What different desktop environments and shells are available?

Question

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What different desktop environments or shells are there for Ubuntu users to install?

Please list one desktop environment or shell per post with:

• a description on why you like or suggest it (features, performance, etc.),
• a good screenshot, preferably of it running on Ubuntu and showing off some of its features,
• the minimal requirements required for it to be usable
• some instructions on how to set it up.

Answer 1

GNOME Shell

GNOME Shell is the "official" shell developed for GNOME 3 by GNOME.

Features

• It uses Mutter instead of Compiz for the window manager.
• GNOME Shell has an Activities view, similar to Unity's Dash, where you can drag windows between workspaces, search for applications, and more.
• By default, windows cannot be minimized in GNOME Shell, as the use of workspaces is supposed to replace that. This could need some getting used to at first, or alternatively the GNOME Tweak tool could be used to restore this functionality.
• GNOME Shell uses automatic workspace management; at any given moment, it only keeps open as many workspaces as you have active windows on, plus an extra empty one to start more windows. When you remove all the windows from a workspace, that workspace will be removed until you need it again.
• Indicators are kept hidden by default in the lower-right corner of the screen; this area is known as the Messaging Tray.
• GNOME Shell in Ubuntu 11.10 comes with the Adwaita GTK3 theme, which is the new default theme for GNOME replacing Clearlooks. This theme can also be used in Unity if one wishes.
• GNOME Shell's functionality and interface can be extended or modified through the use of extensions. For more information on how to install these extensions, see How to install GNOME Shell extensions.

System Requirements

GNOME Shell requires hardware acceleration, and has roughly similar requirements to Unity. As of this writing, the GNOME developers aim to have GNOME Shell able to run on any hardware that is at most four to five years old.

How To Get It

GNOME Shell is available in 11.04 via a PPA.

In 11.10 onwards, GNOME Shell is natively installable from the official repositories. Click this link to install the gnome-shell package, find it in the Ubuntu Software Center, or type sudo apt-get install gnome-shell in a terminal.

For more detailed information on how to install GNOME Shell (including how to compile the latest upstream version yourself), you may also refer to How do I install and use the latest version of GNOME Shell?.

You can try it out by pressing Alt+F2 and entering gnome-shell --replace.

Answer 2

Unity (Installed by default)

Founded in 2010, the Unity project started by Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical has gone on to deliver a consistent user experience for desktop and netbook users alike. Putting great design at the heart of the project, Unity and its technologies such as Application indicators, System indicators, and Notify OSD, have strived to solve common problems in the Free Software desktop while optimizing the experience for touch, consistency and collaboration.

Unity is the default shell for GNOME 2/3 used by Ubuntu.

Features

• Unity is available in 3D or 2D. The 3D version is powered by Compiz.
• The top-right portion of the panel is very similar to GNOME 2, offering support for various menus and indicators.
• A launcher on the left side keeps track of currently-running applications, and also allows the user to pin favorite applications. Applications demanding attention will glow blue. Badges and progress bars on the launcher icons are also supported by some applications, as are quicklists revealed by right-clicking.
• By either clicking the button in the upper-left corner or pressing the Super key, the user can open the Dash, which allows searching for applications, files, and more via the use of "lenses".
• Four workspaces are provided that the user can use for organizing windows.
• A global menu, similar to that used in Mac OS X, is used for windows by default. You can reveal the menu by mousing over the left portion of the top panel, or by holding Alt.
  • Alternatively, in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS onward, you can tap the Alt key to reveal the HUD, which allows you to find menu commands by entering search terms, similar to the Dash.
• Maximized windows have their window controls also integrated into the top panel. This and the global menu are intended to provide more vertical screen space as compared to other DEs / shells, which is useful for machines like netbooks where screen space is limited.

System Requirements

Unity 3D, like GNOME Shell, requires a 3D graphics card and hardware acceleration to run. See How do I know if my video card can run Unity? to determine whether your hardware can support Unity 3D.

If you cannot run Unity 3D, your machine should still be able to run the 2D version of Unity. They are very similar aside from minor differences in appearance, and that you might get better performance while running Unity 2D.

How To Get It

Unity is pre-installed as the default session on Ubuntu 11.04 and later. An early version of it is also available for Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition, based on Mutter instead of Compiz. An even earlier version is used as the shell for Ubuntu Light, which is a simplified version of 10.04 meant for OEM installation on netbooks.

You can switch between Unity 3D and 2D at the login screen. See Am I using Unity or Unity 2D? if you're unsure which one you have started into.

Answer 3

XFCE

Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment for UNIX-like operating systems. It aims to be fast and low on system resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly.

Ubuntu has a xfce spin called xubuntu. You can install it from software center or command-line.

