Quote:
Originally Posted by jk07
You can choose one desktop environment and install another. For example, you can choose MATE and install KDE as it should be available in the repositories. I don't use Mint, but I do use Ubuntu and I have installed KDE, Gnome 3, Unity, and XFCE. I simply choose the desktop environment that I want at the login screen. I like changing between desktop environments as my mood changes.
What I am trying to say is whatever you choose you can't go wrong since you can install the other because you can have multiple desktop environments.
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jk07,
Is there
absolutely any possibility of trouble/problems when it comes to loading updates, upgrading from one version to another using the distro supplied tools (ex: LinuxMint software Manager/Update Manager), or getting security patches/updates? What about themes, icons, fonts, and config. files? Could installing the additional desktop environments cause
any conflicts (including the miniscule type), or config. file pollution/contamination? What about terminal settings and environment variables? What about default application settings (Chrome as default browser in KDE and Firefox as default browser in Gnome3 Shell)?
If I start with Linux Mint 13 Mate 64bit which is based on gtk2 and then install the latest XFCE 4.10 (gtk2 based), and then Cinnamon desktop 1.4 (based on gtk3):
- and install a gtk2 theme while logged into Mate will this cause trouble for Cinnamon?
- and install a gtk3 theme while logged into Cinnamon will this cause trouble for XFCE/Mate?
- modify icons with the Any Color You Like (ACYL) tool, while in Cinnamon, how will this effect XFCE/Mate? How about the reverse... use ACYL from XFCE and relog. to Cinnamon?
If it seems like I'm coming off as a paranoid noob, that would be correct interpretation. Here is why...
I installed several Linux Mint and Ubuntu editions into separate partitions, but used a single partition for /home. I mistakenly used the same user name "ghoul" during each install. I logged into the user account after each install, rebooted and performed the next install. There was only 1 home folder and each install altered or over-wrote the config files from the prior install.
Doh!!!
Logging into Ubuntu 12.04 and then rebooting/logging in to Mate 64bit, and then back to Ubuntu, created very strange behavior and desktop settings. I initially thought something was wrong with the distros and then it hit me when my Mate wallpaper showed up when I logged into Ubuntu, and some of my Ubuntu settings effected my Cinnamon environment. Oh well, laugh it up... Le format, Le re-install...
Now I have /ghoul-ubutun1204, /ghoul-lm1364mate, /ghoul-lm1364cinnamon, /ghoul-lm1364xfce under /home. I realize that I created the problem when I used the same user name, but the resulting strange behavior from config. file contamination illustrates why I'm cautious. I'm sure you guys got a little comic relief at the expense of my newbie mistake.
