GUIDE: Raspbian Lite with RPD/LXDE/XFCE/MATE/i3/Openbox/X11 GUI

[Giga_Pi]

Okay, with the release of buster, I had a few mixed emotions, with the desktops I could install.

Negative:

*KDE Plasma no longer works on Pi 4 or 3+

Positives:

*We have Gnome3
*We have Cinnamon


So not all bad.

With the two desktop enviroments that do work, It's best to use OpenGL, because without it, the desktop animations are really glitchy.

For gnome:

sudo apt install gnome gnome-shell

for cinnamon:

sudo apt install cinnamon

I found that cinnamon doesn't come with a login manager by defualt, so I usually install:

sudo apt install slick-greeter


It's basically lightDM, but it looks nicer (In my opinion)

Giga_Pi

[gustavoFreire]

for me on raspberry pi 4 using gnome 3 is very laggy to use alongside with chromium, all css animations are a lot slower than when was on lxde, , besides that, my mouse seems slower than normal, videos on youtube even on 720p are slower than normal (dropping a lot of frames) and all the gnome3 animations are very slow (I also disabled the animation but I did not saw much of a difference) using the default openGl driver btw

[Giga_Pi]

for me on raspberry pi 4 using gnome 3 is very laggy to use alongside with chromium, all css animations are a lot slower than when was on lxde, , besides that, my mouse seems slower than normal, videos on youtube even on 720p are slower than normal (dropping a lot of frames) and all the gnome3 animations are very slow (I also disabled the animation but I did not saw much of a difference) using the default openGl driver btw

Well, I must say, I tried gnome3 with a Raspberry Pi 3B+, and it worked fine. To be honest though, I think a lot of work is needed in order for the Pi 4 to run any good desktop enviroments at the moment.

What I'm basically getting at is that Gnome and KDE Plasma don't work anymore one the pi 4, but cinnamon seems to run fine (Currently waiting to get my microHDMI to VGA converter, so the I can enable the OpenGL, and disable overscan). I found that the 3B+ could run:

In Raspian Stretch:

*KDE Plasma


In Raspian Buster:

*Gnome
*Cinnamon
*Not KDE Plasma (Well, not in a state I would like anyway)
So, I'm hoping that the RPF might add a bit more support to the Heavier Desktop enviroments with The Raspberry Pi 4B.

We'll have to wait and see

[bjtheone]

Its a teeny tiny little SBC that costs under $60 USD, with a processor that is significantly outgunned by most current middle to top tier smartphones.. It is never going to run the super heavy GUI environments that are built with higher end X86 laptops/desktops as targets. Its target audience and the target audience of maximum feature & eye candy desktops are not the same. It runs the really light desktops very well and the middling one completely acceptably. I have a bunch of older laptops that will not run the heavyweight desktops acceptably.

I am very happy with a 4B 4GB running Mate. It has noticeably better/smoother/faster performance than the laptop I was using as a primary computer before I got the 4B with a very similar setup (current Ubuntu with Mate). I think your expectations are not particularly well aligned with reality.

[Giga_Pi]

Its a teeny tiny little SBC that costs under $60 USD, with a processor that is significantly outgunned by most current middle to top tier smartphones.. It is never going to run the super heavy GUI environments that are built with higher end X86 laptops/desktops as targets. Its target audience and the target audience of maximum feature & eye candy desktops are not the same. It runs the really light desktops very well and the middling one completely acceptably. I have a bunch of older laptops that will not run the heavyweight desktops acceptably.

I am very happy with a 4B 4GB running Mate. It has noticeably better/smoother/faster performance than the laptop I was using as a primary computer before I got the 4B with a very similar setup (current Ubuntu with Mate). I think your expectations are not particularly well aligned with reality.

Nice point, and I completely understand your point. However a few facts remain:

1) KDE Plasma ran nicely on the Pi 3B+
2)The Pi 4 can now have 4GB. That's enough to run a heavy desktop. I've ran gnome3 and cinnamon on the Pi3B+ with the latest Raspbian buster, so the Pi4 definitely should.
3)We have very many new graphic upgrades with the new Pi. There is no reason for heavy desktops to not run. I've had KDE Plasma and Cinnamon run on my new Pi4, and it runs acceptably.

Since the 3B+, heavy desktop enviroments have been a thing for the raspberry pi, and can run on the Pi2 as well.

