Ubuntu, Kubuntu or other?

[Dragonbite]

As April approaches I know that I am going to have to refresh my desktop installation of the venerable (and noticeably long in the tooth) Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (I will be surprised if it actually makes it all the way until 12.04 is released).

Unfortunately I am uncertain whether I want to move it to Ubuntu 12.04 LTS running Unity or Gnome-shell, or flip over to a KDE desktop solution for the time being.

Kubuntu may be interesting because it does harness some of the advantages of Ubuntu, and version 12.04 is supposed to have the 5 year Long Term Support feature.

On the other hand, I usually find Kubuntu slightly lacking in stability, or the proverbial "spit and polish".

So I have been using openSUSE 12.1 with KDE for a little while now on my laptop, and it works pretty good. Although it doesn't have the same support base Ubuntu has, it seems to have a pretty good support base among KDE and KDE users.

Another factor is that the desktop lasting 2 years, is not so easy to do. It is still using a very old Shotwell, OpenOffice 3.2 and Firefox is only updated because I added the PPA.

So the long term support is good, but if it means I don't get applications updated then it gives me a mixed-feeling. OpenSUSE is released every 8 months, which isn't much but it is a little longer than 6 months. This part pushes Fedora out of the mix.

So should I go with Kubuntu? openSUSE? Ubuntu w/Unity? I dunno!

[trivialpackets]

It's one of those things that is a completely up to you kind of decision. I've used KDE, Kubuntu, Ubuntu, Mint as well as OpenSUSE and just about everything that can exist in between.

Personally, when the LTS comes out I'm still sticking with Ubuntu with Unity. I've grown accustomed to the interface, and while I like the look of KDE, there are far too many times that the whole thing just seems to hang for no apparent reason while working over NX for me. I'm not sure what it is, but I've seen the behavior in both Kubuntu and OpenSUSE.

While Kubuntu doesn't have the same level of polish IMO as OpenSUSE, it is a very solid distribution and I rarely have had any issues with either one of them when working locally. I use NX a lot for remote work, so the freezing is kind of a show stopper for me.

I don't normally wait until the LTS edition to upgrade, so I haven't had to wait 2 years for anything. I update ubuntu with each new release (every 6 months) being careful to back up files and data.

[Zlatan]

So should I go with Kubuntu? openSUSE? Ubuntu w/Unity? I dunno!

Ubuntu for the distro + Gnome Shell for the environment. GS is not so busy as Unity or KDE and is solid.

[synaptix]

Going to do a direct upgrade 10.04->12.04 when the time arises, I got nothing to lose. I'm still going to burn 12.04 to DVD though, as I am expecting the upgrade to go horribly wrong. Just going to do it for the hell of it. :D

12.04 with most likely both Unity and Gnome-shell.

[Dragonbite]

I am leaning away from Unity in part because my kids (and my wife, even though she should be using her own computer) use it and they have been more positive towards KDE than even Gnome.

I think it may be in part because it is more Windows-like, like what they use at school.

Gnome 2 wasn't so bad, but Gnome 3 will be another learning curve.

This, of course, doesn't mean I won't use Unity in 12.04 on my own laptop though. :)

[synaptix]

...

Well there is still MATE (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1858282), which has progressed quite rapidly it seems from when it started.

[wolfen69]

I can't speak for anyone but myself, therefore I am going to stick with Unity. I like to install the latest and greatest every 6 months. LTS means nothing to me.
I like the way Kubuntu looks, but it always seems to be a bit buggy. As a matter of fact, kde in general seems a bit buggy. Regular ubuntu has always been rock solid for me.

In the end, it's up to you what you want to use.

[devondashla]

I quite enjoy using Kubuntu 11.10. I have no idea how Kubuntu 12.04 is coming along however, but I don't see how that could ruin such a great DE.

[oldos2er]

I haven't had any stability issues with Kubuntu. I've been running the 12.04 beta since it came out.

What are your hardware specs? I bought my computer preloaded with Ubuntu which I think helped contribute to its stability.

[QIII]

How is KDE "busy"?

Kubuntu 12.04 is coming along so well that I am using the Beta as my daily driver. I just back up before I update.

Only frustration at this point is getting BOINC to use my GPUs. But that is a minor interaction issue and not really a "bug".

[oldos2er]

Only frustration at this point is getting BOINC to use my GPUs. But that is a minor interaction issue and not really a "bug".

Funny you should mention BOINC. I was having problems installing it (I think it had to do with multiarch problems), but I finally got v7.0.20 to install. This version doesn't rely on boinc-nvidia-cuda like previous BOINC versions did, all I had to do was enable CUDA in BOINC manager's settings.

[QIII]

Alas. ATI. But the OpenCL in the ATI projects should be fine with that.

