Linux桌面环境: LXDE vs. Xfce vs. MATE

Sometimes you need to get the most out of an old PC. Other times you have a high-performance system and want to dedicate all of that power to the task at hand. Either way, keeping everything as slim as possible is key. When you install Linux, there’s not a whole lot that you can easily modify in order to cut down on crud—except for one thing: your desktop environment.

If you want a lightweight Linux desktop, you need to choose the right environment.

有时候，你想把闲置的旧电脑充分利用起来。有时候，你想拥有高性能的系统并且希望发挥它的全部性能用来处理手头事物。无论哪种情景，保持内容尽可能小是关键。安装Linux时，除了减少一件事情之外，你没有太多可以修改的东西：桌面环境。

如果你想要一个轻量级的Linux桌面，你需要选择一个正确的桌面环境。

A desktop environment is the interface you see on screen. It’s the panel across the top and bottom. It handles how you switch between apps and manage windows.

Some desktop environments come with niceties that require more system resources, such as animations and transparent windows. Others try to provide a lightweight Linux desktop with as little impact to system resources as possible.

一个桌面环境是指你可以在屏幕上看到的界面。它是顶部和底部的面板。 它处理关于你如何在应用程序之间切换效果和管理视窗桌面。

某些桌面环境具有精美的外观，但需要占用更多的系统资源，例如动画和透明窗口。 有的人则试图提供一种轻量级的Linux桌面，让它对系统资源的使用尽可能小。

There are several desktop environments that don’t require much to run and to run well. Let’s look at some of your best options.

这里有几种桌面环境不占用很多系统资源就能很好地运行。让我们来看看一些适合你的最佳选择吧。

Xfce is the oldest of the popular lightweight Linux desktop environments. It uses the GTK+ toolkit, just like the more popular GNOME interface that serves as the default for Ubuntu and Fedora (two of the largest Linux-based desktops out there).

Xfce is an environment you can scale up or down to fit your tastes. You won’t find animations here, but if you like transparent windows, shadows, and similar niceties, you have the option.

Xfce hasn’t changed much over the years, so increased system requirements are often due to the size of default apps. Mozilla Firefox is more bloated than it was back in the day. Yet this will be true regardless of which lightweight Linux desktop environment you choose.

Xfce是流行的轻量级Linux桌面环境中最古老的。它使用GTK +工具包2，就像其他流行的GNOME界面一样。它是Ubuntu和Fedora（两个用户较多的Linux的桌面）的默认界面。

Xfce是一个你可以根据自己的需求放大或缩小界面的桌面环境。 但你不会在它找到过渡动画。如果您喜欢透明的窗口，阴影或类似的装饰，那么是可以设置的。

Xfce多年来变化不大，因此对系统资源的要求通常是由于默认应用的大小所致，如Firefox浏览器3比过去更加肿。 但是，无论您选择哪种轻量级Linux桌面环境，这都是正确的。

MATE is a fork of GNOME 2 that formed when GNOME was transitioning to version 3.0. If you’ve ever used a version of GNOME from before 2011, then you’ve essentially used MATE. Some things have changed, but the fundamentals remain the same.

MATE is slightly glossier than Xfce, but not by much. Back in the GNOME 2 days4, Xfce was considered a lightweight alternative. GNOME 3 has changed and added so much since then that the distance between Xfce and GNOME 2 seems much smaller.

MATE是GNOME 2的分支，它是在GNOME过渡到3.0版时形成的。 如果你曾经使用过2011年之前的GNOME版本，那么您实际上是在使用MATE。 有些内容已经改变，但基本原理保持不变。

MATE比Xfce更华丽，但区别不是很大。 回到GNOME 2 4主流的时期，Xfce被认为是一种轻量级的替代方案。 到了GNOME 3时期，发生了变化并增加了很多新优化，以至于Xfce和GNOME 2之间的距离似乎要小得多。

A few years ago, LXDE was considered the lightest graphical desktop environment around. It launched in seconds and only used a couple hundred megabytes of RAM. You could revive a Windows XP machine with an interface that felt very similar.

LXDE is so light that the Raspberry Pi makers used this code to create Raspbian, the device’s official operating system.

LXDE uses GTK+ 2, which is now very dated code. The lead developer took issue with GTK+ 3 and decided to switch to Qt instead. He combined his efforts with the RazorQt team to create LXQt, to replace LXDE which is being discontinued.

LXDE and LXQt use interchangeable components with very few dependencies (background components required for software to function). A lightweight app with many dependencies can still slow your system down; this is why the apps you run matters nearly as much as your choice of desktop environment.