P.S. Sorry ghostraider, I think we've started a debate in your guide. I apologise sincerely

Giga_Pi

[cjan]

Buster will ship gnome/wayland by default, so can we have guide for this(Pi4)?
and, maybe sway(i3) build tutorial?

did not try yet, myself(no pi4).
https://github.com/swaywm/sway/wiki/Deb ... stallation

[bjtheone]

1) KDE Plasma ran nicely on the Pi 3B+
2)The Pi 4 can now have 4GB. That's enough to run a heavy desktop. I've ran gnome3 and cinnamon on the Pi3B+ with the latest Raspbian buster, so the Pi4 definitely should.
3)We have very many new graphic upgrades with the new Pi. There is no reason for heavy desktops to not run. I've had KDE Plasma and Cinnamon run on my new Pi4, and it runs acceptably.

Since the 3B+, heavy desktop enviroments have been a thing for the raspberry pi, and can run on the Pi2 as well.

I understand and respect the forum's decisions about PMs but I do wish they were available. Some points of the debat are relevant to the guide, so....

I only have experience with the 3B+ and the 4B (a total newbie to the world of Pi). I have used Linux since the very very early days and ran most of the desktops. In my opinion, the 3B+ barely coped with "middle level" desktops like Mate, and what has becomes the baseline desktop app, a full featured browser. Potentially my expectations and hence judgment of acceptable is different that yours.

Given that I did not try a heavier, more graphics intensive desktop. That decision was based on performance experience on X86 desktops and laptops. The 4B runs Mate really well. Given that I was unimpressed with the performance of KDE or a full blown Gnome 3 desktop on an X86 platform with a old intel graphics solution, I did not expect the 4B would be any better and did not even try.

While the 4B may be much better/stronger/faster than a 3B, the absolute performance it offers is dwarfed by that of a current entry level chromebook, let alone a high end laptop with discrete graphics (like say a XPS 15).

[Giga_Pi]

I don't get it. Really don't get it.

What really gets me, is that people say something like 'x86 computers are faster than Rpi's.'

I don't know what I am doing different, but I own a HP mini 110, and an Acer Aspire One ZG5, and both of them are no match to a Rpi3B+, let alone an Rpi4B. I'm not doing anything particuarly heavy either.

KDE plasma ran fine on the 3B+ back when stretch was the raspbian version. Now Gnome and Cinnamon run on the Pi 3B+, and all of the desktops mentioned run on a Pi 4.

I have never owned a single x64 laptop, so have good expeirience with x86, and an Rpi has always been faster for me.

If anything I have said rings untrue, I am happy to apologise and take what I said back.

Giga_Pi

[cjan]

Buster will ship gnome/wayland by default, so can we have guide for this(Pi4)?
and, maybe sway(i3) build tutorial?

did not try yet, myself(no pi4).
https://github.com/swaywm/sway/wiki/Deb ... stallation

ok, try build sway this weekend on Rpi-2.
remove xserver* fbdev fbturbo etc. use FULL GL driver.
chromium youtube vlc(GL) lxterminal etc. all went well even cjk input method.
just like default raspbian do for my daily play.

ps. sway start mem using 148M.

[conal4284]

Hi,
Thanks a lot for the wonder guide. Following the guide I have installed stripped version of the RPD and it worked for me. Now, I want to add terminal / shell in it. I am not able to find any command or any option how to do it. Can you please guide me how can i achieve this.

Thanks in advance!!!

[Giga_Pi]

Hey there! What do you mean? If you mean a terminal app, you can install several versions, like:

sudo apt-get install konsole or sudo apt install mate-terminal

Raspbian with desktop uses lxterminal

Hope this helps!

Ben Aubrey

[fbobraga]

I've used this guide to make a XFCE on a Pi4 2Gb install: everything is ok except the audio: no sound is played through the 3.5mm jack (I think the audio in being sent to the HDMI output, but is only an "analog output device" on pavucontrol...)

Anyone can help me?

[Giga_Pi]

In raspi-config, you will need to force audio through the JACK.

[fbobraga]

Tried raspi-config: no luck (even after restart I've no sound)

* With full raspbian, all works (still works: different SD cards)

[fbobraga]

Solved: after install of package 'pimixer' (I've found the name after trying to install 'xfce4-mixer') the sound worked - I think its XFCE-related...

[Marco.C]

Translated by Google
Hello.
First of all I would like to congratulate GhostRaider on his excellent guide, the best and most complete I have ever encountered on the web.
Guys I read the 7 pages and found nothing about my doubt so there is the question, can you install more than one gui, Pixel, Xfce and Mate for example, in the same installation choosing which to use when entering the password?
Thank you very much for your attention.

