Common Desktop Environment (CDE)

Written by Editor in Letter CLast Updated October 25, 2019

Definition of Common Desktop Environment in the Network Encyclopedia.

What is Common Desktop Environment (CDE)?

Common Desktop Environment, also known as CDE, is a graphical user interface (GUI) developed by IBM, Sun Microsystems, and Hewlett-Packard for open systems on UNIX platforms. Common Desktop Environment (CDE) is a paradigm that is widely used in the UNIX industry. CDE is based on various industry standards including the X Window System (X11) release 5, X/OPEN, OSF/Motif 1.2, and others.

Common Desktop Environment (CDE)
Common Desktop Environment (CDE)

CDE is designed to provide users with a simple and consistent desktop interface that includes

  • Standard windows-management features
  • File-system browsing tools supporting multiple views
  • Customizable user interface–management tools for changing backdrops, mouse and keyboard settings, and screen savers
  • Extensive and easily accessed online help features
  • Multiple workspaces for increasing available desktop area

Systems that provided proprietary CDE

  • IBM AIX
  • Digital UNIX
  • HP-UX: from version 10.10, released in 1996.
  • IRIX: for a short time CDE was an alternative to IRIX Interactive Desktop.
  • OpenVMS
  • Solaris: available starting with 2.3, standard in 2.6 to 10.
  • Tru64 UNIX
  • UnixWare
  • UXP/DS
  • Red Hat Linux: Two versions ported by Triteal and Xi Graphics

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