Ubuntu Budgie is a desktop environment that is free and open-source that uses GNOME technologies such as GTK (> 3.x) and is developed by the Solus project, which also contributes to its design through contributors from numerous communities, including Arch Linux; Manjaro; openSUSE Tumbleweed – among others.
For users seeking an alternative to GNOME that is lightweight and sleek with a simple UI instead of focusing on eye candy, then Budgie is worth checking out.
In the following tutorial, you will learn how to install Budgie Desktop Environment on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa.
Update Ubuntu System
Update your Ubuntu operating system to make sure all existing packages are up to date:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -yInstall Budgie Desktop Environment
sudo apt install ubuntu-budgie-desktop -yNext, during the installation, you will see the following prompt window.
Example:
As the above output has stated, this message informs you about which display manager to choose.
For Unity Desktop, this will be “lightdm”.
Press the “TAB” key to select <Ok> and press your “ENTER KEY” to proceed.
Example:
Once installed, reboot your PC.
sudo rebootVerify & First Look Ubuntu Budgie DE
Once you have returned to your login screen, you will immediately notice the background has changed.
Login to proceed to your new desktop environment.
Example (Click to Enlarge Image):
The Budgie desktop environment should be automatically selected. If you encounter any issues during the login process, check the desktop environment settings and make sure Budgie is set.
Example (Click to Enlarge Image):
Change the desktop environment to “Budgie”, then proceed to login.
Once logged in, you will notice a fundamental, straightforward desktop environment that suits users who want less bloat and features with a lighter system.
Example (Click to Enlarge Image):
It is recommended to go to Budgie Desktop Settings and change some options, such as desktop icons, icon size, fonts, windows positions, window bars, and dark/light theme. The UI is simple, making customizing Budgie very time efficient.
Example (Click to Enlarge Image):
Example (Click to Enlarge Image):
Remove (Uninstall) Budgie Desktop Environment
To remove the Budgie desktop, luckily compared to most other desktop environments, is straightforward. Use the following terminal command to remove the desktop environment.
sudo apt autoremove budgie-desktop --purgeOnce done, reboot your system.
rebootComments and Conclusion
In the tutorial, you have learned how to import the required repository and install the Budgie Desktop Environment on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.
Budgie has been developed to be lightweight and fast-loading, making it a good alternative if you don’t want the total weight of GNOME behind your computing experience or can take advantage of its speed on an older computer. The only downside? There are fewer themes available in Budgie compared to other DEs out there, so this may be worth considering before switching over entirely (or at all).