Where to begin?

[GirlFromMars]

I managed to install ubuntu 64 bit but it's a bit slow. I have 2gb of ram. Can I install one of these lighter versions over the top or is it a full install again to do lubuntu or kubuntu or whatever else is easier? It took a full day to do ubuntu (various partitioning issues due to the laptop using raid) so changing it now is putting me off.

[ibjsb4]

You can cheat

Xubuntu is a lighter but full featured desktop. You could install it to you current Ubuntu desktop and then remove the Ubuntu (Unity) desktop.

To install Xubuntu desktop, open a terminal and ..

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

Then reboot and at the login window choose xubuntu by clicking on the icon.

Then to remove ubuntu ..

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

[kurt18947]

I think I installed XFCE-panel & XFCE-goodies. I prefer the gnome apps over the default Xubuntu-desktop apps, didn't care for Abiword much though gnumeric seemed okay and I'm not a Thunar fan. I presume you could do similar with LXDE but have never tried it. You select your preferred desktop when you log in by clicking the little round thingy to the right of your name on the login screen.

[kevdog]

I'd just skip Ubuntu and go right to Arch of Gentoo

/s

[kurt18947]

I'd just skip Ubuntu and go right to Arch of Gentoo

/s

For someone brand new to linux?

[Bucky Ball]

DON'T install Xubuntu-desktop. You only want the desktop environment so ... install xfce4, log out, choose 'xfce session' or something like it from the 'Sessions' pop-up, log in.

Installing xubuntu-desktop will drag everything in and you will end up will all default xubuntu apps along with all default ubuntu apps, regardless of which desktop environment you are using. Duplication, redundancy and you don't want that.

If you have enough space on the hard drive, burn off an Xubuntu ISO, boot from that and install it to another partition, say 15Gb, by choosing 'Something Else' at the partitioning section of the install. Mark the existing /swap to 'use' but NOT ticked to format. Same with the existing /home partition, if you have one. They will be used by the new install by default, but the data in the /home partition will not be erased.

Good luck.

[craig10x]

By the way...i wouldn't do kubuntu as one person suggested...it is NOT going to be lighter then Unity desktop...xubuntu or lubuntu i would say but not kubuntu..

[ibjsb4]

DON'T install Xubuntu-desktop. You only want the desktop environment so ... install xfce4, log out, choose 'xfce session' or something like it from the 'Sessions' pop-up, log in.

Don't know about that Bucky. Can you get the true xubuntu experience without removing ubuntu?

[Bucky Ball]

Don't know about that Bucky. Can you get the true xubuntu experience without removing ubuntu?

The true Xubuntu experience is a clean Xubuntu install. If you have Ubuntu with xubuntu-desktop installed, you will have tons of apps, some of which will be the Ubuntu defaults and requiring Gnome. This is Xubuntu puffed up and not the true experience.

Clean Xubuntu better, minimal install with xfce4 and just the apps you want better still. But horses for courses.

PS: If you want to use Ubuntu default apps, don't mind having duplicate and redundant apps in the drop downs and Gnome running, then installing xubuntu-desktop is fine. A clean Xubuntu install does not bloat with Gnome and has far fewer apps than Ubuntu.

[ibjsb4]

I think were saying the same thing. A fresh install or remove ubuntu (post#12). At any rate, I think we need to hear from Mars