How to install the Pantheon desktop environment?

Question

I want to install Pantheon desktop environment from elementaryOS on Ubuntu, is that possible?

Answer 1

This is answer for newer releases of Ubuntu — 12.04 and up. Remember, use this at your own risk!

• Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T).

• Add the repositories and update the package list:

   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:elementary-os/daily
   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:elementary-os/os-patches
   sudo apt update
  

• Upgrade your packages...

   sudo apt upgrade
  

• ...and install:

   sudo apt install elementary-desktop
  

After completed installation log out and chose session called Pantheon in LightDM.

Answer 2

1. Open a terminal window (press Ctrl + Alt + T).

2. Run these commands line by line in the terminal:

   bzr branch lp:elementaryos
   cd elementaryos
   sudo sh congrego.sh --configure-installed

3. Logout?Restart and select Pantheon on the login screen.

Answer 3

All answers work but they install the unstable builds, so if you want the stable builds use Ubuntu 12.04:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:elementary-os/stable
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install elementary-desktop

Now, after you login to Pantheon Desktop it will still look like regular Ubuntu, to easily modify its appearance install Elementary Tweaks:

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:versable/elementary-update
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install elementary-tweaks

The Elementary Tweaks app is an icon at the main System Settings. Change all possible entries to elementary at Appearance tab.

You may want to install more apps from Elementary, but with this you get most of it.

Answer 4

I would try their PPA https://launchpad.net/~elementary-os/+archive/daily

To add it:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:elementary-os/daily 

The new dock, Plank, is in its own PPA: and so is its browser:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ricotz/docky && sudo add-apt-repository ppa:midori/midori-dev 

Then:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install elementary-desktop plank midori

I havent been able to install beatbox too.

EDIT: Please note that this was written in 2011, and it may or may not be still valid for the latest editions of ubuntu. If anyone has tried it, please report in the comments.

Answer 5

All the other answers are, I think, outdated. This question still shows pretty high on some Google searches (that's how I got here), so I'll add this:

I just installed pantheon on Ubuntu 14.04. It's working fine, with just a couple of caveats.

Also, this Ubuntu install has had almost every Desktop Environment under the sun, so it's nothing close to a clean Ubuntu.

Here's how I did it:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:elementary-os/daily
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:elementary-os/os-patches
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:elementary-os/testing
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mpstark/elementary-tweaks-daily

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

sudo apt-get install elementary-theme elementary-icon-theme elementary-default-settings elementary-desktop elementary-tweaks

I'll try to fix what is not working, but it's completely usable. Two exceptions, at least for me on this PC:

• Elementary's official theme looks broken; other themes for Pantheon I've tried too; Lubuntu-default, Ambiance and Radiance, and Adwaita look fine.
• Switchboard, the control panel, crashes if I click on certain elements; I can configure anything with the keyboard (tab to move between elements, arrows and space to change their value.)
• Hotkeys are not the same as in a real Elementary OS, and that's the only thing I can't change on Switchboard; you have the typical Ubuntu hotkeys, which is not that bad. For instance, I prefer switching workspaces with SUPR+LEFT/RIGHT, but this has CTRL+ALT+LEFT/RIGHT.

If I fix those I might remember to update this. If I don't, feel free to remind me.

Answer 6

You can try this:

sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:elementary-os/daily
sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:midori/midori-dev
sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:nemequ/sqlheavy
sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:ricotz/docky
sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa:marlin-devs/marlin-daily
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get -y upgrade
sudo apt-get -y dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install -y pantheon-shell pantheon dexter-contacts postler midori lingo beatbox wingpanel plank lightdm-webkit-greeter pantheon-lightdm-theme pantheon-terminal pantheon-xsession-settings contractor slingshot-launcher scratch marlin elementary-theme elementary-icon-theme exe-wrapper ttf-droid footnote maya switchboard plank-theme-pantheon snap feedler switchboard-gnome-control-center preload