When did Xubuntu become so awesome?

[Tamlynmac]

It's not just Xubuntu, but other distros such as Salix OS and VectorLinux are benefiting from XFCE improvements. I switched all our systems over to Xubuntu just before 10.04 ran out and have been testing other distros that offer the XFCE DE. So far, every distro I've tried with XFCE has worked OOTB.

It's rock stale and quick on my I5 desktop. Even our laptops have seen performance improvements. Plus, those who enjoy the benefit of configuring their DE will find it quick and simple. I totally agree with VTPoet:

It's going to be interesting. XFCE has a reputation for being lightweight. With more users and success, there's going to be a push for more features.

Just my $0.02

[Copper Bezel]

I tried XFCE out a bit today, and it certainly doesn't feel as strung together as I remember it feeling a couple of years ago. It's not very pretty at defaults, but it's cute how open it is about the arbitrariness of its default config, too, asking on first run whether you want to start with their panel settings or just configure the panel from 0. I don't remember that being there the last time I used it. = )

Also nice: two-finger tap is right-click by default, like a normal DE, as opposed to the two-fingers-is-button-2, three-fingers-is-button-3 arrangement it used to have.

It's still weird to have GTK3 apps looking as if they're running in Wine, though. I don't approve. And at least on my machine, xfrun4 takes way too long to pop up, which seems very odd to me.

[linuxlovin]

That's what I ran with! So far I'm loving Xubuntu.

[Peripheral Visionary]

The friend who introduced me to Linux predicted all this, in a way. He used to say, "We'll brag some day that we used Xubuntu before it was cool." Now I have to say, it's the coolest, quickest, and easiest Linux distro I've ever tried.

[Copper Bezel]

Naw. It's retro, which makes it a little cool, but it's not that cool. I mean, something like scrotwm has more inherent coolness. Unity is probably still easier - there are places where XFCE is still missing some little visual cues and instructions I expect from a desktop environment (like creating a keyboard shortcut, where there seems to be a little bit of guesswork involved in the process.) And "quickest" could mean at least two things - lightweight and fast, or quick and easy to navigate, two very separate ideas sometimes at odds with one another.

It's neat, though, and I hope as VTPoet is implying it doesn't sort of get shifted into being another Gnome 2, as opposed to continuing to do its own thing.

[kemtnbkr]

Pretty much just installed Xubuntu 13.04, but I've been using Xubuntu ever since Unity happened.. I dabbled with Lubuntu some as well, but the panel kept inexplicably crashing on me, so I ended up going with Xubuntu which has given me 0 problems thus far.

On both my mid-spec laptop and relatively high-spec desktop, I've now added KWin in place of xfwm on top of XFCE- personally, I really like the look of the Oxygen theme + Blackbird XFCE theme. For me at least, KWin added that little bit of sophistication and 'modern-feeling' effects that were missing with xfwm. For anyone curious to try this out, there are a few Youtube videos that were really helpful on the subject of XFCE + KWin.

I really only ever use glowing borders and darkening unfocued windows, nothing too crazy (Wobbly/exploding windows and the desktop cube is too much eye candy for me!!)

[monkeybrain2012]

The friend who introduced me to Linux predicted all this, in a way. He used to say, "We'll brag some day that we used Xubuntu before it was cool." Now I have to say, it's the coolest, quickest, and easiest Linux distro I've ever tried.

I don't think "cool" is the word. A DE with design that is stuck in the Windows XP era can never be called "cool". Sure it provides a close enough replacement for many gnome 2 refugees, while having more functions than LXDE, but cool is hardly the word. It has its place by the way, and IMO it is surely a better way to satisfy those who miss the gnome2 experience than a zombie gnome2 like Mate.

I don't have a reason to use xubuntu really. For machines that are relatively new and with at least 2 G of ram I can run a modern DE like Unity or Gnome-shell comfortably (or kde if I want a more 'traditional' feel). If I want a truly light *buntu for older and weaker machines I would choose lubuntu instead.

[Peripheral Visionary]

For machines that are relatively new and with at least 2 G of ram I can run a modern DE like Unity or Gnome-shell comfortably (or kde if I want a more 'traditional' feel). If I want a truly light *buntu for older and weaker machines I would choose lubuntu instead.

I respectfully disagree. Lubuntu crashes constantly on my very old Dell desktop with 512 RAM and an old Celeron processor. Xubuntu (Precise) is snappy and responsive and trouble-free on the same computer. When Lubuntu isn't crashing or freezing on my computer, it runs no faster nor better than Xubuntu even though it uses a little bit more CPU and RAM. I don't have anywhere near 2 GB of RAM and don't need it running Xubuntu.

While I like LXDE's interface (which is far more "XP like" than Xfce is in my opinion) and prefer some of it's native applications to their Xfce counterparts, its constant freezing and crashing on the same computer that runs Xubuntu so beautifully makes me call it "cool." And "quick!"

You can choose whatever word you like, but COOL is my word of choice to describe Xubuntu. I've been a fan for 2 years now.

[Copper Bezel]

Could we settle on "extraordinarily adequate"? = )

[linuxlovin]

I tried XFCE out a bit today, and it certainly doesn't feel as strung together as I remember it feeling a couple of years ago. It's not very pretty at defaults, but it's cute how open it is about the arbitrariness of its default config, too, asking on first run whether you want to start with their panel settings or just configure the panel from 0. I don't remember that being there the last time I used it. = )

Also nice: two-finger tap is right-click by default, like a normal DE, as opposed to the two-fingers-is-button-2, three-fingers-is-button-3 arrangement it used to have.

It's still weird to have GTK3 apps looking as if they're running in Wine, though. I don't approve. And at least on my machine, xfrun4 takes way too long to pop up, which seems very odd to me.

Ha ha ha! lol I'm glad I came back to read this thread! It was driving me nuts on my macbook pro not having right click working. Thanks man. I had the same problem on my HP netbook, but modprobe fixed that one.