Sometimes you need to get the most out of an old PC. Other times you have a high-performance system and want to dedicate all of that power to the task at hand. Either way, keeping everything as slim as possible is key. When you install Linux, theres not a whole lot that you can easily modify in order to cut down on crudexcept for one thing: your desktop environment. If you want a lightweight Linux desktop, you need to choose the right environment. What Is a Desktop Environment? A desktop environment is the interface you see on screen.