Download - Linux Desktop Environments
Environments for Linux Desktop
In Linux, there are so many choices, and this includes the desktop environments and window managers. Four of the most popular
desktop environments in Linux are GNOME, KDE, Xfce, and
LXDE. All four offer sophisticated point-and-click graphical user
interfaces (GUI) which are on par with the desktop environments
found in Windows and Mac OS X. When you ask different people
which of these four is best, you will likely get many different
answers. So which is the best between GNOME, KDE, Xfce, and
LXDE? Well..... it is largely a matter of opinion, and the
capabilities of your computer hardware can also be important in
deciding. For example, users with older computers will be better
served to choose Xfce or especially LXDE, while users with newer
hardware can get more desktop effects by choosing KDE or
GNOME. Another consideration when choosing a desktop
environment is your preference for customizing it. If you like to
have a lot of options to customize and tweak your desktop, then
KDE will by default give you the greatest flexibility to do this. Xfce
comes next, and then LXDE, while Unity and the default GNOME
3.x shell offer relatively few options in the way of desktop
customization. If GNOME 2.x is thrown in this mix, then its ability
to be customized would probably fall somewhere between KDE
and Xfce, though the GNOME 2.x desktop is being replaced by
newer versions. Personally, I like all of them, and if you have the
time and are a bit adventurous, then I recommend you try each of
the major desktop environments described below, along with
newcomers like Razor-qt, or some of the window managers such
as Enlightenment, and decide which of them works best for you.
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GNOME, KDE, Xfce, LXDE, and Enlightenment are all excellent
and are definitely worth consideration.
A Brief Description of GNOME, KDE, Xfce,
and LXDE:
GNOME [1] - Currently, GNOME (GNU Network Object Model
Environment) is in the process of transitioning from version 2.x
(which is still used by some distros that offer GNOME) to version
3.x, which was recently released. With GNOME 3.x comes its new
shell, which is a wide departure from the traditional GNOME 2.x
desktop. Many people who loved the GNOME 2.x desktop are
unhappy with the direction taken by the GNOME 3.x shell, and this
has brought some controversy and a "splintering" of the GNOME
world [2]. For example, Ubuntu (beginning with version 11.04)
released the Unity shell as its new default desktop, which runs on
top of GNOME 2.x, and the newer Ubuntu 11.10 Unity runs on top
of GNOME 3.x. Also, developers of Linux Mint are working on
their own desktop, called Cinnamon, which is based on GNOME
3.x, but has the look and feel of the traditional GNOME 2.x-based
Mint desktop and menu. So basically, GNOME at the moment
finds itself in four major manifestations: the old GNOME 2.x, the
new GNOME 3.x shell, Unity, and Cinnamon. Ubuntu, Linux Mint,
Debian, Fedora, and CentOS are major distros which use
GNOME in their main editions.
It should also be mentioned that GNOME has a wealth of
applications which are designed for its desktop, but they can also
be used in the other desktop environments as well; click here to
see a list of them [3]. Following are a few applications and
components of GNOME:
Window Manager: Metacity (GNOME 2.x); Mutter (GNOME 3.x
shell)
File Manager: Nautilus
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Office Suite: GNOME Office (which includes AbiWord and
Gnumeric)
Music Player: Rhythmbox
Video Player: Totem
CD/DVD Burner: Brasero
Games: GnomeGames
Below are brief descriptions of GNOME 2.x, the GNOME 3.x shell,
Unity, and Cinnamon:
GNOME 2.x
Now the "old school" GNOME, version
2.x has dual taskbars, known as
"panels." One panel is located at the top
of the screen in the form of a menu
bar and an additional panel is found at
the bottom of the screen. Because of
this, some people would say that
GNOME 2.x more closely resembles the Mac OS X operating
system in appearance than it does Microsoft Windows. While this
may be true in its default settings, GNOME 2.x can easily be
configured to more closely resemble Windows. Regarding system
resource usage, GNOME 2.x requires less RAM but more CPU
than the GNOME 3.x shell, and less RAM and CPU than Unity or
KDE but more than Xfce or LXDE. GNOME 2.x has a menu at the
left of the menu bar (top panel) which is very simple and easy to
use, and unfortunately, this extremely nice menu does not exist in
either the GNOME 3.x shell or Unity. So far Debian and some
other distros have continued keeping GNOME 2.x as their default
desktop, but those days are probably numbered. For example,
while GNOME 2.x is found in the latest stable version (6.0
"squeeze") of Debian, the GNOME 3.x shell appears in the
unstable "sid" version [4]. Though the GNOME 2.x desktop is
being replaced by the GNOME 3.x shell and Unity, perhaps the
essence of GNOME 2.x will be kept alive through MATE and
Cinnamon.
