Install Desktop Environments

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Contents
 1 Overview
 2 Desktop Environments
o 2.1 XFCE

o 2.2 KDE4

o 2.3 KDE Plasma 5

o 2.4 Gnome 3

o 2.5 Cinnamon

o 2.6 LXQt

o 2.7 Razor-QT

o 2.8 LXDE

o 2.9 Enlightenment

 3 Window Managers
o 3.1 Stacking Window Managers

 3.1.1 Openbox
 3.1.2 FluxBox
 3.1.3 IceWM
o 3.2 Tiling Window Managers

 3.2.1 Awesome
 3.2.2 i3
 4 See Also

Overview
There are several Desktop Environments and Window Managers available for Manjaro, each
with their own unique style, interface, and features. Furthermore, it is possible to install multiple
environments if desired, which can be selected at the login screen at any time. Users are not
restricted to whatever comes pre-installed with a particular flavour of Manjaro.

Desktop Environments
It is worth noting that a desktop environment is not a single entity; it is actually a collection of
different components that work together. This commonly includes a:

 window manager to display, move and resize application windows

 file manager to visually browse, copy and access files, etc.
 background provider to display wallpapers, etc.
 panel to provide a menu and to display information such as the time
 settings/configuration manager to change the look of the environment

And so on. Most desktop environments will also come with their own preferred applications, in
addition to various widgets, addons, and extensions to provide extra features. As such, upon
entering the commands provided below in your terminal to download and install a desktop
environment, you may be prompted to choose from a selection of components provided for it. To
install a full desktop environment - complete with its own preferred file manager, applications,
and so on - simply press <enter> when prompted. Everything will be downloaded and installed
by default.

note: If you install this way to use multiple desktop environments, you may find certain
applications seem to appear several times in your application menus. For example, several
different terminals may be available, as many desktop environments come with their own
preferred version, which can also be used in other desktops.

Where additional (and optional) extras for a desktop environment are availble, the terminal
commands to obtain these have also been provided. These commands have been listed seperately
to those for obtaining the desktop environments themselves.

XFCE
XFCE is a lightweight and versatile desktop environment that utilises a classic drop-down or
pop-up menu to access applications. It is also compatible with Compiz. Although highly
configurable, XFCE does provide a somewhat basic interface that may lack some modern
features expected (such as, no built-in search bar in the menu). A little time and effort will also
be required to properly customise the desktop to suit personal taste. A 64 bit installation of
Manjaro running XFCE uses about 200MB of memory. To install XFCE, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S xfce4

To install extra themes, desktop backgrounds, and panel items (widgets), enter the command:

sudo pacman -S xfce4-goodies

KDE4
note: Upon installing, you will be asked to pick a gstreamer version (phonon or vlc). Gstreamer
is a multimedia framework used to handle multimedia applications (i.e. audio and video
playback and editing). If you are not sure which one you should choose, pick vlc.
KDE is a feature-rich and versatile desktop environment that provides several different styles of
menu to access applications. It is also compatible with Compiz. An excellent built-in interface to
easily access and install new themes, widgets, etc, from the internet is also worth mentioning.
While very user-friendly and certainly flashy, KDE is also quite resource heavy and noticeably
slower to start and use than a desktop environment such as XFCE. A 64 bit installation of
Manjaro running KDE uses about 550MB of memory. To install KDE, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S kde kdeplasma-applets-plasma-nm

If you want to install the old networkmanagement applet, enter the command:

yaourt -S kdeplasma-applets-networkmanagement

KDE Plasma 5
The KDE community offers Plasma, a feature-rich and versatile desktop environment that
provides several different styles of menu to access applications. Its default window manager is
kwin, but is also compatible with Compiz. An excellent built-in interface to easily access and
install new themes, widgets, etc, from the internet is also worth mentioning. A 64 bit installation
of Manjaro running KDE uses about 550MB of memory. To install KDE Plasma 5, enter the
command:

sudo pacman -S plasma-meta kde-applications-meta manjaro-kde-settings manjaro-

settings-manager-knotifier manjaro-settings-manager-kcm

The recommended Display/Login Manager for KDE Plasma 5 is SDDM.

sudo pacman -S sddm sddm-kcm systemd-kcm

sudo systemctl enable sddm.service
reboot

Gnome 3
Gnome 3 is an intuitive desktop environment that utilises a tablet or smartphone style interface
to access applications. It is not compatible with compiz. Although Gnome is very easy to learn
and use, its customisation options are quite limited, and it can be difficult to configure. A 64 bit
installation of Manjaro running Gnome uses about 220MB of memory. To install Gnome, enter
the command:

sudo pacman -S gnome

To install extra themes, games, and features, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S gnome-extra

