What is your favorite desktop environment?

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Two cents

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When you install a Linux distribution, a set of programs comes along with it. It's easy to add and delete elements of the programs that don't fit your needs, says Meine in his article How to choose the best Linux desktop for you. But what about altering the look and feel?
 
The key is to go with the right desktop environment for you.
We've chosen a few in this poll, but there are many more. Which is your favorite and why? You can tell us in the comments, or even submit an article about it.
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3566 votes tallied
KDE
26% (930 votes)
Gnome
34% (1215 votes)
Xfce
12% (424 votes)
Mate
8% (302 votes)
Cinnamon
10% (355 votes)
Other (tell us in the comments)
10% (340 votes)

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80 Comments

XFCE by far is the best. second place is for Unity.

Presumably, you actually are asking what GUI we are using, (as I don't use a D.E.).

Fluxbox

openbox

Gnome 3 all the way.

no DE is perfect gnome is better among the choices available.

I have been using gnome since 2001 and continue to use it still , gnome 3.16 flows well with my work flow.

KDE is ugly and uses the familiar Windows theme , I love Gnome it is radical new design and very pleasing to the eye , all black is good as it consumes less energy and soothing to the eyes.

Gnome is designed scientifically for best workflow , design is smooth and elegant, theme black is nice and cool , bugs are present still , hope they are sorted out, epiphany is buggy too.

Unity for me. Very simple to find files and apps. Clean and attractive user interface in my opinion. Many things one click away, or even faster to use keyboard shortcuts.

I am using KDE on Manjaro linux because it fits my needs and it works just fine. Also, KDE didn't fragment like Gnome into Cinnamon, Mate or Unity, so I don't waste my time trying to figure out the Gnome derivative DEs in each new release for choosing one of them.

Hi. First up: I am a KDE guy. I love it. I just recently followed another poll like that and in the end the result was that KDE is the most prefered desktop environment. But this is not really true.
Most people prefer Gnome. They prefer to use all the GTK+ apps and a traditional or progressive way of how they are put together. This combines Gnome-, Mate-, Unity-, and Cinnamon-users. I would not use any of these four environments because I love the KDE-apps AND the KDE-environment. But most people prefer Gnome and its siblings. And they're all kinda Gnome.

Unity, hands down.

During the transitional phases of KDE, like v3 to v4 & v4 to plasma v5, I turn to Fluxbox. It's so light, I wonder why I use KDE, but it lacks some easy conveniences that make KDE my favourite.

LXDE for the win.

My usual setup is running Emacs without X, and run all of the programs that I need inside of ansi-terms in Emacs.
When I need to do graphical web browsing (which isn't very often), I use wmm - a minimalistic stacking window manager which is basically a customized TinyWM.

Qtile, i3 and kde

Fond user of the elementary OS Pantheon Desktop!

xfce && i3wm

I've used Gnome and Unity, I like Unity and it is beautiful. But I'm currently using XFCE with Xubuntu 14.04.2 LTS.
If the Unity is more stable and flexible, I think I will back to Unity.

As my opinion, I think XFCE is more stable and flexible than Unity and Gnome.

I used LXDE for many years, because it's lightweight and flexible. Currently, I'm using LXQt. It's not quite as flexible yet, but I'm sure it'll get there.

fluxbox

KDE Plasma for sure. It's the only desktop that can compete with the two proprietary desktops. And not only that it outcompetes them both, both in functions and in looking awesome.

After Gnome2, I didn't want to switch to Gnome3 which for me in nearer to a flipper than a desktop.
I tried once Mate and went to Xfce and I think never go back.

Ive tried most of them and while KDE is by far the bast looking one my computer seems to have issues with it and i always fall back to gnome it does what i want it to and i like to use enlightenment also

Trinity Desktop Environment works well I really enjoy it.

LXDE. Lightweight, multiple desktops, and even runs on older machines comfortably.

Wow, no Unity in the choices, really?

KDE is not a desktop environment. Plasma, by KDE, is.

MATE is my favorite due to the simplicity, stability, lightweight (compared to KDE) and classic environment (compared to Unity). Regardless of the bugs (every DE has them) and difficult config (similar (NOT equal) to regedit on Win, plus some keys are twice in different locations and changing other might have no effect), its superb.

I use Enlightenment when I can, and i3 as my reliable backup when the lovable but unstable Enlightenment inevitably breaks.

I love those two window managers because they allow for so much customization but can still look pretty, especially Enlightenment. I prefer a DE with little to no mouse navigation at all, no visible menus or toolbars or anything unless they are called up by keys, and in Enlightenment that's easy to accomplish. (and it's the default in i3). Things like Gnome and KDE are all built around navigating with the mouse, and that's why I left Windows in the first place.