# Budgie on top of, or in parallel with base Ubuntu

**URL:** <https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166>\
**Category:** Budgie Desktop\
**Created:** [November 2, 2018, 1:22am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166 "2018-11-02T01:22:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Traumflug](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/traumflug/32/714_2.png) [@Traumflug](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Traumflug)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 1:22am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/1 "2018-11-02T01:22:11Z")

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Being somewhat sick of standard Ubuntu - it’s generally pretty RAM intensive and since 18.10 `gnome-shell` leaks some 500 MB RAM per day, so I have to interrupt my work for a logout/login cycle way more often than I like, I’d like to give Budgie a try. “Lightweight” sounds good, very good.

With Debian and Ubuntu having excellent package managers, I’d like to extend the current installation with Budgie. Goal is to not only have _Ubuntu_ and _Ubuntu on Wayland_ as choice on the login screen, but also _Ubuntu Budgie_. Or some command to switch between these desktop environments.

Is this possible? So far I’ve found only rather old instructions: [http://tipsonubuntu.com/2016/11/09/install-budgie-desktop-ubuntu-16-04-16-10/](http://tipsonubuntu.com/2016/11/09/install-budgie-desktop-ubuntu-16-04-16-10/) to do this.

Some hints on how to get such a parallel installation would be great!

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**Author:** ![bashfulrobot](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/bashfulrobot/32/3_2.png) [@bashfulrobot](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/bashfulrobot)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/2 "2018-11-02T01:28:54Z")

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_note - I have not tested this._

To get our packages and configuration, all you need to do is `sudo apt install ubuntu-budgie-desktop`. but do keep in mind that that will pull in all of our dependencies, Etc. Wondering about login manager conflicts.

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**Author:** ![biggles5107](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/biggles5107/32/495_2.png) [@biggles5107](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/biggles5107)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 6:59am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/3 "2018-11-02T06:59:51Z")

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In my experience, the login manager that you install via the `ubuntu-budgie-desktop` metapackage will be enabled automatically and replace gdm (the default Ubuntu login manager). I believe `systemd` only allows one service to provide the login manager.

If you want to use gdm instead after the fact (which is what you will probably want to do if you still want the lock screen to work under GNOME), just run `sudo systemctl disable lightdm`, then `sudo systemctl enable gdm`, and finally reboot for the change to take effect.

I have never done this because I don’t generally like to run two different desktop environments on my machine, but it may also be useful to set up another user to run Budgie if you want to avoid Budgie settings getting applied onto GNOME. Budgie and GNOME use the same settings backend, so themes etc. will be applied to both. Just a heads up. I have had the same theme applied to both and been quite happy with it. YMMV.

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**Author:** ![Traumflug](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/traumflug/32/714_2.png) [@Traumflug](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Traumflug)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/4 "2018-11-02T13:29:25Z")

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So I did a

```auto
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-budgie-desktop

```

During installation a menu came up, asking for a choice between `lightdm` and `gdm3` Choice was `lightdm`.

Then a reboot and … nothing changed. `gnome-shell` still running, just `gdm3` was replaced with `lightdm`. Choice on the login screen is still just _Ubuntu_ and _Ubuntu on Wayland_.

Fiddling with `systemctl` doesn’t appear to work either:

```auto
$ sudo systemctl enable lightdm
Synchronizing state of lightdm.service with SysV service script with /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install.
Executing: /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable lightdm
The unit files have no installation config (WantedBy, RequiredBy, Also, Alias
settings in the [Install] section, and DefaultInstance for template units).
This means they are not meant to be enabled using systemctl.
Possible reasons for having this kind of units are:
1) A unit may be statically enabled by being symlinked from another unit's
   .wants/ or .requires/ directory.
2) A unit's purpose may be to act as a helper for some other unit which has
   a requirement dependency on it.
3) A unit may be started when needed via activation (socket, path, timer,
   D-Bus, udev, scripted systemctl call, ...).
4) In case of template units, the unit is meant to be enabled with some
   instance name specified.

