Linux has proven amazingly flexible in turning itself to a wide range of computing tasks, and allowing you to tailor a system to your exact needs. Desktop customisation is no exception; from the ultra-modern KDE and GNOME window managers to with the likes of Fluxbox and AfterStep, there's a Linux desktop to suit everyone.
A fundamental difference between KDE and GNOME and alternative WMs is that desktop environments such as KDE and GNOME are fully-integrated environments, which means that they include many applications that also depend upon a WM to draw windows for them. A WM, on the other hand, only draws windows and menus, and so on. A WM by itself is smaller, faster, and lighter, but less powerful in most cases.
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