How to install XFCE and/or Mate Desktop?

[xipho2]

I would like to try above mentioned DE. Can I select between Unity and those DE? How to revert to Unity and removing the rest?
Thanks for suggestions!

[westie457]

It is very easy to install the DE's you mentioned. Once installed you can choose between them at the Logon screen.

Removing them however is/can be a time-consuming process involving manual removal of no longer needed dependency packages.

It is usually quicker to reinstall the system of your choice rather than uninstall a DE. Speaking from experience of making a mistake and had to reinstall again.

[xipho2]

Good to know-the OS sits on a flashdrive, probation period, as it were. Installation simply via Ubuntu Software? I did not search for a how-to-do. Something you would recommend? I partitioned the stick as follows: home (/), swap area, unallocated space. How could I keep my data, when reinstalling the OS? People asserted this possibility....

[ajgreeny]

Can I check that you do not have Ubuntu installed yet to a hard drive, which is what I believe you are saying?

If so it is not possible to add xfce or Mate to your current live system, but you will need to either use one of the several multiboot USB systems in order to add more than one bootable system to the USB, or possibly easier, use another USB flash drive with the Xubuntu or Ubuntu-mate iso on it as a bootable drive.