When Linux first came around, it booted straight into the terminal: a black-on-grey screen with a blinking cursor that resembled MS-DOS. You typed commands, ran programs, and that was it. Some of you might even remember seeing lines like:
DOS/4GW Protected Mode Run-time Version 1.97Copyright (c) Rational Systems, Inc. 1990-1994
Windows 3.0 changed things by layering a graphical interface on top of MS-DOS. Even Windows 95, 98, and ME still booted into DOS first before launching the GUI. It wasn’t until Windows NT (and later Windows 2000, XP, and beyond) that Microsoft fully removed the DOS dependency—you just started directly in the Windows interface.
With Linux, things are still a bit like the Windows 3.0 era. You boot into a terminal, and then a program automatically launches the graphical interface. You get a login screen, type your credentials, and the desktop environment (DE) loads. And just like that, you’re in. But that terminal is still there—hit Ctrl+Alt+F1–F7 and you’ll see it waiting for you.
So, what exactly is a Desktop Environment?
A desktop environment is the graphical interface that makes using Linux feel “Windows-like.” On Windows, you don’t think about it—you install Windows and the interface is Windows. But with Linux, you get to choose the “face” of your system. And there are many:
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GNOME – Once a Windows clone, it’s now more like a tablet-style interface, with large icons and full-screen menus.
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KDE Plasma – Started as a Windows lookalike and kept that familiar feel: a Start menu, taskbar, clock, and system tray at the bottom.
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Cinnamon – Popular in Linux Mint, it continues GNOME’s old Windows-like style.
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MATE and XFCE – Lightweight, classic environments for older or low-powered machines.
These are “floating” desktop environments—windows overlap and move around freely, just like on Windows.
Tiling Window Managers
Then there’s a completely different approach: tiling window managers. Instead of floating windows, they automatically divide your screen. Open one app—it takes the whole screen. Open a second—it splits the screen in half. Add more, and they neatly tile into sections.
Examples include i3, Sway, and Hyprland.
At first, this feels strange—four windows each crammed into a quarter of the screen—but tiling managers rely heavily on virtual desktops. You group your apps, flip between workspaces, and suddenly multitasking becomes faster and more structured. They’re not great for gaming or video watching, but for coding, writing, or productivity, they can be game-changers.
More Than Just a UI
Think about Windows: it comes with Notepad, Calculator, Paint, File Explorer, Internet Explorer (RIP), and even games like Solitaire and Minesweeper. That’s part of the whole Windows experience.
Desktop environments in Linux work the same way. KDE, GNOME, and others come with their own set of applications—file managers, text editors, calculators, calendars, and more. The difference? You can mix and match. Want KDE’s calculator inside GNOME? Go ahead.
Tiling managers, on the other hand, often give you nothing. You start with just a terminal, and it’s on you to install and configure everything else.
Conclusion
Linux doesn’t lock you into one look. You can pick a full-featured desktop environment that feels like Windows with built-in apps, or go barebones with a tiling window manager and build everything yourself. It’s both a blessing and a curse: freedom means more choices and more responsibility.
Oh, and one last detail—desktop environments update independently of the Linux distro itself. That means you can keep your system fresh without waiting for a new OS release.