DEsk is a beta Wayland desktop environment for Linux that takes realistic skeuomorphism to its extreme. Its name, short for Desk Environment, came from the Reddit community and replaces the earlier name Desk WM. Every element of the screen is drawn to look like a real object: the desktop is a walnut desk, windows are sheets of paper, and the dock is a drawer. Apps are filed in binders on a bookshelf behind the desk, notifications arrive in a post box, and system controls sit in a panel built into the back of the desk. The room is ray-traced, and a single desk lamp lights the whole scene.
The project is in its first public release, v0.1.2 (BETA). The author uses it daily, but expect rough edges and changes. Settings and data carry forward from earlier versions, and existing DESKWM_* variables still work.
Installation uses a script for each supported distribution, including Debian 13, Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04, Arch Linux, and Fedora 43 and 44. Run the script for your system, then log out and select DEsk at the login screen. The installer asks before changing anything, and flags such as --yes and --no-apps adjust its behavior. The first login takes a few seconds on a GPU and longer without one. Updates use the same install command, and settings are preserved.
The Discord server is open for bug reports and feature ideas.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing