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If you've been a long-time reader, you may have noticed my apparent lack of interest in typical desktop Environments – KDE, GNOME, Unity, XFCE, LXDE, etc. In reality, I used to run GNOME 2 on my workstations, but since the introduction of GNOME 3, I've been running lightweight window managers (openbox, XMonad, awesomeWM, etc) instead. The reason for this is simple – I have no interest in having to pull up an overlay and waste processing power on fancy effects in order to use my computer – and GNOME 3 generally requires more of this than any other desktop environment I've ever used. If you're in the same boat as me – generally unhappy with the desktop environments present today, then you'll be happy to know that, this month, I'm going to cover a desktop environment I am quite happy with now: Cinnamon.
What is it?
It's a fork (you can think of it as a TV show spinoff) of GNOME 3, but with the intention of acting more like GNOME 2. If you've ever used Linux Mint when it was still running GNOME 2, you should have an idea what to expect: A single panel, a menu, and a layout vaguely similar to the typical Windows experience, or most LXDE experiences.
How do I get it?
It's in the universe repository – simply running sudo apt-get install cinnamon should be all you need. I'm happy with my current desktop environment/window manager – why should I switch? I'm also quite happy with my AwesomeWM setup, and haven't switched to cinnamon myself – instead, I decided to use Cinnamon and ArchLinux for an older laptop I loaned out to a guest for his stay at my home. I do, however, use Nemo (Cinnamon's file manager) in my AwesomeWM setup. If you're supplying a Linux-based computer to someone accustomed to Windows, this may be a nice solution for you. Where's Cinnamon's Display Manager (Login Window)? Cinnamon does not supply it's own display manager (as far as I know). However, it works nicely with any of the desktop managers you might use – including lightdm in Ubuntu, or Gnome Display Manager (GDM). Simply choose the correct session when logging in.
How can I get it if I'm installing Linux?
Linux Mint are the creators of Cinnamon, and as such it's offered on their liveCD. For anyone who doesn't know, Linux Mint is based off Ubuntu. The latest release is Version 15 (codename “Olivia”), and will be supported until January 2014 (though following the 6-month release cycle, there should be a new release soon). The downloads can be found here: http://www.linuxmint.com/downlo ad.php. As you can see, there are plenty of options for desktop environments, with Cinnamon at the top of the list. If you prefer to use your own version of Linux (be it ArchLinux, Ubuntu, Debian, or anything else), you can simply install the package after installing the system.
Where can I find new themes for it?
Most theme sites should carry some Cinnamon themes, but the best listing I have found is on the Cinnamon website: http://cinnamon- spices.linuxmint.com/themes.
This presents themes from all over the internet, and look very thorough to me.
What about someone who doesn't want a desktop environment?
If you're not interested in Cinnamon or any of the other desktop environments I've mentioned, then the following may be helpful: • Do you prefer a typical “floating” layout (á la GNOME/KDE), or would you like to have all open windows on a workspace stack, so they're all visible (tiled)? • If you're going for floating: fluxbox, openbox, icewm, Compiz • If tiling sounds interesting, there are two options: dynamic (tiling is done by the system), or manual(you assign each window a size and position as you like). My preference is dynamic, but you may prefer the extra control. • Dynamic: AwesomeWM, XMonad, DWM • Manual: herbstluftwm, ion3, wmfs There are many, many more that I haven't listed, and not all of them may be available through official repositories, but it's definitely a start.
How can I try it?
You can boot the Linux Mint liveCD to try it out without touching your actual system. Or you can simply install it alongside your actual desktop environment and try it out for a while. If you don't like it, simply uninstall it again.
I hope at least a few readers have found this article interesting – and if you've found a window manager or desktop environment that works for you and I haven't listed, feel free to email me the name and a screenshot. If I see some interesting ones, I'll post an article highlighting a few. If anyone has questions, suggestions, comments, or requests for articles, feel free to email me at lswest34+fcm@gmail.com.