You can choose among the desktop options offered by aerynOS during installation, and an existing GNOME installation has documented routes to add KDE Plasma or COSMIC. Budgie is different: the official aerynOS desktop pages and instructions cited here do not provide a Budgie package set or switching procedure. Do not use a generic Budgie command or assume it will appear at the login screen.
Which desktop environments does aerynOS document?
The aerynOS desktop overview covers GNOME, KDE Plasma, COSMIC, and window managers, but does not list Budgie. The GNOME guidance identifies GNOME as the live environment and the default for lichen installs; it also says aerynOS uses Wayland and does not offer X11. The documentation describes aerynOS as alpha software, so desktop options and instructions can change.
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A community update dated September 23, 2026 said Budgie was not ready for inclusion at that time. That is dated community information, not confirmation of its status today. Check current official aerynOS desktop documentation before attempting to install Budgie; the Debian budgie-session manual describes a generic X11 session manager and does not establish aerynOS support or compatibility.
Choosing a desktop during a new installation
The installation guide says the lichen installer prompts you to select a desktop environment and downloads the latest packages from the repository. The download page describes GNOME, KDE Plasma, COSMIC, and a terminal-only installation choice. Because these options may change, use the choices displayed by your installer rather than assuming a particular desktop is available.
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Adding a desktop to an existing GNOME installation
The documented add-on procedures begin with GNOME and cover Plasma and COSMIC. They install package sets with moss; after installation, choose the desired session from GDM at login.
Add KDE Plasma
The Plasma documentation offers three package sets. Choose one according to how much of the KDE application suite you want:
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| Package set | Purpose | Command |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal | Plasma session | sudo moss install pkgset-aeryn-plasma-minimal |
| Recommended | Plasma with recommended applications | sudo moss install pkgset-aeryn-plasma-recommended |
| Full | Full KDE application set | sudo moss install pkgset-aeryn-plasma-full |
Once installed, select Plasma in GDM at login. The documentation also describes SDDM or plasma-login-manager as alternatives to GDM, but warns that GNOME Shell expects GDM for full functionality. If you want to keep using GNOME as well, take that trade-off into account before replacing the login manager.
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The COSMIC documentation likewise offers minimal, recommended, and full package sets:
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| Package set | Purpose | Command |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal | COSMIC session | sudo moss install pkgset-aeryn-cosmic-minimal |
| Recommended | COSMIC with recommended applications | sudo moss install pkgset-aeryn-cosmic-recommended |
| Full | Full COSMIC application set | sudo moss install pkgset-aeryn-cosmic-full |
Choose COSMIC from GDM at login after installation. The documentation also describes cosmic-greeter as an alternative display manager and, as with Plasma, cautions that GNOME Shell expects GDM for full functionality.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if you want Budgie
No official Budgie installation or session-selection instructions are established by the aerynOS pages cited here. A community discussion dated September 2026 mentions work toward Budgie and a labwc compositor arrangement, but does not provide a supported installation recipe. Check the current desktop overview and official package documentation for a Budgie package set before proceeding. Do not adapt the Plasma or COSMIC commands: those package names are specific to their documented environments.
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