Alternative Linux desktop environments
Two decades ago, Linux desktops were limited to Gnome and KDE, with Xfce a distant third. All three are thriving today and have been joined by Linux Mint's MATE and Cinnamon, as well as LXDE. Together, these six provide the interface for the majority of Linux distros. Many distros support more than one of them as well.
However, not every distribution is content with the Big Six. Under the interface, these distributions may share the same applications and technologies, but they also want something more – minimalism, speed, or aesthetics. Here are seven desktop distributions that have chosen to go their own route that are worth exploring if you are looking for something different. Some of these distros' desktops have found their way into another distribution, but it is always worth seeing them in their original settings, the way they were intended to be seen.
Bodhi
Around the turn of the millennium, Enlightenment was a popular interface somewhere between a window manager and a desktop. In 2015, Bodhi Linux [1] took Enlightenment 17, removed half-finished and broken code, and applied bug fixes from Enlightenment 18 and 19 to produce Moksha (Figure 1), which it has offered ever since.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
LibreOffice Tested as Possible Office 365 Alternative
Another major organization has decided to test the possibility of migrating from Microsoft's Office 365 to LibreOffice.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.