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Once you install a flavour that uses a specific desktop environment, can you change the desktop?

I installed lubuntu on my computer, but I want to use the unity desktop. I installed it with

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop^

and deleted lubuntu-desktop, but when I restarted it seemed to reinstall the lubuntu desktop. Sorry if this question is silly, I'm new to Ubuntu.

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    Installing additional desktops is trivial an no problem. Removing them, however, causes problems. Could be a dependency who knows.
    – Panther
    Mar 9, 2016 at 20:33

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Yes you can. But, while logging in, go to the top right (actually not exactly at the corner), and you will see a small icon to change the desktop environment you need to boot into. Click on it and choose the Unity desktop. (See the 4th icon from the top right in the image)enter image description here

Mind you that installing another desktop is not very efficient and will cause issues like out of place icons, theme issues etc. although most of the things will work fine. So, if you are testing out Unity, its alright. But, if you want to continue with Unity, I suggest you install Ubuntu with Unity desktop again. Even if you do not, its okay. Things will run fine.

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  • For me the top icon from the right is transparent, even though I have unity desktop installed. Do you recognize this issue?
    – rawsh
    Mar 9, 2016 at 20:52
  • Hmmm.. strange. I recommend checking if ubuntu-desktop is properly installed. Login to lubuntu and then do sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop. If it is properly installed, it should show some message telling you its already installed. If not, it will install it. I think, but I am not sure, when lubuntu-desktop was not properly uninstalled. Instead ubuntu-desktop got uninstalled.
    – x__x
    Mar 9, 2016 at 21:07
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    I tried your command and got ubuntu-desktop is already the newest version. ubuntu-desktop also shows up in ls -l /usr/share/xsessions/. Strange indeed.
    – rawsh
    Mar 9, 2016 at 21:09
  • Try installing gdm login manager and see if that allows you to choose. Refer this askubuntu.com/questions/152256/… If this does not work, then sorry man, I am bummed.
    – x__x
    Mar 9, 2016 at 21:14
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    Thanks for your help, I installed gdm and rebooted and its up and running. Posted this from Unity!
    – rawsh
    Mar 9, 2016 at 21:25
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On the page where you sign in, with your username and password, you can choose, at the top, which desktop starts.

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