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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways
- There's a Linux desktop situation for everyone.
- Windows users will consciousness correct astatine location pinch respective DEs.
- All of these desktop environments are free.
Have you recovered yourself itching to locomotion distant from Windows and make your measurement to a much reliable, secure, and elastic environment?
If so, Linux is what you want.
However, if you're 1 who doesn't precisely bask change, you mightiness beryllium concerned astir learning thing wholly different. That's understandable, fixed really galore desktop environments are disposable for Linux, and really galore of them are truthful radically different than what astir are accustomed to.
Also: Ready to ditch Windows? 'End of 10' makes converting your PC to Linux easier than ever
That's OK, because location are immoderate Linux desktop environments that really do travel nan aforesaid creation strategy arsenic Windows. So, if you for illustration nan measurement nan age-old metaphor of panel, commencement menu, strategy tray, and clickable icons works, past 1 of these Linux desktop environments will suit you well.
Choose immoderate 1 of these options, and migrating from Windows to Linux will beryllium a no-brainer.
1. KDE Plasma
I spot KDE Plasma astatine nan apical of this database because it's 1 of nan champion Linux desktops available. Not only does it lucifer nan Windows desktop retired of nan box, but it's highly configurable. KDE Plasma offers everything you are utilized to successful a desktop. Panel. Check. Start menu. Check. System tray. Check. Clickable icons. Check.
Everything is there, laid retired successful nan accustomed fashion.
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There is 1 awesome difference. Thanks to nan magnitude of customizations successful KDE Plasma, you tin commencement pinch nan default look and consciousness and, arsenic you study more, you tin alteration it to immoderate you want. If you for illustration nan sheet connected nan side, person astatine it. Want to adhd much panels? Go for it. KDE Plasma is 1 of nan much configurable desktops connected nan market.
It's besides really beautiful and performs amended than what you're utilized to.
And did I mention it will punctual you of nan Windows UI… only prettier.
You tin find KDE Plasma arsenic nan default desktop situation for distributions specified arsenic KDE Neon, Kubuntu, openSUSE, and Fedora KDE.
A reconfigured sheet and a recently downloaded taxable was each it took to execute this look.
2. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is nan default desktop situation of Linux Mint, truthful you cognize it's not only popular, it's easy to usage and well-designed.
Like KDE Plasma, Cinnamon includes each of nan bits and pieces you're accustomed to (panel, commencement menu, strategy tray, clickable icons). In fact, Cinnamon was intentionally designed to lucifer communal desktops, and it has succeeded brilliantly. Not only is nan look of nan desktop akin to that of Windows, but moreover its model guidance (moving, closing, minimizing, maximizing, etc) is arsenic similar.
All of it comes together to lucifer Windows.
One area wherever Cinnamon differentiates itself from Windows is successful customization. Unlike KDE Plasma, Cinnamon doesn't connection tons of customization, which intends Windows users will consciousness moreover much astatine home. Those constraints aren't meant to dictate really nan desktop is utilized but to support it intact and moving smoothly.
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You're not going to break Cinnamon by getting funny successful nan Settings app. Other similarities see record management, exertion launching, and keyboard shortcuts.
If you're looking for a desktop that will make you consciousness correct astatine location aft leaving Windows, Cinnamon is what you want.
Distributions that vessel pinch Cinnamon see Linux Mint, Ubuntu Cinnamon, and Fedora Cinnamon.
3. MATE
MATE is pronounced Maté (as successful nan drink) and is yet different desktop that should make Windows users consciousness correct astatine home. Although MATE does somewhat lucifer Cinnamon, nan biggest quality lies successful nan summation of a apical bar.
In truth, nan MATE desktop was created aft GNOME went nan measurement of GNOME Shell (aka GNOME 3). There was a immense uproar pinch a bully information of GNOME fans who didn't admit specified a melodramatic change. Soon aft nan migration to GNOME Shell, MATE was brought to life arsenic a continuation of GNOME 2.
MATE does see each of nan features you for illustration successful Windows: panel, commencement menu, clickable icons, and strategy tray. The summation of a apical barroom gives it an almost Windows/MacOS hybrid feel, and it useful well.
MATE besides happens to beryllium a desktop that is very ray connected assets usage. If you person an older machine moving Windows 10 (that's not eligible for Windows 11), immoderate distribution pinch MATE would beryllium a bully action (especially if you for illustration nan thought of having a apical bar).
Distributions that vessel pinch MATE see MATE arsenic an action see Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, Linux Mint, Mageia, Manjaro, openSUSE, Ubuntu MATE, Void Linux, and more.
4. Budgie
Budgie is simply a beautiful desktop situation that looks and feels for illustration Windows retired of nan box. You'll find each nan familiarity you need, on pinch nan expertise to highly customize nan desktop. Every clip I usage Budgie, nan first point I do is move nan sheet into dock mode, simply because I for illustration nan look and consciousness of a dock complete a panel.
For those who would alternatively instrumentality pinch a panel, you're bully to go.
Budgie besides includes nan features you're accustomed to: panel, commencement menu, strategy tray, and clickable icons.
Also: 7 astir Windows-like Linux distros - if you're fresh to ditch Microsoft
One quality you'll find is successful nan notifications. Unlike Windows, wherever notifications travel astatine you from nan Action Center (next to nan clock), Budgie has what it calls Raven, which acts arsenic a slide-out sheet (right broadside of nan desktop) that includes notifications, calendar, media controller, and different widgets you tin add.
Budgie besides happens to beryllium much elastic than Windows, successful that you tin adhd arsenic galore panels arsenic you for illustration and alteration each panel. For example, you could person a sheet astatine nan bottommost and a dock connected either side.
Budgie ships arsenic nan default desktop for Ubuntu Budgie and is besides disposable arsenic an action pinch Fedora, Arch, Manjaro, Debian, and more.
You'd beryllium hard-pressed to find a prettier Linux desktop.
5. Xfce
I hesitantly adhd Xfce to this list. The logic I adhd it is because, retired of nan box, Xfce resembles Windows pinch each nan accustomed bells & whistles.
The logic why I hesitate is that I wouldn't precisely telephone Xfce 1 of nan much user-friendly desktop environments. Xfce is astir apt nan astir customizable desktop situation connected nan market. You tin make this babe do anything. In fact, there's very small you can't alteration successful Xfce.
Also: 5 ways to make nan Xfce desktop much enjoyable to use
The problem pinch it being truthful highly customizable is that a personification without an knowing of what things do could upwind up breaking nan desktop. So, moreover though by default Xfce looks and feels for illustration nan Windows desktop, it mightiness beryllium a spot excessively overmuch for those conscionable now learning nan measurement of Linux.
Xfce ships arsenic nan default desktop for Xubuntu, MX Linux, and is offered arsenic an action for nan likes of Manjaro, Debian, and Fedora.
The Xfce desktop pinch conscionable a mates of tweaks to make it look very familiar.
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