Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

awesome VS GNU+Linux

Compare awesome VS GNU+Linux and see what are their differences

awesome logo awesome

A dynamic window manager for the X Window System developed in the C and Lua programming languages.

GNU+Linux logo GNU+Linux

All Linux distributions with a GNU userland
  • awesome Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-19
  • GNU+Linux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-11

awesome features and specs

  • Highly Configurable
    Awesome is extremely configurable, allowing users to customize their environment to fit their specific workflow.
  • Lightweight
    As a tiling window manager, Awesome is very lightweight and consumes minimal resources, which is ideal for older hardware or minimal setups.
  • Lua Scripting
    Configuration is done through Lua scripting, which provides powerful and flexible customization options.
  • Tiling and Dynamic Layouts
    Awesome offers both tiling and floating window management with dynamic layouts that adjust based on user preference.
  • Active Community
    The Awesome community is active and supportive, providing ample documentation and user-contributed modules and configurations.

Possible disadvantages of awesome

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive configurability and scripting-based setup, Awesome can be challenging for newcomers to get accustomed to.
  • Limited Graphical Configuration Tools
    Configuration is done mainly through text files and scripts, which can be daunting for users who prefer graphical interfaces.
  • Sparse Default Configuration
    The default configuration of Awesome is fairly minimal, requiring significant setup time to create a personalized environment.
  • Performance Overhead with Complex Scripts
    While Lua scripting is powerful, highly complex scripts can introduce performance overhead, potentially impacting the system's responsiveness.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Certain applications that are designed with floating window managers in mind may not function optimally with Awesome's tiling system.

GNU+Linux features and specs

  • Open Source
    GNU+Linux is an open-source operating system, which means its source code is freely available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute. This fosters a collaborative development environment and enhances security through transparency.
  • Customizability
    Linux offers extensive customizability, allowing users to modify the system to meet their specific needs. This includes choosing from a variety of desktop environments, window managers, and software packages.
  • Security
    Linux is known for its strong security features. Its permissions-based structure, along with a strong community of developers and frequent updates, helps in quickly patching vulnerabilities.
  • Stability and Performance
    Many Linux distributions are lauded for their stability and efficiency, making them ideal for servers and systems that require high uptime and performance.
  • Wide Range of Distributions
    There is a large variety of Linux distributions available, each tailored for different needs, from user-friendly options like Ubuntu to lightweight versions like Puppy Linux.
  • Cost
    Linux is free to use, which makes it an attractive option for individuals and organizations looking to reduce software costs.
  • Community Support
    Linux has a vast and active community of users and developers who provide support through forums, mailing lists, and documentation.

Possible disadvantages of GNU+Linux

  • Learning Curve
    For users accustomed to Windows or macOS, the transition to Linux can involve a steep learning curve, especially when dealing with command-line interfaces and different file system structures.
  • Software Compatibility
    Some proprietary software and games are not natively supported on Linux, requiring alternatives or compatibility layers like Wine to run them.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    While Linux support for hardware has improved significantly, there can still be issues with drivers for certain proprietary hardware, particularly with newer or niche devices.
  • Fragmentation
    The large number of distributions and desktop environments can lead to fragmentation, making it challenging for developers to ensure compatibility across all versions and for users to choose the right distribution.
  • Limited Professional Support
    While community support is extensive, professional support options can be limited compared to those available for other operating systems like Windows and macOS, although companies like Red Hat and Canonical do offer professional support.

Analysis of awesome

Overall verdict

  • Yes, awesome (awesome.naquadah.org) is good.

Why this product is good

  • Awesome is a highly configurable and extensible window manager for the X Window System. It is designed to be fast, with minimal system resource usage, and to provide a powerful and flexible environment for managing windows. Users appreciate its customizability and scripting capabilities, making it suitable for advanced users who enjoy tweaking their setup.

Recommended for

  • Users who prefer a minimalist desktop environment for efficiency and speed.
  • Advanced users who enjoy customizing their workflow with Lua scripting.
  • Users seeking a tiling window manager to enhance productivity.
  • Developers and power users who appreciate a high degree of control over their window management.

awesome videos

Surface Go Review - Itโ€™s Awesome

More videos:

  • Review - RICO (PC) - Why it's Awesome - Review
  • Review - Awesome review of the 80's Hollow Handled Survival Knife!!
  • Review - My God is Awesome- Charles Jenkins

GNU+Linux videos

No GNU+Linux videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to awesome and GNU+Linux)
Window Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Linux
74 74%
26% 26
Linux Distribution
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare awesome and GNU+Linux

awesome Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Awesome is a free & open-source next-generation tiling manager for X that is designed to be fast and adaptable, with a focus on developers, power users, and anyone who wants to have more control over their graphical environment.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
awesome is a free and open-source next-generation tiling manager for X built to be fast and extensible and it is primarily aimed at developers, power users, and anyone who would like to control their graphical environment.
Source: www.tecmint.com
5 Great Tiling Window Managers for Linux
Awesome has a unique take on the concept of a tiling window manager. It is probably the most user-friendly on the list. Much like i3, it claims to have well-documented code to make it very easy to dig right into for modifications. It adheres to FreeDesktop standards (Desktop notifications system, system tray, etc.) and has great keybindings which make navigating with it...

GNU+Linux Reviews

We have no reviews of GNU+Linux yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GNU+Linux seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

awesome mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of awesome yet. Tracking of awesome recommendations started around Mar 2021.

GNU+Linux mentions (16)

  • Newbie advice 1
    Familiarize yourself with the search page and the many categories you cans search by. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Installing Debian bookworm without systemd
    Distrowatch's Advanced Search page: https://distrowatch.com/search.php#advanced Note that under the "Init Software" section (scroll down on page), the following two choices (amongst numerous others, perhaps too many!) are included: [ ] systemd [ ] Not systemd In other words, here, the User, regardless of their opinion, regardless of their political ideology (or lack thereof!) -- has a happy choice! They can choose... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Debian 12 โ€œBookwormโ€ Released
    Do it, and tell the world how I mistreated all kinds of interesting (but small) projects, if it makes you feel better. :-D Here a list of almost all the OS distris I've left out: https://distrowatch.com/search.php?ostype=All&category=All&origin=All&basedon=Independentยฌbasedon=None&desktop=All&architecture=All&package=All&rolling=All&isosize=All&netinstall=All&language=All&defaultinit=All&status=Active#simple... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • Trying to figure out which Linux all ideas are welcome. Distro hopping.
    Distrowatch can help you search for distros based on another distro (eg: Debian derivatives if you really like Debian), or a particular version of a package or desktop (eg: latest XFCE 4.18): https://distrowatch.com/search.php. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Linux mint isn't working for me. What distribution can I use for a pretty bad laptop. (Specs below)
    You can search for more ideas on DistroWatch: https://distrowatch.com/search.php. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing awesome and GNU+Linux, you can also consider the following products

i3 - A dynamic tiling window manager designed for X11, inspired by wmii, and written in C.

DistroWatch - 9 hours ago - It does include a proprietary software set optimized for business users, students, researchers and developers." A list of features and further details can be found in the company's release announcement.

Openbox - Openbox is a highly configurable, next generation window manager with extensive standards support.

Android - Android is an open source mobile operating system initially released by Google in 2008 and has since become of the most widely used operating systems on any platform.

dwm - dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed.

Twister OS - A Debian based OS with a ton of useful apps like Box86 and Steam, and theme switching to look like Windows, MacOS, and many more.