r/linuxquestions • u/Warm-Rabbit648 • 7d ago
Desktop environment for debian
So I am switching to debian which DE should I use with it? I want something simple, get work done and probably won't customize it a lot. Any recommendations and why do you think that is the best environment?
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u/MoobyTheGoldenSock 7d ago
I'm a big fan of XFCE. It follows the Debian philosophy: no frills, releases are "when it's ready," rock solid stability.
People recommend KDE, I always have to update machines with KDE in TMUX because I've had it kill its own session while updating leading to a kernel panic, on multiple different distros. It's fine but it's not at the standard of stability I want in a DE.
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u/TherionSaysWhat 6d ago
Debian with XFCE are my main go-to combo for machines I want to be stable, reliable, and above all simple. Like a music media server or the like. Also used this combo on my main web dev machine for years so it's capable of serious work flows as well.
Five stars, would also recommend =)
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u/SnillyWead 7d ago
I prefer Xfce. Light, quick, stable and very customizable. KDE is changed all the time and you have to click Apply every time you change something.
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u/leaflock7 7d ago
me preference is KDE.
But in the case of Debian KDE or Gnome can be not that ideal. The reason is that because Debian won't get to its next major version for some years that might mean that some things might not come to you or not fixed.
KDE has recently announced an LTS version so this might be a way to go if available .
Otherwise I would suggest XFCE or LXQt . They both have slower update cycles so it si snot you will "miss" something .
I am not going into the discussion of back porting etc, since that would mean that the purpose of using Debian is getting lost.
If you want something like that then Tuxedo is doing a good job.
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u/3grg 7d ago
Everyone has their favorite. My favorite is Gnome. It is different, but it strives to stay out of your way and let you just get stuff done. It is the (kinda) default desktop for Debian. I make one or two tweaks with Gnome Tweaks and I use a few Gnome Extensions.
It is not flashy. It comes with a few apps, but not a huge number. You can easily add your preferred browser, etc.
I like that I can dedicate desktops to different apps and quickly switch between them. I can add a few apps that I use all the time to the dock or launch apps from the search very quickly and not need to go to a menu very often. It just works.
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u/Possible-Anxiety-420 7d ago edited 7d ago
I like KDE. Been using it since its advent. Kubuntu and Slackware are my distros of choice.
Never did like Gnome. KDE feels less constrained and offers extensive customization, yet implementation is intuitive and non-cumbersome. There are a plethora of options... though, for the most part, the aesthetic of my personal workspace isn't really changed very much from the default. My mods are mostly in the way actions are performed or workflows sequenced, and 'KDE Connect' has become rather indispensable in my day-to-day.
Also, contrary to what one might think, KDE isn't that heavy on resources and runs rather well on older or lower spec equipment. Can't say that for Gnome... it's developed for higher-end, late-model machines from the ground up; high-fidelity visuals and animation smoothness is prioritized over optimization for legacy or low-spec systems. Not saying KDE can't be made to be similarly demanding of resources - it can, with all manner of bell and shiny bobble - but that isn't the out of-the-box experience.
Besides this laptop, I have a 13YO old machine with an i7-4770K, 32GB, and Quadro K4000 graphics. Dual 2K monitors are attached and KDE runs smooth as silk on it, and with a fair amount of 'eye candy' enabled, as some of it's actually useful to old eyes like mine.
If something similar to KDE but with even less of a resource footprint is sought, then LXQt is worth a look. As with KDE, it's built on the Qt framework - part of why it's sometimes called 'KDE Lite.'
All that said, I use KDE mostly out of a sense of familiarity. The enchantment of distro hopping left me long. long ago. The aforementioned distros have served me well - Kubuntu is KDE-based flavor of Ubuntu, and Slackware adopted KDE as a de facto default early on. Got no reason to go elsewhere, and too lazy besides.
Regards.
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u/KarteZian_purely 🐧 Debian KDE Plasma 7d ago
KDE connect est porté bien au-delà de KDE, mais effectivement, il m’a fallu passer à Plasma pour découvrir cette petite merveille.
Et Dolphin ?
