reterminal-dm4/archive/chromium-setup-legacy/TOUCHSCREEN-DESKTOP-OPTIONS.md

Touchscreen-Friendly Desktop Environments for reTerminal DM4

Current Setup

• Screen: 10-inch, 1280x800 resolution
• Current DE: LXDE with Openbox
• Display Server: Wayland (with Xwayland)

Recommended Desktop Environments

1. KDE Plasma (Best for Touchscreen) ⭐ RECOMMENDED

Pros:

• Excellent touch support with large touch targets
• Built-in on-screen keyboard (Maliit)
• Gesture support
• Scalable UI elements
• Modern, polished interface
• Good performance on Raspberry Pi 5

Installation:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install kde-plasma-desktop
# Or for full KDE experience:
sudo apt-get install kde-standard

After installation:

# Set KDE as default desktop
sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager
# Select KDE/Plasma option

# Enable touchscreen optimizations
# In System Settings > Workspace Behavior > Desktop Effects
# Enable touch gestures and adjust touch settings

Size: ~500-800 MB

---

2. GNOME (Good Touch Support)

Pros:

• Excellent touch and gesture support
• Large, finger-friendly interface
• Built-in on-screen keyboard (Caribou)
• Modern, tablet-like experience
• Good Wayland support

Cons:

• More resource-intensive than LXDE
• May be slower on older Pi models

Installation:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-core
# Or full GNOME:
sudo apt-get install gnome

After installation:

# Set GNOME as default
sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager
# Select GNOME option

# Enable touch optimizations in GNOME Settings
# Settings > Universal Access > Enable on-screen keyboard

Size: ~1-1.5 GB

---

3. XFCE with Touch Optimizations

Pros:

• Lightweight but more touch-friendly than LXDE
• Customizable
• Good performance
• Can be configured for touch

Installation:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies

# Install on-screen keyboard
sudo apt-get install onboard

Touch optimizations:

# Increase icon sizes, touch targets
# Configure in Settings > Appearance > Icons (set to 48px or larger)
# Settings > Panel > Increase panel size

Size: ~200-300 MB

---

4. Phosh (Mobile-First Desktop)

Pros:

• Designed specifically for touch devices
• Very lightweight
• Mobile/tablet interface
• Built-in on-screen keyboard

Cons:

• Less mature on Raspberry Pi
• May require more configuration

Installation:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install phosh phosh-tour

Size: ~100-200 MB

---

5. Lomiri (Ubuntu Touch Desktop)

Pros:

• Designed for touch from the ground up
• Mobile-first interface
• Gesture-based navigation

Cons:

• May not be in Debian repositories
• Requires more setup

Installation:

# May need to add Ubuntu Touch repositories
# Check availability in Debian repos first

---

Comparison Table

Desktop Environment	Touch Support	Performance	Size	Ease of Setup
KDE Plasma	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Medium	Easy
GNOME	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	Large	Easy
XFCE	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Small	Easy
Phosh	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Small	Medium
LXDE (Current)	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Very Small	N/A

---

Recommended: KDE Plasma

For a 10-inch touchscreen, KDE Plasma offers the best balance of:

• Touch-friendliness
• Performance
• Features
• Ease of use

Installation Steps for KDE Plasma

1. Install KDE Plasma:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install kde-plasma-desktop
   

2. Install on-screen keyboard:

   sudo apt-get install maliit-keyboard
   

3. Set as default desktop:

   sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager
   # Select: /usr/bin/startplasma-wayland or /usr/bin/startplasma-x11
   

4. Configure touch settings:

   • System Settings > Input Devices > Touchpad/Touchscreen
   • Adjust touch sensitivity and gestures
   • Enable tap-to-click

5. Enable on-screen keyboard:

   • System Settings > Input Devices > Virtual Keyboard
   • Enable "Show on-screen keyboard when needed"

6. Adjust UI scaling:

   • System Settings > Display and Monitor
   • Set scale to 125% or 150% for better touch targets

7. Reboot:

   sudo reboot
   

Switching Back to LXDE

If you want to switch back:

sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager
# Select LXDE option

Touchscreen Calibration (if needed)

# Install calibration tool
sudo apt-get install xinput-calibrator

# Run calibration
xinput_calibrator

# Follow on-screen instructions to calibrate touch points

Additional Touch Optimizations

Increase Touch Targets

Edit ~/.gtkrc-2.0 and ~/.config/gtk-3.0/gtk.css:

* {
    min-width: 44px;
    min-height: 44px;
}

Enable Touch Gestures

• Install libinput-gestures:

  sudo apt-get install libinput-gestures
  

Font Scaling

• Increase system font size in desktop settings
• Recommended: 12-14pt for 10-inch screens

Notes

• Wayland vs X11: KDE Plasma and GNOME work well with Wayland, which has better touch support
• Performance: KDE Plasma is well-optimized for Raspberry Pi 5
• Chromium: Your existing Chromium setup will work with any desktop environment
• Autostart: Your autostart configuration will work with any DE

Resources

• KDE Plasma: https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
• GNOME: https://www.gnome.org/
• Phosh: https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/phosh