Mr Balloon wrote:

> Can I ask a really dumb question.
>
> I'm just starting to get my head around all this X-Window thing.
>
> I'm about to download some software, there are packages there for Motif and
> GTK. Am I right in thinking GTK is Gnome Toolkit, and this will only work
> under the Gnome environment?

The GTK is the "/Gimp/ Tool Kit". It doesn't require GNOME; it's a
general-purpose X toolkit like Motif or QT. It was used to build "The Gimp"
(it's genesis) and GNOME.

> My window manager of choice is KDE, so should I download the Motif one then,
> or does KDE emulate GTK.......?? Does what I'm asking even make any sense!

KDE uses the QT toolkit from Trolltech. It doesn't use or emulate either
Motif /or/ GTK. If you want to develop apps for your WM-of-choice (that is,
KDE), then you'll need QT, and can safely ignore Motif and GTK. However, if
your goal is to develop for other platforms, you might want to examine the
differences between QT, GTK, and Motif, and choose one for your development.

> If anyone could give me a quick rundown on the above, I'd really appreciate
> it.

GTK, QT, and Motif are "toolkits". They all supply basic "high-level"
windowing APIs to make programming tasks easier. They all implement their
high-level API with calls to the XLib low-level API. They are siblings; each
providing the same services, but with individual differences in behaviour
and appearance.

To make a MSWindows analogy, they are like Borland's OWL and Microsoft's
MFC; different APIs that implement the same actions, but with individual
differences in behaviour and appearance.



--
Lew Pitcher, IT Consultant, Application Architecture
Enterprise Technology Solutions, TD Bank Financial Group

(Opinions expressed here are my own, not my employer's)