Ubuntu or Xubuntu for upgrade

[tc101]

I am now running ubuntu 10.04. I am reading good things about 12.04, and it is a LTS so I think I am going to upgrade. I have been happy with ubuntu. Is there any reason to switch to xubuntu ? What are the advantages of xubuntu ?

[scottbomb]

I prefer the Xubuntu desktop over Unity, Gnome, and KDE. It's absolutely the most customizable I have seen. Also does transparency without having to use Compiz (which I could never get to work on even very new, powerful machines).

[JC Cheloven]

Hi,

Xubuntu is ligther on resouces, and somehow a 'traditional desktop' to which many users are used to. Comfortable for many.

Lubuntu is even lighter, and also a traditional desktop.

The new interface in Ubuntu is Unity (you may have heard of). It's nice in my opinion, but not everybody feels comfortable with it. In fact I'm still getting used to it Note: gnome 3 isn't a traditional desktop either. Good old gnome 2 is simply discontinued.

If you need your resources for intensive or critical tasks (like live audio processing or so), you'd better using a desktop with no pulseaudio or compiz. Otherwise, you can give Unity a try. Just don't give up too early

Best
JC

[tc101]

I mostly just use firefox and open office. I rarely do anything else.

[dalee]

Hi,

Unity has grown on me as I've been using it. I think it provides a good user experience for netbooks and notebooks. It maybe a bit less enjoyable for me on a full desktop, (I've come to enjoy KDE there).

Right now I'm enjoying Unity 2d and XFCE on my old Asus 1101HA netbook. It can run full up Unity, but it's noticeably quicker with the lighter XFCE. Still, Unity is showing good polish and function on 12.04.

I don't think there is a bad choice to be made here.

dalee

[wilee-nilee]

You can run both, and if you decide on one, ca remove the other fully, check out this link for adding and removing whole desktops, look in the playing around tab on left.

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/

There is the gnome-shell which is the gnome 3 desktop as well, and installing the shell gives you the fall-back a similar to gnome 2 setup.

[Zvlwab]

I upgraded from Ubuntu 10.10 (gnome2) to Xubuntu 12.04 and I already like XFCE even more than gnome.

[tc101]

I'm reading about the new versions in psychocats. It says:

Beginning in Ubuntu 11.04 and continuing in 11.10 and 12.04, Gnome doesn't have menus for navigating through applications. Instead, you click the main button (or press the Windows/Super key) and just start typing what you're looking for.

What if I don't know what I am looking for? The menus divide things up in a way so that I can drill down and find what I want.

[tc101]

Learning new software does not interest me any more. I spent my whole life in programming and software development. I remember when I got really excited by new technology. Those days are gone. I'm 62 and retired. I just want something that works, with a very low learning curve. I would stick with ubuntu 10.04 except that it won't be supported in another year.

I am now used to ubuntu 10.04. All I use the computer for is firefox, open office, videos and music on firefox, and scanning and printing documents. Which of the new LTS versions will require the least learning?

[Dennis N]

Learning new software does not interest me any more.

I am now used to ubuntu 10.04. All I use the computer for is firefox, open office, videos and music on firefox, and scanning and printing documents. Which of the new LTS versions will require the least learning?

If you have been using Ubuntu 10.04, you should be able to use any Ubuntu flavor to immediately to do what you say you intend to do. If you plan to customize the desktop or system, you should consider Xubuntu or Lubuntu, which make choosing a variety of themes, icons and other settings more user friendly with their settings dialogs - In my opinion. Both incorporate traditional task bars, Unity doesn't. Xubuntu has a default launcher that hides at the bottom but can be easily relocated to the side. Panels can be moved! I use Lubuntu on a laptop, and have Xubuntu on my desktop. Both are good.

I can't comment on Kubuntu, as I don't use it, but I understand it is very customizable as well.