By default, Mobian does not provide any major configurations for Budgie, beyond autostarting Onboard. Here is the default desktop. I didn’t have to configure the wallpaper. This is because both Phosh and Budgie are based on Gnome, and therefore share configuration files.

Onboard was larger than usual, so I resized it. Diodon also launched (alhough, this probably wouldn’t happen if I hadn’t installed LXDE). The foot at the top left is the Gnome logo; clicking it brings up an application menu. As usual, it is sorted in categories, with an “all” option, and the search feature does not work with Onboard.

Next to the menu, you get the app switcher. Each app is represented by its icon. At the right, you get the Onboard toggler, nm-applet, notifications, battery settings, sound volume, Bluetooth (twice!), and a shutdown menu.

Unlike the other desktops we saw, tapping the clock does not bring up a calendar, but instead calendar settings, such as the option to show seconds. At the extreme right, you get the Raven sidebar, which shows the calendar, notifications (none right now) and audio settings, but is extremely hard to tap.

To be pleasant to use on a phone, Budgie needs further configuration, through Budgie Desktop Settings, which is in the “system tools” menu category rather than “preferences”. I enabled the “power strip” in Raven, which includes buttons for settings, screen lock, and shutdown at the bottom. I also enlarged the panel, making it transparent. I removed the duplicate Bluetooth icon, and moved the Raven trigger further to the left, where it is easier to touch. I also removed the default application menu, and instead pinned Xfce’s app launcher (not the Whisker menu, but an app that supports the keyboard). To pin or unpin an app, right-click it in the panel.

I also added the “rotation lock” applet to the panel. Tapping it lock or unlocks it. If unlocked, the screen will automatically rotate depending on the phone’s position.

As with Cinnamon, maximizing takes Onboard into account. You can also see LXMusic, LXDE’s music player, which works better than Lollypop. Also, most windows (but not Budgie’s settings manager) cannot be moved beyond the screen’s borders.

Locking the screen is not recommended, since the “unlock” screen does not have an on-screen keyboard, leaving you unable to log back in, forcing you to hold the power button until the phone shuts down.