Choosing a Desktop Environment (Linux for Noobs 3)

One of the most important decisions you will make during the process of switching to Linux is which desktop environment to use. This will also help you choose a distribution. In this video, I'll show four popular desktop environments.

*⏰ TIME CODES*:
04:22 - GNOME
10:06 - Plasma
14:36 - xfce
17:45 - Cinnamon

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[TokyoVigilante]

Hands down this is the best Linux channel on YouTube.

[theena]

As a recent noob, my recommendations for DEs:

1. Cinnamon for long time Windows users
2. Pantheon (and elementaryOS) for longtime MacOS users
3. KDE for when you have time to kill/urge to tinker

I didn't go that route. I had default Gnome for the longest time while I ran KDE as an alternative to tinker. I have lost count of the the number of times I broke the KDE desktop in those first few days - I was on the verge of giving up on it so manytimes. Thankfully it was the lockdown and I didn't have work or any other commitments. I also had Cinnamon in case I bungled things up beyond repair.

One year later, I can't see myself on any DE long enough before I need to go back to KDE. I can't use Cinnamon and Gnome at all any longer. The former because it reminds me too much of Windows like experience, while Gnome is just clunky for my tastes.

Pantheon would be my second choice today. In design and UX philosophy, it's the polar opposite of KDE but the team behind elementaryOS have done and outstanding job to flatten the learning curve for new comers to Linux. It is also so pretty AF.

[DarthDweeb]

I've been using Plasma since I started dabbling in linux. I can't seem to give up the infinite customizability. Also, I finally got your book. Super easy to read. I'm only at chapter 8 but it is really easy to understand and very palatable. Great starting point for new user. I have no intentions of becoming a linux administrator outside of my home but I love how you give good tips for someone that might be working for an organization.

[_syedmx]

I've been liking this channel more and more.

[xellaz]

I tried all these DEs but KDE Plasma just feels at home for me! I luv how much you can customize it! 👍

[little_forest]

What I miss here are specific example scenarios/workflow in which one DE might be more suitable for than another. Because, as a noob, that might be where you are coming from.
For example in an academic environment, both as a student of a college/university, as well as someone working at a university as e.g. a lecturer, you might want to think twice before choosing the Gnome DE. Cause in that case, you will probably have several windows and documents open at the same time and want to easily change between them and sometimes have two or more, tiled or overlapping, on the screen at the same time. Only then you are easily able to write essays and articles with different references and so on and so forth. This does not work very well on Gnome, in contrast to basically any other DE such as the mentioned Plasma, xfce or Cinnamon.
If you have several devices for different purposes, e.g. a laptop for work, a main pc for gaming, and some small pc hooked up to a TV, which means for each device a different appearance of the desktop is beneficial, but you still want to use the same DE for each device, go with xfce or Plasma. Then you can easily customise the desktop for each device according to its function and still use the same DE.
So these are the use cases that are relevant for me, but I am sure, there are many more. However, as mentioned above, different use cases are probably important from a noob perspective trying to figure out what DE is most suitable.

[anh]

I would add Pantheon to the list. MacOS users should take a look at Elementary OS' beautiful Pantheon desktop.

[Andy.N-_-]

Jay you make the Linux learning curve really enjoyable, informative and topical, thank you...

[ManishSahay]

Very good demonstration of each Desktop. I think MATE and Pantheon deserved a mention here. MATE because how flexible/customizable (MATE Tweak), and not-heavy at the same time it is, and Pantheon because it's maybe the most beautiful (pixel-perfect) Desktop.

My Top 5 are:
1. KDE... I mean Plasma :)
2. Xfce
3. MATE
4. GNOME
5. Cinnamon
I like the UI of Pantheon a lot but I don't like how closed it is. Even Windows lets you make more changed to the UI than Elementary OS.

[RicardoTRueda]

Thanks a lot Jay. I really like and appreciate these videos for noobs like me.👍🏼

[bobwong]

What I really love about XFCE on LinuxMint is the ability to "middle/roller" mouse click on the desktop to access the "short-cut" menu to all open windows on all my 4 workspaces and select to jump to any of them.
I can also easily access my desktop by "rolling-up" the window with the mouse wheel on the window title-bar.
Alt+scroll Up/Down to zoom up/down. It even work when I run windows in Virtualbox😊.

[medes]

Gnome is an excellent desktop but the reason I don't use it is not because it is not traditional. I don't use it simply because for a mature and popular DE it is not acceptable having to install third party software (Extensions) in order to make it usable and give it more functionality.

[fredmckinney]

My favorites of these:

1. MATE
2. Xfce (very close 2nd)
3. Cinnamon
4. Plasma (TOO many options!)
5. GNOME (makes my head hurt)

If I HAD to have something lightweight:
LXDE...or just straight Openbox

[nelsono]

Thanks for the video. As a fairly new Linux user I find that I like the XFCE and KDE Plasma environments. Cinnamon is nice too. Gnome is probably my
least favorite. And I don't care much for Window managers

[AssociateMinisterReserveDeacon]

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[Siskiyous]

I used a few distros before finding Mint, forever I used Cinnamon, but now I use XFCE, though with customization it looks more like Cinnamon all the time. I have ran it on various Dell Laptops, and on a surplus Server I repurposed as my Desktop many years ago.

[GeoTechLand]

The best desktop environment is the one that gives users the most choice in customizing it. The best candidates for that are zorin's layout chooser, now also being used on Manjaro GNOME. I'm happy to see more distros/DE's offer more choice.

[happyfeet]

This is a fabulous Linux video channel 👍I started on Linux a couple of months back after the Windows 11 monster was unleashed on the world. I've been distro hopping now I'm using mabox Linux with openbox desktop and it's blown me away. It's fantastic

[Pyro-Moloch]

19:47 you can actually change that in Cinnamon. This is something people need to know. When you install Mint it has a simple button to switch to the tradition (XP-style) panel. You can do it yourself by right-clicking onto the panel and going into Applets. Cinnamon is VERY customizable. Maybe not as much as KDE, but more so than many other DEs.

[jatinverma]

I choose GNOME because it doesn't have too many options like KDE. Animations are smooth, and it allows me to focus more on what I am doing. I can use extensions, but so far I didn't needed any.