Graphical User Interfaces in Ubuntu: A Complete Guide to Desktop Environments

Whether you're a seasoned Linux administrator or just getting started with Ubuntu, understanding the available graphical user interfaces (GUIs) can dramatically improve your productivity and overall experience. Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux distributions in the world — and a significant reason for that popularity is its robust support for multiple desktop environments, each tailored to different workflows, hardware capabilities, and personal preferences.

If you're running Ubuntu on a VPS Hosting plan, having the flexibility to choose and configure your preferred GUI gives you full control over your server environment — from lightweight setups for resource-constrained machines to feature-rich desktops for power users.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll cover every major desktop environment available on Ubuntu, how to install and customize each one, and how to switch between them seamlessly.

What Is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) in Ubuntu?

A graphical user interface is a visual layer that sits on top of the Linux operating system, allowing users to interact with the system through windows, icons, menus, and pointers — rather than purely through the command line. In Ubuntu, GUIs are implemented as desktop environments, which bundle together a window manager, file manager, system settings panel, and a suite of default applications.

Ubuntu officially supports several desktop environments, and the community maintains many more. Each one has a distinct philosophy: some prioritize aesthetics and features, others focus on speed and minimal resource usage.

1. GNOME — Ubuntu's Default Desktop Environment

Overview

GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) is the default desktop environment shipped with standard Ubuntu installations. It is modern, clean, and designed around a workflow that minimizes distractions and keeps the focus on your tasks.

GNOME follows a "less is more" philosophy — the interface is intentionally minimal out of the box, but it is highly extensible through a powerful extensions ecosystem.

Key Features of GNOME

• Activities Overview: Press the Super key (Windows key) to enter the Activities Overview, which displays all open windows, virtual workspaces, and a universal search bar. This makes multitasking and application switching fast and intuitive.
• Dash (App Launcher): A left-side dock containing your pinned and currently open applications for one-click access.
• GNOME Extensions: One of GNOME's most powerful features. Extensions allow you to add functionality such as system monitoring widgets, clipboard managers, window tiling tools, and much more. Browse and install extensions directly from extensions.gnome.org.
• Integrated Search: The Activities search bar can find applications, files, contacts, and even perform calculations — all without opening a file manager.
• Wayland Support: GNOME on Ubuntu runs on the Wayland display protocol by default, offering improved security and performance over the legacy X11 system.

How to Customize GNOME with GNOME Tweaks

GNOME's default settings panel is intentionally simplified. For deeper customization, install GNOME Tweaks:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

Once installed, open GNOME Tweaks from the application menu. You'll be able to:

• Change themes: Switch between GTK themes to alter the look of windows, buttons, and menus.
• Change icon packs: Apply custom icon sets for a fresh visual style.
• Manage fonts: Adjust system-wide font rendering and sizes.
• Configure extensions: Enable, disable, and configure installed GNOME extensions.
• Tweak window behavior: Modify title bar buttons, window focus behavior, and more.

Installing GNOME Extensions Manager

For a more streamlined extension management experience, install the Extensions Manager app:

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager

2. KDE Plasma — The Feature-Rich Powerhouse

Overview

KDE Plasma is arguably the most feature-complete and visually customizable desktop environment available for Linux. If you want a desktop that looks stunning and gives you granular control over every visual and behavioral aspect of your environment, KDE Plasma is the gold standard.

KDE Plasma is also surprisingly efficient — despite its rich feature set, it has been significantly optimized over the years and performs well even on moderately powered hardware.

Key Features of KDE Plasma

• Unmatched Customization: Every element of the desktop — panels, widgets (called "Plasmoids"), window decorations, themes, colors, and cursors — can be customized independently.
• KDE Widgets: Add interactive widgets directly to your desktop or panel, including clocks, weather applets, system monitors, and sticky notes.
• KWin Window Manager: KDE's window manager supports advanced features like window tiling, virtual desktops, and stunning desktop effects (blur, transparency, animations).
• KDE Applications Suite: KDE ships with a comprehensive suite of native applications including Dolphin (file manager), Konsole (terminal), Kate (text editor), and Gwenview (image viewer) — all tightly integrated with the desktop.
• System Settings: A centralized, well-organized settings panel that gives you access to virtually every system and desktop configuration option.
• Activities: KDE's "Activities" feature lets you create completely separate desktop environments within a single session — each with its own wallpaper, widgets, and open applications.

Installing KDE Plasma on Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop

During installation, you'll be prompted to choose a display manager (login screen). Select SDDM for the best KDE experience, or keep GDM3 if you plan to switch between GNOME and KDE frequently.

3. Xfce — Lightweight, Fast, and Reliable

Overview

Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment that has been a favorite among Linux users for decades. It is designed to be fast and low on system resources while remaining visually complete and fully functional. Xfce is an excellent choice for older hardware, virtual machines, or any situation where you want a responsive desktop without sacrificing usability.

Key Features of Xfce

• Minimal Resource Usage: Xfce uses significantly less RAM and CPU than GNOME or KDE Plasma, making it ideal for servers, VMs, and older machines.
• Customizable Panel: Xfce's panel system is highly flexible — you can add multiple panels, position them anywhere on the screen, and populate them with a wide variety of plugins (application launchers, system tray, clock, workspace switcher, etc.).
• Thunar File Manager: Xfce's default file manager is fast, clean, and supports custom actions — allowing you to add right-click menu entries for common tasks.
• Stability: Xfce is known for being rock-solid and predictable. It doesn't change drastically between versions, which is a major advantage for production environments.
• Compositing: Despite its lightweight nature, Xfce includes a built-in compositor for window transparency and shadows.

Installing Xfce on Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install xubuntu-desktop

This installs the full Xubuntu desktop experience, including the Xfce desktop environment and the Xubuntu application suite.

4. LXQt — Ultra-Lightweight and Modern

Overview

LXQt is the Qt-based successor to the LXDE desktop environment. It is designed to be the most lightweight full-featured desktop environment available, making it the top choice for very low-specification hardware or highly resource-constrained environments such as containers and minimal VPS instances.

Despite its minimalist approach, LXQt is a complete, modern desktop environment — not a bare-bones window manager. It includes a file manager, terminal emulator, text editor, and all the standard components you'd expect.

Key Features of LXQt

• Extremely Low Resource Footprint: LXQt can run comfortably with as little as 512 MB of RAM, making it exceptional for minimal server environments.
• Qt-Based: Built on the Qt framework (the same toolkit used by KDE), LXQt has a clean, modern appearance that integrates well with KDE applications.
• Modular Design: LXQt's components (panel, file manager, session manager, etc.) are largely independent and can be replaced or omitted as needed.
• PCManFM-Qt File Manager: A fast, lightweight file manager with tabbed browsing and network filesystem support.
• Openbox Window Manager: LXQt uses Openbox as its default window manager, which is highly configurable and extremely efficient.

Installing LXQt on Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install lubuntu-desktop

This installs the full Lubuntu desktop experience, which is built on LXQt.

5. Additional Desktop Environments Worth Considering

Beyond the four primary options above, Ubuntu supports several other desktop environments that may suit specific use cases:

MATE

MATE is a continuation of the classic GNOME 2 desktop. It offers a traditional desktop layout (taskbar at the top, application menu, system tray) and is beloved by users who prefer a conventional workflow.

sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-desktop

Cinnamon

Cinnamon was originally developed for Linux Mint but works perfectly on Ubuntu. It offers a Windows-like layout with a taskbar and start menu, making it an excellent choice for users transitioning from Windows.

sudo apt install cinnamon-desktop-environment

Budgie

Budgie is a modern, elegant desktop environment developed by the Solus project. It is clean, polished, and offers a unique notification and settings sidebar called the "Raven" panel.

sudo apt install ubuntu-budgie-desktop

6. Comparing Ubuntu Desktop Environments at a Glance

> Note: RAM usage figures are approximate and vary based on system configuration, running services, and the number of open applications.

7. How to Switch Between Desktop Environments

One of the great advantages of Ubuntu is that you can install multiple desktop environments simultaneously and switch between them at login — no need to reinstall the OS or maintain separate machines.

