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title description
Graphical Desktop Environments and Utilities
Description of DietPi software options related to graphical desktop environments and additional desktop utilities

Desktop environments & utilities

Overview

Desktops

Desktop Utilities

??? info "How do I run DietPi-Software and install optimised software items?" To install any of the DietPi optimised software items listed below run from the command line:

```sh
dietpi-software
```

Choose **Browse Software** and select one or more items. Finally select `Install`.  
DietPi will do all the necessary steps to install and start these software items.

![DietPi-Software menu screenshot](../assets/images/dietpi-software.jpg){: width="643" height="365" loading="lazy"}

To see all the DietPi configurations options, review the [DietPi Tools](../dietpi_tools.md) section.

Return to the Optimised Software list

LXDE

LXDE is highly optimised and ultra lightweight desktop. It works well with computers on the low end of the performance spectrum such as new generation netbooks and small computers, or older resource-constrained machines.

LXDE screenshot{: width="795" height="600" loading="lazy"}

=== "Quick start" After installation, desktop can be run by typing

```sh
startx
```

=== "Enable autostart" To start different programs when the system boots, run from the command line:

```sh
dietpi-autostart
```

To see all the DietPi configurations options, review [DietPi Tools](../dietpi_tools.md) section.

Official website: https://www.lxde.org/

LXQt

Optimised lightweight desktop without the bloatware. Slick and fluid GUI, however, more resource heavy than LXDE.

LXQt screenshot{: width="1280" height="720" loading="lazy"}

Source: LXQt, CC BY-SA 3.0, wikimedia.

=== "Quick start" After installation, desktop can be run by typing

```sh
startx
```

=== "Enable autostart" To start different programs when the system boots, run from the command line:

```sh
dietpi-autostart
```

To see all the DietPi configurations options, review [DietPi Tools](../dietpi_tools.md) section.

Official website: https://lxqt-project.org/ Source code: https://github.com/lxqt/lxqt

MATE

Popular Gnome2 based desktop environment.

MATE screenshot{: width="1280" height="960" loading="lazy"}

=== "Quick start" After installation, desktop can be run by typing

```sh
startx
```

=== "Enable autostart" To start different programs when the system boots, run from the command line:

```sh
dietpi-autostart
```

To see all the DietPi configurations options, review [DietPi Tools](../dietpi_tools.md) section.

Website: https://mate-desktop.org

Xfce

Xfce screenshot{: width="800" height="450" loading="lazy"}

=== "Quick start" After installation, desktop can be run by typing

```sh
startx
```

=== "Enable autostart" To start different programs when the system boots, run from the command line:

```sh
dietpi-autostart
```

To see all the DietPi configurations options, review [DietPi Tools](../dietpi_tools.md) section.

Website: https://wiki.debian.org/Xfce

GNUstep

GNUstep screenshot{: width="885" height="720" loading="lazy"}

=== "Quick start" After installation, desktop can be run by typing

```sh
startx
```

=== "Enable autostart" To start different programs when the system boots, run from the command line:

```sh
dietpi-autostart
```

To see all the DietPi configurations options, review [DietPi Tools](../dietpi_tools.md) section.

Website: http://gnustep.org

Desktop utilities

Chromium

Chromium screenshot{: width="1376" height="858" loading="lazy"}

=== "Chromium kiosk mode"

<h4>Overview</h4>

The **Chromium kiosk mode** is a Chromium feature that allows your device to be used in a single-window resp. single-app kiosk mode. Generally, any access to the rest of your system is locked.  
The mode can be used to set the web browser to these properties:

- Full screen
- No menu bar, no toolbar, no address field,...
- No option to exit the browser resp. change the tabs

Two examples using the mode are to use your system

- as a display of only one or several web pages (via tabs) without access to the whole system
- as a browser based smart home GUI

The kiosk mode can be distinguished to the **Single App Kiosk Mode**, where the user is locked into one single particular site having a fullscreen mode that can't be changed or exited.  
Following is an example of a kiosk mode screenshot for the example site `dietpi.com`:

![Chromium kiosk mode screenshot](../assets/images/dietpi-software-desktop-chromium-kiosk-mode.jpg){: width="360" height="208" loading="lazy"}

<h4>Activate Chromium kiosk mode</h4>

To put your Chromium browser into kiosk mode the following steps have to be achieved:

1. Install Chromium browser via 

    ```sh
    dietpi-software install 113
    ```

    If Chromium is not installed, you will get a startup error message that the file `/var/lib/dietpi/dietpi-software/installed/chromium-autostart.sh` is not found if you activate Chromium kiosk mode via `dietpi-autostart`.

1. Select Chromium kiosk mode (with automatic login) via

    ```sh
    dietpi-autostart
    ```

    and select `11 : Chromium - Dedicated use without desktop` in the main dialog.  
    In the following dialog enter the autostart web page which shall be displayed initially.

1. Reboot to the Chromium kiosk mode

<h4>Deactivate Chromium kiosk mode</h4>

To deactivate the kiosk mode, e.g. login to the system via ssh and execute `dietpi-autostart` to switch away from the kiosk mode.

<h4>Tweak kiosk mode behaviour</h4>

The kiosk mode behaviour is defined by the contents of the file  
`/var/lib/dietpi/dietpi-software/installed/chromium-autostart.sh`  
which can be tweaked by editing it.

There are some hints how to achieve tweaking:

- [DietPi issue #3389: *Chromium Autostart / Kiosk Mode*](https://github.com/MichaIng/DietPi/issues/3389)
- [DietPi Forum entry #14886: *Non-Interactive Kiosk Improvements*](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/non-interactive-kiosk-improvements/14886)
- [DietPi issue #2575: *Chromium: Hide mouse in autostart kiosk mode*](https://github.com/MichaIng/DietPi/issues/2575)
- [DietPi Forum entry #15769: *How do I get rid of the mouse pointer when I start chromium w/o desktop?*](https://dietpi.com/forum/t/how-do-i-get-rid-of-the-mouse-pointer-when-i-start-chromium-w-o-desktop/15769)
- [DietPi issue #2938: *Chromium: Allow to use app mode instead of kiosk mode*](https://github.com/MichaIng/DietPi/issues/2938)

=== "Enable Widevine DRM protected content"

To enable the support for Widevine DRM protected content, these options exist:

- Manually: <https://blog.vpetkov.net/2019/07/12/netflix-and-spotify-on-a-raspberry-pi-4-with-latest-default-chromium/>
- with scripts: <https://blog.vpetkov.net/2020/03/30/raspberry-pi-netflix-one-line-easy-install-along-with-hulu-amazon-prime-disney-plus-hbo-spotify-pandora-and-many-others/>

=== "FAQs"

<h4>Where can I check the status of GPU acceleration?</h4>

Once Chromium is running, simply go to the following address: `chrome://gpu`

Firefox

Firefox logo{: width="128" height="128" loading="lazy"}

Firefox Browser, also known as simply Firefox, is a free and open-source web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation.

Similar to Chromium, Firefox has been made a separate install option. For desktop installs users can choose between Chromium, Firefox or no web browser.

Firefox screenshot{: width="1024" height="723" loading="lazy"}


GIMP

MS Paint on steroids. If you need to edit pixels with a vast number of tools, GIMP is the only program you'll need.

GIMP screenshot{: width="960" height="587" loading="lazy"}


Website: https://www.gimp.org


QuiteRSS

QuiteRSS is an open-source cross-platform RSS / Atom news feeds reader, with the main idea to be fast and comfortable to the end-user.

QuiteRSS screenshot{: width="760" height="564" loading="lazy"}


Xfce Power Manager

Enables laptop users to set up a power profile for two different modes on battery power and on AC Power while still allowing desktop users to at least change the DPMS settings and CPU frequency using the settings dialogue.

Xfce Power Manager screenshot{: width="799" height="569" loading="lazy"}

Return to the Optimised Software list