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Click on the picture above to see a larger screenshot of the
GNOME 2.x desktop running in Debian.
Recommended System Requirements for GNOME 2.x
Required RAM 384 MB
Required CPU 800 MHz
http://linuxreviews.org/software/desktops/ [5]
GNOME 3.x Shell
The newly released GNOME 3.x
with its GNOME Shell user interface
is a drastic change from the
"classic" GNOME 2.x. While the
GNOME 3.x shell is fairly intuitive,
for someone who is accustomed to
GNOME 2.x, or any other desktop environment for that matter,
there will be a considerable amount of adjustment. In the GNOME
3.x shell, there is only one panel located at the top of the desktop,
and there is no longer a traditional menu. To open programs,
users can either press the Windows key, or they can click on
"Activities" found on the left side of the panel. This gives the
options of a program launcher that appears on the left side of the
desktop, an "Applications" option found on the upper left part of
the desktop (which is the closest thing to a menu), or they can
search for programs using the search box on the upper right of the
desktop. Additionally, when clicking on "Activities," a desktop
switcher appears on the right side of the desktop. Another change
involves the buttons on the windows; in GNOME 2.x, and
practically every other desktop environment or window manager,
there are at least three buttons found at the top of each window:
one to exit the window, one to maximize the window, and one to
minimize the window. However, in the default GNOME 3.x shell,
there is only one button that is used to exit the window, which
really takes some getting used to. If you want your laptop or
desktop to look and behave like a cell phone or tablet, then the
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GNOME 3.x shell might be for you. Overall though, the GNOME
3.x shell is a very simple, clean, and visually pleasing desktop.
Click on the picture above to see a larger screenshot of the the
default GNOME 3.x desktop shell in Fedora 16.
Recommended System Requirements for the GNOME 3.x shell in
its default mode
Required RAM 768 MB
Required CPU 400 MHz
http://fedoraproject.org/en/get-fedora [6]
One option in GNOME 3.x is to run it in
the "Fallback Mode," which is designed
for hardware not capable of handling the
more graphically intensive default
GNOME 3.x desktop shell. The Fallback
Mode strongly resembles the user
interface in GNOME 2.x and should
appeal to those who are not comfortable with the default. You can
click here to read an informative article about the GNOME 3.x
Fallback Mode and how to make it your default desktop [7]. Click
on the picture to the left to see a larger screenshot of GNOME 3.x
in the Fallback Mode running in Fedora 16. Ubuntu users can
have this option by installing a package called "GNOME-Session-
Fallback."
Another option is to install extensions to GNOME 3.x such as
GNOME Shell Frippery, which turns the GNOME 3.x Shell into an
even more GNOME 2.x-like experience than the Fallback Mode
[8].
