Linux interface: what is it, what are the main ones and more

Initially, Linux was a simple shell in the Unix standard, and it was that way for a long time. It was something done by programmers for programmers, so a friendly and beautiful Linux interface wasn’t an important requirement.

But 5 years ago, that narrative gave way to a robust operating system with a variety of first-class graphics environments and applications.

The result is a complete Desktop experience, with everything an inexperienced user needs to have on hand to work, communicate, and have fun.

Without a doubt, one of the beauties of Linux is its plurality of graphical environments for all tastes.

There are numerous distributions and yet it manages to maintain all the compliance of being a standard operating system.

But what are the main ones? And what are the differentials and advantages of each of them? These answers you will find in today’s article!

The Linux Certification team developed this complete content, with everything you need to know about the Linux interface. Keep reading!

Linux interface: understand what it is

The Linux interface is nothing more than the graphical interface or GUI (Graphical User Interface) of this operating system.

As such, it allows you, the user, to interact with the system and send specific commands. It offers a variety of information management features and options.

In a practical way, it is through the Linux Graphical Interface that you can access software, browse files, manage windows, and use the system as you please.

How to install a graphical interface on Linux?

Installing a graphical interface on Linux is not an impossible mission. In fact, it may be simpler than it seems.

Just select the one that catches your attention the most. Among them, we can mention the KDE, GNOME, XFCE and Cinnamon environments, for example.

The interesting thing is that the installation step by step is almost the same for all:

• set your root server password;
• access the panel and type: “sudo apt-get update”;
• type ellipsis (3 dots:…);
• and that’s it! Just wait a few moments for the interface to be installed and you can use it.

Understand the importance of the Linux interface

The Linux interface is essential for any user to be able to handle and be served by the operating system.

Without it, you would probably have to learn several coded commands, in specific programming languages, to access all the available resources. Can you imagine how much work that wouldn’t take?

If you wanted to access a photo folder, for example, instead of just clicking on the icon and opening the files, you would have to type countless lines of code to make this possible.

For this reason, over time, several graphical environments were built to work on the Linux window server.

After all, more and more “lay” users, that is, without advanced knowledge in programming or development, can use the system in a simple way.

This brought an incomparable advance, giving people the opportunity to enjoy Linux even without working in the technology area or having a degree in the field.

Linux interface: discover the main ones

The main Linux interfaces became popular due to their simplicity, richness of features, and usability.

Each one has its own characteristics and you can choose the one that best meets your needs and expectations. To get to know them, check out the topics below:

KDE

 

 

KDE has been a large community of developers since 1996 who have been developing a multiplatform graphical environment known as KDE Plasma. Its name derives from K Desktop Environment, and the letter “K” was chosen simply because it comes after “L” in Linux. KDE and its applications are written with the Qt framework.

The purpose of the KDE community is both to provide an environment that provides the basic applications and functionalities for everyday needs and to allow developers to have all the tools and documentation necessary to simplify the development of applications for the platform.

KDE is based on the principle of ease of use and customization. All the elements of the graphic environment can be customized: panels, window buttons, menus, and various elements such as clocks, calculators, and applets.

The extreme flexibility to customize the appearance even allows themes to be shared by users.

The KWin window manager is responsible for providing an organized and consistent graphical interface, and intuitive taskbar.

GNOME

 

 

GNOME (acronym for GNU Network Object Model Environment) is an open source project for a graphic environment that is also multiplatform with a special emphasis on usability, accessibility, and internationalization.

The GNOME Project is maintained by several organizations and developers and is part of the GNU Project. Its main contributor and maintainer is Red Hat.

GNOME 3 is the standard graphic environment for major distributions such as Fedora, SUSE Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise, CentOS, and many others.

There is also a division of GNOME 2 known as MATE, since the change in the environment from GNOME 2 to GNOME 3 was large, and some users simply preferred to stick with the environment more similar to GNOME 2.

Created by two Mexicans in 1997, unhappy at the time with the lack of free software for the Qt Framework, used to develop applications for KDE.

Thus, they preferred to use the GTK (Gimp Tool Kit) as the standard framework for the development of GNOME, since it was already licensed by the GPL.

GNOME 1 and 2 followed the traditional “taskbar” desktop.

GNOME 3 changed this with the GNOME Shell, with an abstract environment where switching between different tasks and virtual desktops takes place in a separate area called “Overview”.

Mate

 

Despite being little talked about and publicized, the Mate interface is also an excellent choice for your system.

It also boils down to a complete desktop environment, which promises agility and lightness, without requiring much consumption of hardware or specifications.

According to the official site Mate, “it is under active development to add support for new technologies, preserving a traditional desktop experience”.

Even though it is based on GNOME 2, functioning as a continuation of it, this interface is very different and is constantly updated by the development teams.

Xfce

 

 

Xfce is a Desktop environment for Unix Like operating systems, such as Linux and BSD, founded in 1996.

Xfce aims to be light, fast, and visually appealing. It incorporates the Unix philosophy of modularity and reuse and consists of separate packaged parts that together provide all the functions of the work environment but can be selected in subsets to suit the user’s needs and preferences.

Like GNOME, Xfce is based on the GTK framework, but it’s an entirely different project.

It is widely used in distributions that are intended to be lightweight, specially designed to run on old hardware.

Xfce can be installed on several UNIX platforms, such as NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, Cygwin, MacOS X, etc.

Among the distributions that use Xfce, we can mention:

• Linux Mint Xfce edition
• Xubuntu
• Manjaro
• Arch Linux
• Linux Lite

Cinnamon

 

Cinnamon is a graphical desktop project derived from GNOME 2, created by the folks at Linux Mint.

Its user experience is very similar to Windows XP, 2000, Vista and 7, easing the learning curve for users who have migrated from these operating systems.

Unity

The history of Unity is somewhat unusual: it was initially developed for notebooks, with the aim of making the most of the screens (always smaller compared to desktop computers).

Still, it didn’t come with any application or tool — it only ran GTK+ programs, which already existed.

Despite this, its success was such that it was later better developed and adapted for desktops.

And it really delivers on what it promises: screen space optimization is real! Toolbars are barely noticeable on large screens. On small screens, space is saved to the maximum, making it easier to navigate.

All of these options only reinforce the cost-benefit of the Linux system, which is constantly growing around the world.

Conclusion

 

Did you notice how interesting and practical the Linux Interface is? Understanding how they work can be very useful!

In this article, you understood how important it is to facilitate the usability of the Linux system and which are the most used in the market. He also checked how to install a Linux interface and how they work in practice.

If you like to study about the Linux system, learning how its features and tools facilitate your routine, don’t hesitate to seek more in-depth knowledge.

Uirá Endy Ribeiro

Uirá Endy Ribeiro is a Software Developer and Cloud Computing Architect with a 23-year career. He has master's degrees in computer science and fifteen IT certifications and is the author of 11 books recognized in the IT world market. He is also Director at Universidade Salgado de Oliveira and Director of the Linux Professional Institute - LPI Director's Board.