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

But is recommended to install it from the official image (.iso) that can be downloaded at this page.

Answer 4

LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment)

LXDE is an extremely light desktop environment that focuses on high performance and low resource usage. It is currently the default desktop environment used by Lubuntu (pictured).

Features

• Lightweight

  It needs less CPU and performs extremely well with reasonable memory.

• Fast

  It runs well even on older computers produced in 1999, and it does not require 3D acceleration.

• Energy saving

  It requires less energy to perform tasks to other systems on the market.

• Simply Beautiful

  It includes an internationalized and polished user interface powered by GTK+ 2.

• Easy to use

  It provides a choice to use the simple eeepc like Launcher user interface or a MS Windows like application panel.

• Customizable

  It is easy to customize the look and feel of LXDE.

• Additional Features

  It offers additional features like tabbed file browsing or menu run dialogs known from operating systems like Mac OS. Icons of new applications show up after install on desktop.

• Desktop independent

  Every component can be used independently from other components of LXDE offering the flexibility to use LXDE parts with different Unix like systems.

• Standard compliant

  It follows standards as specified by freedesktop.org.

Source: http://lxde.org/lxde

System Requirements for Lubuntu (LXDE + Lubuntu)

Lubuntu, can be installed on a Pentium II or Celeron system with 128 MB of RAM, but such a system would not perform well enough for daily use.

With 256MB - 384MB of RAM, the performance will be better and the system will be more usable.

With 512MB of RAM, you don't need to worry much.

The default "Desktop" installer requires 384-800 MB of RAM (depending on selected options.). And you can also use the "Alternate" installed, if you have problems.

How to get it

It's available as an official Ubuntu re-spin: Lubuntu.

If you have regular Ubuntu installed, you can also install it from the Software Center, just look for lubuntu-desktop in it or install it from command-line:

sudo apt-get install lubuntu-desktop

Answer 5

KDE

KDE is probably the second most well-known DE available after GNOME.

Features

• Very customizable, KDE looks and feel can be easily modified. The range of options is just incredible.
• It can use a traditional task bar, a unity-like dock, any number of panels.
• It's widgets (PLASMA) can be used in the background or in a panel.
• Activities: A way to organize your workspaces based on activities.

System Requirements

KDE is no lightweight system. It has similar requirements to Unity 3D but there is a "low-fat" setting for older systems.

How to get it

It's available as an official Ubuntu re-spin: Kubuntu.

If you have regular Ubuntu installed, you can also install it from the Software Center, just look for kubuntu-desktop in it.

Kubuntu doesn't have the best reputation among KDE users, being regarded as slow and using more memory than needed (there are posts of people using KDE on Arch Linux taking less than 450MB). That's something I hope will change with the Kubuntu low fat settings.

However the entire Ubuntu base is a huge plus: I have installed Ubuntu One (though is not a native KDE app), and finding software packaged for Ubuntu is a breeze.

Answer 6

Gnome Panel (Ubuntu Classic/Gnome Fallback)

This is the basic or classic GNOME desktop, ported to use the new GTK3 and other modern technologies. It is the same program that was used in earlier versions of Ubuntu. But like everything else, there's been improvements in the new version.

• It still has the classic menu, but the System menu is gone since we now use the System Settings panel.
• It can be customized the same way that Gnome Panel 2 was customized, except that you need to press and hold Alt while doing so.
• It has all the same features that we previously had, but with fixes to make it more stable and useful: applets are grouped to the left, center or right, so applets never get shuffled, like in Gnome Panel 2. And the switch to GTK3 means much better support for vertical panels.

The classic appearance looks different by default in 11.10 (fixed in 12.04), but that's easily changed;

---

Linked Question:

1. How to revert to GNOME Classic?

More Information:

1. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1854333&page=2
2. http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gnome-3-fallback.html

Answer 7

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a Gnome-Shell desktop fork. It is not strictly a Gnome-2 interface, although the developers aims are laudable - to produce a simpler more traditional desktop interface.

The desktop shares many traits of its closely related cousin - and can be extended through specific Cinnamon extensions.

Requirements are the same as Unity 3D & Gnome-Shell, in that it requires a 3D Graphics accelerated graphics card.

This is subject to change - Gnome-shell Mutter has been forked as well - called Muffin. It will be interesting to see what future requirements this will bring.

---

Linked Question:

1. How do I install the Cinnamon Desktop?

Answer 8

Pantheon (In Development)

Pantheon is the desktop shell made for use in elementary OS Luna and later. It can also be set up for use in Ubuntu, however.

