Enso OS: when you join elementary OS and Xfce on the same system

We have sometimes commented on it: one of the good things about Linux is at the same time something bad. I'm talking about the different distributions / environments out there, which translates to many different interfaces and different formats / installation packages. The good thing about all this is that it is SURE that there is a Linux-based system that meets everything we need. elementary OS arrived about 8 years ago focused mainly on an audience that likes the image that Apple offers; Xfce was born long before to create a lightweight and customizable environment. What if we put the two together? The result would be Enso OS.

What is Enso OS? It is a relatively new system. It's been a couple of years since it released its first version, but it's still in beta. The current version is based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS and includes the Xfce desktop (based on Xubuntu) combined with Gala, the Mutter-based composer / window manager designed for use on elementary OS and its Pantheon.

Table of Contents

1 Enso OS is based on Ubuntu 18.04
2 Fast and light
3 The best of Enso OS

Enso OS is based on Ubuntu 18.04

The application launcher that Enso uses is Panther and his dock Frank, is a modified version of Plank. Like elementary OS, this new distro includes a fully functional top panel. Anyone who uses Ubuntu will know what I mean: a top bar that includes the time, the system tray (tray) and some shortcuts accessible from it.

Gala It is not new. It was launched together with elementary OS in 2011. What is new is combining it with Xfce, which makes it have a more minimalist image at the same time as modern. The animations are smooth, and Gala is responsible for this smoothness and fluidity. I think Enso OS is an option that some Xfce users should consider, such as those currently working with Xubuntu.

Fast and light

Not a few users have complained that Xfce is not so light anymore like years ago. That is one of the reasons for being of this operating system: to recover as much as possible part of these sensations. Like other older versions of Xfce, Enso works well on resource-limited machines, which can also allow us to resurrect an old PC.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it includes support for factory Snap and APT packages, which facilitates the installation of software for all of us who are used to using X-buntu. Speaking of installing software, Enso's app store / software center is AppHive, a modified version of elementary's AppCenter. If I remember correctly, elementary does not make it easy for us to install software that is not available in its AppCenter, so I think Enso is on the top in this regard (ease of use). It is true that this is a personal opinion of someone who usually uses Ubuntu family operating systems.

The best of Enso OS

Although it is still in beta, it is more mature than many versions whose release is already stable. Undoubtedly, the best thing is its user interface and its fluency. During all the time that we are using Enso, we feel that we are facing something new as well as known. Sometimes we feel like we are looking at a desktop version of Android or a mobile operating system ported to the desktop.

The most up-to-date version, which we can download from your Web page, Is the v0.3.1. It was released on June 7 and, as we have already mentioned, it is in beta. Personally, I encourage you to try it, but from GNOME Boxes (GNOME Boxes), which allows us to run an ISO in perfect condition without having to install any extra component, such as Virtualbox Guest Additions. You can also create a Live USB and run it like many other distributions in a Live Session.

Have you already tried Enso OS? Do you think it is worth installing it as the main operating system?