Most customizable desktop environment?
from TheTwelveYearOld@lemmy.world to linux@lemmy.ml on 20 Feb 19:37
https://lemmy.world/post/25844438

What makes Linux appealing to me is the extent of customizability, but I didn’t find many answers when looking up with desktop environment is them most customizable. Some say KDE is most customizable than say, Gnome, but doesn’t Gnome support CSS customization while KDE doesn’t?

#linux

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just_another_person@lemmy.world on 20 Feb 19:38 next collapse

They’re all exactly as customizable as you are willing to alter them.

superkret@feddit.org on 20 Feb 19:39 collapse

Some make it easier, though.

just_another_person@lemmy.world on 20 Feb 19:42 collapse

Subjective. If you’re talking about functionality, then GNOME wins. If you’re talking about UI, then KDE might have the upper hand.

If you want to fundamentally change the way something operates, then it’s neither of those.

Whooping_Seal@sh.itjust.works on 20 Feb 19:45 collapse

If you don’t mind me asking, what makes gnome more adaptable in terms of functionality than KDE?

gaylord_fartmaster@lemmy.world on 20 Feb 19:53 next collapse

Gnome is very functional, it’s just meant to function one very specific way.

MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml on 21 Feb 13:58 collapse

And please don’t theme it.

[deleted] on 20 Feb 23:43 collapse

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superkret@feddit.org on 20 Feb 19:44 next collapse

KDE has the most options out of the box. You can make it look like Gnome, or act like a tiling window manager, or like Windows 7, 10 or 11, just with the options it contains from the start.
Gnome comes with almost no options. If you add extensions, or know enough to make your own, the sky is the limit. But I wouldn’t call that “customizable”, you can write your own themes for Plasma, too.
Xfce is another one that’s very flexible. But it’s very hard to get it to look and feel modern, it will always be an old school desktop, no matter what theming and added docks you throw at it.

[deleted] on 21 Feb 00:38 next collapse

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N0x0n@lemmy.ml on 21 Feb 02:40 next collapse

EndeavourOS’s default XFCE theme looks very modern to me ! I mean sure it looks more like old school windows era, but that doesn’t bother me at all. I like simplicity and customizability.

What’s cool about XFCE, its only about config files to customize your whole DE.

MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml on 21 Feb 13:55 collapse

Uhm, XFCE literally looks like Android with a sidebar on my touchscreen-notebook.

KindaABigDyl@programming.dev on 20 Feb 21:14 next collapse

KDE fs

Or roll your own via a compositor and various tools a la Hyprland

Uebercomplicated@lemmy.ml on 20 Feb 23:06 collapse

Yeah, I second this. You may want to look in to DEs/WMs like DWM ©, Xmonad (Haskell), and AwesomeWM (lua) that let you customize them through programming.

irotsoma@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 21 Feb 00:38 next collapse

KDE if you want to just configure stuff. Gnome if you want to code or manually style stuff.

warmaster@lemmy.world on 21 Feb 12:13 next collapse

This. Or a window manager to code the whole thing.

oldfart@lemm.ee on 21 Feb 12:39 next collapse

Doesn’t gnome change their APIs all the time between minor versions, so themes and plugins have to be constantly rewritten?

irotsoma@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 22 Feb 06:18 collapse

Yes, that too. I should have said want to code stuff…and continue to maintain it…

tankplanker@lemmy.world on 21 Feb 14:31 collapse

I used to use gnome and I am heavily into customization. I gave up using gnome as they would constantly change things often for no real reason that whimsy, breaking previously working scripts, extensions and so on so I stopped using it. Its fine if you want to customize the basics like wall paper but I really wouldn’t bother for in-depth customization. Not because it isn’t possible, but because maintenance of it is a PITA.

nycki@lemmy.world on 21 Feb 00:59 next collapse

Probably Emacs. /j

timroerstroem@feddit.dk on 21 Feb 06:18 collapse

Great operating system, that. Shame it lacks a text editor.

Drito@sh.itjust.works on 21 Feb 01:05 next collapse

I customised Xfce a lot, only with menu settings. I removed the window tabs from the status bar, the focused window title is written on the status bar. The window manager was removed for bspwm. The result is an optimized screen space while keeping the convenience of a DE.

merde@sh.itjust.works on 21 Feb 01:32 next collapse

xfce indeed.

MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml on 21 Feb 13:52 collapse

Btw, every.single.one of those one-icon plugins, like battery-indicator or pulseaudio-plugin, should at least have a icon-size chooser in their settings. Always needs debugger and some custom CSS.

icogniito@lemmy.zip on 21 Feb 04:15 next collapse

If infinite customization is what you’re after you shouldn’t use a DE. A WM like i3 och hyprland is much better suited for that

a14o@feddit.org on 21 Feb 12:21 next collapse

Agreed, but use sway instead of i3 for Wayland support.

tankplanker@lemmy.world on 21 Feb 14:32 collapse

Yeah roll your own everything even greeter is the way forward if you want to customise.

lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network on 21 Feb 05:22 next collapse

I would say XFCE and Cinnamon; no two XFCE’s look alike and Cinnamon can easily be molded into something very different as well.

I see a lot of people recommending KDE and Gnome; I’ve found those surprisingly rigid, although there are more guides on how to “rice” KDE into the most non-KDE things so there’s that.

MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml on 21 Feb 13:47 collapse

No desktop environment. Get a compositor, a runner/menu/app-grid, maybe a panel or dock, set some shortcuts, done desktop environment. It’s how most of wayland outside KDE/Gnome currently works.