LXDE is a free and open source desktop environment for Unix and other POSIX compliant platforms, such as Linux or BSD. The goal of the project is to provide a desktop environment that is fast and energy efficient. The name LXDE stands for "Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment".
LXDE is designed to work well with computers on the low end of the performance spectrum such as older resource-constrained machines, new generation netbooks, and other small computers, especially those with low amounts of RAM. In 2010, tests suggested that LXDE 0.5 had the lowest memory usage of the 4 most popular desktop environments of the time (GNOME 2.29, KDE 4.4, and Xfce 4.6), and that it consumed less energy, which suggests mobile computers with LXDE 0.5 drained their battery at a slower pace than those with other desktop environments.
LXDE is the default desktop environment of Knoppix and Lubuntu, among others.
LXDE is written in the C programming language, using the GTK+ toolkit, and runs on Unix and other POSIX compliant platforms, such as Linux and BSD. GTK+ is commonly used in many Linux distributions and allows applications to run on different platforms. LXDE uses rolling releases for the individual components (or group of components with coupled dependencies). Its window manager is Openbox. LXDE includes GPL licensed code as well as LGPL licensed code.
Read more about LXDE: History, Components