```

(same when trying to enable gdm)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Traumflug](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/traumflug/32/714_2.png) [@Traumflug](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Traumflug)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 2:39pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/5 "2018-11-02T14:39:45Z")

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Looked a bit around and found file `/usr/share/ubuntu-release-upgrader/DistUpgrade.cfg`. Therein:

> [ubuntu-budgie-desktop]  
> KeyDependencies=budgie-desktop-environment, budgie-welcome, ubuntu-budgie-themes

Installed these two additional packages, still no change.

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**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 2:41pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/6 "2018-11-02T14:41:53Z")

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is `budgie-desktop` actually installed?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Traumflug](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/traumflug/32/714_2.png) [@Traumflug](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Traumflug)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/7 "2018-11-02T15:43:36Z")

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You’re a hero! It wasn’t. Correcting this got things working as expected.

So, to get Budgie installed in parallel to base Ubuntu, it goes like this:

```auto
  sudo apt-get install ubuntu-budgie-desktop budgie-welcome ubuntu-budgie-themes budgie-desktop-environment

```

Then reboot and choose the environment at the login screen. Having installed both works just fine.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/8 "2018-11-02T15:45:41Z")

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finish off by running budgie-welcome (menu option). It will install the snap version and promptly uninstall itself.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bashfulrobot](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/bashfulrobot/32/3_2.png) [@bashfulrobot](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/bashfulrobot)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/9 "2018-11-02T16:23:50Z")

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Should the meta package have not brought in those other packages though?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/10 "2018-11-02T16:24:55Z")

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yes - that’s the very odd thing which makes my head hurt.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bashfulrobot](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/bashfulrobot/32/3_2.png) [@bashfulrobot](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/bashfulrobot)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/11 "2018-11-02T16:26:09Z")

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OK, great - I just wanted to be sure I had given the proper instructions. 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fossfreedom](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/fossfreedom/32/1405_2.png) [@fossfreedom](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/fossfreedom)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/12 "2018-11-02T16:31:39Z")

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Have you some-how stopped installing recommended packages? ubuntu-budgie-desktop should have install budgie-desktop as part of the recommended packages.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Traumflug](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/traumflug/32/714_2.png) [@Traumflug](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Traumflug)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/budgie-on-top-of-or-in-parallel-with-base-ubuntu/1166/13 "2018-11-02T16:45:47Z")

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> [@fossfreedom](#):
>
> Have you some-how stopped installing recommended packages?

Yes, of course. “Recommended” means recommended, not essential.

I’ve recorded what these commands did:

```auto
$ sudo apt-get install ubuntu-budgie-desktop
  [...]
  The following NEW packages will be installed:
    budgie-indicator-applet budgie-lightdm-theme budgie-lightdm-theme-base
    budgie-wallpapers budgie-wallpapers-cosmic gnome-themes-standard itstool
    libbudgie-plugin0 libgtkd-3-0 libphobos2-ldc-shared81 libvted-3-0 lightdm
    plymouth-theme-ubuntu-budgie-logo plymouth-theme-ubuntu-budgie-text
    plymouth-themes python-libxml2 python3-notify2 slick-greeter
    ssh-askpass-gnome tilix tilix-common ubuntu-budgie-desktop

$ sudo apt-get install budgie-welcome ubuntu-budgie-themes
  The following NEW packages will be installed:
    budgie-welcome ubuntu-budgie-themes

$ sudo apt-get install budgie-desktop-environment
  [...]
  The following NEW packages will be installed:
    budgie-core budgie-desktop budgie-desktop-common budgie-desktop-environment
    gir1.2-budgie-1.0 libbudgie-private0 libbudgietheme0 libraven0
    qt5-style-platform-gtk2 qt5-style-plugin-blackberry
    qt5-style-plugin-cleanlooks qt5-style-plugin-gtk2
    qt5-style-plugin-motif qt5-style-plugin-plastique qt5-style-plugins

```