two cents .

I have been using E16 . I have used E17 . E17 has a nice way of managing the apps in your menu . With E16 you use a file . The themes are more detialed in E17. But, really the only thing I personally liked more about E17 was the built in audio mixer . You can use an epplet audio mixer in E16, but they are real ugly .
For most user, E17 would be the better choice . It dosen't seem to use much more memory than E16 . It is quite a bit larger in data size . I'd use an alternative file manager . The E17 file manager is okay, but too simple . Over all E17 is a nice WM . If I didn't use E16, I would use E17 then fluxbox, then last on my list would be openbox . But, I would hate having to compile E17 from source in comparison to E16 . Although most Debian users won't have to worry about that . Even if you are a strick stable dabain user, you can get E17 from the Elive repository . I did notice on an Ubuntu install that E17 was very buggy . Somthing to do with how the menu tried to auto-gen menu item . So, I would get a current release of it .

Ok, thanks. I've used E17 a fair amount, and I've tried FluxBox/OpenBox, but I've never used E16. I'll have to try it when I have time (hopefully before wheezy's released).

[Tux9656]

I vote for the Mate desktop. Too bad it's not in the official repo.
If Gnome 3 is the default, then won't pulseaudio also be installed by default? Just the though of pulseaudio as default sends a chill down my spine.

[cynwulf]

What is or is not the default is largely irrelevant when it's easy enough to install a different DE.

[shiva]

I vote for the Mate desktop. Too bad it's not in the official repo.
If Gnome 3 is the default, then won't pulseaudio also be installed by default? Just the though of pulseaudio as default sends a chill down my spine.

Pulse audio is good just you should know to install it and configure the way it should be configured.
This is my /etc/asound.conf :
http://pastebin.com/WtjpFXim

For glitches and noise in playback refer to this few small fixes listed on this blog post http://pc-freak.net/blog/how-to-fix-pul ... gnu-linux/

P.S. I vote for Xfce I activly use it from 2009 year.

[Pelly]

Absolutely KDE! With a custom-made skin, like openSUSE. GNOME already has a predominance in the Linux scope.
(I've thinking about Unity... but it's already GNOME-based, plus, why would we become Ubuntu copycats?)
And some stuff: Debian should definitely come with a GUI, because putting every GUI on a CD will cause a bloat and only DVD releases will be available. There is mirroring, but not everyone has a net connection. Asides from that, it'd be useful to make light window managers like IceWM, wmaker and etc. available.
EDIT: Somebody had the idea of choose-your-own-desktop-before-downloading. We already have 4 DE versions, only JWM and the like are missing. Or did you mean a build sevice as with openSUSE? I've got Inkscape and now I'm making the stuff for the KDE theme. SVG is easier than pixel!