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a desktop environment based on Gnome 3 that utilises a large panel-style menu to
access applications. It is not compatible with compiz. Despite being based on Gnome, it has
more customisation options and is easier to configure. Users of Windows Vista or Windows 7
may find Cinnamon's interface comfortably familiar. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running
Cinnamon uses about 350MB of memory. To install Cinnamon, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S cinnamon

If you are installing Cinnamon alone on the NET Edition, then it is essential to install a terminal
as well, as one will not be provided with Cinnamon by default. The command to install the
Gnome terminal is:

sudo pacman -S gnome-terminal

LXQt
LXQt is the Qt5 port and the upcoming version of LXDE, the Lightweight Desktop
Environment. It is the product of the merge between the LXDE-Qt and the Razor-qt projects: A
lightweight, modular, blazing-fast and user-friendly desktop environment. Use this command to
install it:

sudo pacman -S lxqt

Additionally, some essential packages (window manager, terminal, and icon pack) are required
in order to get a basic Desktop Environment:

sudo pacman -S openbox qterminal oxygen-icons

LXQt does not install a Display/Login Manager for you. The recommended Display/Login
Manager for LXQt is SDDM.

Intermediate to advanced users can follow (parts of) this guide to a Minimal LXQt installation.

Razor-QT
note: You will need to manually edit Razor-QT's configuration file ~/.config/razor/session.conf
to set the window manager.
Razor-QT is a lightweight desktop environment still under development. It has no window
manager of its own, although it can be configured to use Compiz as such (not using the Fusion-
Icon, however). It is designed with lower-end computers in mind. At its current stage of
development, Razor-QT may not be suitable for all users. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro
running Razor-QT uses about 300MB of memory. To install Razor-QT, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S razor-qt

To install the recommended Window Manager, use USB devices, and shutdown/reboot from
Razor-QT, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S openbox upower udisks

LXDE
note: Installing LXDE will also result in installing Openbox as its default window manager. The
LXDM display manager will also be downloaded, although it will be necessary to enable this
yourself if you wish to replace your existing display manager.
LXDE is a super-lightweight desktop environment that is very similar to XFCE, with the
exception that it is not compatible with Compiz. As with XFCE, LXDE is also a somewhat basic
desktop environment, lacking some modern features that would be expected, such as a search-bar
to find applications and files. However, it is also an excellent choice for less powerful computers,
as a 64 bit installation of Manjaro running LXDE uses only about 150MB of memory. To install
LXDE, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S lxde

Enlightenment

Enlightenment, sometimes known simply as E, is a lightweight desktop environment known for

its configurability and tools for creating beautiful user interfaces using its Enlightenment
Foundation Libraries (EFL). E started in 1997 as a stacking windows manager, emerging as a
desktop environment with development release 0.17 (DR 0.17, more popularly known as E17).
As of E18 compositing has been incorporated by default and development has focused on
readying E for the Wayland display server protocol (available, but not considered completely
stable, in E20). E does not come with a broad array of tools by default, which can be an
advantage for experienced users who want to customize their installation, and a disadvantage for
users with little or no experience of Linux. E uses a few unique terms, for example referring to
panels as “shelves”. A 64-bit installation of E uses about 160M of memory. Use this command
to install it:

sudo pacman -S enlightenment

To install a selection of Manjaro themes for E, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S enlightenment-manjaro-themes

Enlightenment does not install a Display/Login Manager (DM) for you. However, you can install
the EFL-based Entrance DM from the AUR. If you have yaourt installed, this command will
install Entrance:

yaourt -S entrance-git

Window Managers
note: By nature, building your own desktop environment from a Window Manager will take
substantially more time and effort than simply downloading a pre-defined desktop environment.
Warning: The images provided below are purely for illustrative purposes only. You will have
you put in the necessary time and effort to configure them.

Although Desktop Environments commonly provide a good range of customisation options to

suit personal taste and preference, they may still be seen as somewhat restrictive or controlled in
the sense that they merely allow for the personalisation of their pre-defined components.
However, certain Window Managers empower users to take a 'do it yourself' approach in order to
create their own desktop environments. In essence, they may be used as a foundation on which to
build upon, as literally every component and every aspect of the desktop is under the direct
control and choice of the user. An environment may be as elaborate or as minimalistic as desired,
and it is even possible to mix and match various components from other desktop environments.

Therefore extremely powerful and versatile, these window managers also carry the additional
benefit of being faster and more resource efficient than pre-defined desktop environments.
Interestingly, the super-lightweight LXDE environment is itself built on the Openbox window
manager. There are two types of Window Manager: Stacking and Tiling. These names denote
how application windows will behave on your desktop.