Unity [9]
Originally designed by Canonical for use on netbooks, Unity has
(beginning with Ubuntu 11.04) replaced GNOME 2.x as the default
desktop shell in Ubuntu. With the advent of Ubuntu 11.10, the
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latest Unity now runs on top of
GNOME 3.x and it includes a 2D
mode which allows it to run on older
hardware. In essence, Unity is a
move away from a menu-driven
desktop to a text and search-based
desktop with its "Heads-Up Display," aka HUD, which will
anticipate your queries in a manner similar to a Google
search. Unity requires more system resources than the GNOME
3.x shell or KDE, not to mention all of the other popular Linux
desktop environments. In Unity, there is one panel and it is always
at the top of the desktop. Additionally, there is a dock-like program
called the "launcher" which is always on the left side of the
desktop. In appearance, Unity very much resembles a Mac OS X
desktop where the dock has been positioned on the left side. In
my opinion, Unity is a very nice looking desktop, but it is still in
some ways a step backward in the area of customization
compared to the traditional GNOME 2.x desktop. However, Unity
has excellent compatibility with touch screen technology and
seems to be the way things are going in computing. While there
are many people who have criticized Unity, the direction
Canonical has taken with it makes sense in light of such
endeavors as Ubuntu for Android, which will be available with the
release of Ubuntu 12.04. Basically, Ubuntu for Android will be an
app for dual core Android phones, which will allow users to dock
their phones to a keyboard and monitor to have the full Ubuntu
desktop. Unity has improved significantly since it began, and it has
grown on me and I like it much more now than when I first began
to use it.
Click on the picture above to see a larger screenshot of the Unity
desktop in Ubuntu 11.10.
Recommended System Requirements for Unity
Required RAM 1 GB
Required CPU 1 GHz
http://askubuntu.com/questions/22402/will-ubuntu-11-04-work-on-my-old-
pc [10]
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Unity does not have a "traditional"
menu like GNOME 2.x, but
programs can be easily accessed
by clicking on the Ubuntu symbol on
the upper part of the launcher, or by
pushing the "Windows" button
found on most PCs. This opens up a box called the "dash" where
users can search by typing in the name of desired programs to
open them. Click on the picture to the left to see a screenshot of
Ubuntu's search filter mode found in the dash, which is the closest
thing to a traditional menu in Unity.
Cinnamon [11]
The MGSE (Mint GNOME Shell
Extensions) and MATE are desktops
offered in Linux Mint 12. MGSE is an
extension of the GNOME 3.x shell, and
MATE is a fork of the now unmaintained
code from GNOME 2.x. Both MGSE and
MATE have higher degrees of usability
and customizability compared to the default GNOME 3.x
shell. MGSE with its top and bottom panels is in my opinion a sort
of "hybrid" in appearance and function between the GNOME 3.x
shell and the traditional Linux Mint desktop, and while it is nice, it
does not seem as consistent in nature as the older Linux Mint
desktops. In order to make a desktop that is more truly in line with
the essence of older Linux Mint desktops, the developers of Linux
Mint have created the Cinnamon interface, which is an actual fork
of the GNOME 3.x shell, rather than simply an extension of it.
Cinnamon can be installed in Linux Mint 12, as well as other
distros running GNOME 3.x, and it is planned that Cinnamon will
be the default desktop for the upcoming main edition of Linux Mint
13. When compared to MGSE, Cinnamon much more closely
resembles the traditional GNOME 2.x-based desktop of Linux Mint
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11 with its single panel at the bottom of the screen. Also,
Cinnamon has a menu which more closely resembles the "Mint
Menu" of the past. Cinnamon is a return to a desktop that is
traditional, yet still has the "modern" underpinnings of GNOME
3.x.
Click on the picture above to see a larger screenshot of the
Cinnamon desktop in Linux Mint 12.
Recommended System Requirements for Cinnamon (probably
similar to Linux Mint's requirements)
Required RAM 512 MB
Required CPU 1 GHz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Mint [12]
KDE [13] - In many ways, KDE (K
Desktop Environment) is very
similar in appearance to Microsoft
Windows and Windows users will
likely feel very much at home when
using KDE. In a similar manner to Windows, users access the
KDE menu by clicking on a button on the left side of the single
panel, which by default is found at the bottom of the screen,
however this may be easily changed and customized by the user.