Original text
Ola.
Antes de tudo gostaria de parabenizar o GhostRaider  pelo seu excelente guia, o melhor e mais completo que já encontrei na web.
Pessoal li as 7 paginas e não achei nada sobre minha duvida então la vai a pergunta, tem como instalar mais de uma gui, Pixel, Xfce e Mate por exemplo, na mesma instalação escolhendo qual usar ao digitar a senha?
Desde já muito obrigado pela atenção 

[Marco.C]

Translated by Google
People remembered that on an old PC that I had with linux installed, in the session manager where I had to enter the password, a gear icon appeared, when clicking on this icon I had the option to choose which gui to use, in Raspbian this icon does not pops up.
Can Raspbian manager settings be edited?
If "no" can I use another one, uninstalling the current one and installing another one?
Anyone help and welcome, I have another SD Card to try and learn ok? A help from you guys that doesn't work will not cause any inconvenience, it will help me learn and get to know Linux better.
Thanks for the help.

texto original

Pessoal lembrei que num PC antigo que eu tinha com o linux instalado, no gerenciador de sessões onde tinha que digitar a senha, aparecia um icone de engrenagem, ao clicar nesse icone eu tinha a opção de escolher qual gui usar, no Raspbian esse icone não aparece.
Sera que as configurações do gerenciador do Raspbian podem ser editadas ?
Se " não " sera que posso usar outro, desinstalando o atual e instalando outro ?
Pesssoal qualquer ajuda e bem vinda, tenho outro SD Card para esperimentar e aprender ok? Uma ajuda de vcs que não der certo não vai gerar nenhum transtorno, vai sim me ajudar a aprender e conhecer melhor o linux.
Valeu pela ajuda.

[Giga_Pi]

Translated by Google
People remembered that on an old PC that I had with linux installed, in the session manager where I had to enter the password, a gear icon appeared, when clicking on this icon I had the option to choose which gui to use, in Raspbian this icon does not pops up.
Can Raspbian manager settings be edited?
If "no" can I use another one, uninstalling the current one and installing another one?
Anyone help and welcome, I have another SD Card to try and learn ok? A help from you guys that doesn't work will not cause any inconvenience, it will help me learn and get to know Linux better.
Thanks for the help.

texto original

Pessoal lembrei que num PC antigo que eu tinha com o linux instalado, no gerenciador de sessões onde tinha que digitar a senha, aparecia um icone de engrenagem, ao clicar nesse icone eu tinha a opção de escolher qual gui usar, no Raspbian esse icone não aparece.
Sera que as configurações do gerenciador do Raspbian podem ser editadas ?
Se " não " sera que posso usar outro, desinstalando o atual e instalando outro ?
Pesssoal qualquer ajuda e bem vinda, tenho outro SD Card para esperimentar e aprender ok? Uma ajuda de vcs que não der certo não vai gerar nenhum transtorno, vai sim me ajudar a aprender e conhecer melhor o linux.
Valeu pela ajuda.

You can install another desktop manager. gdm3 works. If you type:
sudo apt install gdm3
your Raspbery pi will start installing. At some point during the installation, it will ask which desktop manager you want to use. Select gdm3.

It is possible to edit a config file for lightDM (what raspbian uses), but I'm not sure how.

I think th right desktop is "X11 desktop defaults" or something like that.

Hope this helps!

Giga_Pi

[Giga_Pi]

Translated by Google
Hello.
First of all I would like to congratulate GhostRaider on his excellent guide, the best and most complete I have ever encountered on the web.
Guys I read the 7 pages and found nothing about my doubt so there is the question, can you install more than one gui, Pixel, Xfce and Mate for example, in the same installation choosing which to use when entering the password?
Thank you very much for your attention.

Original text
Ola.
Antes de tudo gostaria de parabenizar o GhostRaider  pelo seu excelente guia, o melhor e mais completo que já encontrei na web.
Pessoal li as 7 paginas e não achei nada sobre minha duvida então la vai a pergunta, tem como instalar mais de uma gui, Pixel, Xfce e Mate por exemplo, na mesma instalação escolhendo qual usar ao digitar a senha?
Desde já muito obrigado pela atenção 

Yes you can do that.

[Pimaxin]

For Raspberry Pi 4 with Buster Lite, what are the installation steps to get a GUI working? I followed the Op post and I got an empty desktop with no browser or anything.

Do I just run this? I want to be able to RDP and control my logged in desktop session from my Windows PC.
sudo apt install gnome gnome-shell

Edit: Ok just installed gnome and gnome-shell and when I run startx, I still get an empty desktop with very little apps. What am I doing wrong? I ran every single command from Op and installed every desktop just to test but startx is giving me a limited desktop.

