How to replace Default Desktop Environment with Cinnamon in Kali Linux

How to install Cinnamon in Kali Linux

If you do not like GNOME 3 in Kali Linux, you can install any Desktop Environment you prefer. I like Cinnamon, so to install Cinnamon in Kali Linux:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install kali-defaults kali-root-login desktop-base cinnamon
sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager

Select option with /usr/bin/cinnamon-session:

Reboot your system.

You will find desktop wallpapers in /usr/share/backgrounds/.

If anyway you boot into default Desktop Environment, you should install lightdm:

sudo apt install lightdm

A display manager is a program that provides graphical login capabilities for the X Window System.

Only one display manager can manage a given X server, but multiple display manager packages are installed. Please select which display manager should run by default.

Press OK.

Select lightdm:

You will have issues while using Cinnamon as root. You will not able change background of your desktop or create a shortcut on the desktop. You should login as normal user.

How to create a normal user in Kali Linux

useradd -m -G sudo -s /bin/bash new_user

Replace new_user with actual name of your new user.

Set the system password for the new user:

passwd new_user

If you don’t like to type password every time when you use sudo, use the following command:

echo '%sudo ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL' >> /etc/sudoers

How to return GNOME 3 and a standard Display Manager in Kali Linux

In order to reverse made changes and come back to GNOME 3 and GDM3 in Kali Linux, use the following commands (to select Desktop Environment)

sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager

To select Display Manager:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3