Install LXDE on Fedora 36 in Minutes – A Lightweight Desktop for the Speed‑Obsessed
Fedora 36 ships with GNOME by default, but if your machine feels more “sluggish than a dial‑up modem” after a few updates, dropping LXDE can give you a snappy, low‑resource experience. In this guide I’ll walk you through the exact steps (and why each one matters) so you can swap out GNOME for LXDE without breaking anything.
1 Add the Extra Repository That Holds LXDE
LXDE isn’t in Fedora’s core repos by default, so we need to enable the Fedora‑Extras or RPMFusion repository first. I’ve seen users get a half‑frozen desktop when they try installing from an incomplete source.
sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-36.noarch.rpm
The command pulls the free RPMFusion repo file and registers it. This step is crucial because it gives us access to the LXDE meta‑package and its dependencies that aren’t available in the default repos.
2 Refresh Your Package Cache
After adding a new repo you should refresh the metadata so DNF knows what’s actually on disk.
sudo dnf makecache
If you skip this, DNF may think it can’t find LXDE even though the repo is in place. It’s like trying to pick up a book from a library that hasn’t updated its catalog yet.
3 Install the Core LXDE Packages
LXDE ships as a meta‑package that pulls in everything you need—panel, window manager, themes, and more.
sudo dnf install lxde-desktop
Why this matters: The meta‑package guarantees you get all the components that work together. Installing pieces piecemeal can leave orphaned libraries or broken configurations that will bite you later when you try to start a session.
4 Disable GNOME Services That Might Confuse LXDE
GNOME’s startup services can interfere with LXDE, especially if both try to run simultaneously. Turn off the gnome‑session service:
sudo systemctl disable --now gdm.service
And then enable the lightweight display manager that comes with LXDE:
sudo dnf install lxdm sudo systemctl enable --now lxdm.service
You’ll notice your screen flicker to a blank login once. That’s normal; you’re now using LM instead of GDM.
5 Set LXDE as the Default Session at Login
When you log in via LXD, you can select the session type. If you want LXDE automatically every time, edit your ~/.dmrc file:
echo -e "[Desktop]\nSession=lxde" > ~/.dmrc
This tells the display manager to pick LXDE by default, so you won’t have to click a drop‑down menu each time.
6 Log Out and Test It Out
Restart your machine (or just log out) and choose the “LXDE” session at the login screen. If everything worked, you should see a classic lightweight desktop: a top panel, simple window decorations, and a battery of minimal apps ready to go.
If the panel doesn’t appear or you get a “failed to load theme” error, try:
sudo dnf reinstall lxde-desktop
Reinstalling ensures all dependencies are correctly linked. Sometimes a broken package from an older Fedora release can sneak in via RPMFusion.
7 Optional: Keep GNOME Around for When You Need It
If you want the flexibility to switch back, just enable GDM again:
sudo systemctl disable --now lxdm.service sudo systemctl enable --now gdm.service
Then on login choose “GNOME” or whatever session you prefer. That way you can keep the best of both worlds.
That’s all there is to it—LXDE up and running on Fedora 36 in less than ten minutes. You now have a desktop that feels like a breeze, especially if your old machine was breathing fire under GNOME.
