Desktop Environments

Chapter 7 — Desktop Environments

One of the most distinctive things about Linux compared to Windows or macOS is that the desktop is not built into the operating system — it's a separate piece of software you can swap out. This layer is called the desktop environment (DE), and Linux offers several well-developed options. This chapter explains what each one looks like, how they compare, and how to install and switch between them.

Your distro already chose one. When you installed Ubuntu, Mint, or Fedora, a desktop environment came with it. You don't need to install another one unless you want to explore or your current one doesn't suit you. This chapter is also useful for understanding what you have and why it was chosen.

1. What Is a Desktop Environment?

A desktop environment is a collection of software that together creates the graphical interface you interact with day-to-day. It includes:

Window manager — draws and manages application windows; handles minimise, maximise, and moving windows around the screen
Panel / taskbar — the bar(s) at the top or bottom showing open windows, system clock, and notification area
Application launcher — the menu or search interface for starting applications
File manager — the graphical tool for browsing files and folders
Settings application — for configuring appearance, displays, sound, and so on
Bundled applications — text editor, image viewer, calendar, and other utilities that come with the DE

Different DEs make very different choices about how all of these work — which is why switching from GNOME to KDE can feel almost like switching to a different operating system, even though the underlying Linux is identical.

2. The Main Desktop Environments

GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is the most widely used Linux desktop. Its design philosophy is "less is more" — it deliberately removes clutter, starting with no taskbar by default. The workflow centres on the Activities Overview, accessed by pressing the Super key (Windows key) or moving the mouse to the top-left corner. This shows all open windows, a search bar, and virtual workspaces.

GNOME looks clean and modern but takes some adjustment for users coming from Windows — there's no traditional Start menu. It shines on touchscreen laptops and makes heavy use of gestures on trackpads. Extensions (add-ons from extensions.gnome.org) can restore a traditional taskbar, add a dock, or fundamentally alter the workflow.

RAM usage (idle)

~700–900 MB

Customisation

Medium — via GNOME Tweaks and Extensions

Best for

Modern hardware, touchscreens, clean workflow

File manager

Nautilus (Files)

Display manager

GDM (GNOME Display Manager)

Learning curve

Medium — different workflow than Windows

KDE Plasma is the most feature-rich and customisable Linux desktop. It has a traditional Windows-like layout out of the box — taskbar at the bottom, Start-menu-style application launcher, system tray — but almost every element can be repositioned, resized, and restyled. Plasma supports widgets on the desktop, multiple panel layouts, and a global theme system that can transform its appearance completely.

Despite being feature-packed, Plasma is surprisingly lightweight — it uses less RAM than GNOME while offering far more configuration options. It also has the best multi-monitor support of any Linux desktop. Downside: the sheer number of settings can be overwhelming.

RAM usage (idle)

~500–700 MB

Customisation

Extremely high — almost everything is configurable

Best for

Windows switchers, power users, multi-monitor setups

File manager

Dolphin

Display manager

SDDM

Learning curve

Low — familiar layout, deep settings when ready

Cinnamon was created by the Linux Mint team as a response to GNOME 3's controversial redesign. It keeps the traditional desktop layout that Windows users expect: taskbar at the bottom, application menu in the bottom-left corner, system tray on the right. This familiarity makes it the most recommended desktop for Windows switchers.

Cinnamon is polished, stable, and well-integrated with Linux Mint's tools. It supports "applets" (panel add-ons), "desklets" (desktop widgets), and themes. It doesn't have the cutting-edge look of GNOME or the raw customisability of KDE, but it gets out of your way and just works.

RAM usage (idle)

~500–600 MB

Customisation

Good — themes, applets, desklets

Best for

Windows switchers, general everyday use

File manager

Nemo

Display manager

LightDM (MDM on older Mint)

Learning curve

Very low — immediately familiar from Windows

XFCE is the go-to desktop for older hardware and anyone who prioritises speed and stability over visual flash. It uses far less RAM and CPU than GNOME or KDE while still providing a complete, traditional desktop experience. It looks a little dated compared to the others but is rock-solid — XFCE rarely has dramatic changes between versions, which means you learn it once and it stays familiar.