Features

• The top panel is called the WingPanel. It's similar to a mix between the GNOME 2 and GNOME Shell panels.
• Slingshot is the application launcher Pantheon uses.
• Pantheon Wallpaper is used to manage the desktop wallpaper instead of Nautilus.
• Plank is the new version of Docky, rewritten to use Vala instead of Mono. It sits at the bottom of the screen to act as a dock.
• Cerebere is a program that sits in the background and oversees the operation of all the other components, restarting them as necessary if they crash.
• Pantheon is designed to be lightweight and modular. You can pick and choose which components you want to use, replacing with with others as you see fit.

System Requirements

elementary OS Jupiter used GNOME 2 and an early version of the Plank. The upcoming elementary OS Luna release is planned to switch to GNOME 3 and Pantheon, and is supposed to be more lightweight. A machine that can comfortably run Ubuntu should have no problem handling Pantheon.

How To Get It

See How do I install the pantheon desktop environment? for detailed instructions.

Answer 9

Awesome

Features

Awesome is a desktop environment which masquerades as a window manager. By default, it comes with a basic top panel with a systray that can hold your favorite applets from Gnome, Xfce, etc. There are several well-known "widget" libraries which extend Awesome's basic functionality.

Awesome is a tiling window manager, which means that it can automatically arrange windows without overlapping and so that they fill up the screen. Windows can also be made to "float" (the standard behavior in Windows, OS X, etc.)

Awesome's tiling features have the following benefits:

1. No wasted screen space.
2. You don't have to fiddle around with the mouse/trackpad to arrange windows in a desired arrangement.
3. Built-in tiling layouts cover frequent scenarios that arise.
4. Tiling arrangements are easily scripted and can be invoked dynamically through keybindings.
5. Mouse support is built-in throughout. For those that rely heavily on a mouse, this may help ease the transition from the typical floating window managers.

Awesome was designed to be highly customizable (see configuration section) and is particularly popular amongst "power users" who want a great deal of control over their desktop environment (Awesome has a strong following in the Arch Linux community, for example).

System requirements

Awesome is very lightweight. The Zenix distro uses it and can run with as little as 128MB of RAM (only 64MB with swap partition). On my system, I found it used less resources than LXDE! Awesome does not do compositing or any effects, so is useful for systems with older graphics (compositing can be enabled by using xcompmgr, etc.)

Installation

Installing Awesome is simple. Simply type sudo apt-get install awesome in the terminal to install Awesome from the Ubuntu repositories. The install will include an Awesome session in the login manager, Lightdm. Starting Awesome this way will avoid many headaches over configuring it to work with your wireless, display, etc.

Configuration

Awesome is configured via an external configuration file written in Lua (~/.config/awesome/rc.lua). Knowledge of Lua is not required and a lot can be done with simple extensions and modifications of the default rc.lua (/etc/xdg/awesome/rc.lua). Autostarting apps is simple: just add the appropriate "spawn" command at the end of your rc.lua, e.g. awful.util.spawn_with_shell("conky &") will run conky.

Regarding the two screenshots -- in the 'clean' version, the top panel is the default with five tags (or "workspaces") on the left and various vicious widgets running on on the right. nm-applet and pidgin are in the systray area. The bottom 'panel' is actually conky. In the 'dirty' version, conky is displaying track info from gmusicbrowser, the windows are tiled (with one Firefox window minimized to the tasklist area), and Gnome Do is floating in center.

Answer 10

Enlightenment (E)

Enlightenment sets itself apart for being very focused on eye-candy while still being extremely lightweight.

There are two usable versions of Enlightenment, E16 (the old version) and E17 (the new stable version).

E17 is more modern.

A non-exhaustive list of Enlightenment's features can be read about at this Wikipedia page.

For a guide on how to set up Enlightenment on your system, see this Ubuntu Documentation page, or maybe this question: How do I install Enlightenment (E17)?.

Answer 11

Mythbuntu

Mythbuntu uses XFCE, but also comes with some extra customizations. It is primarily intended for media PCs for use with MythTV.

System Requirements

A complete list of system requirements can be found at mythbuntu.org.

How To Get It

You can install the mythbuntu-desktop package using either apt-get or the Ubuntu Software Center. The Mythbuntu FAQ has more information on setup.

Answer 12

MATE

MATE is a fork of GNOME 2 created when GNOME 3 was announced and some users wanted to keep the traditional GNOME 2 interface going. It aims to be as close to traditional GNOME 2 interface as possible. The project is primarily supported by the unofficial Ubuntu derivative Linux Mint, which offered it as one of the default session choices since Linux Mint 12.

