User talk:Andrew Nutter/Windows System Management Software
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Shell Customization
There are some other programs out there that modify the functionality of Windows, but I don't consider them relevant to maintenance and security so I have not included them in the main article. Some people may find them useful so I have put them here. If you feel this belongs in the main article, say something at the bottom of this section following my signature.
Desktop Managers
These work with the existing Windows shell (explorer.exe) to provide additional features.
- Switcher: This provides the wonderful OS X feature to Windows, Mission Control. It displays all of your open windows in such a way that you can see the entirety of every window. It is a huge improvement over the win+tab functionality in Windows.
- Dexpot: This is easily the best and most feature packed virtual desktop manager for Windows (far superior to VirtuaWin). With this you get the functionality normally only seen in Linux of having as many desktops as you want. You can also add the same widget to your taskbar displaying a mini version of each desktop which you can click on. There are a huge number of features (including what Switcher does) and you can use any keyboard or mouse hotkey/shortcut to get to them.
Shell Replacements (CLI)
These provide as little as a command line interface or as much potential as allowing entire other environments run alongside Windows.
- PowerShell
- Cygwin: Cygwin is a collection of tools which provide Unix-like functionality within Microsoft Windows. The foundation of Cygwin provides a Unix-like directory structure and a Unix-like command line. It's repositories include many GNU applications typically found in GNU/Linux.
- Interix: Interix (aka Subsystem for Unix-based Applications or SUA) is a POSIX Unix subsystem developed by Microsoft to work within Windows. Unlike Cygwin, which lives on top of Windows, Interix exists at a much lower level and interacts directly with the kernel, providing an experience that is much more like a native operating system. Also unlike Cygwin, it has far less development and attention.
Shell Replacements (GUI)
These replace explorer.exe as the Windows Shell. This means that you no longer have the Windows taskbar, so they have their own modules which can be combined together to create a very customized interface. These seem to have been declining in popularity as development has stagnated on many of these, but they are all still available. My biggest problem with these is that they all abandon the Windows start menu. I'd love to change the taskbar, but I want to keep the start menu. Some so called "shell replacements" simply change the appearance of the Windows shell, so I have not included them.
- Sharpenviro (discontinued): This is perhaps the most complete and easily configured of the Windows Shell replacements. It has many features and resembles GNOME. It uses toolbars (like a taskbar) with widgets on them.
- Emerge (development stalled): This is one of the most popular replacements and works differently than Sharpenviro. It uses modules that are like chunks of a taskbar. They can be moved around anywhere on the screen, making the appearance very customizable, but there are not many features.
- LiteStep (development stalled): This combines the module concept with a huge amount of features. There are countless user developed modules available in the LiteStep community.
- KDE Plasma Desktop (actively developed): KDE for Windows works great, and KDE Plasma Desktop is easily my personal favorite shell for any operating system (usually found on Linux). Unfortunately, plasma-desktop.exe is the only part of KDE that has not transitioned well to Windows, because it is designed as a front-end to the X Window window manager. Likewise, it would require a rewrite to really work seamlessly with Windows. Some people have had success using it in Windows, while most people have had my experience. I can create one toolbar where the only thing that works is the start button. Another thing to consider is that the Plasma Desktop can only support KDE applications. You can open normal Windows applications using explorer or another file manager, but the KDE launcher and task manager will only show KDE applications. So this is not yet a good replacement for the Windows shell, but it can be used in conjunction.
- XWin: This is a port of the X Windows System to run over Cygwin. Like KDE, it is not a full replacement for Windows Explorer. It can run in windowed mode. In this situation you need a window manager and can run a full desktop environment such as XFCE, LXDE, KDE, or GNOME (which include window managers) encapsulated within a Microsoft Windows window. Windowed mode in fullscreen would be practically indistinguishable from a Linux environment, except that it runs on top of Cygwin and the Windows kernel and likewise relies on Cygwin's package manger. You can also run XWin in multiwindow mode which seamlessly integrates XWin windows into the Windows desktop. Unlike windowed mode, in multiwindow mode you must use the Windows taskbar.
- Gentoo Prefix for Interix: This is an entire Gentoo Linux system which runs over the Unix-like Interix.