Free linux desktop environment software for linux

Zirconium Desktop Environment is a new low resource desktop shell optimized for usability.
Zirconium Desktop Environment operates on the philosophy that the desktop environment needs to stay out of the users way and provide the quickest access to the functions that are truly needed from a desktop shell.
Principle Zirconium Desktop Environment design goals:
- Very easy navigation by taking advantage of the corner effect by placing the icons for the 2 most critical functions (program launcher and window switcher) in the top corners.
- Minimal use of on-screen real estate. This is accomplished by "recycling" the window title bar by overlapping the already minimal on screen furniture on top of the title bar when a window is maximized.
- Eliminating the "system tray". Instead of using a pixel wasting systray icon to communicate status to the user programs are expected to use the ZDE Notification Daemon to sent small unobtrusive notifications to the user when something of note occurs. The ZDE Notification Daemon uses the SOAP protocol for universal compatibility and network transparency.
- Web integration. An (optional) backdrop manager based on the embedded Gecko engine from Mozilla is provided to provide for "Weblets" to run on the desktop. The ZDE session manager also provides a SOAP API that can be accessed by signed or expressly permitted Weblets to access the ZDE system.
Components of the ZDE system:
Corner Menus.
The left corner menu opens up the Program Launcher. Note that the Program Launcher is a custom navigation window and not a pop-up style menu. The Launcher window closes when an item is activated or the mouse pointer leaves the window.
The right corner menu is a list of open windows for window switching. It is a standard GTK pop-up menu.
Mini-Bar.
In the top center is the Mini-Bar that shows essential items like the time, volume control, battery and network status. The Mini-Bar is the same height as the Title Bar of a window so that when a window is maximized the title bar is partly covered by the Mini-Bar.
Notification Daemon:
When a SOAP message for a Notification arrives the Notification pop-up appears briefly. When not shown the very edge is visible in the lower-right. Mousing over the edge makes the Notification appear again and the mouse leave event closes the notification making it very simple to dismiss a notification by just mousing over it. Clicking the visible edge will open a Notification History window showing all notifications that have been logged during the session.
Window Theme:
The Window Manager theme needs to make special allowances for the way ZDE is arranged. The title bar needs to be 22 pixels high and the controls need to be 22 pixels away from the ends of the title bar to allow for the corner icons.

Techisa Desktop Environment is a lightweight alternative desktop environment developed using Qt.
The projects goal is to provide users with a comfortable environment using as few resources as possible. Only a Brazillian Portuguese translation is currently available.
Enhancements:
- Better support for KDE desktop files.
- Improved recognition of KDM/GDM sessions.
- New icon search paths.
- Enhancements to the TDE menu.
- Better handling of links and properties.
- TDESU shows correct error codes.
- Thumbnails.
- A tree view in the file browser. tdeopen accepts new parameters: [file name] directly executes a file or associated application, and -f [source] [destination] shows a popup allowing user to copy, move, or link.

GNU/Linux Desktop Testing Project (GNU/LDTP) is aimed at producing high quality test automation framework and cutting-edge tools that can be used to test GNU/Linux Desktop and improve it.
GNU/Linux Desktop Testing Project uses the "Accessibility" libraries to poke through the applications user interface. The framework has tools to generate "AppMap" by reading through the user interface components of an application. The framework also has tools to record test-cases based on user-selection on the application.
GNU/LDTP core framework uses "AppMap" and the recorded "test-cases" to test an application and gives the status of each test-case as output.
As of now, GNU/LDTP can test any GNOME application which are accessibility enabled, Mozilla, OpenOffice.org, any Java application (should have a UI based on swing) and KDE 4.0 applications based on QT 4.0 (based on the press releases by KDE).
We encourage you to join the project and help us to create robust, reliable and stable test tool/framework for Linux Desktops.
Main features:
- LDTP concepts are derived from Software Automation Framework Support
- LDTP supports verification of actions performed (GuiExist, VerifyState, etc) - API Reference
- Writing test scripts are very easy, the script writer need not know about the object hierarchy
- CPU / Memory performance monitoring of application-under-test can be measured - Class pstats
- From the XML log, we can gather HTML report using XSLT
- Group based execution, which provides precise control on the flow of test-script execution - Gldap XML
- Scripts can be written as a reusable component and for that the datas can be stored / retrieved in XML - Data XML
- User-friendly Text Editor with syntax highlighting for generating and grouping test data Howto use LDTP Editor
- Objects are identified both statically and dynamically
Enhancements:
- Now automation scripts can be written without using time.sleep.
- A particular object and its child can be remapped in a window.
- Memory leaks were fixed.

