re-Cinnamon Desktop Environment

[JesseRaymondBassett]

Hey all,
the Linux Cinnamon Desktop environment is the most underrated DE out there. Here is an article I found online that validates my opinion. This post is more of a discussion. Do you agree with the author of the article? If not, why not? Do you use Cinnamon DE yourself? What are the pros and cons based on your own experience?

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I'll be honest: I'm a GNOME-enjoyer. I'm not a particularly big fan of KDE Plasma, but I'll tolerate it. And perhaps my most steaming-hot take: I always thought Cinnamon was a knock-off of KDE. I don't have a load of experience with it, and in all honesty, I was even tempted to opt for Xfce, a lightweight environment, when trying Mint again. It has been years since I first tried Linux Mint, but during my current stint with it, Cinnamon has actually won me over.

It's clean and friendly like KDE, gets out of my way like GNOME, but doesn't require a ton of tweaks to get it to a good spot. Cinnamon is super underrated, and if it's an option for your distro, I recommend taking it for a spin.

Cinnamon is usable out of the box​

The right defaults matter​

shows Mint Linux cinnamon desktop
Mint is always the first recommendation for a lot of Windows refugees, and for good reason: the defaults are familiar. It doesn't try and re-teach you how to use your computer, and I think the proof is in the context menus. Right-clicking on things shows you the options you expect basically everywhere. On other desktop environments, there's always one or two options missing that irk me, but on Cinnamon, all the usual suspects are there, and they're in the right places. Mint's reputation of being a beginner's Linux desktop shouldn't stop you from using it if you're a seasoned vet, either. The integrated "applets" are a strength of Cinnamon. They work as you expect out of the box, but installing new ones is very straightforward, and pretty much everything you want on your taskbar is available to download. Weather updates, system monitoring, script menus, and much more are all there, and feel just as integrated as the ones that come installed by default.

Cinnamon scales better than people might expect​

Strong keyboard workflows and consistent window behavior​

linux_mint_start_menu
Despite its reputation, I had no issues setting all my usual power-user workflows up. Keyboard shortcuts are straightforward and customizable, and the virtual desktops work exactly how you expect them to. Window snapping and workspace management are simple, reliable, and consistent. It doesn't feel like it's holding your hand, but it's still actually useful where it should be. The main Cinnamon menu that mimics the "start" menu is a great example of this. It has everything organized where it should be in terms of category, but search is the default behavior after clicking it, which makes the most sense, but everything is configurable, down to the size and spacing between icons.

The other options have clear benefits​

The merit of KDE Plasma and GNOME are obvious​

A Linux laptop running KDE plasma showing touchpad settings and the Bazaar app store
It’s fair to say that KDE Plasma and GNOME offer more on paper. KDE Plasma’s customization depth is unmatched, and GNOME’s design-first approach delivers a strong, opinionated experience that many users love. You can tweak KDE to the point where it's unrecognizable, and GNOME can change pretty radically with extensions, and Cinnamon does lack that. It's definitely not what I'd choose for any kind of touch-based interface, and I think it might feel a bit clumsy on a trackpad.

KDE and GNOME are popular for a reason, and compared to them, Cinnamon can seem a bit "safe", but in all honesty, I think it's right up there in terms of usability.

It doesn't try and do too much​

And I think that's why I like it so much​

A laptop running Linux Mint and showing various customization options
Between GNOME's minimalistic approach where "less is more" and KDE's infinite options, Cinnamon felt a lot less hectic to get set up, at least personally, I don't mind having to tweak the basics, but on GNOME, getting the dock to behave the way I like basically requires an extension, and on KDE systems, I just can't be bothered with the overwhelming amount of customizability, so I end up using a pretty bog-standard configuration, and that doesn't work super well for me either. Cinnamon strikes a good balance because it's not trying to do everything, but it's just getting the basics down really well, and that I can appreciate.

I'm staying on Mint for awhile​

After spending a few days on Mint, I'm pleasantly surprised by just how much I like Cinnamon as a desktop environment. I had expected it to be a little "hand-hold-y", but honestly, it was very usable out of the box, scales well to my needs, and doesn't try to do everything under the sun, and that's refreshing. GNOME is still going to be my personal go-to if the distro allows for it, because I have my specific concoction of extensions that get everything just right, but Mint is doing a lot of things right, and Cinnamon is a big reason for that.

Article written by
Ty Sherback

 

[chevyontheriver]

Hey all,
the Linux Cinnamon Desktop environment is the most underrated DE out there. Here is an article I found online that validates my opinion. This post is more of a discussion. Do you agree with the author of the article? If not, why not? Do you use Cinnamon DE yourself? What are the pros and cons based on your own experience?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll be honest: I'm a GNOME-enjoyer. I'm not a particularly big fan of KDE Plasma, but I'll tolerate it. And perhaps my most steaming-hot take: I always thought Cinnamon was a knock-off of KDE. I don't have a load of experience with it, and in all honesty, I was even tempted to opt for Xfce, a lightweight environment, when trying Mint again. It has been years since I first tried Linux Mint, but during my current stint with it, Cinnamon has actually won me over.

