Why do all the desktops look so bad



I hate all the linux desktops someone help make my mint look better
Since linux mint is still on X by default, there is an abundance of "desktops" available.

See here for a listing of over 20 Desktop Environments to try: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Desktop_environment.

See here for a listing of over 60 window managers which can also take care of the desktop in a variety of different ways: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Window_manager

There's really no dearth of desktops in linux, and users can create their own anyway, so the sky's the limit :-) .

For the appearance of desktops, perhaps visit this thread here and browse: https://www.linux.org/threads/post-a-screenshot-of-your-desktop.124/unread
 
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...someone help make my mint look better

Try saying "please", please, you have shown elsewhere that you can use it.

We try to foster a civil environment here.

That being said, welcome to linux.org :). Given you appear to be a Gamer, you may find our Linux Gaming subforum of use, too.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizarfromoz
 
You can install KDE Plasma on Linux Mint.

But it would probably just easier for you to use Kubuntu.
though you can install KDE on any Mint DE. I recommend starting with Mint XFCE then installing KDE. you will end up with KDE 5.27 since Mint is still based on Ubuntu 24.04 and KDE 6 was not available for that release in the repositories. Not sure if there are any PPA's that provide it with KDE6. But what the article says will work. If you install it on top of Cinnamon there will be some interaction between the two DE's. But I would agree that KDE is a better DE for looks and customization.
 
@realmintglazer :-

Changes of DE, window manager, filemanager, various other possible 'tweaks', etc, is only going to take you so far, y'know?

There's no such thing as a 'gallery' of lots of attractive desktops to browse through. True customization will entail you using your imagination, and thinking up ideas for how you want your desktop to look.

THEN, with a 'vision' in mind, you have something to work towards. You can't expect folks to snap their fingers.....and all of a sudden, you're the proud possessor of a 'wicked'-looking desktop. There's a bit of effort required on your part.....because at the end of the day, your desktop is very much a reflection of you as an individual.


Mike. o_O
 
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Go and have a look and then download your own theme, tweak it and make it the way you like.




 
I hate all the linux desktops someone help make my mint look better
Well.... all I can think....

Jeans.. Flares, boot cut, straight legs, some faded, some dark, stretchy, lets get some made of leather, holes and frayed cuts in them, high waist, low waist, some yanked down showing the ass crack, baggy, tight.. never ending. Ask us how to make you look good in jeans cause they all look so bad? Someone may just say don't wear Jeans!

There's stand alone window managers, that aren't desktops, and are so light and fast. I like Fluxbox myself.

Desktops can look so completely different than default when we dive into theming them. Shadowing or opacity effects, and many options depending on DE's used. It's not easy at times to achieve exactly what we're looking for, but the options are so many. :)
 
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I hate all the linux desktops someone help make my mint look better
Reminds me of Homer SImpson during one episode: "Stupid TV. BE MORE FUNNY!"

But for what it's worth:

"r/unixporn - the home for *NIX customization!

Submit screenshots of all your *NIX desktops, themes, and nifty configurations, or submit anything else that will make ricers happy. Maybe a server running on an Amiga, or a Thinkpad signed by Bjarne Stroustrup? Show the world how pretty your computer can be!"


You can browse, search by Desktop Environment/Window Manager and so on. There's a lot of crap to wade through but a lot of gems. Happy hunting.
 
I hate all the linux desktops someone help make my mint look better
Mine looks great. So I cannot agree with your statement.
It does everything I need, and looks just fine. I use XFCE on a laptop (while I travel).
 

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It looks like Windows 95 or earlier.
That's fine if you like retro style desktop however for modern concept it's unacceptable.
Haha maybe it does. :)But seriously gets the job done for me. I don't know what I supposed to change to make it more "modern". Add crazy icon set? Transparent panels? Shift panels around? No idea. XFCE on itself is conservative already.
 
I don't know what I supposed to change to make it more "modern".
There's nothing you can do, UI needs polish to shine.

KDE which I'm using is sluggish here and there, there are bugs that won't get fixed until next release of Debian because they won't accept new version, and when new version ships it will ship with new bugs that again nobody will fix until next distro release and so on it never ends.

gnome looks the best of all desktops out there however gnome has its own problems.
other candidates are not feature rich so I don't consider them.

window managers feel like for keyboard and config freaks which I'm not.

I'm not happy with Linux desktops at all, what I'm using RN is undesired necessity, KDE sucks but it sucks the least compared to others options.
 
There's nothing you can do, UI needs polish to shine.

KDE which I'm using is sluggish here and there, there are bugs that won't get fixed until next release of Debian because they won't accept new version, and when new version ships it will ship with new bugs that again nobody will fix until next distro release and so on it never ends.

gnome looks the best of all desktops out there however gnome has its own problems.
other candidates are not feature rich so I don't consider them.

window managers feel like for keyboard and config freaks which I'm not.

I'm not happy with Linux desktops at all, what I'm using RN is undesired necessity, KDE sucks but it sucks the least compared to others options.

Yeah I know KDE. Nice and shiny, it's on my main desktop machine. I daily drove KDE on my previous laptop too. But it felt overly complicated for a laptop, so I made a switch to XFCE as I was installing system on a replacement. I am not missing anything.
Gnome is a no for me, don't like it one bit.
All other DE's are standard: a panel, start menu and open apps list.
So, maybe my desktop feels like Windows 98 but it gets the job done, and there isn't really anything that I need from Gnome or KDE here.
 
window managers feel like for keyboard and config freaks which I'm not.
That is not entirely true.........well, perhaps it is for mainstream Linux.

With Puppy and derivatives you have many choices in Window managers which are basically 'click-and-play' with great results and not a lot of time being spent.

JWM for example has a lot of of possibilities to tweak. The only limitation is ones imagination. Also the are lots and lots of themes to choose from and if you can't find something useful you can create your own with JWM Theme Maker. And if that doesn't work for you here are tonnes of themes available made by users and are available for download in the community.
Standard, retro, fancy schmancy the choice is yours.

Changing the entire desktop in a matter of minutes? There is the Icon Chooser, there is a tool to create your own GTK themes.
want to change folder appearance inside the file manager? ROX filer has your back. All it takes is getting familiar with these tools and some imagination.

And if all the above doesn't deliver, well then there is a more hands-down approach but it really isn't necessary.
 
I tried ALL the major DEs during my distro-hopping phase. I eventually came to the conclusion that I wasn't impressed by any of them.....so these days, I build my own from scratch, making use of nothing more than the JWM window manager and ROX-Filer's "pinboard" extension (for placement).

I finally have desktops I can live with!


Mike. ;)
 
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Desk tops are a personal choice. and I'm so glad we have choices if one doesn't meet your needs or doesn't suit the way you work. Then choose another. I have used KDE for a long time and guess I've just gotten use to it. I find it easier to read than some others since my eye sight isn't was it used to be 10 or 15 years ago. But that is my choice at the moment. I may go back to another DE at any moment. Have done a lot of distro hopping over the years still enjoy trying lots of distros. As I often tell newbies enjoy the journey and the choices. You won't get them with Other Distros.
 


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