Lightweight GNOME alternative emerges

masinick

This note did come out a while ago, but how many of you have ever taken a look at LXDE? If I have, it was a short look. XFCE is certainly lighter than either GNOME or KDE and qualifies as a desktop environment. It is getting richer both in features though and in size. LXDE, on the other hand, ought to look and feel more like a window manager than a desktop manager, and hopefully will behave more like a window manager than a desktop manager in terms of system overhead - fast and efficient, yet provides some of the basic conveniences found in desktop managers.

Read this for more background on LXDE.

I have looked at SliTAZ, and indeed, SliTAZ is VERY small and light. I have also looked at TinyME, a PCLinuxOS derivative, and it, too, is light. I have not looked at LXDE on its own, but based on those experiences, this merits more attention and another look. Hope you take a look too.

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Brian Masinick
Distros: SimplyMEPIS
sidux - no CAPS!, antiX, Debian

Germ · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2025 12:04 am Post subject:

A lot of people are using LXDE on Mandriva 2025. Everyone who has commented on it in the forum really likes it. I haven't tried it, myself.

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Laptop: Mandriva 2025 PowerPack - 2.6.33.5-0.2mnb
Desktop: Mandriva 2025 Free - kernel 2.6.33.2-1mib

crouse · Site Admin Joined: 17 Apr 2025 Posts: 11833 Location: Iowa

the only trouble i had with lxde on arch was with the sound ..... lxde doesn't seem to have a default mixer, took a bit of hacking to set somthing on the toolbar that worked for me. lxde is a nice fast setup though. Reminds me alot of IceWM

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masinick · Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2025 5:39 pm Post subject:

ghostdawg · Member Joined: 27 Dec 2025 Posts: 130 Location: MO

I like LXDE...it's nice and lightweight.

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Debian 64 - Sourcemage - Fedora 10

masinick · Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2025 11:56 pm Post subject:

I fool around with LXDE here and there. It is at its best when someone else first customizes it - I have seen a few good implementatons. I use XFCE and IceWM more often, though, especially on sidux, but KDE is still my number one desktop on my main sidux instance (and XFCE on my secondary sidux instances).

I have IceWM and XFCE frequently added to my distros, even SimplyMEPIS, where KDE is clearly the featured desktop. On my old Dell Dimension 4100, using XFCE or IceWM is almost a necessity these days because it is getting quite long in the tooth. My other systems run KDE real well though, so KDE actually gets more use than it did a year ago, before I got the extra systems.

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Brian Masinick
Distros: SimplyMEPIS
sidux - no CAPS!, antiX, Debian

anticapitalista · Member Joined: 13 Jan 2025 Posts: 185 Location: Greece

Try lxde on antiX, masinick.
It is fast and light, but I don't really like it. I prefer just fluxbox (and icewm) sometimes using rox desktop.

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antiX
sidux

masinick · Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2025 12:23 am Post subject:

eriefisher · Jr. Member Joined: 12 Jul 2025 Posts: 89

I haven't used LXDE itself but I have used a few components of it. It defaults to Openbox which I'm not a big fan of but this can easily be switch.

ghostdawg · Member Joined: 27 Dec 2025 Posts: 130 Location: MO

I have lxde on my debian install but hardly use it after the first try out. Gnome is my main desktop. For Fedora 10 I also use gnome with Mac OSX theme setup. For sourcemage I use fluxbox with alot of gtk apps thrown in. I used to like kde but not much anymore, though when I had mandriva 2025, I kept it.

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Debian 64 - Sourcemage - Fedora 10

crazypenguin · New Member Joined: 08 Mar 2025 Posts: 3

Hi Mas,

I have been using LXDE w/Openbox on Mepis for a while. It is nice to see another light weight desktop for Linux.

It is too bad UDE isn't progressing any faster..

masinick · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2025 11:44 pm Post subject:

I've seen a few LXDE implementations that suggest it is flexible, reasonably lightweight, and capable of more. With just a plain Fluxbox, a plain IceWM, or a plain LXDE, I prefer IceWM myself because I've had more experience with it. There are indications that it is possible to spruce up LXDE pretty nicely - and when that is done, it still comes in lighter than XFCE and way lighter than KDE or GNOME, so it is useful to watch out for those opportunities and possibilities.

I know how to edit config files, but I also tend to be lazy. I like to find a few "good ones", then when I do, I grab either their contents or their idea, or both.

I think as LXDE implementations mature, we will find them more and more useful. As they are right now, to me it is more a technology to watch than one to get particularly excited about. I agree about Openbox - it's OK, but there are better implementations out there. Definitely worth watching though; it is pretty light and fast.

_________________
Brian Masinick
Distros: SimplyMEPIS
sidux - no CAPS!, antiX, Debian

mmmna · . . . . Joined: 21 Apr 2025 Posts: 7224

LXDE seems to be getting pushed towards netbook distros; I've seen some references to it for Eee.

Using a mouse heavy WM/DM for my Eee might be a problem, from what I've seen. My Eee has a touchpad stutter that is merely irritating on its better days. I've read that other people gripe about it, too. If the stutter is a hardware problem, I can't imagine how frustrating FluxBox could become. And by extension, the other *box WM/DM implementations would be a bit rough, too.

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