Linux - Desktop environments

KDE

Pros:

1. Very good.
2. But it is a resource hog.
   1. When I installed it on Lenovo T420 with 8 GB RAM, when the computer started up, fastfetch showed that it is using 2.32 GB out of the available 8 GB.

Cons:

1. Too fancy for my taste
2. Switched to LXQt from KDE
3. For whatever reason, the flow doesn’t seem natural, probably because, the layout is quite unique to this OS.

LXQt

Pros:

1. Very good.
2. Minimal resource utilization. Yet, doesn’t compromise on functionality.
   1. When I installed it on Lenovo T420 with 8 GB RAM, when the computer started up, fastfetch showed that it is using about 600~700 MB out of the available 8 GB.
3. Doesn’t look as bland as xfce.
4. The default apps (qterminal, screengrab) seem great.
5. qps task manager seems very nice. Very compact with only QT5 dependences

If using a non-tiling window manager is ok (or, preferable), this is a great choice.

XFCE

Cons:

1. Looks very old, very bland.
2. Can feel like Windows 98.
3. Not a tiling window manager

Pros:

1. Lightweight and simple to use
   1. When I installed it on Lenovo T420 with 8 GB RAM, when the computer started up, fastfetch showed that it is using about 815 MB out of the available 8 GB.

In XFCE, there is a utility program called ‘Preferred Applications’ that lets you change the default applications for browser, mail reader, file manager and terminal emulator. If you want to change the default applications, this is a very helpful tool.

Linux Mint

Pros:

1. Lightweight and simple to use
   1. When I installed it on Dell Precision 5540, when the computer started up, fastfetch showed that it is using about 1200 MB.

How to change Desktop environments on an existing installation of EndeavorOS

eos-packagelist is a utility developed for EndeavourOS, a Linux distribution. It is a script designed to manage and query package lists assocniated with the EndeavourOS installer profiles.

1. https://discovery.endeavouros.com/desktop-environments/removing-a-desktop-environment/2021/03/
2. https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/introducing-eos-packagelist/24244

e.g. Changing from i3 to KDE on endeavouros

1. Uninstall old Desktop: eos-packagelist "XFCE4-Desktop" > xfce followed by: sudo pacman -Rc - < xfce4
2. Install new Desktop: eos-packagelist --install "GNOME-Desktop"
3. Make sure base system is intact: eos-packagelist --install "Desktop-Base + Common packages"
4. Start Display Manager:
   1. Change Display Manager: sudo systemctl -f enable GDM (some linux desktop environments use GDM)
   2. If that doesn’t work: sudo systemctl -f enable SDDM (KDE uses SDDM)
   3. How to figure out which one to run?

      sudo systemctl | grep -i display; sudo systemctl get-default
      

      If successful, it should return something like this:

      gdm.service    loaded    active    running GNOME Display Manager
      graphical.target
      

      If you see this output, it means that the computer is missing both GDM and SDDM services.

      graphical.target
      

      Install SDDM

      sudo pacman -S sddm
      

Functionality

1. Package List Management:
   1. It parses package lists from the EndeavourOS installer, allowing users to view the packages included in various desktop environment or window manager selections (e.g., KDE-Desktop, GNOME-Desktop).
2. Installation:
   1. It can be used to install entire sets of packages corresponding to an installer profile, simplifying the process of installing a new desktop environment or ensuring a complete installation of a specific profile.
3. Querying:

l 1. Users can query eos-packagelist to determine which packages are part of a particular EndeavourOS installer profile, which is helpful for understanding the contents of different installation options.

1. Replacement for Manual Lists:
   1. It aims to replace the previous manual synchronization of package lists, providing a more automated and reliable method for managing EndeavourOS package profiles.
2. Usage Example:
   1. To list the packages included in the “KDE-Desktop” profile:

      eos-packagelist KDE-Desktop
      

   2. To install all packages from the “GNOME-Desktop” profile:

      eos-packagelist --install "GNOME-Desktop"
      

How to change Desktop environments on an existing installation of Fedora?

https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/quick-docs/switching-desktop-environments/