XFCE's panel system is highly flexible — you can add, remove, and rearrange panels and their contents. It's also one of the easiest desktops to get working well on very old hardware with limited RAM.

RAM usage (idle)

~300–400 MB

Customisation

Good — panels, themes, compositing on/off

Best for

Old hardware, users who want speed over looks

File manager

Thunar

Display manager

LightDM

Learning curve

Low — traditional layout, minimal surprises

MATE was created to continue the GNOME 2 desktop after GNOME moved to its controversial version 3 design. If you've seen screenshots of Linux from 2005–2010, you've seen what MATE looks like — two panels (one at top, one at bottom), a classic application menu, and a clean traditional aesthetic. It's lightweight, stable, and has excellent accessibility support.

MATE sits between XFCE and Cinnamon in terms of resource use and modernity. It's a good choice if you want something more traditional than Cinnamon but with more polish than XFCE.

RAM usage (idle)

~350–450 MB

Customisation

Good — panels, applets, themes

Best for

Older hardware, GNOME 2 nostalgia, accessibility

File manager

Caja

Display manager

LightDM

Learning curve

Very low — extremely traditional layout

There are many more. Beyond these five, notable alternatives include LXQt (even lighter than XFCE — used by Lubuntu), Budgie (sleek and macOS-inspired — used by Solus and Ubuntu Budgie), Pantheon (macOS-like — used exclusively by elementary OS), and i3 / Sway (tiling window managers — no overlapping windows, fully keyboard-driven, loved by developers). Tiling managers are powerful but have a steep learning curve.

3. Display Managers — The Login Screen

The display manager (DM) is the program that shows you the login screen after boot. It handles authentication (checking your password) and then launches your chosen desktop environment. When you have multiple DEs installed, the display manager is where you choose which one to use for that session.

Display Manager	Used by default with	Character
GDM (GNOME Display Manager)	GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora	Clean, modern, supports Wayland sessions. Slightly heavier than the others.
SDDM (Simple Desktop Display Manager)	KDE Plasma, KDE Neon, Kubuntu	QML-based (same toolkit as KDE); highly themeable; supports Wayland.
LightDM	XFCE, MATE, Cinnamon, Xubuntu, Linux Mint	Lightweight, fast, works with many "greeter" themes. The most flexible choice when mixing DEs.
XDM (X Display Manager)	Minimal installs, some server setups	Very basic, text-like appearance. Rarely used on modern desktops.

You don't normally need to think about the display manager. It comes installed with your desktop environment and just works. It only becomes relevant when you install a second desktop and need to choose between them at login — the display manager provides the session picker.

4. Installing a Second Desktop Environment

You can install multiple desktop environments on the same system and switch between them at the login screen. This is a great way to try alternatives without reinstalling Linux.

Installing a second DE can add clutter. Each desktop brings its own set of applications — a second file manager, a second text editor, a second settings app. These coexist fine but the application menu can get crowded. If you decide you prefer the new DE, you can remove the original one later. If you just want to try it briefly, that's fine too.

Installing KDE Plasma on Ubuntu

# Install KDE Plasma desktop (minimal - just the core, fewer KDE apps) $ sudo apt install kde-plasma-desktop # Or the full KDE experience with all KDE applications: $ sudo apt install kde-full

Installing XFCE on Ubuntu

$ sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies

Installing GNOME on Linux Mint

$ sudo apt install ubuntu-gnome-desktop

Installing MATE on Ubuntu

$ sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-desktop

Installing Cinnamon on Ubuntu

$ sudo apt install cinnamon-desktop-environment

After installing, log out or restart for the new desktop to appear as an option at the login screen.

5. Switching Between Desktops at Login

Once you have multiple desktops installed, selecting between them at the login screen is straightforward — but the exact method depends on which display manager you have.

