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Is there a link or any side-by-side comparisons detailing why one would choose Kubuntu or Xubuntu over Ubuntu? I am running on a somewhat older machine (Dell optilplex 745 tower), so how would this figure into the decision?

3
  • Just install the xubuntu-desktop and kubuntu-desktop and find out!
    – Alvar
    Apr 22, 2013 at 21:41
  • I'll save you a lot of time: Xubuntu. Fast, snappy, easy to work with, convenient, yet full of feautures. (Okay, reasonable amount of features.) No need to thank!
    – Apache
    Apr 22, 2013 at 22:07
  • Many many things on ubuntu website : ubuntu.com/download/flavours
    – FraSchelle
    Jan 17, 2019 at 11:02

1 Answer 1

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I don't have a link handy but the main differences are the following:

Ubuntu:

  • Main distribution
  • Uses Unity as the desktop environment
  • Close to what people sees when people says "Linux desktop"

Kubuntu:

  • Uses KDE as the desktop environment
  • Pretty-looking. I personally describe it as a Mac OS X/Windows hybrid, visually speaking.
  • Generally slower on lower end/older hardware
  • Might use more disk space.
  • Has the best MIME-Type association system/launcher, in my humble opinion. (kde-open)

Xubuntu:

  • Uses XFCE as the desktop environment
  • XFCE is a fork of the old GNOME desktop, resembles GNOME 2 in appearance, aimed at being lightweight but still usable.
  • runs decently on lower end/old hardware
  • Not exactly "super fast", but better faster than GNOME/Unity/KDE

There's also Lubuntu and Fluxbuntu which are using different desktop environments, respectively LXDE and Fluxbox. Fluxbox would be the fastest and lightest, but not exactly user-friendly, especially if you come from another non-unix-line Operating System. Other distributions that are lighter and that might work better depending on how old and powerful this computer is, but I will let you do the research about those.

As noted in this answer's comments, LXDE is not actively developed anymore.

3
  • XFCE == LXDE in terms of speed. Except Xfce got more features. LXDE is not even getting commits anymore, it's literally been dead for a year or so. (Only PcMan working on his file manager.) RazorQt is the same. Just go with Xfce.
    – Apache
    Apr 22, 2013 at 22:08
  • 2
    Xfce is not a fork of Gnome 2. Not by far.
    – aquaherd
    May 4, 2013 at 10:58
  • I thought it was. My bad.
    – Xenhat
    Dec 22, 2013 at 6:39

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