KDE is arguably the most powerful, versatile, smoothly integrated,
and visually pleasing of all the Linux desktops and has more point-
and-click customization options and "eye candy" than GNOME,
Xfce, or LXDE. With its Plasma Workspaces, users can easily add
a variety of widgets to the desktop. While KDE is more polished in
appearance than GNOME, Xfce, or LXDE, it is also more resource
-hungry. On the other hand, KDE requires less system resources
than Ubuntu's Unity and less RAM than the GNOME 3.x
shell. OpenSUSE, PCLinuxOS, Mageia, Chakra, and Mandriva
are some major Linux distros running KDE in their main
editions. Kubuntu is the KDE version of Ubuntu. In summary, KDE
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is an outstanding desktop environment that is most definitely
worth consideration.
Click on the picture above to see a larger screenshot of KDE 4.7
in Kubuntu 11.10.
To the left is a screenshot of the
default KDE menu in Kubuntu.
Like GNOME, KDE includes a large
number of applications which are
designed to be used in its desktop,
many of which have a name that
begins with the letter "K." For
example, Konqueror is a web
browser and file manager,
and KStars is a desktop
planetarium. Also like the GNOME
applications, the KDE applications
can be used in other desktop environments. You can click here to
see a list of KDE applications [14]. Following are a few
applications and components of KDE:
Window Manager: KWin
File Manager: Dolphin
Office Suite: KOffice
Music Player: Amarok
Video Player: Dragon Player
CD/DVD Burner: K3b
Terminal Emulator: Konsole
Games: The KDE Games Center
Education: KDE Edu
Recommended System Requirements for KDE
Required RAM 615 MB
Required CPU 1 GHz
http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/osrc/article.php/3930006/GNOME-vs-
KDE-The-Latest-Round.htm [15]
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One option in KDE 4.7 is to run it in
the "Search and Launch" mode,
which in some ways is similar in
appearance to the GNOME 3.x
shell and to Ubuntu's Unity. This
mode with its large icons and
search can be used with a touchscreen, and is great for smaller
devices such as netbooks and tablets. While the Search and
Launch mode is an option in KDE, it is not the default like it is in
the GNOME 3.x shell and in Unity. The Search and Launch mode
is easily activated or deactivated by clicking on the "Show Activity
Manager" button found on the desktop panel, next to the
"Application Launcher Menu." Click on the picture to the left to see
a larger screenshot of the KDE 4.7 Search and Launch mode
running in Kubuntu 11.10.
Xfce [16] - Less resource-hungry than GNOME or KDE, Xfce is a
great choice for older computers
and it is still a full-fledged desktop
environment that offers a great deal
to the user. In my opinion, Xfce provides a nice balance between
functionality and conservation of system resources, while still
having a beautiful desktop. In its default appearance, the newly-
released Xfce 4.8 very much resembles Mac OS X with its dock-
like panel found at the bottom of the desktop. Users can drag their
favorite applications from the menu (found on the left side of the
upper panel) and place them on the bottom dock/panel in a similar
manner as can be done in Mac OS X. Just like GNOME 2.x and
KDE, Xfce may easily be customized to more closely resemble
Windows, or to be configured otherwise as desired. Xubuntu is the
Xfce version of Ubuntu, and Mythbuntu has Xfce as its
desktop. Also, Dreamlinux and VectorLinux use Xfce as their
default desktops, and many other Linux distros offer Xfce versions
as well. In many ways, Xfce looks and acts like GNOME 2.x, and
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for those who like the GNOME 2.x desktop and are not completely
satisfied with the changes in the GNOME 3.x shell or Unity, Xfce
4.8 could be a great fit.
Click on the picture above to see a larger screenshot of Xfce 4.8
in Xubuntu 11.10.
To the left is a screenshot of the
Xfce menu in Xubuntu.