Features

• MATE is derived from and strives to remain as close to the traditional GNOME 2 desktop environment as possible. It caters specifically to those who do not like the new desktop metaphors introduced by Unity and GNOME Shell, yet do not want to switch to a different DE.
• It comes with the forked variations of several GNOME applications.
• MATE currently still uses GTK+2, although it may switch to GTK+3 in the future.
• All conflicts between MATE and GNOME were resolved as of the 1.2 release, so that both DEs can be installed on the same system if one desires.

System Requirements

As MATE is extremely similar to the GNOME 2 it is based upon, it should have similar hardware requirements. Computers which could run Ubuntu 11.04 or previous in a GNOME 2 session should also be able to handle MATE. For example, it will not need 3D graphics support like Unity or GNOME Shell do. Additionally, you may want to look at this Linux Mint Forums post.

How To Get It

See How to install MATE? for information on how to install MATE on your Ubuntu system. Note that there are multiple ways to install it; some involve adding Linux Mint repositories and could potentially cause problems.

Answer 13

Qtile

QTile is a window manager written entirely in Python. It's highly configurable using the Python language, and you can script it to do mostly whatever you feel like. As the name implies, it's a tiling window manager, which means you get a highly organized desktop.

Answer 14

Emacs

(Even if Emacs is strictly not a DE it is certainly a working environment in which you can do lots of different things. Some think of it as an operating system.)

Emacs is a text editor with modes for doing different things.

Features

Some of the jobs Emacs has modes for are:

• editing code in different programming languages
• editing directories
• handling mail
• browsing the web
• running shell commands
• planning and authoring

For most text-based jobs there seems to be an Emacs mode.

Some things that make Emacs effective are its keyboards command to navigate and edit text, how it adapts to files via modes and its extensibility.

In the above screenshot the top window contains a buffer for planning, the window below contains a buffer editing a LaTeX file, the bottom left window contains a buffer editing a directory and the bottom right window contains a buffer viewing a configuration file.

System Requirements

Emacs runs on most hardware and should run sufficiently fast on any computer.

How To Get It

To install Emacs on Ubuntu simply issue the following in a terminal:

sudo apt-get install emacs

Doing that will not get all the Emacs modes you might wish to install. To install a great mode for editing LaTeX files install the package auctex. To install an efficient mode for keeping notes, maintaining TODO lists, doing project planning, and authoring install the package org-mode. To install a mode for handling git repositories install the package magit.

Once you have installed Emacs you can configure it by editing your ~/.emacs file or by using menus.

Answer 15

Chrome OS Desktop Environment

This is the operating environment of Google's Chrome OS, and as far as I know, it works only on 64 bit machines.

To install the desktop environment, use the desktop environment, download it from here, and then install it by double clicking.

You can also use following commands to download and install from command prompt:

wget https://github.com/downloads/dz0ny/lightdm-login-chromeos/lightdm-login chromiumos_1.0_amd64.deb  
sudo dpkg -i lightdm-login-chromiumos_1.0_amd64.deb

Answer 16

Trinity

Trinity desktop environment is another option available on Ubuntu. To install, follow the instructions:

• For precise, add the deb source in sources.list:

deb http://ppa.quickbuild.pearsoncomputing.net/trinity/trinity-v3.5.13/ubuntu precise main
deb-src http://ppa.quickbuild.pearsoncomputing.net/trinity/trinity-v3.5.13/ubuntu precise main
deb http://ppa.quickbuild.pearsoncomputing.net/trinity/trinity-builddeps-v3.5.13/ubuntu precise main
deb-src http://ppa.quickbuild.pearsoncomputing.net/trinity/trinity-builddeps-v3.5.13/ubuntu precise main

• Add the GPG key:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.quickbuild.pearsoncomputing.net --recv-keys 2B8638D0

• Finally, download the packages:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install kubuntu-default-settings-trinity kubuntu-desktop-trinity

For other versions of Ubuntu, refer the full documentation here.

Answer 17

Razor-qt

This is a very lightweight desktop environment, available for Ubuntu.

Steps to install:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:razor-qt
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install razorqt

Image from softpedia:

Answer 18

Consort

Consort is a fork of GNOME 3 Fallback mode. It is designed to behave near exactly like GNOME 2 and is intended to enable existing users of GTK-2 to GTK-3.

Features:

• Offers Gnome 2 based DM
• Leveraging GTK-3 - can run applications for GNOME 3
• lightweight/better performance ^ref

Distros using

• SolusOS
• Colverleaf Linux (development)

Download it here or use ppa

Answer 19

KLyDE (In Development)

This is light version of the popular desktop KDE environment. Its still in development, and not directly available for people to install, but we can expect it soon.

Read more about the project here.

Please note that this is still in early development stages, and is not available for download or install, in any OS. I am mentioning this here just for the sake of completion.