When you install Linux, one of the first choices you face is which desktop environment to use. If you come from Windows or macOS, this is a foreign concept — on those systems, the graphical interface is baked into the OS and not something you choose. On Linux, the desktop environment is separate from everything else and can be installed, replaced, or run alongside others.

What a desktop environment actually is

A Linux system, at its core, is the kernel managing hardware and processes. Everything else is software on top of that. The desktop environment is the layer that provides what you see and interact with:

• Window manager: draws application windows, handles resizing, moving, minimising, and the compositor for effects like transparency and shadows
• Panel / taskbar: the bar(s) showing open windows, system tray, clock, application launchers
• File manager: graphical file browser (Nautilus for GNOME, Dolphin for KDE, Thunar for XFCE)
• Settings application: graphical controls for display, sound, network, and system preferences
• Notification daemon: pop-up notifications from applications
• Display manager: the graphical login screen (GDM for GNOME, SDDM for KDE, LightDM for many others)
• Companion applications: text editor, image viewer, terminal emulator, calendar, etc.

All of this is modular. You can replace individual components or swap the entire desktop environment.

GNOME

GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is the default desktop for Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, and many other major distributions. It is developed by the GNOME Project, a free software organisation, with significant contributions from Red Hat.

Design philosophy

GNOME is opinionated. Its designers have made deliberate choices about what a desktop should do and how it should work, and they have removed settings that they consider distracting or unnecessary. The result is a clean, minimal desktop that works well with keyboard shortcuts and touchscreens.

The central concept in GNOME is the Activities Overview: press the Super key (Windows key) or move the cursor to the top-left corner to open a view showing all open windows, a search bar, and a workspace switcher. From here you can find open applications, search for files, launch software, or switch workspaces. This replaces the traditional taskbar-centric desktop model.

# Install GNOME on Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install gnome-shell gnome-session gdm3
sudo systemctl enable gdm

# Install GNOME on Fedora (usually pre-installed)
sudo dnf group install "GNOME Desktop Environment"

# Switch to GNOME session from command line
echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP    # check current DE
# GNOME

# GNOME version
gnome-shell --version
# GNOME Shell 46.3

Key GNOME applications

Application	Purpose
Nautilus	File manager
GNOME Terminal / Console	Terminal emulator
gedit / GNOME Text Editor	Text editor
Eye of GNOME / Loupe	Image viewer
Evince	PDF viewer
GNOME Calendar	Calendar
GNOME Control Center	System settings

GNOME extensions

GNOME’s functionality can be extended via GNOME Shell Extensions, which modify or add to the desktop interface:

# Install GNOME Extensions app
sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager   # Ubuntu
sudo dnf install gnome-extensions-app           # Fedora

# Popular extensions:
# - Dash to Dock / Dash to Panel: add a traditional dock or taskbar
# - AppIndicator Support: adds system tray icon support
# - Just Perfection: fine-tune GNOME's appearance
# - Blur my Shell: adds blur to the panel and overview

Extensions are installed through extensions.gnome.org or via the Extensions application.

Strengths

• Clean, uncluttered interface with high visual polish
• Excellent touchpad gesture support (three/four finger swipes for workspaces)
• Strong accessibility features
• Well-integrated on Fedora (the reference GNOME desktop)
• Wayland-first: the best Wayland experience of any mainstream DE

Weaknesses

• Fewer settings than KDE; customisation requires extensions
• Higher RAM usage than most alternatives
• Extension API breaks with each GNOME major version, causing extensions to lag
• The Activities Overview model takes adjustment if you are used to a traditional desktop

KDE Plasma

KDE Plasma is developed by the KDE community and is the default desktop on KDE Neon, Kubuntu, openSUSE, and is available for almost every distribution. It is the most feature-rich and customisable mainstream Linux desktop environment.

Design philosophy

KDE’s philosophy is the opposite of GNOME’s: provide settings and configuration options for everything, and let users build the desktop they want. The default layout is familiar to Windows users (taskbar at the bottom, application menu, system tray), but almost every aspect can be changed.

# Install KDE Plasma on Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install plasma-desktop sddm
sudo systemctl enable sddm

# Install KDE Plasma on Fedora
sudo dnf group install "KDE Plasma Workspaces"
sudo systemctl enable sddm

# Install on Arch
sudo pacman -S plasma kde-applications
sudo systemctl enable sddm

# KDE version
plasmashell --version
# plasmashell 6.1.4

KDE’s customisation depth

# KDE Plasma lets you:
# - Add, remove, and reposition panels anywhere on screen
# - Install and use different widget layouts
# - Change window decorations independently from the overall theme
# - Set per-application keyboard shortcuts for anything
# - Configure virtual desktops with different wallpapers

