i would suggest using NFS instead of netatalk, i got a FreeBSD 5 box at home, which serves home dirs for a couple of macs, i also use NIS to distribute the login/password. it works great!
its all so seamless :)
Fluxbox - http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/
what really rocks about fluxbox is its ability to "Tab" windows, take a look at these screenshots:
http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/features/tabs.php