Ubuntu, xfce, lxde and system optimization

[motocollage]

Hello All,

I'm currently running 12.04LTS on my older acer aspire D250 as a dual-boot with windows 7 starter. I love everything linux/open source! I'm an artist currently in my terminal (MFA) program, attempting to specialize in New Media and installation. Basically, any materials or technology I can get my hands on I want to turn into some sort of other-worldly thing.

So, not sure where to start, but I've only really asked for help on the forums for one major problem, and I was ASTOUNDED how awesome the community is. Another user jumped on my problem, and it was great being able to perform under the hood maintenance to my computer. This is my current goal:

I am running 12.04 on my netbook, with some Xubuntu packages installed as well. I want to understand what the difference is when I log in via a different GUI/shell. I'm assuming my Home folder stays the same, but I've noticed each GUI (unity/gnome, xfce, or more?) requires different packages when updating. Or seemingly. What I'd really like to do is see if/how I can remove the packages for Xubuntu and replace it with Lubuntu. If i understand correctly, LXDE is the GUI for Lubuntu (which I really like), while XFCE is for Xubuntu. Now is Unity completely different from GNOME, or is it a derivation? At any rate, I like Unity on my netbook, but sometimes switch and would like that to be LXDE. That, and maybe some pointers on some general maintence I can do to my netbook (Janitor, clean out old packages, understand how best to optimize my resources, etc.)



Anyone interested in tackling any of these problems?

[motocollage]

Oh, and when I set up my info on the forum, I was running 10.10. Can I seriously not change my info until I've had 25 posts?

[Bucky Ball]

All good but I suggest you split this into three separate threads to avoid confusion.

Edit the post leaving the first question here and I will move it to Desktop Environments, where it belongs.

Copy and paste the other two to new threads in the sub-sections most appropriate. Use descriptive thread titles to increase your chances of help. This one is generic and gives no information about your actual questions/issues/problems. That would be hard though as you are attempting to cover so many bases in the one thread. You can change the title for half an hour after it is posted. Otherwise I can change it for you after you have done some editing and clarified problem one in the one thread. Just PM me with a new title if you'd like this to happen.

Good luck.

PS:

Oh, and when I set up my info on the forum, I was running 10.10. Can I seriously not change my info until I've had 25 posts?

Correct. Your new threads will get you there in no time.

PPS: The easiest is not to install xubuntu-desktop but just the DE, xfce4. Same for lxde; just installing lxde will do it. Unity has nothing to do with Gnome, not a derivation.

[motocollage]

Hey, thanks for the prompt response! Give me a few minutes and I'll recompose/move this questions. Yeah, I'm trying to tackle a lot here, but pumped!

[Bucky Ball]

That's not a bad thing. But too much info for one thread and there will be others pumped to help if broken into bite sized chunks. Good luck.

[Bucky Ball]

Thread moved to Desktop Environments.

[snowpine]

Here are instructions to remove Xubuntu and install "pure" Lubuntu: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/purelubuntu

It's easy to get 25 posts---just drop by the Absolute Beginner or Multimedia sub-forums and help some people (as we are helping you).

[seppalta]

http://lxlinux.com/xubuntu.html

[motocollage]

snowpine, I followed the link and copied the Remove Ubuntu code into terminal (on my secondary linux machine, HPpavilion DV6000:

E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11: Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?

I was doing something the other day and got a similar message. This system has Lubuntu, Lubuntu Netbook, GNOME/OpenBox and Ubuntu. After the results, I will try it on my primary linux machine, the Acer D250.

Another option I thought of was to do a complete re-install from the disk. So far I have been installing from the UBUNTU 10.04 LTS Desktop Edition cd that came with "The Official Ubuntu Book." Will I have the option for a minimal ubuntu install from that disk?

More importantly, as mentioned in the code above, why am I "unable to lock?"

seppalta, i'm gonna put that link on the backburner. A little technical for me, but I think I understand most of what's going on. Essentially, endorsing Xubuntu but installing LXDE, right? My primary goal is to clean out any extra packages/desktop environments. Well, keeping Ubuntu/Unity on my netbook as well as LXDE, but then running a LXDE/*buntu system on my Hp laptop.

[motocollage]

also, I've been running into this text in terminal, I'm assuming dealing with proprietary windows software:


How do I 'hit' <OK> ? I can't seem to exit terminal once this prompt occurs.