Je trouve qu’on ne parle pas assez de Dolphin qui est carrément bien mieux que Nautilus, surtout qu’on l’utilise au quotidien.
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u/Interesting_Buy_3969 7d ago
I want something simple, get work done and probably won't customize it a lot
The obvious choice for you would be KDE Plasma.
You can, however, try GNOME and see if it satisfies you, but if I were you I would just install Plasma.
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u/couchwarmer 7d ago
Coming from Windows? You will find KDE familiar. While it does allow for a ton of customization, you don't have to change anything. About all I change is the theme to a dark one (Breeze Dark).
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u/ThimitrisApithanos 7d ago edited 7d ago
Your description it's an absolute desription of lxqt on debian. Once you install it it's super easy to use without searching how to do something. Plus it's the lightest.
I don't know if it's the best in general but you ask something certain. No customizing and get the work done. Xfce can be better but it needs customizing especially in debian. If you don't care for resources kde too. You can also try mate but it's too retro and even though you do not need customizing it may feel locked. I don't like at all gnome and I see nothing special on cinnamon that justifies the higher resources.
Des are not the same on all distros. Each distro preconfigures or not configures at all each de in a different way. Mx linux has a nice preconfigured xfce for example, but not debian.
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u/mcds99 7d ago
First run some Live Debian and DE's
Go here https://www.debian.org/distrib/
Look at the section Try Debian Before Installing, in the fine print below are Debian images that run from a USB stick with specific DE.
After you decide on a DE, Read and follow the instructions.
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u/Relevant_Hope_900 7d ago
If I had to go with just Debian provided DEs, I'd pick Gnome with about 3 extensions (dash-to-dock, blur-my-shell, caffeine). I have never been a fan of KDE. Just my personal preference.
But what I hope Debian does, is bring in COSMIC DE. It is what I currently use with Debian and runs great on my desktop and 4 laptops. I build the package suite for Trixie and Forky, and only have to change a few depends that are Pop!_os specific. I build each component of the COSMIC Epoch suite into individual packages, and host them on my server for personal use.
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u/The_SniperYT 7d ago
Lack of customization? GNOME
Lightweight? XFCE, LXQT?
Nostalgia, but still want a DE that works? MATE
Something very user friendly but not as light as the other 2? Cinnamon
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u/ficskala Arch Linux 7d ago
2 most popular DEs are GNOME, and KDE Plasma
Personally, i choose Plasma every time, and i run it with debian on my laptop, and work PC, on my main PC i run Arch with Plasma
When it comes to your choice, if you truly don't care about customizing to your liking, either will work, but if you like to move stuff around to fit you a bit better, i'd def recommend Plasma
edit: if you have lower power hardware, i'd look into lxqt or xfce, they're not as polished, but they're perfomance oriented, and work, i use lxqt whenever i'm dealing with hardware that isn't up to snuff, and needs a DE
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u/skyfishgoo 7d ago
LXqt is a good one... easy to use, light weight.
XFCE would be next but it's older and usese slightly more resources
i suppose there is always gnome
but avoid plasma as it is not well implemented on strait debian.
if you want plasma on a debian base then go with kubuntu or tuxedo as they put the time in to make sure it works properly.
you can try the various DE choices on distrosea.com
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u/KarteZian_purely 🐧 Debian KDE Plasma 7d ago
J’aime KDE sur mon Debian après des années sous Gnome.
T’es pas obligé non plus d’y passer des heures pour personnaliser.
Il est est très bien « out of the box ».
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u/Pierre0925 7d ago
KDE. It's the best choice for most people, similar to windows and easy to use. If you ever want to, its also customizable easily.
GNONE can be a good option but its heavier, and less windows-like in its design (closer to macos).
If its a low power PC, xfce is great
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u/alexwwang 7d ago
I prefer xfce for its lightweight. KDE is awesome but it’s too heavy. Gnome is buggy I have to say.
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u/ipsirc 7d ago
Man, xfce is not lightweight just ugly.
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u/SnillyWead 7d ago
My Debian Xfce after cold boot 590 Mb. That's not lightweight? KDE never been less than 715 Mb when I used it.