[andrei.carp]

@GhostRaider

I absolutely love what you did with your custom Openbox environment running two tint panels. Looks so nice and clean!

I'm trying to replicate the same look, so you you please help me out?

1. How did you get rid of the desktop1 text that accompanies the taskbar element in the top tint2 panel?
2. How did you add the volume, network and the other icons in the system tray?
3. How did you add the custom logo on the right side of the top tint2 panel?

I'll probably have more questions, but I'd like to solve these topics first... Your support is much appreciated!

[M*I*B]

Hello dear forum community,

I've been torturing myself through all the posts for the past 2 days; this is not easy if English is not the mother tongue ...

Therefore, I apologize if I am completely misplaced with my question ...


I have some PI's running here, mostly with RaspBian lite. It is no longer a problem for me to set up such a system and get things going like Samba, FTP and Co.

Now I would like to set up two PI's (3b +) according to the above scheme with the current Buster. The "lite" system is running, but can I just continue as stated in the initial article?

What do i have to have:
A minimal desktop environment, on it a browser (preferably not Chomium), RDP, SSH (already running), Samba (already running), FHEM (already running) with TabletUI (if that tells someone what). The whole thing should run directly into the GUI and open the browser in kiosk mode with a predefined start page (the local URL of the TabletUI).
In addition, the touchscreen of the original RaspBerry display should of course run (System 1) and a 24´´ Smart (touch) display connected via HDMI and USB (ViewSonic VSD24).

So OpenBox (?) and a browser (which one?)?
Did I understand correctly that OpenBox is a GUI in which nothing is specified? That would be the optimal solution for a browser in kiosk mode, wouldn't it? Or did I get it completely wrong with OpenBox?

Questions after questions ... Can anyone help? That would be really nice!


Greetings from Germany
Micha

[Giga_Pi]

Hello dear forum community,

I've been torturing myself through all the posts for the past 2 days; this is not easy if English is not the mother tongue ...

Therefore, I apologize if I am completely misplaced with my question ...


I have some PI's running here, mostly with RaspBian lite. It is no longer a problem for me to set up such a system and get things going like Samba, FTP and Co.

Now I would like to set up two PI's (3b +) according to the above scheme with the current Buster. The "lite" system is running, but can I just continue as stated in the initial article?

What do i have to have:
A minimal desktop environment, on it a browser (preferably not Chomium), RDP, SSH (already running), Samba (already running), FHEM (already running) with TabletUI (if that tells someone what). The whole thing should run directly into the GUI and open the browser in kiosk mode with a predefined start page (the local URL of the TabletUI).
In addition, the touchscreen of the original RaspBerry display should of course run (System 1) and a 24´´ Smart (touch) display connected via HDMI and USB (ViewSonic VSD24).

So OpenBox (?) and a browser (which one?)?
Did I understand correctly that OpenBox is a GUI in which nothing is specified? That would be the optimal solution for a browser in kiosk mode, wouldn't it? Or did I get it completely wrong with OpenBox?

Questions after questions ... Can anyone help? That would be really nice!


Greetings from Germany
Micha

English:

Hello, This is doable.

sudo apt install openbox

then

sudo apt install lightdm

then you can install:

sudo apt install firefox-esr

for firefox.

If you do not like that, it is possible to install vivaldi from their website.

Epiphany is available as well.

Cheers!

Giga_Pi


Translated by Google:


Hallo, das ist machbar.

sudo apt install openbox

dann

sudo apt install lightdm

dann können Sie installieren:

sudo apt install Firefox-esr

für Firefox.

Wenn Sie das nicht mögen, ist es möglich, vivaldi von ihrer Website zu installieren.

Epiphany ist ebenfalls verfügbar.

Prost!

Giga_Pi

[M*I*B]

... googelish is funny sometimes

Ok, then I was on the right way in mind I believe. That's great

I will try Firefox due I know it well and I know also that FF works well with TabletUI. The other ones I don't know and I don't know if they can handle HTML5 and JS as well as FF...

Ty a lot for that hint (and the translation *giggle*). I think I need future assistance if I try to start FF in KioskMode... Maybe...

[tjebpie]

Hi, I have done a fresh install of Raspbian Lite and the basic RPD desktop, rebooted and have reached the login panel from LightDM however after using default pi/raspberry combination nothing happens and login panel appears again after a few seconds. What should I do? Cannot commandpromt window either anymore now - probably need to start again.