Notices:

• For a full documentation, see share/doc/NsCDE/*
• FAQ:https://github.com/NsCDE/NsCDE/wiki/NsCDE---Frequently-Asked-Questions-(FAQ)

Screenshots:

• https://imgur.com/gallery/nHkw35X
• https://imgur.com/gallery/RroGvLH

Video Presentations and guides:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwuTOghS3ac&list=PLpVwwj0aIJjeHbA38F1z693-fKIC8IHS5Set of 12 NsCDE video presentations (commented and titled screen captures) onNsCDE Youtube channel.

• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpVwwj0aIJjcaTFrZ5FLokl-kAMwmBxuxSet of newer 7 NsCDE video presentations, describing features implemented inthe last two years and for NsCDE 2.X

The author would like to apologize for bad English in the docs. A rand() function putting(the, a, an) in articles would probably be more accurate.

NsCDE is a retro but powerfulUNIX desktop environment whichresembles theCDE look (and partially feel) but with a more powerfuland flexible framework beneath-the-surface, more suited for 21stcenturyunix-like andLinux systems and user requirements thanoriginalCDE.

NsCDE can be considered as a heavyweightFVWMtheme on steroids, but combined with a couple other free softwarecomponents and customFVWM applications and a lot of configuration,NsCDE can be considered a lightweight hybrid desktop environment.

In other words,NsCDE is a heavyFVWM (ab)user. It consists of aset ofFVWM applications and configurations, enriched with Pythonand Shell background drivers, couple of the additional free softwaretools and applications.FVWM3 is also supported.

Visually,NsCDE mimicsCDE, the well knownCommon Desktop Environmentof many commercial UNIX systems of the nineties. It supportsCDE backdropsand palettes withFVWM colorsets and has a theme generator forXt,Xaw,Motif,GTK2,GTK3,Qt4 andQt5. Integrating all these bits andpieces, the user gets a retro visual experience across almost allX11applications. Enriched with a bunch of powerfulFVWM concepts and functions,modern applications and font rendering,NsCDE acts as a link betweenclassicCDE look and a fast and extensible environment, well suited formodern day computing.

NsCDE can even be integrated into existing desktop environments as aFVWM window manager wrapper for session handling and additionalDEfunctionality.

Nevertheless,NsCDE is designed for UNIX oriented users, andgenerally technical people, and not as something for general publicuse or for introducing beginners to Linux or some otherunix-likesystem.

As previously said, NsCDE's main goal is to revive the look and feel of theCommon Desktop Environment found on manyUNIX andunix-like systems duringnineties and the first decade of the 21st century, but with a slightlymore polished interface (XFT, unicode, dynamic changes, rich keyboard and mousebindings, desk pages, rich menus etc.). The goal is a comfortableretroenvironment which is not just eye candy toy, but a real working environmentfor users who contrary to mainstream trends really likeCDE, thus makinga semi-optimal blend of usability and compatibility with modern tools witha look and feel which mainstream abandoned for some new fashion, and ... in anutshell, giving the best of both worlds to the user.

The excellentFVWM window manager is the main driver behindNsCDE with itsendless options for customization, GUI Script engine, Colorsets, andmodules.NsCDE is largely a wrapper aroundFVWM -- sort of like aheavyweight theme.

Other main components areGTK2,GTK3,Qt4 andQt5 themes for unifyingthe look and feel of most Unix/Linux applications, custom scripts which arehelpers and backend workers for GUI parts and some data from the originalCDE, such as icons, palettes, and backdrops.

Since the nineties, I have always liked this environment and its somewhatcrude socrealistic look in a contrast to the "modern" Windows andGNOMEapproach which is going in the opposite direction from what I always liked tosee on my screen. I have created this environment for my own usage 8-10years ago and it was a patchwork, chaotic and not well suited for sharingwith someone. While it looked ok on the surface, behind it was years ofad-hoc hacks and senseless configurations and scripts, dysfunctional menus,etc. Couple of months in a row I had the time and chance to rewrite this asa more consistent environment, first for myself, and during this process,idea came to do it even better, and put it on the web for everyone else whomay like this idea of a modernCDE.

NsCDE is intended for people who don't like "modern" hypes,interfaces that try to mimic Mac and Windows and reimplement theirideas for non-technical user's desktops, and reimplement them poorly.Older and mature system administrators, programmers and generally peoplewith a Unix background are more likely to have attraction toNsCDE. Itis probably not well suited for beginners.

Of course, the question arises: why not simply use the originalCDE nowthat it is open source?

Apart from its desirable look, because it has its own problems: It is aproduct from the 90s, based on Motif and a long time has passed since then. InCDE there is really no XFT font rendering, no immediate dynamic application changes.Besides that, I have founddtwm, CDE's window manager,inferior toFVWM and some 3rd party solutions which can be paired with it.So I wanted the best of both worlds: good old retro look and feel fromoriginalCDE, but more flexible, modern and maintained "driver" behind it,which will allow for individual customizations as one find's them fit fortheir own amusement and usage. As it will be seen later, there are someintentional differences betweenCDE andNsCDE - a middle ground betweentrying to stay as close as possible to look of theCDE, but with moreflexibility and functionality on the second and third look.

NsCDE consists of 7 main facilities

• extensiveFVWM configuration and customization
• FvwmScript GUI programs
• GTK2 and GTK3 theme based on pixmap engine
• Icon theme
• Python programs and Korn Shell scripts
• Miscellaneous pieces for integration, like CSS forFirefox andThunderbird, etc...
• Integrated free software components for desktop environment tasks

Central "driver" or framework is FVWM Window Manager.FVWM is in my opiniona model of free choice for people who like to have things set up as theywish and and who are aware of what real freedom of choice is. A stunningcontrast to policies forced on Linux users in the last decade by themost mainstream desktop players.

NsCDE is by default installed in/usr/local ($NSCDE_ROOT), but it canbe relocated to any other installation path during pre-installationconfiguration.

It is not using the default configuration directory$HOME/.fvwm but sets it'sown$FVWM_USERDIR to$HOME/.NsCDE, and usesNsCDE private$[FVWM_DATADIR] as a source of configuration.

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