[neu5eeCh]

I've been using Xubuntu for the last two cycles, and I've been very pleased with it. Lately, I've been using 12.04 Ubuntu, and enjoy some of its refinements. I find KDE (used Netrunner for a short time) way too cluttered and byzantine. Since you're looking for advice, I would go with Ubuntu 12.04, install Cinnamon (http://www.webupd8.org/2012/03/cinnamon-14-released-with-new-hot.html), Cairo Session (https://launchpad.net/cairo-dock-session), and possibly Gnome Shell (http://www.webupd8.org/2012/03/gnome-shell-34-might-make-it-in-ubuntu.html#more) (since the Gnome Extensions page really gives you a nice amount of customization). Between those four, you might find something worth sticking with - and they can all co-exist on a single install.

[TeamRocket1233c]

If you like Unity or GNOME Shell, go right for Ubuntu, otherwise, Lubuntu or Xubuntu would make better choices, as LXDE and Xfce take up less resources than either Unity, GNOME, or KDE, and Xfce's desktop is very reminiscent of that of GNOME 2.

[cariboo]

If you are looking to run an LTS version, Lubuntu 12.04 won't be one, and possibly 14.04 may not be an LTS version either, otherwise all the other versions are.

The reason Lubuntu won't be an LTS version, is that the developers don't feel that Lubuntu is feature complete yet, and they want to take the time to make it so, before committing to long term support.

[Ji Ruo]

Using Kubuntu 11.10 and loving it. There were a lot of problems with KDE 4 when it first came out, but it's quite good now imo.

[QIII]

@oldos2er ....

Strangely, I started up this evening, reinstalled BOINC for giggles and it discovered my ATI card and would work with it. Happily ran it up to 97% load.

I shut the machine down and restarted it. The card was not detected by BOINC Manager. Reinstalled BOINC. Detected.

Odd.

Maybe this is worth a launchpad entry. I'll have to see if it's on the Beta test list and if anyone has commented on it.

[pbpersson]

I heard that 12.04 will include some new features for Unity so I am going to give it another try. I didn't like it when I tried it on 11.10 but I don't think I gave it a very good trial. Also, there are more guides on the web now to cover the new features and configuration options.

I had thought of going with Kubuntu but I like staying with the mainstream.

[BrokenKingpin]

Xubuntu here... it just works. I do agree the 6 month release cycle is too short, 8 months or 1 year would be far better.

I recently tried Kubuntu on a secondary box for a few weeks, and it almost won me over... but not quite. KDE appeals the the power user in me, but in the end it is still too buggy and takes too much time to configure. With Xfce I can be up and running in no time, and still end up with a modern and nice looking desktop.

[craig10x]

I heard that 12.04 will include some new features for Unity so I am going to give it another try. I didn't like it when I tried it on 11.10 but I don't think I gave it a very good trial. Also, there are more guides on the web now to cover the new features and configuration options.

I had thought of going with Kubuntu but I like staying with the mainstream.

Unity is an acquired taste...can take awhile to get use to it, but then most will get to like it if they give it a chance... ;)

I'm using it in 11.10 and although initially i didn't think i would like it, within a week or two i found that i did...

And after previewing it on 12.04 (live session) i like it even more with the new options you can do with it...

I do hope eventually they will give in and allow it to be moved to the bottom (with a smaller width of course) as an option, but even as it is, it seems to be getting better all the time :D

It seems the ones that seem to hate it the most are usually people who also hate the Mac...i had a brief period of Macs after i left windows (and before discovering linux) and i liked it, so i guess i adopted quicker to unity...

I like kubuntu but like you prefer to stay mainstream...and gnome always felt more "comfortable" to me then KDE does...

[Dry Lips]

I'm running a dinosaur right now, my main OS is Ubuntu 11.04 with proper Gnome2. I'm also a bit unsure about what I'll do next. I've got the Kubuntu 12.04 beta + Mint 12 with Cinnamon and Mate running in other partitions, and I've also got Mint 12 KDE installed on another computer. I'm also really impressed with Chakra, but unfortunately I think the repos of Chakra are too small.


I agree that KDE distros sometimes seem to have glitches. I've had trouble with the muon based stuff in Kubuntu, strangely enough I've been having fewer issues with Mint 12 KDE than Kubuntu. That said, I'm not sure if I want to wait until Mint 13 comes out, since Kubuntu is released in a little while.
I think Cinnamon needs a little more work, but it is RAPIDLY improving, so in a year or so I think it'll be a serious competitor to Unity/GS/KDE. Mate is a solid alternative, but on the other hand the Gnome2 base is becoming a little dated by now.


All in all I'll probably go for a KDE based distro, but I'm still not sure which.

[TeamRocket1233c]

Had me at "dinosaur". I'm running Crunchbang 10 Statler on a dinosaur and it works great! Can't really do much with it, due to no web connection in my bedroom, and because the hardware's like 13 years old.

[TeamRocket1233c]

Xubuntu here... it just works. I do agree the 6 month release cycle is too short, 8 months or 1 year would be far better.

