How To Install Budgie Desktop on Rocky Linux 9

Rocky Linux 9 is a popular enterprise-level Linux distribution well known for its stability, security, and reliability. It typically arrives with a default GNOME desktop environment, which offers a sleek visual appearance and intuitive configuration tools. However, alternative desktop environments, such as Budgie Desktop, have garnered increasing interest for their unique balance of simplicity, performance, and customization options. This guide shows how to install Budgie Desktop on Rocky Linux 9 with clear, step-by-step instructions, while shedding light on additional configurations, troubleshooting tips, performance optimizations, and more. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a fully functional Budgie environment ready to streamline your workflow.

Why Choose Budgie Desktop?

Budgie Desktop is a contemporary and visually appealing environment built upon the GNOME stack. It combines minimalism with elegance and features a modern yet resource-friendly approach to design. Originating from the Solus project, Budgie has since been ported to numerous distributions including Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, and Rocky Linux. Here are some reasons to consider installing Budgie:

• Clean Interface: Sleek, minimal menus, panels, and widgets that keep your workflow simple.
• Customization: Switch between different themes, icon sets, and manage panel applets easily.
• Performance: Compares favorably in responsiveness and speed, even on modest hardware.
• Streamlined User Experience: A no-frills, straightforward layout suitable for beginners and power users alike.

These attributes make Budgie Desktop a worthy alternative to the default GNOME environment, especially if you prefer a streamlined, lightweight design that balances aesthetics with efficiency.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the installation process, ensure you meet the following prerequisites:

• Rocky Linux 9 installed on a physical machine or virtual environment.
• A non-root user with sudo privileges. This is recommended for security; root access can compromise your system if misused.
• Stable internet connection to fetch and download necessary packages.
• Basic familiarity with Linux terminal commands.

It is advisable to create a backup or system snapshot. While installing the Budgie Desktop should not interfere with critical data, planning for contingencies is always good practice, especially on production systems.

Step-by-Step Guide to Installing Budgie on Rocky Linux 9

Installing Budgie Desktop on Rocky Linux 9 involves updating your system, enabling certain repositories, installing required packages, and setting up the desktop environment. This guide also provides extra recommendations to optimize and troubleshoot the process.

1. Update Your System

Keeping your system updated is a good first step before adding new software. It ensures all existing packages are current and helps in avoiding version conflicts. Execute the following commands:

sudo dnf check-update
sudo dnf update -y

Let the process complete. This might take a few minutes depending on your network speed and the number of packages requiring updates.

2. Enable Required Repositories

By default, Rocky Linux 9 may not ship Budgie Desktop in its main repositories. Hence, we need to enable a few additional repos. The Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) and PowerTools are commonly referenced sources for supplementary software on Enterprise Linux systems.

Run the following commands to install and enable EPEL and PowerTools:

sudo dnf install epel-release -y
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb

On Rocky Linux 9, the crb (CodeReady Builder) repository is often equivalent to what used to be PowerTools in earlier releases. After installing and enabling EPEL, you’ll have access to a wider range of packages required for Budgie Desktop and its dependencies.

Next, if needed, enable the additional COPR repositories specialized for Budgie packages. The official findable COPR repos for Budgie might still be relevant for newer versions of Rocky Linux:

sudo dnf copr enable stenstorp/budgie-dependencies
sudo dnf copr enable stenstorp/budgie

By running these commands, you allow your system to fetch Budgie Desktop and its dependent packages. Although these COPR repositories were originally associated with Rocky Linux 8, they typically remain compatible with Rocky Linux 9 due to the shared enterprise base. If you encounter dependency issues, refer to the “Troubleshooting Common Issues” section below.

3. Installing Budgie Desktop

Once the repositories are in place, you’re ready to install the Budgie Desktop environment. Use the following command:

sudo dnf install budgie-desktop budgie-extras nautilus gnome-terminal gnome-system-monitor arc-theme arc-icon-theme gedit -y

Here’s an overview of the packages:

• budgie-desktop: Core Budgie components and session files.
• budgie-extras: Additional applets and extra utilities that enrich your Budgie experience.
• nautilus: A file manager from the GNOME ecosystem, pairing well with Budgie’s underlying tech.
• gnome-terminal: The GNOME Terminal is a versatile and user-friendly command-line interface.
• gnome-system-monitor: Useful for monitoring system resources and processes.
• arc-theme & arc-icon-theme: Attractive themes frequently paired with Budgie to achieve a cohesive, modern look.
• gedit: A simple text editor in the GNOME stack; optional but handy.

