How To Install Gui On Raspberry Pi

Raspbian is available in two main versions: Raspbian Lite and Raspbian with Desktop
The first one is a minimal Linux version, with just a terminal. The second one includes the PIXEL Desktop surround
Only for many reasons yous can choose to upgrade a Raspbian Calorie-free version with a desktop environment (PIXEL or any other 1)
And I will prove you how

How to upgrade Raspbian Lite to Desktop?
Raspbian Light is the core of Raspbian Desktop, so information technology'south possible to upgrade it with a desktop environment
To do this you need to install three components:
– Xorg: the display base of operations for any environment
– Your favorite desktop surroundings (PIXEL, KDE, MATE, etc.)
– LightDM: the brandish manager

In this post, I will start by explaining why you lot may want to upgrade Raspbian Lite to Desktop, and how to do this with each of the main desktop environments available

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Why would you need to upgrade Raspbian Low-cal to Desktop?

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Most of yous already know why you lot are here 🙂
But for those who are curious I will start by a curt introduction about why y'all would need to upgrade your Raspbian Lite SD card to a Desktop environs

The first reason can be that you accept changed your heed 🙂
Sometimes, we commencement an installation for a basic projection (a web server for case), so we add together other services and configurations
Finally, we need a desktop environment and don't desire to lose everything running in background
In this case, an upgrade is a expert choice, as you can upgrade to a desktop while keeping the background installation

The second reason may be to choose your desktop environment
When you lot download Raspbian Desktop on the official website, you lot'll get the PIXEL Desktop environment
If y'all want some other one, you need to install it manually (tutorial here), and most of the PIXEL packages will stay installed on your Raspberry Pi, taking upward disk space for zero

And finally the smartest reason may exist for performance
Fifty-fifty if you lot want to use PIXEL, you lot may not want to use all the default apps that come with it
Past installing a desktop environment above Raspbian Calorie-free, you install only the necessary packages, and can choose which applications to install subsequently

Choose your Desktop Environment

Now that you take decided to upgrade Raspbian Lite, you must showtime choose your desktop environment
Here is a quick introduction nearly the 1 bachelor on Raspbian

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I took all screenshots after upgrading Raspbian Lite to these desktop surround, so the principal menu is pretty empty 🙂

PIXEL Desktop

PIXEL is the default desktop environment on Raspbian Desktop
You probably already know it well 🙂
PIXEL stands for "Pi Improved Xwindow Environs Lightweight"

As PIXEL is developed straight by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, it's probably the almost stable and optimized desktop environment that you can choose for your Raspberry Pi
But there are many other possible choices that we'll examine at present

MATE

The MATE Desktop exists since 2022 and is more and more called for Desktop PC
MATE is a fork of GNOME two, created following the bad reviews of GNOME 3

I really similar this desktop environment, as it has a modern await right after the installation
On Raspberry Pi four it's perfect, but on old Raspberry Pi devices, the memory usage may exist an issue

KDE

Even if information technology's probably the heavier desktop surroundings bachelor for Raspbian, KDE is working pretty well on the last Raspberry Pi iv
If yous desire a modernistic interface or are a fan of KDE on Desktop PC, this tin can exist a good choice

XFCE

XFCE is one of the lightweight desktop environment that you can choose if you are looking for performances
Its main goal is to exist fast and low on system resources, so it's perfect for any Raspberry Pi model

The default look seems dated, but y'all tin can improve it easily if performances are non your main business organisation

LXDE

LXDE stands for "Lightweight X11 Desktop Environs", and as the proper noun suggests, information technology'south one of the lightest desktop environment bachelor on Raspbian
Thanks to its strengths, LXDE was the quondam official operating system on Raspberry Pi

It's close to XFCE (probably with fewer features), so yous may have to try both to brand your selection 🙂

If you want more than details most each choice, you lot can read my article virtually the top desktop environments bachelor on Raspberry Pi. It will show you each 1 and requite you the pros & cons of each solution.

