It is
trivial to try out a different desktop environment on Linux. The process doesn't commit you, and you can back out to your previous environment at any time.
1. Install the environment(s) you want to try.
2. Log out of your present desktop session and select the new alternative at your display manager (log-in) prompt.
That's it.
Or, if you don't want to log out entirely, create a new test account, and use that (with a new session -- yes, you _can_ run multiple desktop sessions at a time) and try out different desktop environments / window managers.
Or, use Xephyr, a nesting X server, to run X within your present X session.
Or, use a virtual machine to test a different OS entirely (heavier weight than other options).
Lots of alternatives.
1. Install the environment(s) you want to try.
2. Log out of your present desktop session and select the new alternative at your display manager (log-in) prompt.
That's it.
Or, if you don't want to log out entirely, create a new test account, and use that (with a new session -- yes, you _can_ run multiple desktop sessions at a time) and try out different desktop environments / window managers.
Or, use Xephyr, a nesting X server, to run X within your present X session.
Or, use a virtual machine to test a different OS entirely (heavier weight than other options).
Lots of alternatives.