Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Openbox VS LightDM

Compare Openbox VS LightDM and see what are their differences

Openbox logo Openbox

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

LightDM logo LightDM

A lightweight display manager
  • Openbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-06
  • LightDM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-16

Openbox features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Openbox is a highly efficient window manager that requires minimal system resources, making it an excellent choice for older hardware or systems with limited resources.
  • Customizable
    Openbox offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor the look and feel of their desktop environment to their specific preferences.
  • Fast Performance
    Due to its lightweight nature, Openbox provides fast and responsive performance, resulting in quicker application launches and smoother overall desktop experience.
  • Comprehensive Keybindings
    Openbox supports complex keybindings, enabling power users to create efficient workflow setups through keyboard shortcuts.
  • Extensible
    Openbox can work seamlessly with other tools and additional software, allowing users to extend its capabilities with tools like panels, widgets, and additional plugins.

Possible disadvantages of Openbox

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Openbox requires a more hands-on approach and can be challenging for beginners to set up and configure due to its extensive customization options.
  • Limited Out-of-the-box Features
    Unlike full desktop environments, Openbox does not come with many built-in features, requiring users to install and configure additional software to achieve a fully functional desktop.
  • No Desktop Icons by Default
    Openbox does not support desktop icons natively, so users need to rely on additional tools like 'xfdesktop' or 'pcmanfm' to add this functionality.
  • Minimalistic Appearance
    While some users appreciate the minimalistic look, others might find it too bare-bones compared to more feature-rich environments like GNOME or KDE.
  • Manual Configuration
    Most customizations in Openbox require editing configuration files manually, which can be time-consuming and error-prone for users unfamiliar with text-based configurations.

LightDM features and specs

  • Lightweight
    LightDM is designed to be lightweight, ensuring minimal resource usage compared to some other display managers, making it an ideal choice for systems with limited resources.
  • Cross-Desktop Compatibility
    It is highly compatible with various desktop environments, allowing users to switch between different interfaces without needing to change the display manager.
  • Customizable
    LightDM offers extensive customization options, including support for various greeters, which allow users to modify the appearance and behavior of the login screen according to their preferences.
  • Fast Startup
    Due to its lightweight nature, LightDM generally has a faster startup time compared to heavier display managers, which can improve the overall boot time of the system.
  • Remote Login Support
    LightDM supports remote login, which can be beneficial for users who need to access their desktop environment from different devices or locations.

Possible disadvantages of LightDM

  • Feature Limitations
    While LightDM is lightweight, it may lack some advanced features found in more robust display managers, which might be necessary for certain user requirements.
  • Configuration Complexity
    For users who wish to heavily customize LightDM, the configuration can become complex and may require manual editing of config files, which might be challenging for beginners.
  • Greeter Support
    While the availability of multiple greeters is a pro, there can be inconsistencies in feature support and stability across different greeters, affecting user experience.
  • Limited Out-of-the-box Functionality
    Compared to other display managers that come with more out-of-the-box functionality, LightDM might require additional packages or configurations to fully meet specific needs.

Openbox videos

Get Rid Of That Bloated Desktop Environment And Install Openbox

More videos:

  • Review - Manjaro Openbox: First Impressions and Review
  • Tutorial - Openbox V8S Review- How to get Free TV!!!
  • Review - Open Box Review (Bx8 M-Audio Speakers) #Openbox #SpeakerReview
  • Review - Openbox A1 - Review
  • Review - OPEN BOX - @ikmultimedia TONEX #fyp #opening #openbox #review #guitar

LightDM videos

Ubuntu 11.10 LightDM Login Screen, Review

More videos:

  • Review - Customising Grub, Plymouth, Lightdm and the Mate Desktop on Debian
  • Review - Linux HowTo: LightDM Multi Monitor setup

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Openbox and LightDM)
Linux
70 70%
30% 30
Window Manager
100 100%
0% 0
PHP Framework
0 0%
100% 100
Utilities
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 Openbox and LightDM

Openbox Reviews

Top 10 Best Desktop Environments in 2020
People who’re deep into Linux, love Openbox’s simplicity. It’s extremely lightweight, and comes with only a text-based right-click menu that lists all your applications. The menu is customizable too, and you can add scripts or functions within the menu as a link.

LightDM Reviews

We have no reviews of LightDM yet.
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Openbox and LightDM, you can also consider the following products

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

CDM - Console Display Manager. Contribute to evertiro/cdm development by creating an account on GitHub.

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.

SDDM - QML based X11 and Wayland display manager. Contribute to sddm/sddm development by creating an account on GitHub.

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

Ly - TUI (ncurses-like) display manager