Anyone who has been working with computers for a while, you will know the importance of having a friendly and versatile graphical interface with which we can see our actions in the operating system.
When it comes to Linux computers, These interfaces are called desktop environments and, with few exceptions, all distributions have one of these to make it as easy as possible for its users to navigate through its components.
Except for the most well-versed experts in programming and command usage, all Linux users, especially newer ones, need a desktop environment, so now we will teach you everything you need to know about them, and which ones are the best for you.
What is a desktop environment in Linux and what is this tool for?
A desktop environment is a set of softwares that make up a complete graphical user interface (GUI) which aims to provide people with a friendly and comfortable experience when using their computer. It basically provides a graphical interface that offers easy access to the operating system utilities, also including facilities such as toolbars, icon and quick access to settings.
Besides this, most desktop environments have customizationSo it only takes a few clicks to adjust the look of your desktop to your liking. Too provide quick and simple access to computer setup menus, thus allowing you to adjust your preferences and evaluate the results through the graphical interface in a clear and precise way.
Although desktop environments facilitate operating system management, have certain restrictions when controlling certain aspects of the configurationUnlike the traditional command line, it offers full control over the operating system.
However, Linux has a great advantage over other operating systems, and this is the number of distributions you have and the fact that each of these supports a variety of desktop environments, so regardless of the distro you use, you have several options when it comes to graphical interfaces.
List of the best desktop environments to use on your Linux computer to make the experience easier
There are many Linux distributions, and the number of desktop environments available for each is very largeSo sometimes you will have to do a lot of searching and research to find the right desktop environment for your needs.
Let us save you the trouble with this compilation of the best desktop environments you can find for your Linux operating system:
Cinnamon
It is based on the GNOME library, but it was designed to work on Linux Mint. It has three areas of functionality: a single panel located at the bottom, a tray with system settings and a variety of miscellaneous functions located on the right, and the applications tray on the left side of the screen.
GNOME 3.X
It is one of the most used and popular desktop environments, almost always found as the default choice for Ubuntu users. GNOME offers a wide range of customization options, as well as a simple, friendly graphical interface, and a variety of applications and utilities that are constantly being developed to work in the environment.
KDE
It shows an attractive and interesting graphical interface with a large number of resources that offer a wide scope when it comes to adjustments and configurations. However, the cost of this striking interface is a large consumption of resources, so the best option is to use this environment on a powerful computer.
MATE
It is the continuation of the GNOME 2 project, so it is derived from its base code and offers very similar features to this desktop environment, offering an attractive and easy-to-understand interface. MATE is under constant development with the aim of improving the user experience.
LXDE
It is a lightweight desktop environment, designed for low-resource computers, with an attractive and simple graphical user interface. Offers compatibility with standard keyboard shortcuts and multi-language support. Together these features make it one of the most sought-after options for running on business computers.
Xfce
Provides a fairly comfortable balance between functionality and resource savings, thanks to the fact that it is designed for less powerful computers, and has its own low-power programs, in addition to the lighter GNOME programs. It is mainly focused on functionality with low physical requirement without neglecting visual appeal.
Unity
It is currently the replacement for GNOME as Ubuntu’s native desktop environment, although it was created as a user interface for the GNOME environment. Offers extensive customizability, an attractive desktop layout, and provides a search bar, which makes it much easier to find program files.
Openbox
It has a graphical interface with a minimalist appearance and design, which makes it even lighter than LXDE and Xfce. However, it is highly customizable and configurable., with a clean screen and a low amount of icons that speeds up desktop loading to a great extent.
Fitting – Qt
It offers great simplicity and speed, to the point of being on par with operating systems such as KDE, with which it has certain similarities. Nevertheless, this environment is perfectly enabled to work on older low-power computers, since it consumes very few resources.
xmonad
Although it is qualified as a window manager rather than a desktop environment, has a wide functionality that is accentuated thanks to its low weight and memory consumption, thus offering a very useful, attractive and stable environment that is perfectly adapted to low-power computers.
Budgie
It is designed to work with Ubuntu and uses the GNOME library in conjunction with GTK + technology. It focuses on simplicity and offers great customizability and features support from the Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Arch Linux, and Manjaro communities.
Pantheon
It is the desktop environment developed for the distro Elementary OS. It is designed to offer a fluid, simple and elegant experience, highly customizable and with a wide variety of functionalities to give a personal touch to your GNU / Linux.
Icewm
It is included in the options desktop environment in the OpenSUSE distribution. It’s fast, lightweight, and minimally invasive, with little more than the basic features such as taskbar, paging, compatibility with standard keyboard shortcuts and window management, in addition to offering mouse support in the use of its applications.
Enlightenment
It started small, as a window manager to be attached to the Windows operating system, and it evolved so much that it became a desktop environment by itself, With a wide variety of applications, it even covers the design of interfaces for multiple platforms.
Plasma desktop
It is based on the library of KDE, which gives you the support of your community. It is one of the most customizable desktop environments to date, and it has a variety of applications and software that are constantly developed and updated by the extensive KDE community.