Stacking Window Managers

Stacking window managers are by far the most popular, and essentially allow application
windows to be moved freely around the screen, which may overlap - or 'stack' - upon one
another, hence the name. All popular desktop environments (e.g. XFCE, KDE, Gnome, etc.) use
stacking window Managers.

Openbox

Openbox is by far the most popular Window Manager available. Due to its popularity there is
excellent documentation available, as well as a good choice of additional themes that may be
downloaded. To install Openbox, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S openbox

To install a logout script, configuration application, menu-editor, and extra themes specifically
for Openbox, enter the following command:

sudo pacman -S oblogout obconf obmenu openbox-themes

FluxBox

FluxBox is another popular Window Manager. It is particularly notable for providing some
features not seen in Openbox, such as tabbing, which allows for windows to be grouped together.
To install FluxBox, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S fluxbox

To install the newsfetcher and workspace pager specifically for fluxbox, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S fbnews fluxter

IceWM
IceWM is a Window Manager notable for perhaps being closer to a full desktop environment
than Openbox or FluxBox. This includes providing a panel complete with menu, in addition to a
workspace switcher. To install IceWM, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S icewm

To install a suite of tools and themes specifically for IceWM, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S icewm-utils icewm-themes

Tiling Window Managers

Tiling window managers - as the name would suggest - tile application windows; each will
have their own place on the screen, just like conventional tiles do not overlap. However, unlike
conventional tiling, these window managers are usually very flexible, and allow for a multitude
of different tiling patterns to suit personal taste and preference. Where stacking window
managers focus on using the mouse for navigation, tiling window managers focus on the
utilisation of the keyboard instead. As such, they can be much faster to use.

Awesome
Awesome is a popular tiling Window Manager, notable for using the Lua lagnuage for
configuration. To install Awesome, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S awesome

To install some extra widgets for Awesome, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S vicious

i3
i3 is arguably the most popular tiling window manager available, and notable for using a single,
completely self-contained configuration file. To install i3, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S i3-wm

To install a status bar and screen-locker for i3, enter the command:

sudo pacman -S i3lock i3status

See Also
 Install the MATE Desktop Environment

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You can also download default Fedora and then follow the instructions under #Installing KDE
Plasma Workspaces.

Installing KDE Plasma Workspaces

You will have the option of installing KDE Plasma Workspaces during the Fedora installation
process.

You can also install KDE Plasma Workspaces packages after installation using the command line
or the package manager of your choice.

To install KDE Plasma Workspaces using the command line with yum or dnf, execute the
following as root:

yum|dnf install @kde-desktop

Using KDE Plasma Desktop

During the default login process, you can use the "Session" menu to choose a KDE login instead
of a GNOME login. You will be asked if you wish to make KDE Plasma Desktop your default
desktop.
You can make KDE Plasma Desktop the system-wide default desktop. This is not necessary in
order to use KDE Plasma Desktop, and may affect other users on the system. There are several
ways to make KDE Plasma Desktop the default desktop - GUI and command line tools and
manually editing system configuration file.

The default display manager on Fedora is GDM - The GNOME Display Manager. You can
switch this to KDM - The KDE Display Manager. This has little impact on the end-user
experience, and isn't necessary in order to use KDE Plasma Workspaces and KDE Applications.

Graphical interface

Use your favourite package management tool (yum, dnf, kpackagekit) to install sudo yum|dnf
install switchdesk-gui, run the switchdesk command and select KDE.

To make KDM the default display manager, use your favourite package management tool (yum,
dnf, kpackagekit) to install system-switch-displaymanager-gnome, run the system-switch-
displaymanager command and select KDM.

Command line

Use your favourite package management tool (yum, dnf, kpackagekit) to install sudo yum|dnf
install switchdesk and run the switchdesk kde command.

To make KDM the default display manager, use your favourite package management tool (yum,
dnf, kpackagekit) to install sudo yum|dnf install system-switch-displaymanager and run
the system-switch-displaymanager kdm command.

Manual way

Add the following line to /etc/sysconfig/desktop:

DESKTOP="KDE"

If this file already contains a DESKTOP entry, you must replace that entry.

To make KDM the default display manager, add the following line to
/etc/sysconfig/desktop:

DISPLAYMANAGER="KDE"

If this file already contains a DISPLAYMANAGER entry, you must replace that entry.

Communicate
Fedora KDE users and developers are available in #fedora-kde irc channel in freenode for real-
time conversations. We also have a Fedora KDE mailing list at

https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/kde

Fedora's KDE SIG

The KDE SIG (Special Interest Group) is a group of Fedora contributors that maintain popular
KDE packages, take care of KDE-related documentation, artwork and other KDE specific tasks.

See Also
 LiveUpdates talks problems in updating KDE
 KDE/NFS
 KDE/Debugging