How does lubuntu compare to ubuntu in terms of security?

[baklava41]

I'm thinking of booting either ubuntu or lubuntu in VirtualBox but I'm not sure which one to choose. In terms of security, ubuntu seems fine for my purposes, but it would be nice to have a more lightweight OS that offers a similar degree of security. Does lubuntu live up to ubuntu in terms of security? Or is it actually more secure, having less features?

[jdeca57]

That should be the same and the security problem would be the application but as far as I know Lubuntu uses the same Firefox browser as ubuntu. Any application you install would have identical issues. The chrome browser as an example. Lubuntu comes with abiword and gnumeric so that will be different from Libreoffice. If there were to be issues with that software that might make a difference - if you use them. Weaknesses are mostly the applications we install on a computer and the fact that we activate services thus making openings for attacks but that is true in both cases.

[Autodave]

They are the same in terms of security because they both use the same kernel. Only the desktop is different.

[ajgreeny]

Lubuntu actually now (18.10) uses Libreoffice instead of Abiword/Gnumeric, though of course, that need not affect your choice of VM as all packages are available to all *ubuntu OSs.

I suggest you use Lubuntu as the VM; it will require fewer resources and run better as a virtual install than a gnome desktop one with the higher resource requirement.