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This article contains quite a few technical terms, which I will explain these in the following paragraphs, those that are already familiar with these terms may skip to the next section. A basic understanding of linux and it’s desktop environments is assumed.
Server side decorations (SSD) is the term for when when the application’s titlebar is drawn by the system and client side decorations (CSD) is the term for when the applications draws it’s own titlebar. KDE prefers the former, while GNOME prefers the latter. KDE and most other desktop environments supports both, while GNOME only supports CSD.
The less options, the better for a new person to jump in. Modern Gnome is a DE I can recommend everyone. ‘It’s like Mac but simpler,’ I advertise it. I like it even as a pro user, though. But even if we, the pro users, couldn’t work with it, that’s okay. Many pro users hate modern Gnome, and use other environments. But having one with limited options and an opinionated design hurts nobody, and helps a lot. I can install it for an elderly parent or a friend, and they can use it without much assistance, as it’s not very far from their tablet or smartphone.
I’d say KDE Plasma 6 with one of the one-button global theme modifications can do everything you’re promising, while resulting in a simpler and more familiar layout.
More options help everyone, whether they use them or not.
My perception of Plasma is that’s too complex, even for me. While Gnome’s logic is very different, it’s not difficult to grasp, to be effective with it.
Anyway, if we’d go with the theme. Are there some you’d like to recommend? I’m still balancing between going with Gnome and teaching them it, and just going with the Plasma and making it similar to what they had.
There are some very convincing Windows themes. Gnome, too. There are a couple to make it look exactly like the IRIX theme, or CDE.
Personally, I think the default layout is plenty simple. You press the applications icon, you press on the thing you want, that thing opens.
If you can take twenty seconds to set it up for them, run everything they’ll ever want to run, right-click on it in the task bar, click Pin to Task Manager.
Then all they’ll ever need to do is poke the one they want to run and it runs.
KDE also has a Mobile DE called Plasma Mobile. Looks like it can be installed on desktops and laptops too.
Default plasma is by far simpler then gnome to anyone that’s used any windows anything for the last 30 years.
What you meant is not simple, but rather familiar. While I agree, my mother used Windows for many years, but she forgot that experience partially, due to using iPad for like 15 years. So, Gnome is simpler for her, as it’s similar to her most recent experience.