Following are a few applications
and components of Xfce:
Window Manager: Xfwm
File Manager: Thunar
Media Player: Parole
CD/DVD Burner: Xfburn
Task Manager: Xfce Task Manager
Recommended System Requirements for Xfce
Required RAM 192 MB
Required CPU 300 MHz
http://wiki.xfce.org/minimum_requirements [17]
LXDE [18] - When compared to
GNOME, KDE, and Xfce, LXDE
(Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment)
is the least resource-hungry, which
makes it an outstanding choice for older
computers. Additionally, it will run
extremely fast on newer computers. Even with its super-efficiency,
LXDE is still a nice and feature-rich desktop environment that has
menus which are simple and straightforward and very easy to
navigate. In its default appearance LXDE resembles older
versions of Windows (such as Windows 98 or 2000), with a single
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panel at the bottom of the desktop and a menu found on the left
side of that panel, but like GNOME 2.x, KDE, and Xfce, it can be
customized in a variety of ways. Lubuntu (the LXDE version of
Ubuntu), Peppermint OS, and Knoppix are popular distros which
have LXDE as their default desktop environment. Many other
Linux distros offer LXDE versions as well.
Click on the picture above to see a larger screenshot of LXDE in
Lubuntu 11.10.
To the left is a screenshot of the
LXDE menu in Lubuntu.
Following are a few applications
and components of LXDE:
Window Manager: Openbox
File Manager: PCManFM
Task Manager: LXTask
Terminal Emulator: LXTerminal
Recommended System Requirements for LXDE
Required RAM 128 MB
Required CPU 266 MHz
http://lxde.sourceforge.net/about.html [19]
Popular Window Managers in Linux:
GNOME, KDE, Xfce, and LXDE are complete desktop
environments, each of which come with their own programs and
applications, menus, icons, a file manager, and a window
manager. Window managers are, as the term suggests, simply
used to manage the opening and closing of programs in a
graphical, point-and-click windowed desktop. Window managers
can be used as a component of a desktop environment, or they
can run on their own. GNOME 2.x uses Metacity as its default
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window manager, the GNOME 3.x shell uses Mutter, KDE uses
KWin, Xfce uses Xfwm, and LXDE uses OpenBox [20]. Some
other examples of popular X11 window managers are
Fluxbox [21], IceWM [22], JWM [23], and Enlightenment [24]. To
varying degrees all of these window managers are less resource-
hungry than GNOME, KDE, Xfce, and even LXDE and are great
for extremely old computers.
Enlightenment [25] - Though Enlightenment (E17) is a window
manager, it can also be considered a
"desktop shell," and the project has
grown to encompass a number of
libraries which are together known as
EFL [26]. Because of its many features, some people even
consider Enlightenment (a.k.a. "E") to be a full-fledged desktop
environment. One very nice feature of Enlightenment is its
flexibility, which among other things allows it to run on a wide
variety of devices that includes mobile phones, game systems,
laptops, and powerful desktop computers. Enlightenment requires
less system resources than the GNOME, KDE, Xfce, or even
LXDE, yet it also is quite visually appealing and offers a lot of "eye
candy," which is amazing given its very small footprint. The
Enlightenment desktop is somewhat unique in its appearance, and
users can simply click anywhere on it to access the menu. Bodhi
Linux is a popular distro that uses Enlightenment as its default
desktop.
Click on the picture above to see a larger screenshot of
Enlightenment running in Bodhi Linux 1.1.0.
Recommended System Requirements for Enlightenment (E17) to
be fully functional on a netbook, laptop, or desktop
Required RAM 64 MB
Required CPU 200 MHz
http://www.enlightenment.org/p.php?p=about&l=en [27]
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A Comparison Desktop Environment /
Window Manager RAM and CPU Usage:
Below are the results of an "unscientific" test I conducted (out of
my own curiosity) with various desktop environments and window
managers. In this test, I ran Unity in Ubuntu 11.04, and the
GNOME 3.x shell in Fedora 15, both from live CDs. Then I used
the GNOME system monitor in Unity and the GNOME 3.x shell to
record the lowest RAM and CPU usage numbers, while each
system was at idle after a fresh boot with no other open
applications. I installed and ran the other nine desktop
environments / window managers in Lubuntu 11.04 and Xubuntu
11.04 through VirtualBox and opened the LX Task Manager
(lxtask) to record the lowest RAM and CPU usage numbers, while
each system was at idle after a fresh boot with no other open
applications. As a side note, to "compare apples and oranges," I
opened Windows 7 on a newer HP laptop and recorded the
system usage numbers. While Windows 7 used 0% of the CPU at
idle from a fresh boot which was slightly better than the Linux
desktop environments or window managers, it used significantly
more RAM at 1.13 GB which is three times more than KDE 4.6.