It's clean and friendly like KDE, gets out of my way like GNOME, but doesn't require a ton of tweaks to get it to a good spot. Cinnamon is super underrated, and if it's an option for your distro, I recommend taking it for a spin.

Cinnamon is usable out of the box​

The right defaults matter​

shows Mint Linux cinnamon desktop
Mint is always the first recommendation for a lot of Windows refugees, and for good reason: the defaults are familiar. It doesn't try and re-teach you how to use your computer, and I think the proof is in the context menus. Right-clicking on things shows you the options you expect basically everywhere. On other desktop environments, there's always one or two options missing that irk me, but on Cinnamon, all the usual suspects are there, and they're in the right places. Mint's reputation of being a beginner's Linux desktop shouldn't stop you from using it if you're a seasoned vet, either. The integrated "applets" are a strength of Cinnamon. They work as you expect out of the box, but installing new ones is very straightforward, and pretty much everything you want on your taskbar is available to download. Weather updates, system monitoring, script menus, and much more are all there, and feel just as integrated as the ones that come installed by default.

Cinnamon scales better than people might expect​

Strong keyboard workflows and consistent window behavior​

linux_mint_start_menu
Despite its reputation, I had no issues setting all my usual power-user workflows up. Keyboard shortcuts are straightforward and customizable, and the virtual desktops work exactly how you expect them to. Window snapping and workspace management are simple, reliable, and consistent. It doesn't feel like it's holding your hand, but it's still actually useful where it should be. The main Cinnamon menu that mimics the "start" menu is a great example of this. It has everything organized where it should be in terms of category, but search is the default behavior after clicking it, which makes the most sense, but everything is configurable, down to the size and spacing between icons.

The other options have clear benefits​

The merit of KDE Plasma and GNOME are obvious​

A Linux laptop running KDE plasma showing touchpad settings and the Bazaar app store
It’s fair to say that KDE Plasma and GNOME offer more on paper. KDE Plasma’s customization depth is unmatched, and GNOME’s design-first approach delivers a strong, opinionated experience that many users love. You can tweak KDE to the point where it's unrecognizable, and GNOME can change pretty radically with extensions, and Cinnamon does lack that. It's definitely not what I'd choose for any kind of touch-based interface, and I think it might feel a bit clumsy on a trackpad.

KDE and GNOME are popular for a reason, and compared to them, Cinnamon can seem a bit "safe", but in all honesty, I think it's right up there in terms of usability.

It doesn't try and do too much​

And I think that's why I like it so much​

A laptop running Linux Mint and showing various customization options
Between GNOME's minimalistic approach where "less is more" and KDE's infinite options, Cinnamon felt a lot less hectic to get set up, at least personally, I don't mind having to tweak the basics, but on GNOME, getting the dock to behave the way I like basically requires an extension, and on KDE systems, I just can't be bothered with the overwhelming amount of customizability, so I end up using a pretty bog-standard configuration, and that doesn't work super well for me either. Cinnamon strikes a good balance because it's not trying to do everything, but it's just getting the basics down really well, and that I can appreciate.

I'm staying on Mint for awhile​

After spending a few days on Mint, I'm pleasantly surprised by just how much I like Cinnamon as a desktop environment. I had expected it to be a little "hand-hold-y", but honestly, it was very usable out of the box, scales well to my needs, and doesn't try to do everything under the sun, and that's refreshing. GNOME is still going to be my personal go-to if the distro allows for it, because I have my specific concoction of extensions that get everything just right, but Mint is doing a lot of things right, and Cinnamon is a big reason for that.

Article written by
Ty Sherback

Nice.

I'm a Fedora guy from way back, and used Gnome 2 quite happily. I wasn't too pleased by Gnome 3 but tolerated it. That is until they also decided to only use Wayland for their Gnome 3, abandoning X11. Which also meant abandoning Xscreensaver, a favorite of mine. I'm still with Fedora, but now using MATE, which is a BIT like Cinnamon. I'm enjoying it. And Xscreensaver still works for now. Long run it looks like it is going to be a Wayland world.

I think Cinnamon was built off of Gnome 2 after Gnome 3 came out. Is that your understanding?

 

[JesseRaymondBassett]

Nice.

I'm a Fedora guy from way back, and used Gnome 2 quite happily. I wasn't too pleased by Gnome 3 but tolerated it. That is until they also decided to only use Wayland for their Gnome 3, abandoning X11. Which also meant abandoning Xscreensaver, a favorite of mine. I'm still with Fedora, but now using MATE, which is a BIT like Cinnamon. I'm enjoying it. And Xscreensaver still works for now. Long run it looks like it is going to be a Wayland world.

I think Cinnamon was built off of Gnome 2 after Gnome 3 came out. Is that your understanding?

@chevyontheriver ,
Yes that is my understanding. I will always use Cinnamon over other DE's. Mainly because everything just works out-of-the-box.

Cheers!