Step-by-Step: Switching Desktop Environments

Step 1: Log Out

Click on the system menu in the top-right corner of your screen and select "Log Out" (or "Sign Out" in GNOME).

Step 2: Access the Session Selector

On the login screen (GDM, LightDM, or SDDM depending on your setup), look for a gear icon or session selector near the login button.

Step 3: Choose Your Desktop Environment

Click the gear icon and select the desktop environment you want to use for this session. Your choice will be remembered for future logins.

Step 4: Log In

Enter your password and log in. The selected desktop environment will load.

Switching Display Managers

If you've installed multiple desktop environments and want to change your default display manager, run:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3

Or replace gdm3 with lightdm or sddm depending on which display managers are installed.

8. Running Ubuntu GUIs on a Remote VPS

If you're managing an Ubuntu server remotely — for example, on a VPS Hosting plan or a Dedicated Servers instance — you can still run a full graphical desktop environment using remote desktop protocols.

Option 1: VNC (Virtual Network Computing)

Install a VNC server alongside your desktop environment:

sudo apt install tigervnc-standalone-server

Then configure it to launch your preferred desktop environment and connect using a VNC client from your local machine.

Option 2: XRDP (Remote Desktop Protocol)

XRDP allows you to connect to your Ubuntu server using the standard Windows Remote Desktop client:

sudo apt install xrdp
sudo systemctl enable xrdp
sudo systemctl start xrdp

XRDP works seamlessly with Xfce and LXQt, making these lightweight environments particularly well-suited for remote VPS desktop access.

Option 3: SSH with X11 Forwarding

For running individual GUI applications (rather than a full desktop) over SSH:

ssh -X username@your-server-ip

This forwards the graphical output of individual applications to your local display — useful for running a single GUI tool without the overhead of a full desktop session.

> Pro Tip: If you're looking for a managed environment with a built-in control panel, consider VPS with cPanel or explore the full range of VPS Control Panels available from AlexHost to simplify server management without needing a full desktop GUI.

9. Best Practices for Managing Desktop Environments on Ubuntu

Avoid Installing Too Many Desktop Environments Simultaneously

Each desktop environment installs its own set of libraries, applications, and configuration files. Installing many environments simultaneously can lead to conflicts, duplicate applications in your app menu, and increased disk usage. Install only the environments you actively use.

Use a Separate User Account for Testing

When experimenting with a new desktop environment, consider creating a separate user account for testing. Desktop environment configurations are stored per-user, so this keeps your primary account's settings clean.

Keep Your System Updated

Desktop environments receive regular updates that include bug fixes, performance improvements, and security patches. Keep your system up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Back Up Your Configuration Files

If you've spent time customizing your desktop environment, back up your configuration files (typically stored in ~/.config/ and ~/.local/share/) before making major changes or system upgrades.

10. Choosing the Right Desktop Environment for Your Needs

Here's a quick decision guide to help you choose:

• You want the best out-of-the-box Ubuntu experience: → GNOME
• You want maximum customization and a beautiful desktop: → KDE Plasma
• You're running Ubuntu on older or limited hardware: → Xfce or LXQt
• You prefer a traditional, Windows-like layout: → Cinnamon or MATE
• You're running a remote VPS and need a lightweight GUI: → Xfce with XRDP
• You want a modern, elegant look with minimal configuration: → Budgie

Conclusion

Ubuntu's rich ecosystem of graphical user interfaces makes it one of the most versatile Linux distributions available today. Whether you need the polished, modern experience of GNOME, the deep customization of KDE Plasma, the efficiency of Xfce, or the ultra-lightweight footprint of LXQt, Ubuntu gives you the freedom to build the exact desktop environment that fits your workflow.

For those running Ubuntu in a hosted environment, AlexHost provides the infrastructure to support any of these configurations. From Shared Web Hosting for simple web projects to high-performance Dedicated Servers for demanding workloads, AlexHost ensures your Linux environment is fast, stable, and fully under your control.

Explore, experiment, and customize — the perfect Ubuntu desktop is just a few commands away.