Upgrade Raspbian Calorie-free with a Desktop Environs

At present that you accept made your choice, we can get to the installation part
The beginning is the same for any desktop environment

Raspbian Lite installation

If you are reading this, yous probably already have Raspbian Lite installed
But if you are only curious, y'all need to start by installing it

If you need some help to exercise this, you tin read my Raspbian installation guide past clicking on the link

Update your system

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Before starting, I recommend updating your system to avoid any issue later

Type the following command on your Raspberry Pi:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo reboot

One time your system is up-to-date, y'all can get-go the installation

Are yous a flake lost in the Linux command line? Check this article first, for the well-nigh of import commands to call back, and a free downloadable cheat sheet so you lot tin have the commands at your fingertips.

Xorg

Xorg is the display server on Linux systems
That's to say that it's the core component of any desktop environs
So whatever the option you have made, you need to install it beginning

Xorg is available in the Raspbian repository, y'all can install it with:
sudo apt install xserver-xorg

This will install virtually 75 new packages on your system, and later a few seconds you are fix to move to the next footstep

Desktop Environment Installation

Now yous demand to install the desktop surroundings you take called
All of them are bachelor in the Raspbian default repository, so y'all can install it with apt
Obviously, the control will be unlike depending on your choice

To install the PIXEL Desktop, you tin can blazon:
sudo apt install raspberrypi-ui-mods
This will download over 400 packages with approximately 200M to download
If you adopt KDE, apply this command:
sudo apt install kde-plasma-desktopKDE will take more time to install, as you need to download over 700 packages for more than 500M to download
And I didn't examination the "kde-full" pack but it'southward something similar 1500M to download!
For LXDE the command is:
sudo apt install lxde-core lxappearance
This one is lighter, with 100M to download for something like 300 new packages
To install XFCE, enter the following command:
sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-terminal
XFCE is the lightest surround in this list, with less than 300 packages (90M to download)
And finally, the MATE desktop installation can be done with:
sudo apt install mate-desktop-surroundings-core
For this i, it's about 320 packages for 170M on a fresh new Raspberry Pi Os Low-cal

You're almost prepare, but don't reboot the Raspberry Pi right now
For some of them, you lot'll need another bundle 🙂

LightDM

As I told you in introduction, LightDM is the display director
This parcel is mandatory to automatically start the desktop environs on boot and also manage the login function
Information technology's the link between everything if you want (Raspbian, Xorg and your desktop environment)

When I made my tests, nigh of the previous commands volition install LightDM automatically
But you may need it at least for MATE and KDE

To install it, just use the following command:
sudo apt install lightdm

If it does nothing, it'southward considering it's already installed on your system

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You lot tin can now restart your Raspberry Pi to enjoy your new environs 🙂
sudo reboot

Install more apps

As y'all'll probably find, whatever the desktop environment you choose, the apps available are minimal
For most of them, you only get a terminal and the organization settings
Not enough to employ information technology equally a desktop PC

Here are a few apps I recommend installing before going further:

That's it for the basics
If you are looking for new apps to try, you tin can also cheque my 17 recommend apps for Raspbian here
And I also have a complete tutorial on how to install new apps on Raspberry Pi that you can check if needed.

Video

Hither is the video that bear witness you the complete tutorial pace-by-stride if you want to bank check while doing it on your side:

If yous want to meet more of this, please subscribe to the YouTube channel past clicking here. I'thousand adding a new video each calendar week!

Conclusion

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Congrats! You now know how to install any desktop environment on Raspbian Lite

Fifty-fifty if it's not as applied every bit downloading the Raspbian Desktop epitome, it's a skillful choice if you want to effort other environs or ameliorate your Raspberry Pi performance

If you accept whatsoever thoughts about this, feel complimentary to leave a comment below
And as usual, if you like this post, thanks to share it on your favorite social network, information technology helps me a lot 🙂

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Source: https://raspberrytips.com/upgrade-raspbian-lite-to-desktop/

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