I’ve only dabbled in Linux, I can figure out things for the most part but never used it beyond some fiddling, but I didn’t realize that desktop environments had that many specific applications. I always thought beyond some default apps most apps wouldn’t depend on the desktop environment but after some reading seems like they use similar dependencies.
So if this gets seen, can most/many/any general kde apps work under a different environment if you install the dependencies or do you absolutely need the environment for them to work? Does that also follow for other desktop environments? Been reading up on DEs to get a dual boot or virtual install going in the future and this was something I hadn’t realized may make one DE stand out.
You may want to look at
You have video editors, programs for digital painting, apps that sync your phone with your desktop (any desktop, including Windows and macOS), games, etc.
The vast majority work on all Linux desktops, and many work on other platforms (Windows, Android, macOS, iOS) as well.
Desktop environments are always developed alongside a set of applications, which is what differentiates them from simple desktop shells. These applications aren’t exclusive to the desktops they were made for, they’re simply designed to fit their aesthetic and design philosophy to offer a more consistent experience. Most desktop environments have a fairly limited set of applications, covering mostly the essentials. The most commonly found types are terminals, file managers, settings, image viewers, media players, text editors, screenshot apps and software centers.
GNOME and KDE are the exceptions, by virtue of being much larger than all other desktops. Both maintain a very extensive set of applications with a wide range of purposes, which tend to be widely used regardless of desktops. GNOME’s Evolution and KDE’s Kdenlive for instance are among the most popular apps on Linux, since they’re among the best apps to use to fulfill their respective purposes (PIM and video editing).
You’re right. I will add that there are far more GTK apps with no Gnome dependancies, then there are Qt apps with no KDE dependencies.
Every Linux distribution packages the dependencies for the software they distribute and will automatically install when needed. If you’re trying to install GNOME software on KDE and you don’t have the necessary GNOME dependencies installed, the package manager will just install them for you. This is why using applications cross-desktop isn’t something the average user has to worry about. It should just work.
Meow 😻
