Desktop Environments: Diversity is one of the best features of the Linux community. Users can try out different options to find out which one suits them best.
That's the good news. But sometimes this diversity can be confusing, especially if you're new to the Linux community.
Below we will talk about the desktop environments that distributions use, because testing each desktop is a very time-consuming and tedious project.
So we will see a list of the best desktop environments available today along with their advantages and disadvantages.
The list is not in order of preference
KDE Desktop Environment
KDE is not just a desktop environment, it also contains a number of applications. The latest version of KDE is called Plasma, and it comes in two variants Plasma Desktop and Plasma Netbook. KDE is the most customizable and flexible desktop environment available. Why?
Other desktop environments require additional tools and tweaks for more customization, while in KDE everything can be done from the system settings. So you can customize your desktop environment according to your needs without third-party tools. You can download widgets, wallpapers, themes directly from the settings without opening the browser.
KDE offers many core applications and is compatible with many others, even if they are not developed using the KDE Development Platform.
The main Linux distributions that use KDE by default are openSUSE and Kubuntu.
Advantages:
Advanced, powerful and feature-rich.
Modern UI.
Highly customizable
. Very good software compatibility.
Disadvantages:
Slightly heavy.
Some functions may seem complicated especially to novice users
MATE Desktop Environment
The MATE Desktop Environment is based on the core code of GNOME 2. MATE was originally developed for users who were disappointed with GNOME shell and GNOME 3. However, it should be noted that although MATE is a fork of an older desktop environment, it does not run on the outdated technologies used at the time. Thus, MATE has kept the UI, and continues to be upgraded with modern technologies.
The MATE Desktop Environment offers the traditional desktop experience with a hint of modernity. Because it is based on something that has been tested and developed for years, it works flawlessly. Of course, it can be customized as you like.
MATE comes with a collection of core applications, most of which are forks of GNOME 2 applications.
MATE requires a very small amount of memory and can therefore run flawlessly on older systems.
Ubuntu MATE uses MATE as its default desktop environment.
Advantages:
Intuitive and consistent experience.
Simple and lightweight.
Highly customizable.
Disadvantages:
The UI may look old.
Too green
GNOME Desktop Environment
GNOME is one of the most popular desktop environments. Many of the popular Linux distributions use GNOME as their default desktop environment, while others have used it as a base to create a new one. Some of the most popular forks of GNOME include Cinnamon, Unity, MATE, etc. GNOME is designed to be easy to use and highly customizable. The latest version, GNOME 3, features a modern and attractive desktop environment and aims to provide better support for touch devices.
GNOME contains almost everything a modern environment should have. However, what is missing from the basic control panel is the gnome-tweak-tool which needs to be installed.
One of the drawbacks is that GNOME 3 uses a lot of memory due to its graphics.
Some major distributions that use GNOME are Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, and Ubuntu GNOME.
Advantages:
Modern and user-friendly.
Can extend its functionality with Shell extensions.
Customizable.
Disadvantages:
Heavy.
Extension management is not satisfactory.
Cinnamon Desktop Environment
Cinnamon, a fork of GNOME 3, was originally developed as the default desktop environment for Linux Mint. It is known for its similarities to the Windows desktop environment, which helps new Linux users feel at home in their new environment.
Cinnamon contains various customizable elements such as the control panel, themes, applets, and extensions.
Advantages:
Elegant UI reminiscent of Windows
. Familiar and familiar UI.
Quite customizable.
Disadvantages:
Occasional buggy.
Budgie Desktop Environment
Budgie is the newest on this list of Desktop Environments. It was created as the default desktop for Solus Linux. Although it is still developed by the Solus team, it is also used by other well-known distributions. Ubuntu also has an official Budgie flavor, Ubuntu Budgie.
Budgie is based on GNOME. Appearance and some changes related to Budgie can be made from the Budgie settings, while the rest of the settings can be made from the regular GNOME settings.
In terms of system resources, Budgie doesn't use many, but it's not a lightweight environment either. You'll need a moderate system with 2-3 GB of RAM for Budgie.
Advantages:
Stable and intuitive.
Modern UI, elegant appearance
Disadvantages:
Not suitable for older systems or systems without resources
LXDE Desktop Environment
LXDE is an extremely fast environment. It is designed to be lightweight and user-friendly, while maintaining low resource usage. It uses a modular approach so that each of its components can be used independently. This makes it easier for LXDE to be adopted by almost all Linux, BSD, and Unix distributions.
It is used in Lubuntu as the default desktop environment.
The successor to LXDE, which combines two open source projects, LXDE and Razor-Qt, is LXQt. LXQt is under development and aims to be lightweight, modular, snappy, and user-friendly. It is already available in some Linux distributions.
Advantages:
Extremely fast and lightweight.
Supports almost all Linux distributions.
Disadvantages:
You may not like the UI (especially if you come from Windows)
Xfce Desktop Environment
Xfce is one of the most lightweight desktop environments for Linux, BSD, and other Unix-like distributions. Xfce offers a flexible yet modern, user-friendly environment. It comes with all the basic features you'll need.
Manjaro Linux, Xubuntu, and MX Linux have Xfce as their default desktop environment.
Advantages:
Lightweight even for old hardware.
Modern and visually appealing.
Customizable.
Disadvantages:
It comes with a few pre-installed apps.
Which is the best?
Depending on what you are looking for, and what your system is. To find the best working environment, you should know your needs. Try a few and decide for yourself what suits you best.
Personally, I prefer two different ones depending on the system I'm working on. On my 17′ screen I use KDE because of its HiDPI settings. On smaller screens Xfce is very customizable and lightweight.
What desktop environment are you using?
_______________________
- What is a gaming router? Is it worth buying?
- Linux Mint 19.1 with Cinnamon 4.0 from Christmas
- The 5 best free translator programs for foreign languages
