Install Desktop Environments

Overview

There are several desktop environments and window managers available for Manjaro, each with their own unique style, interface, and features. Furthermore, it is possible to install multiple environments if desired, which can be selected at the login screen at any time. Users are not restricted to whatever comes pre-installed with a particular flavour of Manjaro.

Desktop Environments

It is worth noting that a desktop environment (DE) is not a single entity; it is actually a collection of different components that work together. This commonly includes a:

• window manager to display, move and resize application windows
• file manager to visually browse, copy and access files, etc.
• background provider to display wallpapers, etc.
• panel to provide a menu and to display information such as the time
• settings/configuration manager to change the look of the environment

And so on. Most desktop environments will also come with their own preferred applications, in addition to various widgets, addons, and extensions to provide extra features. As such, upon entering the commands provided below in your terminal to download and install a desktop environment, you may be prompted to choose from a selection of components provided for it. To install a full desktop environment - complete with its own preferred file manager, applications, and so on

Where additional (and optional) extras for a desktop environment are available, the terminal commands to obtain these have also been provided.

Some important information about installing the Manjaro settings packages:

• The Manjaro settings packages contain the theming and settings to make the desktop the same as in the Manjaro ISOs
• They have the naming convention manjaro-<desktop>-settings i.e. manjaro-xfce-settings
• They share files so you can only have one at a time installed.
• If you are coming from gnome you must remove the meta package manjaro-gnome-assets before you can install the settings package for another desktop

Issues With of Using Multiple DEs

Installing multiple DEs is not without issues. Here are some things that can pop-up when running more than one DE:

• The settings packages overlap so you can only have one DE pre-configured with the Manjaro theming. The others will need to have the theming applied manually.
• You can end up with more than one instance of similar applications. For example, it is common to end up with 2 Bluetooth managers. It takes some tweaking to get a single manager working in multiple DEs.
• Sometimes two different DEs will share the same configuration files causing strange things to happen, especially with theming.

These issues are greatly reduced by using a different user account for each DE. The command for adding a standard user and setting a password

Example - create a new user named marci and set password

user $ sudo userad -mU marci && sudo passwd marci COPY TO CLIPBOARD

In summary, running multiple DEs is possible and a great way to enjoy Manjaro but it requires a willingness to troubleshoot and work through minor problems. If you are the type of person who wants everything to "just work" out of the box, running multiple DEs might not be for you.

Screenshots

The screenshots are for illustrative purposes. It will require additional (undocumented) work to achieve similar result for your system.

Xfce

Xfce or XFCE, pronounced as four individual letters, is a lightweight and versatile desktop environment that utilises a classic drop-down/pop-up menu to access applications. It is also compatible with Compiz. A little time and effort will also be required to properly customise the desktop to suit personal taste. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running Xfce uses about 390MB of memory. As of version 18, Manjaro has moved to the gtk3 version of Xfce.

Install a basic Xfce environment

user $ sudo pacman -S xfce4 xfce4-goodies xfce4-terminal network-manager-applet xfce4-notifyd xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin tumbler engrampa COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use LightDM, the recommended display manager for Xfce

user $ sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter lightdm-gtk-greeter-settings COPY TO CLIPBOARD

user $ sudo systemctl enable lightdm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf, under [Seat:*] replace the greeter-session setting with greeter-session=lightdm-gtk-greeter

Optional: Install the Manjaro configuration and theming for Xfce

user $ sudo pacman -S manjaro-xfce-settings manjaro-settings-manager COPY TO CLIPBOARD

To configure LightDM to match the official iso replace the contents of /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf with

[greeter]

background = /usr/share/backgrounds/illyria-default-lockscreen.jpg
font-name = Cantarell Bold 12
xft-antialias = true
icon-theme-name = Papirus
screensaver-timeout = 60
theme-name = Matcha-azul
cursor-theme-name = xcursor-breeze
show-clock = false
default-user-image = #avatar-default
xft-hintstyle = hintfull
position = 50%,center 50%,center
clock-format =
panel-position = bottom
indicators = ~host;~spacer;~clock;~spacer;~language;~session;~a11y;~power

KDE Plasma 6

The KDE community offers Plasma, a feature-rich and versatile desktop environment that provides several different styles of menu to access applications. An excellent built-in interface to easily access and install new themes, widgets, etc, from the internet is also worth mentioning. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running KDE uses about 455MB of memory.

