If you’re a new Linux user you’re probably wondering if you can install a different Desktop for Linux. With the standard install of Ubuntu you get Gnome but you may want to give a few others a try such as XFCE or KDE.

Desktop Environments in Linux are basically the GUI components of Linux. You’re not installing a different operating system, just a different graphical application to manage your Linux computer. Please keep in mind that Desktop Environments are different from Windows Managers. Desktop Environments are like a complete software suite where Window Managers are just one component of a suite. e.g. Open Office Writer vs. Open Office.

One more thing to note is to remember that you are not overwriting your existing Desktop Environment, you’re just installing another one. Lets get started with installing a new Desktop Environment. For this example we’ll be installing XFCE.

Start by opening up the Synaptic Package Manager. Usually under your System Preferences menu. Search for xfce and mark them for installation. While you’re at it, install the xfce4-googies package too. After you mark packages for installation you simply click the Apply button in your package manager.

After installation all we have to do is log out of our system and log back in under the xfce session. Basically you select the desktop environment or window manager from the sessions menu at login.

Now when you login you’ll login with that session. You may be asked if you want to make the session your default session. If you choose to make this your default desktop you can always select another session to change back to your default.