Jack Wallen/ZDNET
ZDNET key takeaways
Desert OS is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu.
This distro is beautiful and full-featured.
Desert OS performs better on bare metal than as a VM.
When I think of Xfce-based desktop distributions, a certain old-school look comes to mind. That doesn't mean the open-source desktop should be overlooked... quite the opposite. Xfce is a lightning-fast, full-featured desktop that just so happens to look a bit old school. Of course, this is Linux, so anything is possible.
Also: The best Linux distributions for beginners: Expert tested and reviewed
When I came across Desert OS, I was convinced that it was a tweaked KDE Plasma or GNOME desktop. There was no way it could be Xfce, right? Right? I was wrong.
This Ukrainian Linux distribution sports a beautiful Xfce desktop with Ubuntu 26.04 under the hood to create a striking look and feel you won't find in most desktop OSs of this combination. It really is pretty.
But how does it perform? Let's first take a gander at the look and feel.
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