In the new version of Ubuntu 11.10, the Unity shell was subjected to significant changes, which we wrote about in this review. If not all the innovations were to your liking and even attempts at fine tuning were not successful, then you can solve the problem more drastically and completely change the working environment. We will acquaint you with some possible options.
Recall that by default Ubuntu comes with a Unity and Unity 2D shell, which is designed for weak computers with unsupported graphics cards. Switching between them is done on the login screen by clicking on the gear icon and selecting the appropriate item in the menu. In the same menu, items will appear to run the alternative shells described below.
Gnome Shell
Did Unity seem to you not enough innovative and fresh? Well, then try Gnome Shell – that’s where the revolutionism is more than enough. Completely redesigned window and desktop management system, a new system of notifications and applets … Yes there to say, there are even no windows folding! ???? In general, lovers of everything fresh and unusual should try.
The Gnome Shell can be installed using the Application Center or by running the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install gnome-shell
KDE
The great confrontation between Gnome and KDE lasted for many years, dividing all Linux fans into two opposing camps. Recently, the popularity of KDE has declined, largely due to the power of Ubuntu, which is known to be based on Gnome. Nevertheless, KDE is still an excellent working environment, containing everything necessary for comfortable work. Especially this shell can be liked only by users who have crossed with Windows, since in many respects it repeats the techniques of working in this system. The KDE desktop is quite demanding on resources, so for weak machines this is not the best choice.
You can install this shell by typing the following command in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install kde-standard
The installation process, unlike the lighter shells described in this article, requires the download of a large amount of data and will take a long time, so be patient.
Enlightenment (E17)
Enlightenment is another window manager for Linux. The title translates as “enlightenment” and is very correct – this is exactly what is needed for full-fledged work in this environment. The first impression after installation is rather dense, the shell requires addiction and adjustment. It has a small size and high performance, which is useful for weak machines. Despite the somewhat dull appearance by default, Enlightenment has advanced customization tools: support for themes, animation of user interface elements, virtual desktops, desktop gadgets and so on. Thus, after spending some time, you can give the desktop a very attractive look.
To install this shell, you can use the Application Center or the terminal:
sudo apt-get install e17
XFCE
Many users used to call this shell Gnome Lite, that is, a much lighter version of Gnome 2. Priorities in the development of this environment are stated speed and economical use of resources. All customization of the design and behavior of the working environment is done in a graphical interface, which will save you from digging in configuration files. The similarity with Gnome 2 and ease of configuration caused many users who did not accept the new version of Gnome Shell to go to XFCE, including, by the way, Linus Torvalds.
The command to install the XFCE working environment:
sudo apt-get install xfce4
LXDE
And here is one of the candidates for the victory in the light weight category. The LXDE project aims to create a fast and non-resource-intensive desktop environment. Recently, this shell has become quite popular and even received recognition from the company Canonical, which included it in the list of officially supported. Testing revealed that compared to other shells, LXDE uses almost twice as much memory as usual on a desktop computer, and almost three times less when booting from a Live CD. Externally, the desktop slightly resembles the appearance of Windows XP, so that fans of this system will be almost at home.
You can install LXDE using the following command:
sudo apt-get install lxde
We introduced you to the main options of the working environment, available in the operating system Ubuntu. Heavy comfortable KDE against lightweight fast LXDE, innovative Gnome Shell against the conservative XFCE. What do you choose?