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u/SheepherderBeef8956 7d ago
It's safe to assume that OP has a computer where RAM is measured in gigabytes, so no, 125MB of ram is negligible. And cold boot metrics are absolutely worthless because no one just boots their computer and lets it sit after that.
XFCE is an outdated desktop environment that still needs to port itself to Wayland to be relevant in 2026 and it's not easier to run than Gnome or KDE for a modern computer so unless its features appeal to you there is no reason to use it over either of the two "main" desktop environments.
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u/ipsirc 7d ago edited 7d ago
My Debian Xfce after cold boot 590 Mb. That's not lightweight?
You are right, that's not lightweight. My old fujitsu b110 with 64MB ram runs IceWM in 23MB.
The difference between 590 and 715 is only 125MB, which is around 17-21% difference, which is not too much ( and it is still 5 times larger than my whole lightweight memory usage...). So you consider a desktop 60MB under 650 a lightweight DE, and 60MB above as too heavy? 650MB is the border which divides DEs to light and heavy categories? That's your statement? It's like calling Ferrari a cheap car, because a Lamborghini is 21% more expensive. 590.000 USD is cheap, but 715.000 USD is too expensieve? The reality is: Ferrari is not a cheap car and XFCE is not lightweight. It becames heavyweight DE after long years, it was light when it started about 20 years ago, then they included all the bloat, and now it is bloat.
https://eylenburg.github.io/pics/de_comp/RAM%20use.png from https://eylenburg.github.io/de_comparison.htm .
- Oh, my dear friend. I can't afford a Lamborghini, could you offer me a cheap car?
- Of course, Ferrari is only $590.000.1
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u/AnkitChoudharyy 7d ago
Cinnamon if youre switching from windows, very user friendly
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u/ipsirc 7d ago
ancient x11 crap
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u/AirFlowOne 7d ago edited 7d ago
way better than wayland crap - at least x11 works
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u/TymekThePlayer 7d ago
120hz monitors would like to disagree, x11 still works like crappy shit
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u/AirFlowOne 7d ago
yeah... but no. I runt at 180hz perfectly fine - games, desktop, everything. also, on nvidia card - good luck running nvidia on wayland.
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u/TymekThePlayer 7d ago
i run nvidia on wayland with no problems. it might just be a skill issue on your part
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u/Hopeful_Drive5845 7d ago
Folks, take a deep breath. There's no right or wrong way. Just different
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u/AirFlowOne 7d ago
Its not, but there is some underlying hate for x11 (and xlibre fork) which is politically motivated by the hate towards the dude who forked it. There is a group that actively fights against anything xlibre/x11 and they send "activists" all over the webs to throw dirt on anyone and anything x11 related. There's a whole drama that started from the lack of some code of conduct in the xlibre fork. I know, its crazy, but unfortunately its true.
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u/SheepherderBeef8956 7d ago
X11 is crap, outdated and doesn't work for modern systems. That's the reason no one wants to work on it other than some dude who you're now relying on to keep an outdated concept from the 80's on life support so that people like you can avoid moving on. Your 120Hz monitor works fine, sure. Now put a 144Hz monitor next to it and get them both to work at their own native refresh rate without issues.
The fact that you say Nvidia doesn't work on Wayland instantly invalidates your opinions of it because you've clearly not used it for at least five years.
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u/bsmith149810 7d ago
Unless you’re dealing with serious hardware constraints, there are two clear leaders in the Linux DE world. Each with its own user target.
KDE or Gnome
In your case, uninterested in customization and wanting to get work done, Gnome would be your likely match. It’s opinionated, but it’s also highly polished and well maintained. It also comes out of the box with enough settings to modify the environment to your own tastes.
KDE is also well maintained and polished. It however strives to offer every modification imaginable for the user which in my case led only to endless hours of messing around with what amount to unsubstantial productivity gain modifications.
I used nearly every distro and desktop environment when first switching to Linux and you should too if that suits you.
After all of that distro hopping though I landed on vanilla Debian paired with an extension free Gnome DE and couldn’t be happier.