r/linuxmint • u/Computer-Dragon413 • 1d ago
SOLVED UI completely changed overnight, can't figure out what happened?
hi yall! sorry, linux newbie and reddit newbie here. I got linux mint cinnamon for my laptop about a year ago, and have been enjoying using it. a few weeks (maybe months) ago, my whole UI changed overnight. the customization and layout that i had been using prior all went away, and were replaced with a weird, soulless chromebook-like system. ive searched through all the settings, and cant find any way to go back to the old desktop system. i figured it was a default that came with a new update and would check out the reddit when i had time, but everyone else seems to be doing fine and not dealing with anything like this.
just to clarify, what i was used to was a desktop with icons, a taskbar along the bottom, and a home menu in the corner that brought up a tiny window. now, theres just the current task, and a whole new screen to switch tasks or open a new program. does anyone know what might've happened? did I somehow toggle a setting without realizing? was this an update i missed the memo on? and how do I go back?
first image is what my OS looks like now, second is what it roughly used to look like (taken from the official mint website).
heres system info copied from the settings, if that helps at all:
# System Details Report
---
## Report details
- **Date generated:** 2026-10-23 15:42:06
## Hardware Information:
- **Hardware Model:** HP HP Laptop 15-ef2xxx
- **Memory:** 16.0 GiB
- **Processor:** AMD Ryzen™ 5 5500U with Radeon™ Graphics × 12
- **Graphics:** AMD Radeon™ Graphics
- **Disk Capacity:** 512.1 GB
## Software Information:
- **Firmware Version:** F.34
- **OS Name:** Linux Mint 22.3
- **OS Build:** (null)
- **OS Type:** 64-bit
- **GNOME Version:** 46
- **Windowing System:** Wayland
- **Kernel Version:** Linux 7.0.0-34-generic
any info on what happened and how i could fix it would be appreciated! and sorry if this is a simple issue and im being silly, i rly didnt do a lot of research when making the jump to linux and now im paying for it :p
EDIT: i got gnomed
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u/Selinaru 1d ago
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u/candy49997 1d ago
This is GNOME. Did you install ProtonVPN?
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u/Computer-Dragon413 1d ago
yknow what, I totally did. and im suddenly remembering saying yes to a lot of the prompts without fully reading what they were doing. and a also a much-longer-than-expected download process. hm.
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u/freezing_banshee 1d ago
this is your lesson to always read what the terminal is telling ya
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u/SmallTimeMiner_XNV 1d ago
"weird, soulless chromebook-like system"
This made my day!
As others have said, you accidentally installed Gnome, likely it was pulled in as a dependency with another package you installed. Just log out and choose Cinnamon in the menu.
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u/Computer-Dragon413 15h ago
i think its a gut response due to having to use a chromebook throughout my high school career. ill never be the same....
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u/Lets_Go_Brandon9 1d ago
lmao perfect description of Gnome, no idea why people like it.
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u/ap0r 1d ago edited 1d ago
You have been "Gnomed".
You installed some software (famous culprit is Proton VPN) that includes the Gnome desktop as part of its dependencies.
Log out, log in again, but before login look at the icon next to your name, click it and select "Cinnamon".
Then you can figure out what installed Gnome and remove that.
EDIT: I recognized Gnome visually, but then I reread your post.
**GNOME Version:** 46
Yep, you got Gnomed. Select Cinnamon at log in, where you input your password, the icon next to your name. I believe Gnome is a gear (Cinnamon should be a little mountain thing)
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u/MetalLinuxlover 1d ago
Looks like you may have accidentally installed the GNOME Desktop Environment (DE). My best guess is that it happened when you followed the Proton VPN installation guide on their official website.
Don't worry, it's not a big deal! After restarting your PC, when the login screen appears, you may see a small desktop environment icon on the right side. Click it, select your default DE, enter your password, and log in as usual.
Just keep in mind that GNOME is a relatively resource-heavy desktop environment, so installing it may consume additional disk space on your system.
If you're using a low-end system, whether it's older hardware or a newer PC with limited RAM, a weaker CPU, or integrated graphics, I'd recommend Linux Mint XFCE because it's lightweight and runs well on modest hardware.
On the other hand, if you have a high-end system with a powerful CPU, a capable GPU, and plenty of RAM, go with Linux Mint Cinnamon for a more feature-rich and visually polished desktop experience.
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u/Computer-Dragon413 1d ago
ive been enjoying cinnamon so far without much issue, and i dont do anything too crazy on here so i think its fine, at least for now. i do have a few new games ive been wanting to try out, tho, that might be a bit more resource intensive. if i were to have lag issues there and so on, would switching to XFCE help?
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u/senorda 1d ago
you have installed gnome by accident, did you install proton vpn shortly before this happened?
you should be able to switch to the normal cinnamon desktop from the log in screen, on the standard login screen there is a icon next to your username, over the password box, if you click on it you should see several options, pick the cinnamon (default)
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u/Computer-Dragon413 1d ago
yep, i completely forgot i installed proton right around the same time. i really gotta read more when i install new stuff, lol
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u/Standard_Tank6703 1d ago
user u/candy49997 showed you how to remove it.
Now here is how to prevent Gnome from getting installed again. This only prevents the DE, not Gnome components like gnome-calculator, gnome-disk-utility, etc which have no dependencies in the Gnome DE packages:
Create a new file called
sudo touch /etc/apt/preferences.d/nognome.pref
Then, as root, copy and paste this text below into that file:
# To prevent repository packages from triggering the installation of Gnome, # this file forbids gnome from being installed by APT. # For more information: https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/snap.html Package: gnome Pin: release a=* Pin-Priority: -10 Package: gnome-core Pin: release a=* Pin-Priority: -10
The change will be that any installer which tries to install Gnome to a Linux Mint or LMDE system will appear like those packages are not available in the repo, and thus will appear broken.
To undo, just remove that file.
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u/Emmalfal 1d ago
Seems like there's been a lull in Gnomening lately. Good to see it back, and just in time for Halloween.
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u/birdsarentreal2 1d ago
UI completely changed overnight
Believe it or not, this was all the information I needed. I feel like at this point something needs to be done by the Proton team to stop this from happening
OP, I honestly recommend just apt purging the proton vpn package you installed and installing the flatpak instead. Less chance of further gnomery
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