TWO DESKTOPS TO TRY

If you want to get ahead of the curve and install the GNOME desktop that future versions of Ubuntu will be using, open a Terminal window, and type the following commands:

$ sudo apt-get update $ sudo apt-get install ubuntu-gnome-desktop

A configuration wizard appears—choose the “lightdm” option when prompted. Once installed, log out, and click the Ubuntu logo next to your username—you’ll see three new options, all variants of GNOME 3 (vanilla, Classic, and Wayland). Select one and log in to switch desktop.

Don’t like GNOME? Itching for something a bit closer to the Windows desktop you left behind? Then give Cinnamon a try instead—it’s the official desktop for Linux Mint:

$ sudo apt install cinnamon-desktop-environment -y

Cinnamon is highly configurable. Its main customizable elements— known as “spices”—are its themes, applets, desklets (widgets you can place on the desktop), and extensions. These enable you to radically alter its capabilities, as well as its look and feel.