Very useful info, thanks Mark! Just one final question, it might be a supid one, so be warned.
Is there a way to install *both* desktop environments, and then switch easily between then? Like booting into text modus, and then type 'startkde' for the KDE environment, and 'startgnome' for the GNOME environment? (I'm just saying something)
That way I could easily try them both out, and see which one I like best. (even though the final idea is to also learn the console commands and learn what makes a Linux system tick... I really would like to be able to control my PC again like I did in the good old days of DOS. Eventhough I know Linux is not comparable to DOS, but you get my point.
)
In the Redhat/Fedora world there is a tool called "switchdesk" that can be run at the command line a la "switchdesk kde". I would be surprised if something similar or identical didn't exist in SUSE. Also, if inittab is set to runlevel 5 then your GUI login may allow you to select the environment (KDE, Gnome, others) before you supply id/passord to log in.
Anyhow, I think most distros will let you install *both* major desktop environments and then switch/choose.
I have finally decided that KDE is the one for me, but there are particular tools that have Gnome dependencies (ethereal/wireshark comes to mind) so for certain machines I wind up installing both.
In cases where video drivers and such are questionable, I simply set runlevel to 3 in /etc/inittab and run X manually with startx. Just in case video/xorg gets completely hosed up.
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