Warning

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The various components for Plasma which is available using the internet, should be used with care. Theming on Plasma is not just a bunch of icons and colors - it is based on QML, the Qt model language which is specific for the used version of Qt.

Install a basic KDE Plasma environment

user $ sudo pacman -S plasma kio-extras COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install KDE applications

To install a full set of K* applications use kde-applications-meta. This will be ~300 packages(including dependencies)

user $ sudo pacman -S kde-applications-meta COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use SDDM, the recommended display manager for KDE

SDDM is installed as a dependency of plasma. To enable it execute below command and restart the system

user $ systemctl enable sddm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install the Manjaro configuration and theming for plasma

user $ sudo pacman -S manjaro-kde-settings sddm-breath-theme manjaro-settings-manager COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Open plasma settings, go to Startup & Shutdown->Login Screen and select "Breath"

Alternatively, the newer themes may be installed with:

user $ sudo pacman -S plasma-themes-breath COPY TO CLIPBOARD

GNOME

GNOME is an intuitive desktop environment that utilises a tablet or smartphone style interface to access applications. It is not compatible with compiz. Although GNOME is very easy to learn and use, it has limited customisation options and it can be difficult to configure. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running GNOME uses about 447MB of memory.

Install a basic GNOME environment

user $ sudo pacman -S gnome COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: To install extra themes, games, and features

user $ sudo pacman -S gnome-extra COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use GDM, the recommended display manager for GNOME

GDM is installed as a dependency of GNOME. To enable it:

user $ systemctl enable gdm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install the Manjaro configuration and theming for GNOME

user $ sudo pacman -S manjaro-gnome-settings manjaro-settings-manager COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a desktop environment based on GNOME 3 that utilises a large panel-style menu to access applications. It is not compatible with compiz. Despite being based on GNOME, it has more customisation options and therefore is easier to configure. Windows Vista or 7 users may find Cinnamon's interface comfortably familiar. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running Cinnamon uses about 665MB of memory.

Install a basic Cinnamon environment

user $ sudo pacman -S cinnamon COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install additional commonly used components

user $ sudo pacman -S cinnamon-wallpapers cinnamon-sounds gnome-terminal parcellite COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use LightDM, the recommended display manager for cinnamon

user $ sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-slick-greeter lightdm-settings COPY TO CLIPBOARD

user $ systemctl enable lightdm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Then edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf, under [Seat:*] replace the greeter-session setting with greeter-session=lightdm-slick-greeter

Optional: Install the Manjaro configuration and theming for Cinnamon

user $ sudo pacman -S manjaro-cinnamon-settings adapta-maia-theme kvantum-manjaro COPY TO CLIPBOARD

To configure LightDM to match the community edition replace the contents of /etc/lightdm/slick-greeter.conf with

[Greeter]
background=/usr/share/backgrounds/greeter_default.jpg
background-color=#263138
draw-grid=false
theme-name=Adapta-Nokto-Eta-Maia
icon-theme-name=Papirus-Dark-Maia
font-name='Cantarell 11'
xft-antialias=true
xft-hintstyle=hintfull
enable-hidpi=auto

Set the Manjaro logo on the panel by right-clicking on the menu and clicking configure. Select "Use a custom icon and label". Select the Manjaro icon.

Budgie

Note

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There is not currently a Manjaro settings package for Budgie

The Budgie Desktop is a modern desktop designed to keep out the way of the user. It features heavy integration with the GNOME stack in order for an enhanced experience. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running Budgie uses about 632MB of memory.

