All Star Labs machines ship with a choice of Linux distributions, allowing you to pick the one that best fits your needs — whether that’s Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Zorin OS, or others.
Each distribution comes with its own default desktop environment (for example, Ubuntu ships with GNOME), but you can easily change or install new environments at any time to customise your experience.
This guide will show you how to install, select, and remove different desktop environments using simple terminal commands.
The examples below work on Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Elementary OS, and most other Debian-based distributions.
Popular Desktop Environments
Environment
Package Name
Command to Install
GNOME
bash
gnome-session
sudo apt install gnome-session
Xfce
bash
xubuntu-desktop
sudo apt install xubuntu-desktop
KDE Plasma
bash
kubuntu-desktop
sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop
Cinnamon
bash
cinnamon-desktop-environment
sudo apt install cinnamon-desktop-environment
MATE
bash
mate-desktop-environment
sudo apt install mate-desktop-environment
Selecting Your New Desktop Environment
1. Reboot
Once installation is complete, reboot your laptop.
2. Choose the Environment at Login
At the login screen, click the gear icon or “Session” option next to your username.
Then select your preferred desktop environment from the list.
3. Enjoy!
Log in and enjoy your new desktop experience.
Removing a Desktop Environment
If you’d like to remove a desktop environment, open the Terminal and run the appropriate commands below:
GNOME
sudo apt remove ubuntu-gnome-desktop
sudo apt autoremove -y
Xfce
sudo apt remove xubuntu-desktop -y
sudo apt autoremove -y
KDE
sudo apt remove kubuntu-desktop
sudo apt autoremove -y
Cinnamon
sudo apt purge cinnamon
sudo apt autoremove -y
MATE
sudo apt remove mate-desktop
sudo apt autoremove -y