Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What the heck is Cream?

Cream is something we would like to call a construction kit for building your own Desktop Environment. If you miss something on your desktop, just write a Cream module using our framework to implement this functionality.

At the moment there are just some first modules, e. g. Melange (our widget system), a panel, a screensaver and some background services.

Why is it called a "Desktop Environment" then?

It's called a Desktop Environment, since you are able to run a bunch of Cream modules as a desktop environment. We are currently working on a module called "cream-session" and provide a "real Desktop Environment session".

At the moment you could use something like this in your '.xinitrc':

Does Cream provide an own Window Manager?

No. There are lots of great Window Managers out there and nobody should be forced to use a specific Window Manager.

Most parts of Cream rely on a composited desktop. If you don't use a compositing window manager like Compiz, Mutter or KWin, you could try using xcompmgr.

Is Cream ready for production use?

No! The project is in a very early state.

How do I run Cream?

Please refer to Why is it called a "Desktop Environment" then?!

Of course you can run single modules (e. g. Melange) within your regular desktop:

It's not KISS! There's bling!

We don't think that KISS means having no eye candy on your desktop. A simple Desktop Environment can be beautiful too!