I just recently switched to Linux (OPENSuSE 11.1), and initially installed KDE 4.1(?). However, I switched to Gnome, because I couldn’t get my DVD/CD to play audio CD’s, and don’t know my way around enough to be able to fix it.
Is there a way to install both Gnome and KDE?
I have both installed. They are independent of each other.
You should be able to go into Add/Remove Software and install the KDE group alongside Gnome.
The initial YAST installer(Suse’s setup tool) should allow you to choose either or both from the initial setup. You can also do it after the fact using the repositories. It’ll set everything up for you.
In a short answer, yes. As long as you have enough hard drive room(linux apps and user interfaces aren’t that big anyways) you can install as many as you like. Install gnome, KDE, E, FWM, XFCE, and/or many others.
With KDE 4.2 just released today, you probably won’t be able to use it without going through some repository reconfigs. It’s easy enough due to the opensuse website having all the instructions you should need.(they’ve had similar instructions on past endeavors)
I switched to Fedora for the reason that they will automatically switch over to KDE4.2 in the coming days. As opposed to the suse model of trying to stick to it’s singular pre-set path. If I’m still using Fedora 10 when KDE 4.3 arrives, I’ll get that in the form of a future update. Suse won’t.
Unless of course Novell has changed it’s policies. As of 11, that’s how it was.
Here: http://en.opensuse.org/Package_Repositories
Why would your choice of desktop environment have any impact on whether you could play DVD’s?