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Budgie Desktop is a free, open-source graphical desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like systems. It provides the visible workspace—panels, an application menu, settings and notifications—while the Linux distribution supplies the underlying operating system and software packages. Budgie 10.10 is the current 10-series family identified by the project as of October 4, 2026, and its stable series is Wayland-only.
What is Budgie Desktop?
Budgie is the desktop environment maintained by the independent Buddies of Budgie project. A desktop environment is the graphical layer you use to open applications, manage windows, adjust settings and interact with notifications. It is not a Linux distribution, and installing Budgie does not by itself choose a base operating system or its update and support policy.
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The project describes Budgie in its README as “a feature-rich, modern desktop designed to keep out the way of the user.” That is the project’s description of its design goal, not a performance comparison.
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Budgie combines a conventional panel-and-menu workflow with its own utilities. The panel gives access to desktop functions, while the menu and keyboard tools provide ways to launch applications. The project README describes these components; their exact appearance and defaults can vary with the distribution packaging Budgie.
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Application menu and Run Dialog
The application menu launches installed programs, with search and category filtering to help find them. The Run Dialog offers a keyboard-based way to launch an application without browsing the menu.
Raven notifications and controls
Raven is Budgie’s notification and control center. It brings together notifications, a calendar, sound controls and media playback controls. For media, it can expose controls for players that support the MPRIS standard.
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Session and authentication actions
Budgie includes a session dialog for common session actions and integrates with PolicyKit, the authorization system Linux applications can use when an action requires authentication. These components handle desktop tasks; they do not replace the distribution’s account, security or system-administration tools.
Is Budgie based on GNOME?
Budgie is not GNOME Shell. The Budgie FAQ says Budgie 10 uses GTK3 and some GNOME libraries, but has its own shell. In Budgie 10.10, the project identifies labwc—not Mutter—as the compositor. Using GNOME technologies does not mean Budgie is the GNOME Shell desktop, and these implementation details are specific to the versions the FAQ discusses.
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What does Budgie 10.10’s Wayland-only status mean?
The project’s Get Budgie page describes the stable 10 series as Wayland-only. Wayland is the display protocol used between applications and the compositing desktop. This matters if a workflow depends on X11: check whether the distribution’s Budgie package and your required applications support the way you intend to use them before switching.
Distribution packages can lag behind upstream, so the version available to install may not be 10.10. Check the distribution’s package information and release notes rather than assuming that every system offering Budgie has the same version or display-session behavior. The Budgie FAQ advises consulting distribution guidance for NVIDIA Wayland configuration if problems arise; behavior can differ with the GPU, driver and distribution.
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Where can you try Budgie?
There is no single reference operating system for Budgie. The project lists multiple distributions and describes their approaches; availability and listed versions can change, so consult the current Get Budgie page before choosing.
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| Fedora Budgie Spin | Fedora describes it as closely aligned with upstream, with a curated selection of default applications. | Consider Fedora’s release and support cadence, plus whether you want defaults kept relatively close to upstream. |
| Ubuntu Budgie | Budgie is packaged within Ubuntu, with a more curated experience and its own installer guidance. | Consider Ubuntu Budgie’s release and support choices and its distribution-specific defaults. |
| Solus | The project lists Solus as a curated Budgie experience. | Check Solus’s current Budgie version, packaging and support details on the project’s current listing. |
| Other listed distributions | The Get Budgie page also lists options including EndeavourOS, NixOS and Ultramarine; versions and status are listed there. | Confirm current package status, version, installation method and Wayland support for the distribution you select. |
Choose based on the underlying distribution’s release and support model, whether you prefer near-upstream defaults or distribution-specific customization, whether Budgie is preinstalled, and which Budgie version is available. The project FAQ says Budgie can also be installed alongside another desktop on some distributions. Follow that distribution’s instructions and choose the correct session at login; multiple desktop environments may share GTK themes or settings, so changes in one can affect the other.
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What hardware does Budgie need?
The Budgie FAQ says the project does not officially specify a minimum system requirement. It reports validation on 4th-generation Intel or equivalent AMD processors and with integrated or dedicated graphics, including an older GT 730. It recommends 4 GB or more of RAM, especially when using heavier applications. These are project-published guidance, not a standardized minimum or an independent performance test.
Do not confuse desktop guidance with the requirements for installing a complete distribution. Ubuntu Budgie separately lists a 2.4 GHz CPU, 4 GB RAM and 60 GB of disk space for its installer. Those figures describe Ubuntu Budgie’s whole operating-system installation, not a universal requirement for Budgie Desktop alone. Check the live installer page for the release you plan to install.
How do you install or try Budgie?
The simplest route for many users is to select a distribution that ships Budgie, such as Fedora Budgie Spin, Ubuntu Budgie or Solus. If your current distribution maintains Budgie packages, you may instead install it alongside your existing desktop, but package names and steps vary. Use that distribution’s official instructions and verify the version and session options before proceeding.
Install Ubuntu Budgie from USB
- Choose a supported Ubuntu Budgie release from its downloads page and review that release’s installation guidance and requirements.
- Prepare installation media by writing the downloaded installer image to a USB flash drive. Ubuntu Budgie says a USB drive can be used as installation media and recommends Etcher for beginners; follow its current instructions.
- Boot the computer from the USB drive and follow the installer prompts. The installer requirements apply to the full Ubuntu Budgie system, not Budgie in isolation.
- After installation, use the distribution’s login screen to choose the Budgie session if more than one desktop is installed.
A USB drive is simply optional installation media; the project does not require a Budgie-specific product or a particular drive model.
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