I recently tried Kubuntu on a secondary box for a few weeks, and it almost won me over... but not quite. KDE appeals the the power user in me, but in the end it is still too buggy and takes too much time to configure. With Xfce I can be up and running in no time, and still end up with a modern and nice looking desktop.

I like Openbox, LXDE, GNOME 2, GNOME 3 Shell, GNOME 3 Fallback, and Xfce myself. :)

[Dragonbite]

One thing that doesn't help is hearing all the news of improvements with Unity. Thankfully, I have a spare hard drive for my laptop where I can install it and satisfy my curiosity.

Since my wife does use it once-in-a-while (larger screen than her laptop) I think she is the "weak link". She doesn't do so well with change.

The kids have been using Ubuntu (and Edubuntu) running Gnome since before they learned to type (thanks to gCompris), but school, of course, uses Windows.

One of my kids has no problem with anything I throw at him and when he sees me using Unity on my laptop he's watching over my shoulder, drooling down my back! He does the same thing with KDE, etc. So it doesn't matter with him.

The older one, though, is not so interested in the computer much and will likely adapt to either once she knows how to get to her key programs: Office (writing), internet and kPatience (not in that order).

How long does it take before you feel the "itch" of wanting to upgrade? The desktop making it this far (on LTS) is rare, and it is getting annoying.

Now, if the backport repositories were updated more often so Firefox, Chromium and other quick-release programs are closer to up-to-date and even the not-so-quick-release programs are likewise updated, then that may help push me towards *buntu.

On the other side openSUSE has Tumbleweed but it is new and I want to give it time to work the bugs out.

Decisions... decisions.

[MarkC3pO]

I think Cinnamon needs a little more work, but it is RAPIDLY improving, so in a year or so I think it'll be a serious competitor to Unity/GS/KDE. Mate is a solid alternative, but on the other hand the Gnome2 base is becoming a little dated by now.


All in all I'll probably go for a KDE based distro, but I'm still not sure which.

I decided to try out Cinnamon 1.4 yesterday and I'm loving it! It fixes everything I disliked about Gnome Shell down to being able to arrange panel applets and having a decent menu. I haven't been using it very long. In what ways would you say it needs more work?

[forrestcupp]

I'm really loving Gnome Shell. The only thing I've noticed is that if you're using the PPA or 12.04 beta, it takes a while for the extensions to catch up to the Gnome Shell updates. When Gnome Shell is too new for them, they become disabled until the extension developer gets around to updating. Other than that, I'm loving it.

But if your family doesn't like change, Gnome Shell is probably not the answer any more than Unity. You should seriously check out Cinnamon from Linux Mint. They have an Ubuntu PPA. It's a pretty good way to have a modern DE with the old style look.

[mraandtux]

Better try it before install, because you have taste a bit of every coffee you want to buy!

[mraandtux]

And also: if you feel good and love on a distro, then install it.

[Dry Lips]

I decided to try out Cinnamon 1.4 yesterday and I'm loving it! It fixes everything I disliked about Gnome Shell down to being able to arrange panel applets and having a decent menu. I haven't been using it very long. In what ways would you say it needs more work?

All right, I take my words back. I wrote this before I had updated Cinnamon, and yes, the new release is surprisingly mature. The most serious issues I had with earlier releases of Cinnamon is fixed now! Yay!

[MarkC3pO]

All right, I take my words back. I wrote this before I had updated Cinnamon, and yes, the new release is surprisingly mature. The most serious issues I had with earlier releases of Cinnamon is fixed now! Yay!


It's a testament to how fast things can move in the world of Linux! :D

[Dragonbite]

It's a testament to how fast things can move in the world of Linux! :D

True that... that's why all these announcements of new developments and fixed bugs keeps me spinning around!

[Dragonbite]

Recently I tried Ubuntu 11.10 with Unity again, just to get a feel for it and some other things. After using KDE for a while, Unity didn't feel comfortable for me.

So I thought I would try Kubuntu 11.10 and get a feel for that flavor of KDE. Everything was working alright, and got my Dropbox installed and synchronized (I soooo love "sync-over-LAN", or 1+ GB of files would have taken a long, long time).

After rebooting I saw a huge number of updates to run so I let it run while I was sleeping.

When I got up this morning, I returned to a black screen which it couldn't recover from (and it wasn't sleeping), when I rebooted it had lost the wi-fi and touchpad, and crashed while trying to run the rest of the updates where it said it had nothing to download, but like 40 updates to install.

So I am going to see if I can muddle through this and get Kubuntu working for me. This will help give me a feel for things before 12.04 comes out.

I am hopeful that my familiarity with Ubuntu will help.

EDIT: System came back after I ran the command recommended when I tried #sudo apt-get upgrade in the terminal. So far, I am liking it though Muon took a little while to decide to work when I clicked on it!