GDM (Ubuntu's default)

1

At the login screen, click your username.
2

Look for a gear icon (⚙) near the "Sign In" button in the bottom-right area of the password field.
3

Click the gear and a menu appears listing all available desktop sessions (e.g., "Ubuntu", "Ubuntu on Xorg", "GNOME", "Plasma (Wayland)", "XFCE Session").
4

Select your desired desktop and enter your password. GDM remembers your last choice — next login it defaults to the same desktop.

SDDM (KDE's default)

SDDM shows a session selector (usually a dropdown) directly on the login screen, often in the bottom-left corner. Select the session type, then log in normally.

LightDM

LightDM's appearance varies by the "greeter" theme installed. On Linux Mint (Slick Greeter), there's a small icon or dropdown near the username showing available sessions. On Xubuntu, look for a session button in the corner of the login screen.

Wayland vs X11 sessions. You may see entries like "Ubuntu" (Wayland) and "Ubuntu on Xorg" (X11). Wayland is the modern replacement for X11 — it's more secure and handles HiDPI better, but some older applications and screen-sharing tools don't yet fully support it. If something doesn't work as expected, try the Xorg session.

6. Removing a Desktop Environment

If you've tried a second desktop and decided you don't want it, you can remove it. Be careful — removing a DE also removes its associated applications, and on some configurations, removing the wrong package can break the remaining desktop. Always reboot and confirm your remaining desktop works before removing anything.

Example: removing KDE from Ubuntu

# Remove KDE and its dependencies (be sure Ubuntu GNOME is working first) $ sudo apt remove kde-plasma-desktop kde-full $ sudo apt autoremove $ sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop # Reinstall Ubuntu's defaults if anything was removed

If in doubt, don't remove. Having an extra desktop installed uses disk space (typically 500 MB–2 GB) but otherwise causes no harm. It's better to leave an unused desktop installed than to accidentally break your primary one by removing the wrong packages.

7. Which Desktop Should You Use?

Coming from Windows?

Cinnamon (Linux Mint) or KDE Plasma. Both have a familiar taskbar-and-start-menu layout. Cinnamon is slightly simpler; KDE has more features.

Old or low-spec hardware?

XFCE is the standard recommendation. MATE is also good. Both run well with 1–2 GB RAM. LXQt (Lubuntu) is lighter still for very old machines.

Want maximum customisation?

KDE Plasma. Almost every visual and behavioural element can be changed — colours, fonts, window decorations, panel positions, workspace behaviour, animations.

Just want something that looks great and stays out of the way?

GNOME. Minimal, clean, and deliberately uncluttered. Takes adjustment but many users love it once they adapt to the workflow.

Using a touchscreen laptop?

GNOME has the best touchscreen and gesture support of any Linux desktop. KDE Plasma is catching up but GNOME is still ahead here.

Want stability above all else?

XFCE or MATE. Both change slowly and predictably. An XFCE install from three years ago looks and behaves almost identically to a fresh one today.

Stick with what your distro chose. Your distro's default DE has been carefully tested and integrated with the rest of the system. Unless you have a specific reason to change, give the default a fair trial — at least a few weeks — before switching. You'll usually find it grows on you.

Chapter Summary

Desktop	RAM (idle)	Best for	Distros
GNOME	~700–900 MB	Modern hardware, clean workflow, touchscreens	Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian
KDE Plasma	~500–700 MB	Windows switchers, heavy customisation, multi-monitor	Kubuntu, KDE Neon, Fedora KDE, openSUSE
Cinnamon	~500–600 MB	Windows switchers, everyday general use	Linux Mint (default)
XFCE	~300–400 MB	Old hardware, speed, stability	Xubuntu, Mint XFCE, Manjaro XFCE
MATE	~350–450 MB	Traditional layout, older hardware, accessibility	Ubuntu MATE, Mint MATE
Switching	Install additional DE via `apt install`, log out, click session gear icon at login screen
Display managers	GDM (GNOME), SDDM (KDE), LightDM (XFCE/MATE/Cinnamon) — manage the login screen and session selection

Next: Chapter 8 — Configuring sound. We look at how Linux handles audio (PulseAudio vs PipeWire), the graphical sound settings, HDMI audio output, and how to troubleshoot the most common "no sound" problems.