# KDE Connect: integrate your phone with your desktop
sudo apt install kdeconnect    # Ubuntu
sudo dnf install kdeconnect   # Fedora

# Allows: sharing files, using phone as a remote control,
# notification mirroring, clipboard sync between phone and desktop

Key KDE applications

Application	Purpose
Dolphin	File manager
Konsole	Terminal emulator
Kate	Advanced text/code editor
Gwenview	Image viewer
Okular	Document viewer (PDF, epub, etc.)
Spectacle	Screenshot tool
System Settings	Configuration centre
KRunner	Application/file/web launcher (Alt+Space)

Strengths

• Most customisable desktop environment available
• Lower RAM usage than GNOME despite more features (Plasma 6 is notably lean)
• Excellent Dolphin file manager with split pane, tabs, and preview panes
• KDE Connect for phone integration
• More traditional desktop layout is immediately familiar
• Active development with regular feature releases

Weaknesses

• The abundance of settings can be overwhelming
• Application visual consistency depends on theme configuration
• More complex to configure for the specific setup you want
• KDE apps use the Qt framework; some GTK apps (from GNOME) look slightly different in KDE

XFCE

XFCE is a lightweight desktop environment designed to be fast and low on resources while remaining fully functional. It is the desktop of choice for Linux Mint XFCE, Xubuntu, and many other distributions aimed at older hardware.

Design philosophy

XFCE’s goal is to be fast, light, and stay out of your way. It follows traditional desktop conventions (taskbar, application menu, system tray) and does not try to reinvent how a desktop works. The interface is not as visually modern as GNOME or KDE but is extremely reliable.

# Install XFCE on Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies lightdm
sudo systemctl enable lightdm

# Install on Fedora
sudo dnf group install "Xfce Desktop"

# Install on Arch
sudo pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
sudo systemctl enable lightdm

# Check XFCE version
xfce4-session --version

Resource usage

XFCE’s advantage is clear on RAM-constrained machines:

# XFCE typical idle RAM usage
free -h
# Mem:   total   used   free
#        8.0Gi   350Mi  7.6Gi    <- XFCE uses ~350MB at idle

# Compare: GNOME uses ~700MB-1GB at idle
# Compare: KDE uses ~400-600MB at idle

Key XFCE applications

Application	Purpose
Thunar	File manager
xfce4-terminal	Terminal emulator
Mousepad	Text editor
Ristretto	Image viewer
xfce4-panel	Configurable panel

Strengths

• Very low resource usage; works well on 2GB RAM or less
• Fast startup and snappy performance on older hardware
• Traditional desktop layout; no learning curve for Windows migrants
• Extremely stable; XFCE releases infrequently but reliably
• Thunar file manager is fast and has a good plugin ecosystem

Weaknesses

• Less visually modern than GNOME or KDE (though theming helps)
• Wayland support is still in progress (XFCE 4.20 added initial Wayland support)
• Development pace is slow; some features lag years behind GNOME and KDE
• Fewer first-party applications; often relies on GNOME apps to fill gaps

MATE

MATE is a fork of GNOME 2 (the classic GNOME that was replaced by GNOME 3 in 2011). It preserves the traditional GNOME 2 interface: two panels by default (one at top with the application menu, one at bottom with the taskbar), a classic window manager, and a familiar set of applications.

# Install MATE on Ubuntu
sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-desktop

# MATE is the default desktop on Linux Mint MATE edition
# and Ubuntu MATE

MATE is a solid choice if you want something slightly more modern than XFCE but lighter than GNOME or KDE. It uses more RAM than XFCE but less than GNOME. The interface is exactly what Linux looked like in the GNOME 2 era, which is comfortable for long-time Linux users and familiar to Windows XP/7 migrants.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the desktop developed by Linux Mint. It started as a fork of GNOME 3’s Shell with a more traditional interface added on top, but has grown into its own independent desktop environment.

# Install Cinnamon on Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install cinnamon-desktop-environment

# Cinnamon is the default desktop on Linux Mint Cinnamon edition

Cinnamon is perhaps the most Windows-like desktop available on Linux: bottom taskbar, application menu in the bottom-left, system tray on the right, and familiar window decorations. It is more visually polished than XFCE and more traditional in layout than GNOME. It is the main reason Linux Mint is recommended for Windows migrants.

Window managers vs desktop environments

Some Linux users skip desktop environments entirely and run a standalone window manager:

Window manager	Style
i3	Tiling; keyboard-driven; no mouse needed
Sway	Wayland-native tiling; i3 compatible
Hyprland	Wayland tiling with animations; increasingly popular
Openbox	Floating; lightweight; traditional right-click menu
dwm	Dynamic tiling; minimal; configured by editing C source code

A tiling window manager like i3 or Sway automatically arranges windows side-by-side without overlap, filling the screen. You navigate entirely with keyboard shortcuts. There is no taskbar by default; you add status bars (i3bar, waybar) separately.

