Ubuntu or Kubuntu?

[sturdy]

Hi,
I'm a relatively new, happy user of Ubuntu and Gnome. I've noticed that several of my most used apps (digiKam) also install large libraries native to Kubuntu. Therefore, I am wandering if a should switch to Kubuntu to avoid the extra baggage and potential problems. If so, can I simply install KDE or KDM (are they the same? How to install?) or is a clean install of Kubuntu better. I'm concerned about future system update/upgrade and not aesthetics of the DE. I've read a lot of comments concerning the 'best' DE but they mostly are about the look and feel or configurability of the DE. Maybe this is not even an issue. TIA...

[oaxacamatt1]

Being a laptop user I find Gnome slow enough for my liking I don't think I could use KDE and stand the speed drain. Take the hit and load the libraries...
My 2 cents

[marin123]

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

i tried both gnome and kde and i realised gnome feels better to me.. go to the link i posted and see how to install kde...

[x33a]

Well having kde libs on ubuntu shouldn't cause any problems. Though if you tend to have a lot of kde apps, then you should go for kubuntu.

[Teunis]

KDE vs. Gnome is for some a near-religious thing.

I feel KDE is a much better experience than Gnome.

Last year KDE went through a major change from 3.5 to 4.0 and regretfully Kubuntu incorporated it well before it was ready for the masses.
The present version of KDE, 4.3.5 and especially 4.4 (from a PPA) are a joy to run.

Stories about KDE taking more resources than Gnome are rubbish, it's actually the other way around.

Installing libraries does not take resources other than disk space, only once you start an application are these libraries loaded into RAM.

So feel free to install the KDE windows manager and at log in you can now choose between Gnome and KDE.

[marin123]

KDE vs. Gnome is for some a near-religious thing.

I feel KDE is a much better experience than Gnome.

Last year KDE went through a major change from 3.5 to 4.0 and regretfully Kubuntu incorporated it well before it was ready for the masses.
The present version of KDE, 4.3.5 and especially 4.4 (from a PPA) are a joy to run.

Stories about KDE taking more resources than Gnome are rubbish, it's actually the other way around.

Installing libraries does not take resources other than disk space, only once you start an application are these libraries loaded into RAM.

So feel free to install the KDE windows manager and at log in you can now choose between Gnome and KDE.

when i was running kde, it felt lighter and faster and it looks prettier
but i'm used to gnome, and i'll keep using it...

[auh2o]

Indeed, if you want to try the KDE desktop you can simply install it in Ubuntu and then choose between Gnome and KDE at the login screen. There are many guides for it around here.

I never got that whole near-religious thing. If anything, I wish KDE and Gnome developers would work together to create a desktop that brings the best from both worlds and attempt to set some kind of a Linux desktop standard, but I doubt that's going to happen!

[r_s]

The basic concept behind which gnome works is to make a simple and effective gui for the user, while KDE works for providing better desktop effects for the users to enjoy, it essentially depends on you , kde or gnome.

[sturdy]

My thanks to all who responded...great community.

My thinking was something like x33a. But after looking at several popular apps it seems like every installation is going to end up with both Qt and GTK+ based apps and libraries. Gnome vs. KDE is a personal issue that really was not directly relevant to the question.

Bottom line: If it ain't broke, don't fix it, so I think I will stay with Ubuntu for now.