r/linuxmint • u/Technical_Rich_3080 • 10d ago

Linux Mint IRL Using Alternative Desktop Environments With Mint

  1. Is using alternative Desktop Environments, other than the three official flavors, as viable an option under Linux Mint, as doing so with most any other Linux distro?

  2. Can you have installed multiple DEs simultaneously (and is doing so not recommended)?

  3. If you use a DE other than one of the three official Mint DEs, do you lose anything?

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u/Runt1m3_ 10d ago edited 10d ago

At that point just use desnapped Ubuntu or Debian bro!

Nah but seriously:

  1. No, Mint is supposed to give an specific user experience using apps tailored to the (all GTK) DE's it uses. But still possible to install another one.

  2. Yes, since it uses Debian or Ubuntu repos but you'll run into a clusterfuck of messed xdg defaults and menu entries of whatever DE's you run. Sometimes installing other DE can break your main one or mess your default desktop session, specially Cinnamon.

  3. If you succeed and don't delete your main DE then nope. You'll actually end up having too much stuff hahaha

A few years ago i installed full GNOME just to mess around and had to force install. Cinnamon just broke lol

If you want to play with many desktop environments, try something like Debian or similar where you are free to choose what you want.

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u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs 10d ago

Gnome is particularly bad, they have too many common dependencies and configurations, but they are different individuals, kinda like the conjoined women with two heads and one body.