Finally, it should be mentioned that this was simply a test I
completed out of simple curiosity, and while the results are
interesting, it is probably best for you to use the recommended
system requirements for each desktop environment as a guide
when deciding which one is best for your computer. Below are my
results for the Linux desktop environments and window managers:
Desktop Environment /
Window Manager
RAM
used
% of
CPU
(2.6
GHz
total)
used
Type
KDE 4.6 363
MB
4 % desktop environment
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* Unity (Ubuntu 11.04) 271
MB
14 % desktop environment
* GNOME 3.x shell 193
MB
10 % desktop environment
GNOME 2.x 191
MB
1 % desktop environment
Xfce 4.8 144
MB
10 % desktop environment
IceWM 85 MB 2 % window manager
LXDE 85 MB 1 % desktop environment
Enlightenment (E17
Standard)
72 MB 1 % window manager /
desktop shell
Fluxbox 69 MB 1 % window manager
OpenBox 60 MB 1 % window manager
JWM 58 MB 1 % window manager
* So far, I have not been able to run the GNOME 3.x shell (except
in the "Fallback Mode") or Unity in VirtualBox on my system, even
when I increased the allocated amounts of RAM and video
memory to their maximums. So instead, I used live CDs to run
Unity in Ubuntu 11.04, and the GNOME 3.x shell in Fedora 15.
Interchangeability / Flexibility of Linux
Desktop Environments and Window
Managers:
One great feature of Linux is that
programs / applications that are made to
run in any one of these desktop
environments will normally work in the
others. For example, GNOME
Games can also run in KDE, Xfce, or
LXDE while KDE Games can likewise
run in GNOME, Xfce, and LXDE. It should also be mentioned that
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many major Linux distros offer versions in multiple desktop
environments / window managers, which includes all four of the
desktop environments described above, and it is even possible to
have any combination of GNOME, KDE, Xfce, LXDE,
Enlightenment, or other desktop environments / window managers
installed simultaneously on your Linux system. However, when
installing multiple Linux desktop environments / window managers
on the same computer, it is important to know that there will be
may redundancies between similar applications (system tools,
games, etc.) found within each.
Another outstanding feature of Linux desktop environments /
window managers is their flexibility, which gives users the ability to
customize them to look quite unique,
or to imitate the look of other operating
systems such as Windows and Mac
OS X. Click here to see a larger
screenshot of the Xfce desktop in
Xubuntu which has been made to look
similar to Mac OS X, using Docky. Like
other software in Xubuntu, Docky can be downloaded and
installed from the Ubuntu Software Center or the Synaptic
Package Manager. The default desktop in Dreamlinux looks much
like Mac OS X, and Zorin OS has a nice feature called "Look
Changer" which allows users to choose the normal GNOME
desktop, or from desktops very similar to either Windows 7 or XP.
Click here to see a larger screenshot of Zorin OS in the Windows
XP mode, but without the legion of viruses. Click here to see more
examples of customized Linux desktops [28]. Below are links to
websites which offer a wide variety of eye candy for the GNOME,
KDE, and Xfce desktops:
http://GNOME-Look.org/ [29]
http://KDE-Look.org/ [30]
http://Xfce-Look.org/ [31]
Click here for a nice comparison between KDE and GNOME
[32]. Click here to learn more about the differences between the
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various Linux desktop environments in an article by
linuxreviews.org [33]. Wikipedia also provides an excellent
comparison of the various desktop environments in an article
entitled "Comparison of X Window System Desktop
Environments" [34]. Another great resource is the Windows
Managers for X website [35].
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