# Install i3 on Ubuntu
sudo apt install i3 i3status dmenu xterm

# Install Sway (Wayland) on Fedora
sudo dnf install sway swaybar waybar

# The learning curve is steep but the resulting setup
# is extremely fast and keyboard-efficient

Standalone window managers are not beginner territory, but they are popular with developers and power users who want precise control over their workspace.

Which desktop environment should you choose?

For beginners switching from Windows: Cinnamon (Linux Mint) or KDE Plasma (Kubuntu). Both use familiar layouts.

For beginners who want the mainstream Linux experience: GNOME on Ubuntu or Fedora. It is what most Linux tutorials assume.

For low-spec or older hardware (under 4GB RAM): XFCE or LXQt. Both run comfortably on machines that would struggle with GNOME or KDE.

For maximum customisation: KDE Plasma. Nothing else comes close for the depth of configuration available.

For a polished, cohesive look with minimal configuration: GNOME on Fedora (the reference implementation).

For developers who want to optimise their workflow: a tiling window manager (i3, Sway, Hyprland) after you are comfortable with Linux basics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a desktop environment?

A desktop environment (DE) is a collection of software that provides the graphical interface for a Linux system. It includes a window manager (which draws and manages application windows), a panel or taskbar, a file manager, a settings application, a notification system, and usually a set of companion applications (text editor, image viewer, terminal emulator, etc.). On Linux, the desktop environment is separate from the operating system kernel and can be swapped out; you can install GNOME on Ubuntu, remove it, and install KDE Plasma instead, without reinstalling Linux. This separability is fundamental to Linux and contrasts with Windows or macOS where the desktop is tightly integrated with the OS.

What is the difference between a desktop environment and a window manager?

A window manager is the single component that handles drawing, resizing, moving, and stacking application windows. A desktop environment is a full suite that includes a window manager plus panels, a file manager, settings controls, system tray, notifications, and companion applications. You can run just a window manager without a full desktop environment (i3, Sway, Openbox, Hyprland are popular choices) for a minimal setup where you configure everything manually. Desktop environments are easier to use out of the box; standalone window managers require more setup but use fewer resources and give more precise control over the interface.

Which desktop environment uses the least RAM?

XFCE and LXQt are the most lightweight mainstream desktop environments. A fresh XFCE session on idle typically uses 300-400MB of RAM; LXQt is slightly lighter at around 250-350MB. MATE (a traditional GNOME 2 fork) sits around 400-500MB. GNOME is the heaviest of the mainstream desktops, using 700MB-1GB at idle due to its extensive use of GNOME Shell extensions, animations, and integrated services. KDE Plasma has improved significantly and is now around 400-600MB, often lighter than GNOME despite being more feature-rich. For machines with 4GB of RAM or more, any desktop environment is usable; for machines with 2GB or less, XFCE or LXQt are the practical choices.

Which is better: GNOME or KDE?

Neither is objectively better — they make different design choices. GNOME prioritises a clean, opinionated interface that works well on touchscreens and with keyboard-driven navigation; it has fewer settings by default and expects you to work within its design model. KDE Plasma prioritises customisability: nearly every visual and behavioural aspect of the desktop can be changed through the settings application, from window decorations to taskbar layout to icon sizes. GNOME is arguably more polished and cohesive; KDE is more flexible. People who want a desktop that gets out of the way tend to prefer GNOME; people who want to tune their environment precisely tend to prefer KDE. Both have strong development communities and regular releases.

Can I install multiple desktop environments?

Yes. You can install multiple desktop environments on the same Linux system and switch between them at the login screen by selecting a session. Each desktop environment installs its own set of applications alongside the core window manager and panel components, so installing both GNOME and KDE means you have two file managers, two text editors, two terminal emulators, etc. This uses significant disk space (5-20GB for a full desktop environment) and can occasionally cause setting conflicts. Many users install one primary desktop environment and test others in a virtual machine instead. Switching at the login screen works cleanly; mixing application defaults between environments causes some visual inconsistency (a GTK app like Nautilus running inside KDE will look slightly different from native KDE apps).

What desktop environment is best for gaming on Linux?

Any desktop environment works for gaming; the game runs in its own window independent of the desktop. That said, KDE Plasma is often preferred by gamers for a few reasons: it has better Wayland gaming support, lower compositor overhead with VSync options that reduce input latency, and the GameMode integration works well under KDE. GNOME also works fine for gaming but its Wayland compositor has historically had more latency in some configurations. For maximum performance, some gamers use a minimal window manager (i3, Sway, or Hyprland) and launch games directly, bypassing the desktop entirely. The Steam Deck uses a custom KDE Plasma desktop for its gaming mode and a standard KDE desktop when in Desktop Mode.