Desktop environments for Linux: which is the best?

[OyaYansa]

If you are accustomed to operating systems like Windows or MacOS, the Linux world requires some practice and above all of several explanations and tutorials. It is not monolithic and is not controlled by any company: it is the Linux Foundation that develops the kernel and the one behind the operating system itself, but that does not mean that it controls it.

Being Open Source, anyone can create a version of Linux. They are the so-called distributions, and there are tens, if not hundreds. Each distribution has characteristics and features that make them very different, although there are several that stand out above the rest.

Within all of these distributions there is a good handful that specializes in making good old and slow computers. They are the so-called light distros of Linux. Some of them barely consume 100 MB of RAM to function perfectly.

What influences so that the optimization of resources is greater or less? Without doubt, the benefits. If you are looking for a nice distribution, with many tools, customizable and also come with a lot of pre-installed software, this will make it heavy. However, it is not the only thing that influences.

The desktop environment of every Linux distribution also has a lot to do. There are those who consume more resources - memory RAM and GPU - to function and there are so light that make fly any PC for old that this is. That's what makes it extremely important to choose the best desktop environment for each of your distributions regardless of the version of Linux you have chosen to install.

These are the main desktop environments. There are distributions that have a version with several of them, like Ubuntu and Linux Mint.

Gnome
KDE
Unity
Cinnamon
Mate
KFCE
LXDE
Budgie
Pantheon
Aesthetic differences between the main
The first thing you notice when trying two desktop environments is the aesthetic change. Not everyone organizes the elements of the desktop in the same way, in fact, except for some similarities in their interface, they all have many differences.

Those who use panel like Windows

The first group is Linux desktop environments similar to Windows. We have called them so that it can be easily understood. They are the ones that have a panel in which they are accumulating the open programs, although this one can be up or down. This group belongs to Mate, XFCE, Cinnamon and LXDE.

All of them are complete, but not equally customizable. Cinnamon, the default desktop in Linux Mint, offers the most options. By contrast, it is also the one that consumes more resources.

Perhaps the two most complete are Mate and XFCE, the two that offer the perfect balance between speed, stability and configuration. Of the two, XFCE is the least resource consuming. Although if we want to talk about a lightweight desktop environment, the absolute champion is LXDE, which sins of few options and a certainly dated look, though it works.

LXDE is the environment you are looking for if you want to resurrect an old computer. Lubuntu is in this case the best possible distro.

Those who have a macOS style dock

The second group of Linux desktop environments is those with a dock, a tool similar to that of macOS. This can be either on the side or the bottom, and can even be interchanged with the panel that normally appears in the upper area.

Pantheon, Unity, Budgie or Gnome belong to this group. The aesthetic aspect of all of them has similarities and differences. Leaving aside Unity - which after the abandonment of Ubuntu is more than condemned - Gnome remains as the main Linux desktop environment.

Gnome and Budgie are quite similar, perhaps with more differences with respect to Pantheon, which shamelessly mimics the appearance of macOS in every way. The latter is considered the most attractive and visually spectacular of all, although Gnome is the most functional.

In all of them you can modify the icons, themes and move the dock bar to anywhere on the screen.

Which environment consumes less resources
If we sorted from greater to less resource consumption all Linux desktop environments, it would look something like this. Note that the classification may not be completely accurate, and is that the impact on RAM and CPU depends largely on the distro.

KDE
Cinnamon
Unity
Gnome
Budgie
Pantheon
Mate
XFCE
LXDE
The clamp that goes from Gnome to Pantheon could be exchanged, although the differences are so small that they are practically imperceptible.

It is clear that if you are looking for a desktop environment that works fast and you do not mind to dispense with features, the three that consume less are ideal, especially XFCE.

Not all are available in all distributions
When developing a Linux distribution, its creators have to discriminate. Having all the desktop environments officially is almost impossible, so you have to choose from several of them.

Ubuntu and Mint are the two that have a greater repertoire, and they have Mate, XFCE and KDE as alternative environments. Cinnamon is the lead in Mint and Unity - up to next year - in Ubuntu. Ubuntu also offers LXDE, Gnome and Budgie, completing the wider Linux environment catalog.

However, there are not only these two distributions. There are Debian, Manjaro or Elementary OS, the latter being the main Pantheon environment.

Of course, do not expect a distribution to offer input each and every one of the environments or that all work perfectly. As a button shows: XFCE is great in Xubuntu but consumes more in Linux Mint. Cinnamon may work fine on Mint but if you install it to Ubuntu, you may have problems.

It's a matter of seeing what you need and selecting accordingly the best Linux desktop environment for your needs.