[X-Unix] Which Window manager/Desktop Environment

[~flipper]

Big thanks to John and Stroller, for helping me get some kind of grip 
on what the real issue (not to mention nomenclature) of my project is.

Both of you mentioned a few issues. One thing: I'm not in a huge 
rush. I should have started this months ago, but that's irrelevant 
now. That's why I'm asking questions and reading. I need a system at 
home that enables me to do outrageously accurate work as rapidly as 
possible (that's the holy grail in data migration, it seems), so, 
cutting corners, or impatience, now, will kill me sooner rather than 
later.

Stroller, you mentioned Gentoo 'not being for the faint of heart". Is 
that due to lots of using 'ln' and configuring rc files and whatnot, 
as in not very 'automated'? That doesn't put me off either, but, for 
all i know, there might be another issue, or issues, that I'm unaware 
of re; the gentoo (tricky) thing.

I don't have X11 on the Mac now. I trashed it a couple years ago when 
I gave up on the idea (at the time, which was strictly out of 
curiosity). Apple no longer distributes X11 for Jag, (they don't have 
any problem with keeping the HFS+ filing system, the pathetic 
'Finder', increasing their use of resource forks, or depending upon 
an 'extension' to identify content of a file, though, go figure). 
Maybe X11 is on the Installers for jag, i'll check, but, if not, then 
what? If I decide (very likely) to forego the Aqua/GUI and start out 
with a clean Darwin install, I should look for a rooted x86 install, 
no? Or can I go with KDE (which actually has all the XML apps, not 
Gnome as i mistakenly 'remembered'), right on top of Darwin?

And last but not least, the 'distros'. Can i start with a clean 
drive, or do i need some basic architecture as a foundation?

These must seem like pretty pedestrian questions, but it's been my 
experience that thinking i know/understand more than i do, is always 
a negative, further up the road. The documentation onlne is either on 
par with my knowledge (thin) or way over my head, it seems.

About 18 months ago a friend gave me an 8-CD set that was a Red hat 
installer. Now, that must sound ridiculous. It looked it. I thought, 
"what sort of unix needs 5+ GBs for an istall????". I started out as 
a troubleshooter on mid-70s IBM big boxes, and 5GBs would have hld 
all of IBM's worldwide stuff. (ok, maybe not, but still, my 667 back 
then would have been the size of a Sears store, i think). Lots has 
changed, hasn't it?

Anyways, thanks again, a lot, and i'll go have a look at Gentoo and a 
couple others...

brian s.