Impi Linux Desktop is based on the latest Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) Desktop.
Impi Linux 7.05 is fully compatible with Ubuntu 7.04 and has all of Ubuntus latest features and enhancements . To this Impi Linux have added specific enhancements catering for more enterprise type requirements.
Main features:
- GNOME 2.18 and the Linux kernel 2.6.20
- Windows Migration assistant.
- Improved wireless networking support.
- Improved multimedia support.
- 3D desktop effects.
- Easy installation of media codecs.
- Easy installation of proprietary drivers.
- New improved artwork.
- Easy 3rd party.
- Quick diagnostics tools.
- New help centre.
- More and better hardware support, including support for Intel based Macs.
- Dictionary support for all 11 South African official languages.
- Network based authentication, with roaming support.
- Integrated desktop file encryption.
- Beagle, integrated desktop search.
- Extended Bluetooth tools and utilities.
- Better hibernate and suspend support.
- Better Ipod support.
- Podcast support.
- NTFS read and write support.
- Full LPI and Open ICDL documentation on the desktop.
- Impi first run wizard for OEM installations (only available to OEMs)
- Full Open Clip Art for Openoffice.
Office productivity:
- Word ProcessorOpenOffice Writer
- Spread SheetOpenOffice Calc
- PresentationOpenOffice Impress
- Desktop DatabaseOpenOffice Base
- Drawing SoftwareOpenOffice Draw
- Groupware and Email:
- Email, Calendar, Contact, TasksKontact
Graphics:
- Photo manipulationGIMP
- Photo managementF-Spot
Internet:
- Web BrowserFirefox
- ChatGaim
- ADSL/iBurst support via PPPOE.
Multimedia:
- MusicBanshee
- iPodGpodder
- VideoTotem
- CD extractionSound Juicer
- CD creationSerpentine

Logical Desktop is a desktop environment. A "desktop environment" is a program that allows you to do many different things with your computer, but in a consistent way. Desktop environments can be seen as a "dogma" of how things should be done, and how they should look and feel.

Examples of desktop environments are KDE, Gnome, the Windows interface, etc.

In Logical Desktop, like in all desktop environments, you work by composing actions made of one verb and one or more objects (e.g. "Print" is the verb, and the objects are the printer, the files to print, and the program used for printing).

Logical Desktop is how you specify those things: 1) in any order 2) with automatic hiding of the things that dont make sense.

1. In any order: Logical Desktop enables you to specify your action with many possible styles of interaction (file-oriented, task-oriented, program-oriented, device-oriented). Logical Desktop can do that because it treats verbs and objects with complete symmetry and uniformity: you can select both verbs and objects, and in any order.

2. With automatic hiding: Logical Desktop is more intelligent than traditional systems because it hides the unnecessary things while you are composing the action. More precisely, Logical Desktop hides those verbs/files/devices/programs that make no sense with the current selection.
Combining this with the previous point (that you can select anything in any order), we obtain a very powerful mechanism: if you select a verb first, the objects that dont make sense with it are hidden; if you select an object first, the verbs that dont make sense with it are hidden.

FOX Desktop is a lightweight desktop environment based on the FOX Toolkit.
It includes various tools and programs to make life easier. FOX Desktop includes a desktop and taskbar.
FOX Desktop is licensed under the GNU General Public License.
Enhancements:
- The taskbar has been replaced with a more general dockbar which can be docked on all sides of the screen.
- Furthermore, each dockbar may contain different kinds of applets which can be added or removed on the fly.
- This release contains a few builtin applets and one launcher applet which can be used to launch applications.

Nexedi Desktop Linux Server (DLS) is a LiveCD which instantly provides 500+ Linux Desktop applications to all PCs in a Local Area Network (LAN).

It is compatible with Windows, MacOS, Unix or GNU/Linux environments as well as with eBox thin clients. Nexedi DLS also includes a complete network infrastructure solution (file server, mail server, collaboration server, directory service, etc.) based on modern protocols (ex. LDAP, Samba 3, IMAP, etc.).

Nexedi DLS Live CD allows small and medium size organisations to implement a high end Linux desktop and network infrastructure solution in one minute.

Nexedi DLS is a LiveCD: it requires no installation. Simply insert the LiveCD in any PC, turn on the PC and choose the boot from CD option.

After about one minute, a complete Mandrakelinux server is ready to serve thin clients and provide file sharing, directory, messaging and collaboration services to your entire network. Enter your network information through a simple web based interface.

You can now access all Nexedi Desktop Linux Server features from any other PC in the same local network.

Nexedi DLS LiveCD can be used from any standard PC based on x86 architecture (Pentium, Athlon, Opteron, etc.). 512 MB RAM is recommended to serve a few users. 1024 MB and a fast CPU (Pentium IV, Pentium M, Athlon, Opteron, etc.) is recommended to server 10 simultaneous users.

Applications:

Nexedi DLS applications are multiple. Some applications are based on DLS acting as a complement to existing infrastructure. Other applications are based on DLS acting as a replacement to existing infrastructure.

* Office and Productivity:many Mandrakelinux applications can be very useful as a complement to existing Windows or Macintosh environments. Installing a single DLS server allows in a network allows everyone to access those applications without requiring any complex software installation or setup.
* Internet Security:by placing a DLS server in the DMZ of an organisation, it is possible to protect all PCs in a local network from viruses or spyware. Internet applications are launched on the DLS server and accessed by users through tightVNC from Windows or Macintosh PCs. Internet attacks might compromise the DLS server but will not be able to access sensitive data on users PCs. This architecture is similar to having two physical networks, one for internal uses, one for internet access, but at a much lower cost.
* Software Development Box:a single DLS server can be used as a shared multi-platform software development by Windows or Macintosh users. Mandrakelinux includes many advanced integrated development environments (IDE) which can be used to produce GUI, Web or embedded applications.
* Network Administration Box:a single DLS server can be used as a shared network administration environment. Mandrakelinux includes many advanced and free network administration tools.
* Thin Client Server:Nexedi DLS is a multi-protocol thin client server and gateway. A typical DLS server can handle 10 simultaneous sessions. Thin clients can use the VNC, tightVNC or XDMCP protocols to access a complete desktop session. Any DLS session can access other thin client protocols (RDP, X11, NX, etc.). Nexedi DLS also includes various emulators and virtualizers which allow to run Windows and Macintosh applications directly.