Ubuntu-based desktop

[jaws222]

Has anyone out there had good/bad experiences with Ubuntu-based desktops? (not sure if knock-offs would be a proper term) I've been running Pear OS 3.0 Panther lately and absolutely love it. I also have had a good experience with the latest Zorin release. Any suggestions for some others?

[vpharry]

Ubuntu is the best atleast for me... I absolutely love unity... Fedora comes 2nd for me due to the package mess and no apt-get

[MG&TL]

I'd go with the opposite-I'm very keen on Debian (all versions) recently.

[BrokenKingpin]

Xubuntu all the way. I try to stick the the officially supported Ubuntu derivatives.

[Linuxratty]

Xubuntu all the way. I try to stick the the officially supported Ubuntu derivatives.

Good experiences with KDE and Gnome2..Xubuntu looks like a win, but not got to it yet.

[Rodney9]

Lubuntu for me.

Rodney

[syerges]

How do you guys know which version of Ubuntu you have and can you switch between them easily or do you always have to reinstall?

[Linuxratty]

How do you guys know which version of Ubuntu you have and can you switch between them easily or do you always have to reinstall?

When you get ready to download you pick which version you want,then you burn it to a disk,run it live and if you like it,you install it.
You can duel boot if you want,which is easy. When the machine comes on,you get to choose say Lubuntu or Kubuntu.
Eventually you reinstall when your version is no longer supported. For me,10.10 runs out next spring and since I like having support, I'll be reinstalling to say Xubuntu's long term support,which will be five years.

[guyver_dio]

The main difference is what DE they use by default, so if you want a glimpse of what lubuntu will be like you could install LXDE in ubuntu and try that.

I just use ubuntu and tweak it to my liking (which is basically what all the other variations do anyway), I've tried several other DE's and after using unity I actually prefer it.

[whatthefunk]

For my laptop I run Lubuntu...nothing better for old hardware. On my desktop, Kubuntu. Really liking KDE.

[<¡>]

I'm very happy with Trisquel (http://trisquel.info), a fully free ubuntu-based distro with a polished look.

[sirkeith]

Haven't tried many. Mint 12 and Gnome 3 and Mate. Had a desktop that emulated Win XP for awhile. My wife loved it,it got her going on Lucid. Like others I have really come to like Unity. I am still on 11.04 and am looking forward to 11.10 once my new laptop arrives.

[Paqman]

can you switch between them easily or do you always have to reinstall?

No, you don't have to resintall.

The various desktop environments all have a meta-package, in stalling this package will give you that desktop environment:

ubuntu-desktop (apt:ubuntu-desktop)
kubuntu-desktop (apt:kubuntu-desktop)
xubuntu-desktop (apt:xubuntu-desktop)
lubuntu-desktop (apt:lubuntu-desktop)

You can switch between them from the login screen. Click the little cog by your user name to switch.

Note that all of these packages are big downloads and that they'll install all the default apps for that system, which means you'll have a lot of similar apps for the same job (eg: you could get both Banshee and Amarok), which can make the menus really cluttered.

[jimrz]

lubuntu for me.

Rodney

+1

[Fragadelic]

I am partial to respins or remasters since I'm the guy that created remastersys.

I personally use my own remaster of ubuntu that has the XFCE desktop and many other personal tweaks including a bunch of Customized scripts for Thunar and my own personally chosen apps.

Ubuntu is a fantastic base to use. I don't share my remasters with anyone other than family and friends but I do tend to download and see what others have done.

There are also a number of Ubuntu remasters created with remastersys and some are more well known than others.

[jaws222]

I am partial to respins or remasters since I'm the guy that created remastersys.

I personally use my own remaster of ubuntu that has the XFCE desktop and many other personal tweaks including a bunch of Customized scripts for Thunar and my own personally chosen apps.

Ubuntu is a fantastic base to use. I don't share my remasters with anyone other than family and friends but I do tend to download and see what others have done.

There are also a number of Ubuntu remasters created with remastersys and some are more well known than others.


Someday I hope to be that advanced. In the meantime, huh?

[cotcot]

Still Ubuntu. I tried many others but returned each time. It is easy, a lot works out of the box, large and friendly forum, more time to use the OS instead of keeping the OS up and running, not too averse from proprietary software (like e.g. graphics drivers).

Backside for me was unity. Even after a enough time to get used to it I felt the need to switch it for gnome shell (lack of documentation, too active left border when hoovering the mouse on it - with gnome shell it is only the left upper corner, ...)