# Run Budgie with alternative window manager?

**URL:** <https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060>\
**Category:** Budgie Desktop\
**Created:** [February 12, 2020, 7:31am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060 "2020-02-12T07:31:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![8ink](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/8ink/32/2032_2.png) [@8ink](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/8ink)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 7:31am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/1 "2020-02-12T07:31:24Z")

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Is there any way to replace muffin as the Budgie wm?  
My x101 doesn’t like muffin but is fine with marco.

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**Author:** ![8ink](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/8ink/32/2032_2.png) [@8ink](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/8ink)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 7:34am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/2 "2020-02-12T07:34:23Z")

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![Screenshot from 2020-02-12 06-31-35](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/uploads/ubuntubudgie/original/2X/e/e1b1efe48244ea7e573d35d3be92696d3cb91ebe.png)

Absolutely hammering all 4 cpu cores just trying to run system monitor at 4 refreshes per second!

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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:** [February 12, 2020, 8:53am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/3 "2020-02-12T08:53:39Z")

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The window manager is mutter. No is the short answer.

If this is the atom based netbook then its best to use another desktop environment - the RAM and CPU is way below our minimum recommendation.

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**Author:** ![8ink](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/8ink/32/2032_2.png) [@8ink](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/8ink)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 10:36am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/4 "2020-02-12T10:36:26Z")

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Not from my experiences here. The lower spec eee pc 901 runs it fine with just 2 cores and 1 GB ram.  
I’ll confess that the 900mhz single core 512MB ram eee pc 4g struggles to run it, but that’s expected.  
This problem with the x101 graphics happens on Cinnamon too, but you are warned and offered cpu rendering mode instead. With Budgie it is happening by default with no warning.  
It’s a problem with compatibility, not raw machine power.

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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:** [February 12, 2020, 11:51am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/5 "2020-02-12T11:51:41Z")

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> [@8ink](#):
>
> With Budgie it is happening by default with no warning

That’s the GNOME mutter element. That’s nothing that we can change.

To be honest I’ve never heard of x101 graphics - sounds like there is no native linux driver available which you will need to run decent graphics acceleration.

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**Author:** ![Rinzwind](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/rinzwind/32/1152_2.png) [@Rinzwind](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/Rinzwind)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/6 "2020-02-12T14:41:54Z")

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x101 is the model number and ships in 3 versions with either …

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3150  
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 3600

Both should work. How well is up for debate 😉

@8ink can you supply the results from

```
sudo lshw -C video 

```

to make sure.

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**Author:** ![codic](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/codic/32/2569_2.png) [@codic](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/codic)\
**Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 3:58am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/7 "2020-02-13T03:58:57Z")

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`windowmanger --replace` I’ve done it with Compiz.  
It works well, but the problem is that keyboard shortcuts hardcoded into Budgie, eg applet shortcuts, don’t work. Stuff like Window Previews does work in newer versions though, as it’s not an applet, via the keyboard shortcuts.  
In short, you’ll be far better switching to another DE, like XFCE or MATE, as @fossfreedom mentioned.

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**Author:** ![8ink](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/8ink/32/2032_2.png) [@8ink](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/8ink)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 10:02am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/8 "2020-02-14T10:02:18Z")

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Back from too far down that particular rabbit hole. My findings:

1. There are drivers for the lower powered N270 1.6 and Celeron M ULV 900 integrated graphics.

2. No such driver exists for the N2600 graphics, and most likely never will

3. Kernel v3.2 is rumoured to be best for graphics on the N2600

4. Netinstalling 12.04 no desktop then doing release upgrades to 18.04 on ext2 is not a stable approach.

5. On ext4, Netinstall 12.04, then upgrade to 14.04 then install systemd. Then upgrade to 16.04 and install xorg and basic mate desktop. Then upgrade to 18.04 and install Budgie. Then it still can’t play videos well but is really cool. Tried the latest kernel but networking broke so sticking with 3.2.0-23

So the choice is to use the x101 as a linux server or install windows 10?

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**Author:** ![8ink](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/8ink/32/2032_2.png) [@8ink](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/8ink)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 10:07am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/9 "2020-02-14T10:07:16Z")

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Another DE is certainly the way to go. Mate on 16.04 was happy idling at under 80MB, you have to really tinker to get it that low on 18.04

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**Author:** ![codic](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/codic/32/2569_2.png) [@codic](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/codic)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/10 "2020-02-14T18:35:56Z")

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hmm  
maybe you want to try UB 16.04?  
Note though that it won’t recieve updates, same as mate 16.04

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**Author:** ![8ink](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/8ink/32/2032_2.png) [@8ink](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/8ink)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 4:24am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/11 "2020-02-15T04:24:12Z")

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I’m usually running LMDE but for slower boxes have to install mate desktop as only cinnamon version happens now. Very sad to see 16.04 loose support, it was good in so many ways!

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**Author:** ![8ink](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/8ink/32/2032_2.png) [@8ink](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/8ink)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 4:25am UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/12 "2020-02-15T04:25:51Z")

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> [@Rinzwind](#):
>
> ```auto
> sudo lshw -C video 
> 
> ```

Yes, it’s

\*-display  
description: VGA compatible controller  
product: Atom Processor D2xxx/N2xxx Integrated Graphics Controller  
vendor: Intel Corporation  
physical id: 2  
bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0  
version: 09  
width: 32 bits  
clock: 33MHz  
capabilities: pm msi vga\_controller bus\_master cap\_list rom  
configuration: driver=gma500 latency=0  
resources: irq:29 memory:dfc00000-dfcfffff ioport:f0e0(size=8) memory:c0000-dffff

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![codic](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/codic/32/2569_2.png) [@codic](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/codic)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 3:18pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/13 "2020-02-15T15:18:24Z")

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That’s true, but I much prefer 18.04 in almost every version of Ubuntu except stock Ubuntu, because it had the unity desktop that i loved 😛  
otherwise I don’t see how 16.04 can beat 18.04. Honestly for me, with every update, stuff is faster

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![8ink](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex035/user_avatar/discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/8ink/32/2032_2.png) [@8ink](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/u/8ink)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://discourse.ubuntubudgie.org/t/run-budgie-with-alternative-window-manager/3060/14 "2020-02-16T15:29:29Z")

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In cli mode, before any xorg or desktop, 16.04 is idling at under 21MB.  
In 18.04, it’s 80MB!

About 30-50 MB more basic memory use in 18.04 compared to 16.04, regardless of desktop.  
This stuff matters when you run EEE PC 4G machines.

pros: Budgie 18.04 looks great. Budgie 16.04 looked promising