Cinnamon made Ubuntu easier to use, not dramatically faster · Digg

Cinnamon made Ubuntu easier to use, not dramatically faster

An XDA writer found the lighter desktop somewhat snappier, but said its familiar menus and built-in customization produced the bigger workflow gain.

1 Source, 3h ago, first seen 3h ago

Ubuntu desktop running the Cinnamon interface.

TLDR

An XDA writer replaced Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop with Cinnamon on an eight-year-old, 16GB laptop. Cinnamon felt somewhat snappier, but the larger improvement came from a Windows-like app menu, separate power controls and built-in customization that made common tasks quicker. The writer cautions that Cinnamon is not the lightest option: Xfce or LXQt may suit severely constrained hardware, while a clean Linux Mint installation can avoid leftover GNOME services and provide better performance than adding Cinnamon to Ubuntu.

Featured Source

Replacing Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop with Cinnamon made an older laptop feel somewhat snappier, but an XDA writer’s experiment found that the bigger improvement came from a more direct workflow.

The test used an eight-year-old laptop with 16GB of RAM. Ubuntu remained usable, but the writer found GNOME’s full-screen launcher, unified quick-settings menu and reliance on extensions cumbersome. Cinnamon changed those interactions without requiring a different operating system.

Familiar controls reduced friction

Cinnamon uses a Start-menu-like app launcher and gives power controls and other settings more direct entry points. It also includes built-in support for themes, panels, widgets and desktop “desklets,” reducing the need for GNOME extensions that can break when GNOME changes.

The writer describes application launches as only a little faster. The main perceived speedup came from completing common actions with fewer interruptions: the computer’s performance improved modestly, while the user’s workflow improved more.

Lighter choices involve tradeoffs

Cinnamon is lighter than GNOME, but it is not the most aggressive option for constrained hardware. Xfce and LXQt can reduce resource use further, though the writer considers their interfaces less polished.

Installing Cinnamon on top of Ubuntu can also leave GNOME services and applications behind. For users willing to reinstall, the article recommends Linux Mint as a cleaner Cinnamon-based system. For everyone else, changing desktops remains a lower-disruption way to make Ubuntu feel more approachable.

Cinnamon made Ubuntu easier to use, not dramatically faster

An XDA writer found the lighter desktop somewhat snappier, but said its familiar menus and built-in customization produced the bigger workflow gain.

1 Source, 3h ago, first seen 3h ago

TLDR

Featured Source

Replacing Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop with Cinnamon made an older laptop feel somewhat snappier, but an XDA writer’s experiment found that the bigger improvement came from a more direct workflow.

Familiar controls reduced friction

Lighter choices involve tradeoffs

1 Source

@xdadevelopersI switched Ubuntu's desktop to Cinnamon for speed, but the real upgrade was how I work https://bit.ly/4ye4cju

Combined views

6.3K

1 Source, first seen 3h ago

22 likes

Cinnamon made Ubuntu easier to use, not dramatically faster

TLDR

Familiar controls reduced friction

Lighter choices involve tradeoffs

Cinnamon made Ubuntu easier to use, not dramatically faster

TLDR

Familiar controls reduced friction

Lighter choices involve tradeoffs

1 Source

Combined views

Familiar controls reduced friction

Lighter choices involve tradeoffs

Familiar controls reduced friction

Lighter choices involve tradeoffs

Combined views

Sentiment

Summary

Sentiment

Summary

Sentiment

Summary

1 Source