[techtalk] desktops and window managers?

[stephanie1200 at netscape.net]

ok, would anyone out there like to tackle the task of explaining exactly what the difference is?  I am baffled by why gnome/kde does, vs what sawmill/enlightenment/kwm do, how they interact, which ones are which...is windowmaker a window manager or desktop? I forget...

I know window managers change the way title bars and stuff look, but beyond the cosmetics, I don't get it.  

Also, what is Motif?  and in an environment with, say, gnome, sawmill, and a local x server, which part is serving widgets, which part is interpeting them with look and feel, and what else is going on?

this has been a mystery to me for a long time. any help appreciated.
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