What is the Best Ubuntu Flavour?

[DuckHook]

Contents:

Introduction
Ubuntu Versions
Desktop Environments, Shells, Window Managers & Display Servers
Official Ubuntu Flavours
Unofficial Desktop Environments
Alternative Window Manager Environments
FAQs
Tips and Tricks

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Introduction:

What is the best Ubuntu flavour?

Setting aside for the moment the entirely subjective nature of the question, there are so many variables and elements that go into determining what is "the best" that this question is basically unanswerable.

Admittedly, the 'buntu ecosystem has grown into a complex and multifarious collection of different versions, flavours, desktop environments and windowing systems, both official and unofficial. For Ubuntu veterans, this may be an embarrassment of riches, but for new users it is often confusing and intimidating.

What follows is an incomplete overview of how deep and broad the Ubuntu landscape is. Armed with this knowledge, users can hopefully decide for themselves what works for them and what doesn't.

Any flavour of Ubuntu is available for the price of a simple download. Burn some LiveUSBs. Try them all out.

A Few Caveats:

• The following survey is representative; not exhaustive. The intent is to give enough information to enable exploration, but the actual exploring is left to the user.
• We do not recommend installing different Desktop Environments ("DE"s) side-by-side. While some have done this successfully, enough users have experienced problems that they serve as a warning to all. Different DEs may install conflicting or incompatible configuration files. It is not a good idea to mix these.
• Ubuntu is ever evolving. The following survey is a snapshot of the Ubuntu landscape as of Jammy (22.04).
• The survey is restricted to only such DEs and Window Manager Environments ("WME"s) as are properly Ubuntu. There are many distributions ("distros") that are "Ubuntu-based". These are independent of Canonical; their developers make their own choices and customizations. Such distros are not Ubuntu and should not be conflated with Ubuntu.