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Thread: Too Many Desktop Environments?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2012
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    38

    Too Many Desktop Environments?

    Hello Forum,
    My question is, "Can you have too many desktops?"
    I have installed Ubuntu 12.04 (Unity) and I am running
    two more: Cinnamon (Gnome Classic?) and Mate. I've been curious
    to try XFCE and a few others, but I was worried that
    too many desktops would compromise my system.
    I am running 8MB on a 120GB SSD in a laptop.
    Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
    Last edited by Bucky Ball; February 25th, 2013 at 01:24 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    The Left Coast of the USA
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    Distro
    Kubuntu

    Re: Too Many Desktops?

    The only problems you would have are a bit of extra disk space used for applications and dependencies as well as a few extra applications showing up in launchers.

    When you select a DE, you are running only that one, so you are not using memory or processor time to run the others.

    If space is at a premium, there are ways to remove some DE's (Psychocat's tutorials) but even as good as the methods are you take some risk of borking.
    Please read The Forum Rules and The Forum Posting Guidelines

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  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Beans
    38

    Re: Too Many Desktops?

    Thanks for the quick tip QIII.
    I gave my specs in my first posting and I don't have anything stored
    on my HD, I have it all on Ubuntu One. So you're saying it is ok to
    install more desktops? I would really like having more to chose from.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Somewhere...
    Beans
    1,554
    Distro
    Ubuntu 14.10 Utopic Unicorn

    Re: Too Many Desktops?

    Yes. You can install as much as your hard drive allows. In fact, most people here probably has 4+ DEs and WMs installed.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Land of fire and drought
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    Xubuntu

    Re: Too Many Desktops?

    Go for it. You are only using one at a time. When you've settled on what works best for you, you might think of reinstalling a customised system with your favourite desktop environment. Basically what I did but it took a few years to get there!

    Play around and enjoy the exploration.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Beans
    38

    Re: Too Many Desktops?

    THANKS everyone, my gut feeling told me it was ok, but I asked one
    person online and he told me that a person can have too many and it
    might wreck the system. I thought I installed Cinnamon, but it isn't
    showing up. That's one I want to try as well as a few others. I saw
    a thread on site here about installing desktops and will follow it.
    You all have been a great help. I'm excited now.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
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    Mystletainn Kick!
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    13,596
    Distro
    Ubuntu

    Re: Too Many Desktops?

    The problem with too many desktops, for Ubuntu at least, besides disk space, is lightdm can only show you so many before they drop off the screen.
    The easy solution is to switch display managers and use gdm:
    Code:
    sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm
    and choose gdm. From then on you'll boot into the gdm login screen. Though you will lose the wallpaper per user session nifty display.
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  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Beans
    38

    Re: Too Many Desktops?

    Ohh, glad I checked back here D.Flower.
    THAT might explain why I cannot see Cinnamon desktop
    that I know I installed, and even used. I thought it
    'fell off'. I'm going to look into gdm ( never heard of
    it till now) and if I have to, I will pay the price
    of wallpaper. Great tip!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Land of fire and drought
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    Hidden!
    Distro
    Xubuntu

    Re: Too Many Desktops?

    I think there's a bit of confusion here because of the title of the thread. You actually mean too many desktop environments rather than desktops. I'll change the title to reflect this.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Beans
    301
    Distro
    Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy

    Re: Too Many Desktop Environments?

    I find more convenient using a virtual machine to try different desktops or distros.

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