Here is the second editorial from the founder and lead developer of Bodhi Linux, Jeff Hoogland.

One of the many features the Enlightenment desktop has that sets it apart from other desktop environments/window managers is the profiles. Those that have used Bodhi Linux or have compiled Enlightenment from source should already have some idea of what profiles are.

Profiles are a powerful tool, they control the layout of your enlightenment desktop. I’ve found those coming from other desktops (such as KDE or Gnome) often confuse the idea of profiles with theme. Themes control the colors of your desktop and the appearance of your gadgets.

Profiles control where those gadgets are positioned and what theme you have selected. Profiles are useful because they allow you to easily and quickly swap between two entirely different layout configurations. This is especially useful for changing between a multi-monitor and single monitor layout. Another use is for when you have two people using a computer, each of whom prefer a different desktop setup. For instance on my netbook I like the tablet profile to be the default when I am letting other people use it:

When I am on the little computer, though, I spend a good deal of time in the standard laptop profile:

You can add your own profile by launching the profile selector (Settings->All->Settings->Profiles).

Then clicking the Add button:

After hitting OK a new profile option will be created that has your current configuration. One thing to note at this point though is that you are not automatically using the new profile you have created. This means to make changes to the profile you have created you must first select it in the profile selector and hit apply:

You’re now all set - enjoy setting up your different profiles and experimenting with new things!

Have any questions? Feel free to drop a comment below.

Jeff Hoogland is the founder and lead developer of Bodhi Linux. Mathematics and computers are two of his largest passions. He has a bachelors degree in mathematics with his sights set on graduate school within the next two years. He is a huge believer in Linux and believes it is the future of computing technology.