Multiple desktops vs. multiple distros

Jeffrey Lapinski

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Hello,
I’m a relative newbie to Linux (acquainted but not totally comfortable) and I ran into an issue installing Manjaro to a new laptop. Im not so much a distro hopper and I am a DE hopper. I really like KDE but I want to use budgie and possibly a few others. I am able to install and run LM 19 cinnamon and Kubuntu on my new laptop (but seemingly nothing else).

My question is; how feasible is it to just install multiple DEs on LM and be able to choose a different DE on log in?

I’ve heard multiple options from it’s fine to no way!
 


You may experience some problems
Warning: having KDE and Gnome together means you'll have cluttered application menus full of KDE applications and Gnome applications. You may also run into some other cosmetic problems (the KDE QT look taking over some of your Gnome themes, a hidden file on your desktop that keeps appearing in Gnome after you've just logged out of KDE).
Source - http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/gnome
 
In my experience with Budgie, and this was on a desktop, Budgie worked but was problematic and seem to have icon menu problems as some things just didn't work.

Manjaro is a good Linux Distro but not a good choice for a new Linux user as it doesn't always install and run OOTB and being Arch base is a whole different way of doing simple tasks to fix it when it breaks and it will.

I've tried to get into Kubuntu / KDE and just never could like it as there is just to much unnecessary and not needed ways to adjust things and for me that isn't good. I like simple.

My advice is for a new Linux user Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon is an excellent choice as a lot of forum help is available and it seems to work very well OOTB.

I recommend installing and using Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon as it is and once you become more comfortable and learn a little bit about Linux then you can start to rearrange and change desktop environments etc.

This is a good resource however make certain to fully understand any tweaks before applying them as some are very useful although some aren't necessary.

https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/
 
Out of curiosity, what would happen if you installed another DE on Mint then removed the cinnamon DE?

Short answer is you will likely brick your install, because of inter-related dependencies no longer linked and satisfied. Make sure you have a Timeshift snapshot first, and then try it :)

A few weeks ago, I made some comments here, which may be of help to you

https://www.linux.org/threads/newbi...o-upgrade-to-the-new-ubuntu.19006/#post-57298

At one stage 2 years ago or more (and things may have changed since), I had one LM install which was originally, say MATE, and added to it Cinnamon, Xfce and KDE. Eventually, it fell over, as did other combinations. I found in the end that if I started with KDE (no longer shipping, since Tara) and built from there, it was OK. However, with the different DEs, I could not get a Text Editor that belonged to that DE, only Kate, which is KDE.

So IMO it is a way of testing "try before you buy", and seeing if you like the Look and Feel of a DE, but not a long term solution. And if you remove one of the newer DEs, the removal may not be complete and there may be lingering after effects. That is where Timeshift can cover your arse.

Cheers

Wizard
 
In my experience with Budgie, and this was on a desktop, Budgie worked but was problematic and seem to have icon menu problems as some things just didn't work.

Manjaro is a good Linux Distro but not a good choice for a new Linux user as it doesn't always install and run OOTB and being Arch base is a whole different way of doing simple tasks to fix it when it breaks and it will.

I've tried to get into Kubuntu / KDE and just never could like it as there is just to much unnecessary and not needed ways to adjust things and for me that isn't good. I like simple.

My advice is for a new Linux user Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon is an excellent choice as a lot of forum help is available and it seems to work very well OOTB.

I recommend installing and using Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon as it is and once you become more comfortable and learn a little bit about Linux then you can start to rearrange and change desktop environments etc.

This is a good resource however make certain to fully understand any tweaks before applying them as some are very useful although some aren't necessary.

https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/
Thanks @poorguy I’ve actually successfully installed and used both Manjaro and Antergos on a few other laptops, but I agree, when I first started using Linux I’d never have been able to make an Arch based system work. This issue I’m having now is all related to a new laptop I purchased. Due to (I think) the NVIDA graphics card I have not been able to successfully install anything but LM 19 Cinnamon. I am working on (through multiple message boards) trying to get the issue worked out. I will likely just keep using LM 19 for the time being (it isn’t my favorite DE) but I have working well at this point.
 
Short answer is you will likely brick your install, because of inter-related dependencies no longer linked and satisfied. Make sure you have a Timeshift snapshot first, and then try it :)

A few weeks ago, I made some comments here, which may be of help to you

https://www.linux.org/threads/newbi...o-upgrade-to-the-new-ubuntu.19006/#post-57298

At one stage 2 years ago or more (and things may have changed since), I had one LM install which was originally, say MATE, and added to it Cinnamon, Xfce and KDE. Eventually, it fell over, as did other combinations. I found in the end that if I started with KDE (no longer shipping, since Tara) and built from there, it was OK. However, with the different DEs, I could not get a Text Editor that belonged to that DE, only Kate, which is KDE.

So IMO it is a way of testing "try before you buy", and seeing if you like the Look and Feel of a DE, but not a long term solution. And if you remove one of the newer DEs, the removal may not be complete and there may be lingering after effects. That is where Timeshift can cover your arse.

Cheers

Wizard
Thanks this link was helpful. I could always load LM 18.3 KDE, other than timeshift I’m not sure there is a whole lot different in 19 (other than the revamp of Cinnamon). I don’t know if 18.3 supports NVIDIA as well as 19 does.
 

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