How to Customize the Cinnamon Desktop on Linux Mint

Linux Mint is a popular distribution known for its simplicity, ease of use, and user-friendly interface. At the heart of its user experience lies the Cinnamon desktop environment, which offers a balance between traditional desktop aesthetics and modern functionality. One of the best aspects of Cinnamon is its high degree of customization, allowing users to tweak and personalize their desktop environment to match their preferences.

This guide will explore various ways to customize the Cinnamon desktop on Linux Mint, including themes, applets, desklets, panels, hot corners, and more.

1. Changing Themes and Icons

Themes and icons define the look and feel of your Cinnamon desktop. Here’s how you can change them:

Installing and Applying New Themes

1. Open System Settings from the menu.
2. Navigate to Themes.
3. You’ll see options for Window Borders, Icons, Controls, Mouse Pointers, and Desktop.
4. To change a theme, click on the desired category and select from the available options.
5. To download more themes, click “Add/Remove” and browse through the online repository.
6. Once downloaded, apply the theme to see the changes immediately.

Customizing Icons

1. Open System Settings and go to Themes.
2. Click on the Icons section.
3. Choose from the pre-installed icon themes or download new ones from the repository.
4. Apply your selection to customize the icons on your system.

To manually install themes and icons, place downloaded themes in ~/.themes and icons in ~/.icons. These directories may need to be created if they don’t already exist.

2. Using Applets and Desklets

Applets

Applets are small applications that reside in the panel, providing additional functionality.

Adding and Managing Applets

1. Right-click on the panel and select Applets.
2. Click on the Available Applets (Online) tab to browse additional applets.
3. Select an applet and click Install.
4. Switch to the Manage tab and enable the installed applet.
5. The applet will appear in the panel, and you can reposition it as needed.

Popular applets include system monitors, weather widgets, and workspace switchers.

Desklets

Desklets are similar to widgets and can be placed on the desktop for quick access to information.

Adding Desklets

1. Right-click on the desktop and select Add Desklets.
2. Navigate to the Available Desklets (Online) tab and download additional desklets.
3. Switch to the Manage tab and enable the ones you want.
4. Drag and drop them onto the desktop to place them where you like.

3. Customizing Panels and Hot Corners

Adjusting the Panel

The panel is the taskbar-like element at the bottom (or any other edge) of the screen.

Moving and Resizing the Panel

1. Right-click the panel and select Panel Settings.
2. Use the settings to change the panel’s position (bottom, top, left, right).
3. Adjust the panel’s height and other settings to better suit your needs.

Adding and Removing Panel Items

1. Right-click the panel and select Applets.
2. In the Manage tab, enable or disable panel items.
3. Drag items around to reposition them.

Configuring Hot Corners

Hot corners allow you to trigger actions when the mouse is moved to a specific corner of the screen.

Enabling Hot Corners

1. Open System Settings and go to Hot Corners.
2. Choose a corner and select an action (e.g., Show All Windows, Workspace Selector, etc.).
3. Test by moving the cursor to the designated corner.

4. Tweaking Window Management and Effects

Adjusting Window Behavior

1. Open System Settings and go to Windows.
2. Modify focus behavior, snapping, and tiling preferences.
3. Enable window animations for smoother transitions.

Enabling Desktop Effects

1. Open System Settings and navigate to Effects.
2. Toggle different animation effects for opening, closing, and minimizing windows.
3. Adjust settings to find the right balance between aesthetics and performance.

5. Using Extensions for Enhanced Functionality

Extensions enhance Cinnamon’s capabilities by adding extra features.

Installing Extensions

1. Open System Settings and navigate to Extensions.
2. Browse the available extensions and install the ones you like.
3. Enable and configure them as needed.

Some useful extensions include system monitors, clipboard managers, and application launchers.

6. Customizing the Login Screen

You can customize the login screen appearance to match your desktop theme.

Changing the Login Theme

1. Open System Settings and go to Login Window.
2. Select a theme and customize settings like background, panel layout, and logo.
3. Apply the changes and test them by logging out.

7. Creating Keyboard Shortcuts

Adding Custom Shortcuts

1. Open System Settings and go to Keyboard.
2. Navigate to the Shortcuts tab.
3. Select a category and click Add Custom Shortcut.
4. Assign a key combination to launch applications or perform specific actions.

8. Using the Dconf Editor for Advanced Tweaks

For deeper customization, the Dconf Editor provides access to advanced settings.

Installing and Using Dconf Editor

1. Install it by running:

   sudo apt install dconf-editor
   

2. Open Dconf Editor and navigate through the available settings.

3. Modify configurations carefully to avoid breaking the desktop environment.

Conclusion

Customizing the Cinnamon desktop on Linux Mint allows you to tailor your computing experience to your liking. Whether it’s changing themes, adding applets, configuring panels, or fine-tuning window behavior, the options are nearly endless. By exploring these settings, you can create a personalized and efficient workspace that enhances both productivity and aesthetics.

Have fun tweaking your Linux Mint Cinnamon desktop, and happy customizing!