This tutorial shows you how to install Cinnamon desktop environment on Ubuntu.
Cinnamon is the default desktop environment of Linux Mint. Unlike Unity desktop environment in Ubuntu, Cinnamon is more traditional but elegant looking desktop environment with the bottom panel and app menu etc. Many Windows migrants prefer Linux Mint over Ubuntu because of Cinnamon desktop and its Windows-resembling user interface.
Now, you don’t need to install Linux Mint just for trying Cinnamon. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to install Cinnamon in Ubuntu.
You should note something before you install Cinnamon desktop on Ubuntu. Sometimes, installing additional desktop environments leads to conflict between the desktop environments. This may result in a broken session, broken applications and features etc. This is why you should be careful in making this choice.
How to Install Cinnamon on Ubuntu

The steps are slightly different for Ubuntu 20.04 and the older LTS version 18.04.
Installing Cinnamon on Ubuntu 20.04
At the time of updating this tutorial, Cinnamon desktop version 4.4 is available in the universe repository of Ubuntu 20.04.
So make sure to enable universe repository and then use this command to install Cinnamon on Ubuntu 20.04:
sudo apt install cinnamon
Installing Cinnamon on Ubuntu 18.04
Cinnamon package is also available in the universe repository of Ubuntu 18.04. However, it only serves Cinnamon 3.6 version as you can see using the apt show command.
There used to be a-sort-of official PPA from Cinnamon team for Ubuntu but it doesn’t exist anymore. Don’t lose heart. There is an unofficial PPA available and it works perfectly.
This PPA consists of the Cinnamon version 4.2 which is not the latest but still better than 3.6.
Open a terminal and use the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:embrosyn/cinnamon
sudo apt update && sudo apt install cinnamon
It will download files of around 150 MB in size (if I remember correctly). This also provides you with Nemo (Nautilus fork) and Cinnamon Control Center. This bonus stuff gives a closer feel of Linux Mint.
Using Cinnamon desktop environment in Ubuntu
Once you have installed Cinnamon, log out of the current session. At the login screen, click on the Ubuntu symbol beside the username:
When you do this, it will give you all the desktop environments available for your system. No need to tell you that you have to choose Cinnamon:
Now you should be logged in to Ubuntu with Cinnamon desktop environment. Remember, you can do the same to switch back to Unity. Here is a quick screenshot of what it looked like to run Cinnamon in Ubuntu:
Looks completely like Linux Mint, doesn’t it? I didn’t find any compatibility issue between Cinnamon and Unity. I switched back and forth between Unity and Cinnamon and both worked perfectly.
Remove Cinnamon from Ubuntu
Warning!
Before you remove Cinnamon, you must switch back to your original desktop environment. Otherwise, you’ll end up logging into a system with only terminal opened.
It is understandable that you might want to uninstall Cinnamon. First, change back to GNOME or whichever desktop environment you were using before.
Now, remove the Cinnamon package:
sudo apt remove cinnamon
If you used the PPA to install Cinnamon, you should also delete the PPA from your list of repositories:
sudo add-apt-repository -r ppa:embrosyn/cinnamon
I hope this post helps you to install Cinnamon in Ubuntu. Do share your experience with Cinnamon.
I installed Cinnamon on Ubuntu GNOME 20.04 and actually prefer this DE. Is there any way to remove GNOME altogether and only keep the Cinnamon DE?
I would advise against removing GNOME altogether. Why? Because you may remove some components required by the system. It may happen.
Unless you really need the disk space, stick with both DE on your system and Cinnamon being the one in use.
More than enough disk space (500GB). I just didn’t want it to use up resources unnecessarily.
Thanks for the reply.
You can just keep GNOME. It has some essential tools. Removing it may break Ubuntu. Just keep it. I hope you have a decent amount of storage space.
Thanks for the detailed article.
I’ve installed Cinnamon on Ubuntu 20.4 (with updates and upgrades) within VMware Workstation 15.5.6. I’ve selected both Cinnamon & Cinnamon (software rendering) environment on the login screen. But I get a blank screen, evening deselecting 3D rending on VMware Workstation makes no differences.
I guess I will just be using https://ubuntucinnamon.org instead.
Please help!
This is a well-written article and you do an excellent job being articulate and clear. Perhaps you can help me.
I have just clean-installed Ubuntu Server 20.04 (only one OS, not dual-boot).
Then, I followed the instructions in this article to install Cinnamon, which appear to have worked beautifully. I rebooted and the GUI user logon screen greeted me. I verify that Cinnamon is the GUI chosen (and the only one available). The user name shows my name. When I enter my password, I get the message “Failed to start session”. I have searched on this error message and the solutions given do not apply to me.
Can you offer any advice?
Thank you,
John M.
Try reinstalling Cinnamon? You should be able to use the tty session by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1
Sometimes Ctrl+Alt+F1 may not work. You may use Ctrl+Alt+F2 if the tty1 didn’t work.
I’ve faced this problem in Manjaro.
Great help.. Thank you. I Cinnamon is better than Gnome..