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GKrellM VS KDE Plasma Desktop

Compare GKrellM VS KDE Plasma Desktop and see what are their differences

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Contents:
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  3. » Reviews
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GKrellM logo GKrellM

GKrellM is a single process stack of system monitors which supports applying themes to match its...

KDE Plasma Desktop logo KDE Plasma Desktop

Plasma Workspaces is the umbrella term for all graphical environments provided by KDE.
  • GKrellM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • KDE Plasma Desktop Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-06

GKrellM features and specs

  • Customizable
    GKrellM allows users to customize the appearance and functionality, offering various themes and configuration options to fit different preferences and needs.
  • Lightweight
    The application is known for its low resource consumption, making it suitable for systems with limited resources.
  • Real-time Monitoring
    GKrellM provides real-time monitoring of various system metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, disk activity, network traffic, and more.
  • Plugin Support
    The software supports various plugins, allowing users to extend its functionality according to their requirements.
  • Cross-Platform
    GKrellM is available for multiple operating systems, including Linux, BSD, Solaris, and Windows, providing flexibility for users on different platforms.

Possible disadvantages of GKrellM

  • Obsolete Design
    The user interface of GKrellM may appear outdated compared to modern applications, which might deter some users looking for a contemporary look.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find it challenging to get used to the configuration and customization options without prior experience or guidance.
  • Limited Support
    Since the software appears to be less actively maintained, users might face difficulties finding up-to-date support and documentation.
  • Dependency Issues
    On certain operating systems, users might encounter dependency issues when installing GKrellM, potentially complicating the setup process.
  • Limited Features Compared to Modern Tools
    Some modern system monitoring tools offer more advanced features and integrations, which may not be available in GKrellM.

KDE Plasma Desktop features and specs

  • Customizability
    KDE Plasma Desktop offers an extensive range of customization options, allowing users to tweak almost every aspect of the user interface including widgets, themes, and layout.
  • Performance
    Despite its rich feature set, KDE Plasma is known for being lightweight and efficient, performing well even on older or less powerful hardware.
  • Feature-Rich
    Out of the box, KDE Plasma provides a wide array of built-in applications and tools, from productivity applications to utilities, catering to a variety of needs.
  • Active Community
    KDE has an active and supportive community that constantly contributes to its development, ensuring the desktop environment is continuously improved and updated.
  • Frequent Updates
    KDE Plasma receives regular updates, which bring not only security patches but also new features and improvements, keeping the desktop environment modern and secure.

Possible disadvantages of KDE Plasma Desktop

  • Complexity
    While the high level of customizability is a strength, it can be overwhelming for new or less tech-savvy users who might find the vast array of options difficult to navigate.
  • Resource Usage
    Although efficient, KDE Plasma might still consume more system resources compared to very minimalistic desktop environments, potentially posing an issue on extremely limited hardware.
  • Initial Stability
    Sometimes new updates or features can introduce stability issues or bugs, which might impact the user experience until they are patched in future updates.
  • Application UI Variability
    Depending on the application, user interface design can vary significantly, leading to an inconsistent look and feel across different applications.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    The extensive feature set, while advantageous for power users, can lead to a steeper learning curve for beginners or those transitioning from simpler desktop environments.

Analysis of GKrellM

Overall verdict

  • Yes, GKrellM is a good system monitoring tool.

Why this product is good

  • GKrellM is a highly customizable and efficient system monitor that provides detailed information about various system resources like CPU, memory, disk, and network usage. It supports themes and third-party plugins, making it versatile and appealing for users who want to track their system's performance in real time.

Recommended for

  • Users who enjoy customizing and theming their desktop environments.
  • System administrators who need a lightweight and real-time monitoring tool.
  • Advanced users looking for a detailed view of their system resources.
  • Linux users, as GKrellM is most commonly used in Unix-like operating systems.

Analysis of KDE Plasma Desktop

Overall verdict

  • KDE Plasma Desktop is generally regarded as a highly customizable, resource-efficient, and visually appealing desktop environment, making it a good choice for many users.

Why this product is good

  • KDE Plasma is known for its flexibility and extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor their desktop environment to their specific needs. It also provides a sleek, modern interface with a wide range of built-in features and applications. Additionally, Plasma is designed to be lightweight, ensuring smooth performance even on older hardware.

Recommended for

  • Users who enjoy customizing their desktop environment
  • Those seeking a lightweight and efficient DE
  • Individuals looking for a modern and intuitive interface
  • Users who want a desktop environment with a vast array of native applications
  • People with older hardware

GKrellM videos

+ Add

Remembering & Rediscovering Gkrellm on FreeBSD 12

More videos:

  • Review - Ubuntu : GKrellM Desktop Themes
  • Review - Gkrellm Theme Downloader

KDE Plasma Desktop videos

+ Add

KDE Plasma 5 Deep Dive (Late 2019) | Linux Desktop Reviews

More videos:

  • Review - KDE Plasma Workspaces
  • Review - Trying Out KDE Plasma 5.15
  • Review - Kubuntu 18.04 Review: KDE Plasma at its Best

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GKrellM and KDE Plasma Desktop)

GKrellM

KDE Plasma Desktop

Monitoring Tools
100 100%
Monitoring Tools
0% 0
Linux
0 0%
Linux
100% 100
Command Line Tools
100 100%
Command Line Tools
0% 0
Operating Systems
0 0%
Operating Systems
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GKrellM and KDE Plasma Desktop

GKrellM Reviews

We have no reviews of GKrellM yet.
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KDE Plasma Desktop Reviews

9 Best Linux Desktop Environments to Use in 2023
After GNOME, the most widely used Linux desktop environment is KDE Plasma. This KDE Plasma desktop environment comes with various tools and services to fulfill almost any demand. It includes applications like Dolphin, the default and most powerful file system manager, and KGeoTag, a photo Photo geotagging program. It features Oxygen icons by default, which have a pleasing...
Source: geekflare.com
The 8 Best Ubuntu Desktop Environments (22.04 Jammy Jellyfish Linux)
KDE Plasma desktop is a widget-based environment which makes it very adaptable. You can move, add or remove anything you like to make it suit your style as well as possible. Plasma is fast and efficient. It uses only few resources and is full of well designed features.
Source: linuxconfig.org

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, KDE Plasma Desktop should be more popular than GKrellM. It has been mentiond 66 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.

GKrellM mentions (11)

  • Hard disk LEDs and noisy machines
    I always wanted more feedback, so that even in the mechanical disks and lots of fans era my desktop has always shown more data with GKrellM plus some of its plugins, namely multiping to show the status of my NAS and router, and bubblefishymon for a funny but very effective and immediate way to show that system load is growing suspiciously before fans start screaming. http://gkrellm.srcbox.net/ As for servers,... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Cool but Obscure X11 Apps
    Possibly not old enough to be included in that list, but my oldest piece of desktop software I always run on my main machine is GKrellm with BubbleFishyMon as system load monitor. http://gkrellm.srcbox.net/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Any alternatives to Gnome extensions to display CPU load and such?
    That doesn't always give correct readings depending on the chipset on your MB. There was a driver missing for like IT87 that returned voltage and temps to psensor. I finally gave up trying. gkrellm can monitor cpu, and many other things. You can add what you want. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • sysinfo-gui: A gui app based on sysinfo
    Gkrellm was not really part of GNOME or KDE, but it was one of the best tools and there was recently talk about porting it to modern GTK releases. Source: about 3 years ago
  • New to mint, i really dont like system monitor so what is a good alternative.
    OP: Another option is GKrellM. It has not been updated in a couple of years, but it still appears in Software Manager. It should work with the current versions of LM. I used it for a while on LM 17.2 because I wanted a desktop system monitor and I was too lazy to mess with Conky - I stopped using it when I moved to LM 18.1 and eliminated eye candy. Http://gkrellm.srcbox.net/. Source: over 3 years ago
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KDE Plasma Desktop mentions (66)

  • Unlocking the Cutting Edge: Exploring Plasma 6 Beta, Secure Knowledge Management, and the Latest Tools for Linux Enthusiasts
    Plasma 6 - Beta 1 is the latest iteration of the KDE desktop environment, known for its flexibility and customization options. Beta releases are crucial for ironing out bugs and streamlining new features before the final release. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Apps cannot read files from Google Drive on KDE Neon
    Recently I installed KDE Plasma. I was pleased to see the KDE-KIO integration for Google Drive. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Should i switch?
    I'm glad to hear that you use Krita (and I may assume you use Blender for animations). Both are free and open source software that is available on Linux (even better, Krita is made by the KDE project, makers of all sorts of open source projects, including Plasma, one of the most complete user interfaces for Linux out there). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Gamer migrating to Linux
    Because of this, I recommend using Fedora (either the default edition, which uses the GNOME desktop, or Fedora KDE, which uses the KDE Plasma desktop, like the Steam Deck). It ships up-to-date software, and it's very polished. (Note that, due to the US software patents, support/hardware acceleration for some media codecs isn't included by default. You should add the RPMFusion repo and set up the codecs after... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Questions I have about Linux, from someone who wants to switch from Windows 10
    KDE Plasma is developed by KDE, another international group of developers that make all sorts of cool software for Linux, macOS, Windows, and mobile platforms. Plasma is their flagship project. Their motto is "simple by default, powerful when needed". At first glance it may seem a copy of Windows, with a bottom panel sporting a start menu on the left and a system tray with a clock on the right, but don't get... Source: about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing GKrellM and KDE Plasma Desktop, you can also consider the following products

Conky - Latest commit 262a292 on Dec 7, 2017 brndnmtthws Add missing build dep. Conky is a free, light-weight system monitor for X, that displays any kind of information on your desktop.

Xfce - Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for UNIX-like operating systems. It aims to be fast and low on system resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly.

Bginfo - This fully-configurable program automatically generates desktop backgrounds that include important information about the system.

LXQt - The LXQt team is proud to announce the release of qtermwidget and qterminal, both in version 0. 8. 0. Read more..

Desktop Info - This little application displays system information on your desktop in a similar way to some other...

GNOME - An easy and elegant way to use your computer, GNOME is designed to put you in control and get things done.

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