Install a basic Budgie environment

user $ sudo pacman -S budgie-desktop network-manager-applet gnome-control-center gnome-screensaver COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install additional commonly used components

user $ sudo pacman -S gnome-terminal nautilus budgie-extras dconf-editor COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use LightDM, the recommended display manager for budgie

user $ sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-slick-greeter lightdm-settings COPY TO CLIPBOARD

user $ systemctl enable lightdm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf, under [Seat:*] replace the greeter-session setting with greeter-session=lightdm-slick-greeter

To configure LightDM to match the official iso replace the contents of /etc/lightdm/slick-greeter.conf with

[Greeter]
background=/usr/share/backgrounds/manjaro-budgie/manjaro-budgie.jpg
theme-name=Matcha-sea
icon-theme-name=Papirus-Maia
draw-grid=false

Cosmic

Note

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There is not currently a Manjaro settings package for Cosmic

The Cosmic Desktop COSMIC is a free and open-source desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. Originally a modified version of GNOME made for Pop! OS, it was later rebuilt from scratch as a standalone desktop environment using the Iced toolkit -- More info Wikipedia.

Install the Cosmic environment

user $ sudo pacman -S cosmic COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Enable the cosmic greeter

user $ sudo systemctl enable cosmic-greeter --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Deepin

Note

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There is not currently a Manjaro settings package for Deepin

The Deepin Desktop is an elegant, easy to use desktop. It is lightly configurable. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running Deepin uses about 525MB of memory.

Install a basic deepin environment

user $ sudo pacman -S deepin COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install the Deepin applications suite

user $ sudo pacman -S deepin-extra COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use LightDM, the recommended display manager for deepin

user $ sudo pacman -S lightdm COPY TO CLIPBOARD

user $ systemctl enable lightdm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Then edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf, under [Seat:*] replace the greeter-session setting with greeter-session=lightdm-deepin-greeter

Enlightenment

Note

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There is not currently a Manjaro settings package for Enlightenment

Enlightenment, sometimes known simply as E, is a lightweight desktop environment known for its configurability and tools for creating beautiful user interfaces using its Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL). E started in 1997 as a stacking window manager, emerging as a desktop environment since development release version 0.17. E does not come with a broad array of tools by default, which can be an advantage for experienced users who want to customize their installation, and a disadvantage for users with little or no experience of Linux. E uses a few unique terms, for example referring to panels as “shelves”. A 64-bit installation of E uses about 160M of memory.

Install a basic E environment

user $ sudo pacman -S enlightenment terminology COPY TO CLIPBOARD

LXDE

Note

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There is not currently a Manjaro settings package for LXDE

LXDE is a super-lightweight desktop environment that is very similar to XFCE, with the exception that it is not compatible with Compiz. As with XFCE, LXDE is also a somewhat basic desktop environment, lacking some modern features that would be expected, such as a search-bar to find applications and files. However, due to comparatively low resource requirements, it is also an excellent choice for less powerful computers.

Install a basic LXDE environment

user $ sudo pacman -S lxde network-manager-applet COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use LightDM, the recommended display manager for lxde

user $ sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter lightdm-gtk-greeter-settings COPY TO CLIPBOARD

user $ systemctl enable lightdm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Note

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Installing LXDE will also result in installing Openbox as its default window manager. The LXDM display manager will also be downloaded, although it will be necessary to enable this yourself if you wish to replace your existing display manager.

To configure LightDM to match the community edition replace the contents of /etc/lightdm/lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf with

[greeter]
background = /usr/share/backgrounds/lxde-breath.png
font-name = Cantarell 12
xft-antialias = true
icon-theme-name = Arc-Maia
screensaver-timeout = 60
theme-name = Adapta-Eta-Maia
cursor-theme-name = xcursor-breeze
show-clock = false
default-user-image = #avatar-default
xft-hintstyle = hintfull
position = 50%,center 50%,center
clock-format = 
panel-position = bottom

LXQt

Note

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There is not currently a Manjaro settings package for LXQt

The LXQt Desktop Environment LXQt is a lightweight Qt desktop environment. It was formed from the merger of the LXDE and Razor-qt projects. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running lxqt uses about 250MB of memory.

Install a basic LXQt environment

user $ sudo pacman -S lxqt xscreensaver COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use LightDM, the recommended display manager for LXQt

user $ sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-slick-greeter lightdm-settings light-locker COPY TO CLIPBOARD

user $ systemctl enable lightdm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf, under [Seat:*] replace the greeter-session setting with greeter-session=lightdm-slick-greeter

MATE

Note

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There is not currently a Manjaro settings package for Mate

MATE is a desktop environment and the continuation of GNOME 2. Featuring an intuitive and attractive desktop environment while preserving a traditional desktop experience, its aim is to maintain and continue the latest GNOME 2 code base, frameworks, and core applications. A 64 bit installation of Manjaro running MATE uses about 378MB of memory.

