I would like to compare all 4 supported desktop environments on Linux Mint.

There are two ways I can see of doing this: (i) install the 4 specialised Mint packages (I would do this in different VMs); (ii) install the packages for all 4 desktop environments on the same Mint installation and switch between them.

The word "Warning!" appears in my mind when I consider the second option. Am I right to be nervous about the possible unhappy co-existence of four desktop environments together?

If so, are there any distros that have been set up for, or specialise in, switching between desktop environments with few problems?

I am using ARCH Linux with LXDE, GNOME, and Plasma. I have absolutely no problems. I have used multiple DE's on Kali and openSuse. I can't imagine what problems you would face. On login, you just select which DE you want.

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Slackware comes with six GUI's out of the box: Two desktop environments and four window managers. (When I first started using Slack in the v. 10.x days, it also include Gnome, but Pat decided that it one two sets of desktop libraries was excessive and went with KDE.)

There should be no issue with installing and being able to switch among different DEs and WMs on the same install. I switch among MATE, Enlightenment, and Fluxbox on my Mint machine (mostly I stick with Enlightenment or Fluxbox).

Just for curiosity, just what exactly is the wording of the "Warning" you are receiving?

ah yeah best way is to just install all of them out of your repo into one box I got -- well I didn't count them but I know I got more then one -- this I know for sure.

mod:

on second thought. you can install them off of source too if you like. I did with a few of them. they where not in my repo

One could get some configuration confusion
because each desktop manager has it's own system settings control panel
and I had them messing with each other.
I recommend Gnome Flashback which can be made
very tweakable and to look like pre 2011 gnome.

The warning in my head spoke to me in Chamicura so unfortunately I can't give you the exact wording. ;-)

However, trawling through the web reveals not a few reports of problems of DEs clashing with each other, most commonly due to using common settings/config files (including fonts and themes), or having conflicting dependencies.

And, on a personal level, when I last tried out Linux, several years ago, I installed two desktop environments and the result was a complete mess. When I researched it at the time, the consensus appeared to be "don't do it".

I do believe however, from looking around since I posed this question, that the various DEs have done a lot of work on separating their workspaces/demands from each other, and it is thus much easier to install multiple DEs than it was in the past.

lmao lmao lmao good one lmao

like @fenario said their can be some confustion between WM/DT due to two of them using the same .x 'files' or resources conf files, like I have a lot installed on mine. so when I change the theme setting with lxapperence it effects all of my WM/DT.

ie. my icons in apps like the filemanager I use

though I've noticed that when using a login app that it helps keep things straght because the wm/dt no longer use .xinitrc and .xprofile .Xdefaults .Xresources to not only tell the log in shell what to start ~ the window manager or desktop, but, also they do not rely on thouse files to tell the wm ~ dt what to do either. startup apps for example.

most DestTops have all of that startup apps config set into them and malnipulated by using one of their apps to do so.

so that helps to cut down the confustion between them.

but you can still use thouse .x files to tweek

this may not be a spot on responce, but just an obervation by me from having many WM/DT installed all at once, then having to configure them to my liking.

disclamer:

gnome loves attention