Do you guys use default apps, or switch to others?

[Mr.Dunham]

Hi fellow Xubuntu users, I hope I'm posting this in the proper section. The question is,

Do you guys use the default applications that come with Xubuntu, or you install others?

By "default" I mean stuff like Abiword, Gmusicbrowser, Gthumb, Pidgin, just to mention a few.

Did you try LibreOffice, Rhythmbox, Empathy, Gwibber, instead? How well do they work for you? I'll be trying them, but anyways some feedback is always welcome and highly appreciated. Thank you very much.

[ibjsb4]

First, this is a guys and gals forum :)

If you want feedback on software packages you can read the reviews in the software center or just look them up.

https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/

Or see the forum comments.

http://www.googlubuntu.com/

[Bucky Ball]

Thread moved to The Cafe.

Not a support request.

For what it's worth, I used to use Xubuntu but now do minimal install and install xfce4 as the desktop environment and add only the packages I want to use; Thunderbird, VLC, Brasero, Libreoffice, Firefox, Gimp, Synaptic, PCmanFM for starters. Totally custom and how I like. I'll be going for Linux From Scratch next which I'm hoping will allow me to chop off all (majority of) excess fat. ;)

[Buntu Bunny]

I'm always willing to experiment, the bottom line being that software meets my needs. I pick up a lot of good recommendations by reading various threads on the Forums.

[Mr.Dunham]

First, this is a guys and gals forum :)
My apologies. :oops:



If you want feedback on software packages you can read the reviews in the software center or just look them up.
https://apps.ubuntu.com/cat/

Or see the forum comments.
http://www.googlubuntu.com/
Thank you! Didn't know about those links; looking around the forums gave me back too much support threads and I just wanted to read a little more specific feedback.



Thread moved to The Cafe.
Not a support request.

For what it's worth, I used to use Xubuntu but now do minimal install and install xfce4 as the desktop environment and add only the packages I want to use; Thunderbird, VLC, Brasero, Libreoffice, Firefox, Gimp, Synaptic, PCmanFM for starters. Totally custom and how I like. I'll be going for Linux From Scratch next which I'm hoping will allow me to chop off all (majority of) excess fat. ;)

Sorry for not posting in the proper section #-o I'm a lot more used to read the forums, and in some cases to post replies; so I messed up the sections when starting a new thread.

Thank you very much for your feedback, that's the kind of input I've been looking for, how other users handle their systems and how well it works with non-default full installs.



I'm always willing to experiment, the bottom line being that software meets my needs. I pick up a lot of good recommendations by reading various threads on the Forums.
Thanks! I think I was a little bit afraid of experimenting... I've been using Xubuntu for years and installing extra software I use like Gimp, Bluefish, Audacity and other stuff, but never actually changed default apps.

[monkeybrain20122]

I change most of them,

synaptic + gdebi instead of Ubuntu Software Centre and update manager.

k3b instead of brasero

qbittorrent instead of transmission

Smplayer and Vlc instead of Totem

Guayadeque instead of rhythmbox

Removed all the bundled games

Removed empathy/Pidgin (can't even remember which), use jitsi, gtalk or Skype instead.

If they start using Chromium as default I will remove it and install Firefox.

Edited: Just notice you are talking about Xubuntu,

[buzzingrobot]

No.

I recently did some distrohopping. I noticed that I used the same apps everywhere. That's also true for apps tied to a DE. That can make me wonder why I've installed a DE if I only use its window manager.

[pqwoerituytrueiwoq]

On my xubuntu installs i replace the office software with libre office and i add VLC, smplayer, synaptic, resterio image viewer and gdebi
the rest of the stuff i add is stuff that does not have a enlivenment pre-installed
now if firefox was replaced with chromium the 1st thing i would do is sudo apt-get install firefox

[Bucky Ball]

All good with the thread move. Not a problem.

Just clarifying my approach: I guess I make my own 'default' apps by starting with none when installing the mini.iso and installing my apps of choice. They are my 'defaults'. ;)

It's not as tricky as it sounds, just takes some planning, and here's some info for a further sniff:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/MinimalCD

To know what you want, though, you need to try out quite a bit! I started with Ubuntu, even tried Kubuntu for five minutes, installed Xubuntu and then xfce4 (the Xubuntu DE) on my other Ubuntu box, then eventually moved to the mini installs, so I'd tried a lot of default apps and had three or four years to work out what actually suited me best and what is most productive (for me).

One of the beauties of Linux is its extreme 'customisability' and one of the features that got me into Linux in the first place.