Install a basic MATE environment

user $ sudo pacman -S mate network-manager-applet COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install MATE applications and configuration tools

user $ sudo pacman -S mate-extra dconf-editor COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Optional: Install and use LightDM, the recommended display manager for MATE

user $ sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-slick-greeter lightdm-settings COPY TO CLIPBOARD

user $ systemctl enable lightdm.service --force COPY TO CLIPBOARD

edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf, under [Seat:*] replace the greeter-session setting with greeter-session=lightdm-slick-greeter

To configure LightDM to match the community edition replace the contents of /etc/lightdm/slick-greeter.conf with

[Greeter]
background=/usr/share/backgrounds/manjaro-mate/manjaro-mate.jpg
theme-name=Adapta-Nokto-Maia
icon-theme-name=Arc-Maia
draw-grid=false

Create a new user for the new desktop environment

sudo useradd -mU <username>
sudo passwd <username>

Window Managers

Note

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By nature, building your own desktop environment from a Window Manager will take substantially more time and effort than simply downloading a pre-defined desktop environment.

Warning

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The images provided below are purely for illustrative purposes only. You will have you put in the necessary time and effort to configure them.

Although desktop environments commonly provide a good range of customisation options to suit personal taste and preference, they may still be seen as somewhat restrictive or controlled in the sense that they merely allow for the personalisation of their pre-defined components. However, certain Window Managers (WM) empower users to take a 'do it yourself' approach in order to create their own desktop environments. In essence, they may be used as a foundation on which to build upon, as literally every component and every aspect of the desktop is under the direct control and choice of the user. An environment may be as elaborate or as minimalistic as desired, and it is even possible to mix and match various components from other desktop environments.

Therefore extremely powerful and versatile, these window managers also carry the additional benefit of being faster and more resource efficient than pre-defined desktop environments. Interestingly, the super-lightweight LXDE environment is itself built on the Openbox window manager. There are two types of Window Manager: Stacking and Tiling. These names denote how application windows will behave on your desktop.

Stacking Window Managers

Stacking window managers are by far the most popular, and essentially allow application windows to be moved freely around the screen, which may overlap - or 'stack' - upon one another, hence the name. All popular desktop environments such as Xfce, KDE Plasma and GNOME use stacking window Managers.

Openbox

Openbox is by far the most popular Window Manager available. Due to its popularity there is excellent documentation available, as well as a good choice of additional themes that may be downloaded. To install Openbox, enter the command:

user $ sudo pacman -S openbox obconf lxappearance-obconf COPY TO CLIPBOARD

FluxBox

FluxBox is another popular Window Manager. It is particularly notable for providing some features not seen in Openbox, such as tabbing, which allows for windows to be grouped together. To install FluxBox, enter the command:

user $ sudo pacman -S fluxbox COPY TO CLIPBOARD

IceWM

IceWM is a Window Manager notable for perhaps being closer to a full desktop environment than Openbox or FluxBox. This includes providing a panel complete with menu, in addition to a workspace switcher. To install IceWM, enter the command:

user $ sudo pacman -S icewm COPY TO CLIPBOARD

Tiling Window Managers

Tiling window managers - as the name would suggest - tile application windows; each will have their own place on the screen, just like conventional tiles do not overlap. However, unlike conventional tiling, these window managers are usually very flexible, and allow for a multitude of different tiling patterns to suit personal taste and preference. Where stacking window managers focus on using the mouse for navigation, tiling window managers focus on the utilisation of the keyboard instead. As such, they can be much faster to use.

Awesome

Awesome is a popular tiling Window Manager, notable for using the Lua language for configuration. To install Awesome, enter the command:

user $ sudo pacman -S awesome vicious COPY TO CLIPBOARD

i3

i3 is arguably the most popular tiling window manager available, and notable for using a single, completely self-contained configuration file. To install i3, enter the command:

user $ sudo pacman -S i3-wm i3lock i3status COPY TO CLIPBOARD