几年前，LXDE被认为是最轻量的图形桌面环境。它在几秒钟内启动，仅使用了几百兆的RAM。你可以用这个与Windows XP相似的桌面环境使得XP机器重获新生。

因为LXDE非常轻巧，以至于树莓派(Raspberry Pi)的制造商使用此代码来创建该设备的官方操作系统Raspbian操作系统。

LXDE使用GTK + 2，它现在是非常过时的代码。 首席开发人员对GTK + 3产生了疑问，并决定改用Qt。 他与RazorQt团队共同努力创建了LXQt，以取代即将停产的LXDE。

LXDE和LXQt使用具有很少依赖性的可互换组件（软件运行所需的后台组件）。具有许多依赖关系的轻量级应用程序仍会降低系统速度；这就是为什么你运行的应用程序几乎与你选择的桌面环境一样重要的原因。

Need help deciding between any two of the above desktop environments? If you want the most lightweight desktop, it’s hard to beat LXQt or LXDE. But there are reasons many people prefer one of the alternatives. Here are things to keep in mind when comparing two of these interfaces directly.

需要帮助在上述桌面环境任意两者之间的抉择？如果你想选择最轻量的桌面，那么很难在LXQt和LXDE之间决出胜负。对于这两个选项，人们钟情于自己的选择都有各自合理的理由。这里提供参考的对比选项当你想直接对比这些桌面环境中两者的差异时。

LXQt and LXDE are lighter than Xfce, but that’s only part of the story. Put bluntly, LXDE looks basic. With enough effort, Xfce can feel like a more modern desktop environment. The primary difference between LXQt and Xfce is that LXQt uses Qt rather than GTK+. If you prefer GTK+, you’re better off using Xfce.

LXQt和LXDE比Xfce轻，但这只是一部分。 坦率地说，LXDE看起来很基础。 通过足够的折腾，Xfc也e可以看起来像一个更现代的桌面环境。 LXQt和Xfce之间的主要区别在于LXQt 使用Qt而不是GTK +。 如果您更喜欢GTK +，最好使用Xfce。

LXDE is lighter than MATE, but MATE is a more feature complete desktop. Newcomers may find that MATE is easier to grasp. While neither desktop is hard to use, MATE presents apps and information in a way where less technical knowledge is required to find your way around.

Again, with LXQt vs MATE, the primary different again comes down to Qt vs GTK+. What kind of apps do you prefer? If you prefer Qt software and you want a lighter desktop, then LXQt is a no-brainer.

LXDE比MATE更轻量，但MATE是一个功能更完善的桌面。新手可能会觉得MATE更好掌握。尽管两种桌面都不难使用，但MATE只需较少的技术知识就能找到所需的方式来展示应用和信息。

同样，关于LXQt vs MATE，主要区别再次归结为Qt vs GTK +。您喜欢哪种应用？ 如果您更喜欢Qt软件并且想要更轻便的桌面，那么LXQt无疑是明智之举。

Out of the box, MATE has a few more bells and whistles5 than Xfce, but it’s also a little less customizable. You might find that it feels a little bit more put together. Xfce uses fewer resources, but this advantage begins to erode as you install and run apps that depend on GNOME libraries. Really, when it comes to MATE vs Xfce, you’re kind of splitting hairs.

MATE开箱即用，比Xfce华丽一些，但因这样可定制性也略差一些。你可能会发现这两个放在一起比较有点不必要。Xfce使用较少的资源，但是当你安装和运行依赖GNOME库的应用程序时，这种优势开始减弱。确实，当比较MATE与Xfce时，它们各自的特色让给你感到难分伯仲。

If you know your way around Linux, then you can build your own system using whatever components you want. Rather than installing a full-blown desktop environment, you can opt for a window manager. Openbox and fluxbox are two options. If you want to try a tiling window manager, consider i36, Xmonad7, and awesome8. Then there’s dwm, which is more of a jack of all trades.

But there’s only so much you can do. LXQt uses Openbox, and you will be hard pressed to find lighter background components than the ones LXQt provides. So your machine won’t get much lighter unless you stick entirely to the terminal. The most straightforward option for less technical or busy users is to install a lightweight Linux desktop distribution.

如果您了解Linux的使用方法，则可以使用所需的任何组件来构建自己的系统。你可以选择窗口管理器，而不是安装完善的桌面环境。 Openbox和fluxbox是两个选项。 如果您想尝试平铺窗口管理器，请考虑使用i3，Xmonad和Awesome(不是王自如的表情)。

但是，您只能做很多事情。 LXQt使用Openbox，将很难找到LXQt提供的背景组件更浅的背景组件。因此，除非你完全操作在终端上，否则机器的重量不会减轻很多。对于技术含量较低或忙碌的用户，最直接的选择是安装轻量级的Linux桌面发行版。

[1] 原文：The Best Lean Linux Desktop Environment: LXDE vs. Xfce vs. MATE

[2] GTK介绍

[3] 火狐浏览器（Firefox）与谷歌浏览器区别在哪里？

[4] 你是否分得清back in the day和back in the days

[5] Bells and whistles 华而不实的东西

[6] i3 窗口管理器入门

[7] 如何使用 Xmonad，Linux的平铺窗口管理器

[8] 平铺式窗口管理器——Awesome