This page is a overview of Window Managers and Linux Desktop Environments, with instruction on how to install them.
What's the difference between {Desktop, Window Manager, X11}?
The term Shell, or Linux GUI Shell, is sometimes used to refer to a core part of Desktop Environment. Not to be confused with the command line “shell” (aka terminal, console, bash), which is a older, more widely understood, term.
What's GTK? What's qt?
Almost all Linux GUI apps are written using either Gnome's libary the “GTK+” toolkit, or KDE's library the “Qt framework”. For most Linux GUI app, you have to check which lib it's from. For example, the apps in Ubuntu are mostly GTK+ based apps. If a GUI app says it's written in GTK+, that means you must have Gnome installed or you have to install the GTK+ lib.
What are the popular {Window Managers, Desktops} for Linux?
See also: Linux DeskTop Overview 2012 (X11, CDE, KDE, Gnome, Unity, Xfce, …)
How to install/switch to a different Linux desktop?
Just install it, then re-login. In the login panel, there's a menu to let you choose from installed desktops or Window Managers.
To install:
sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktopsudo apt-get install lxdesudo apt-get install xmonadsimilar for others. Do apt-cache search ‹name› to find the proper package name.
Unity and GNOME 3's UI are bleeding-edge, “simplified”, “smart”. Basically, they tried to innovate, and threw-away the classic desktop metaphor. The new UI is often more suitable to mom ＆ pop computer-illiterates, but annoying for those who know what they are doing. When Apple innovates UI, it usually works. But when Linux folks try, it's often painful.
If you prefer a classic, standard UI, then use Xfce or LXDE.
# install xfce desktop sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop
Xubuntu = Ubuntu+Xfce
See also: Linux: Xfce Keybinding ⌨
# install lxde desktop sudo apt-get install lxde
Lubuntu = Ubuntu+LXDE
LXDE beats Xfce in minimal memory consumption.
See also: Linux: LXDE ＆ Openbox Keybinding ⌨
Xfce and LXDE are light-weight, but they are still Desktops, with bundled GUI apps chosen for you. The following are bare minimum Window Managers.
WARNING: Installing/switching just a Window Manager is for heavy tinkerer. You should know what you are doing if you want to try them.
Openbox is used by LXDE. You can also install just Openbox without LXDE desktop.
# install openbox Window Manager sudo apt-get install openbox
No desktop, no taskbar, no menu, no nothing. (you are supposed to pick and add them yourself) Once installed and in Openbox, the screen is complete blank except a text terminal. Right click on the blank screen to get a context menu. Use 【Alt+Tab ↹】 to see opened apps.
When you try new Desktop or Window Manager, you probably want to delete your cache.
# remove cache and window manager related settings rm -rf ~/.cache rmdir -rf ~/.compiz/
# restart sudo shutdown -r 0
Other minimal ones, probably similar:
sudo apt-get install fluxbox fluxconfsudo apt-get install icewm iceconf icepref iceme icewm-themes