This command may take some time as it downloads and installs all specified software. Once installed, proceed to configure your system to boot straight to the graphical interface.

4. Set Graphical Target as Default

If Rocky Linux 9 is running in multi-user mode (text-based interface), you’ll want to switch it to the graphical interface on every boot. Use the following command:

sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

This sets the target to default into a graphical environment. If you want to revert to command-line mode in the future, you can execute:

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target

It’s as simple as switching back and forth.

5. Reboot and Access Budgie Desktop

Now that Budgie is installed and configured, reboot your system:

sudo reboot

When the system boots up, you will encounter the login screen (also referred to as the display manager). Select your username, then locate the gear icon or session menu. Click it and choose Budgie Desktop from the list of available desktop sessions.

Enter your credentials and log in. You’ll be welcomed by the Budgie Desktop environment, featuring a customizable top panel, a clean desktop layout, and a system tray that includes notifications, network controls, and more. Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed and launched Budgie Desktop on Rocky Linux 9.

Post-Installation Tips and Enhancements

Once Budgie Desktop is up and running, additional tweaks and tools can enhance your daily user experience. Below are a few recommendations:

1. Install Additional Applications: You can leverage dnf to install any software you need, such as LibreOffice or multimedia applications. For instance:

   sudo dnf install libreoffice vlc -y

   This ensures you have a complete suite of office and media applications.

2. Switch Themes & Icon Sets: Budgie supports theming from the GNOME ecosystem. To switch your theme or icon packs, go to Budgie Desktop Settings or GNOME Tweaks if installed. The Arc theme and icons you installed earlier are a great place to start.
3. Configure Applets: Budgie Desktop’s Panel can host various applets including weather, clipboard managers, and system monitors. Check Budgie Desktop Settings to add or remove these utilities.
4. Manage Startup Applications: Control which programs launch at login. This is useful for ensuring a swift boot time and saving memory.

Following these tips optimizes your new environment and tailors it to fit your specific needs. You will find that Budgie Desktop remains fairly flexible, especially for those who prefer a straightforward, open design.

Performance Optimization

Though Budgie Desktop is generally resource-friendly, you can still make adjustments if performance remains a concern:

• Disable Unnecessary Services: List running services with:

  systemctl list-unit-files --type=service

  Stop or disable any you don’t need to reduce load and enhance speed.

• Minimize Startup Apps: Go to the Startup Applications settings or use a tool like gnome-session-properties to eliminate extraneous background programs.
• Enable Hardware Acceleration: If your graphics drivers support hardware acceleration, ensure they’re installed. This move can improve screen rendering, transitions, and animations.
• Use Lighter Alternatives: Instead of heavier applications, opt for light apps like mousepad or leafpad for text editing, and midori or falkon for web browsing.

Most Rocky Linux 9 users with moderate hardware will find Budgie Desktop runs smoothly out of the box. But these optimizations can further mitigate any speed hiccups or lag.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While installing Budgie Desktop on Rocky Linux 9, you may face certain hiccups. Below are solutions to frequently encountered problems:

1. Conflict or Missing Dependencies

Some packages might conflict or require extra libraries if they’re not in the correct repo. If you encounter dnf errors referencing missing dependencies, verify that EPEL and the correct PowerTools / CRB repository are enabled:

sudo dnf repolist

If they don’t appear, re-run:

sudo dnf install epel-release -y
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb

Then repeat your budgie-desktop installation attempts.

2. Display Manager Issues

Sometimes, after switching from GNOME, the display manager might fail to recognize Budgie or cause a blank screen. Ensure that you’ve set graphical.target as default. If using GDM or another display manager, double-check the session files in /usr/share/xsessions or /usr/share/wayland-sessions for Budgie entries.

3. Flickering or Graphics Glitches

With certain GPU drivers, you may experience flickering or corrupted rendering. Update your graphics drivers, or consider installing proprietary drivers if your hardware vendor provides them. Also check compositing settings in Budgie Desktop Settings to see if disabling specific visual effects helps.

4. Localization & Language Settings

If Budgie’s system language or keyboard layout doesn’t match your preferences, open Settings > Region & Language to configure your languages, locale, and input sources. Reboot or log out afterward to ensure the new layout or language settings apply properly.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Budgie. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Budgie Desktop environment on your Rocky Linux 9 system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Budgie website.