Kubuntu 12.04 LTS
[click to enlarge|
Lubuntu 12.04 LTS
[click to enlarge|
Ubuntu 12.04 LTS
[click to enlarge|
Xubuntu 12.04 LTS
[click to enlarge|
For
several years, Ubuntu has became the most popular Linux distribution.
This distro, with its controversies, offers us ultimate easy to use
Linux desktop. But, time passed and everything changed, so does Ubuntu.
Since
11.04, Ubuntu brings us Unity shell, and then so many people gave
their personal opinion about this. Personally, for me, Unity is not
as bad as people spoke about this. As its habit, Ubuntu offers us ease in all things. Of course,
I still prefer to Gnome Session Fallback than Unity or Gnome Shell.
If we really don't like Unity, or Gnome Shell, or Fallback mode,
there are Ubuntu derivatives built with different Desktop
Environtments with their specified target. So which is the best?
Ubuntu
is the main desktop. It uses GNOME with Unity Shell as a layer.
However, Unity is an option and it is optional. We could change it
into GNOME Shell or Fallback session (or even Pantheon or Cinnamon).
The best thing of Ubuntu, for me, is in its apperaance. The Ambaince
theme and the warty-final-ubuntu wallpaper is exactly awesome elegant
Linux Desktop than ever. The sad thing, Ubuntu is little bit heavy to
run in older CPUs (Pentium 4, Pentium 3)
Kubuntu
is the Ubuntu twin or original spinoff with KDE (K Desktop
Environment). It offers very familiar user interface for those who
still like with Microsoft Windows UI (One Panel at the bottom, menu
at the bottom left).
In
the earlier version, Kubuntu worked great. I've used it and I've
satisfied. But, with the birth of KDE4, Kubuntu has changed into so
modern and sophisticated desktop than others. Now, with KDE 4.8.2,
you will see Kubuntu just look like Windows 7 with grey colored
theme.
For
you ex-Windows users who still not familiar with GNOME, Kubuntu is
the best choice :)
Xubuntu
is the Ubuntu derivative with XFCE desktop environment. At the birth,
this distro built to fulfil the need of fast Linux desktop computing,
and yes, Xubuntu undertook this dutty very well in the early years.
But
now, with its complex connection to GNOME components, Xubuntu is no
longer light and fast. Even, you need to have minimum 512 MB RAM to
run Xubuntu if you want this distro run well in your PC. As my
experience, this distro even runs slowly than Ubuntu.
But,
for you oldschool GNOME 2 freak, XFCE is almost perfect. For this
reason, Linus Torvalds has switched his desktop to XFCE after his
disastisfaction to GNOME 3 and or KDE4.
Lubuntu
is the youngest Ubuntu derivative, but it is absolutely awesome.
Using Openbox as its window manager, Lubuntu is Ultimately very Fast
even in older CPUs. I've used this distro and until now I have been
satfisfied. I recommend this distro for you all who still have older
CPUs and you will see this distro is really amazing (not to be
exaggerated).
But,
alongside its lighweight, Lubuntu just offers us simple computing,
like, there is no USB icon in our desktop if we plug a USB
pendrive/SD/miniSD card. But, this is not a big deal. We could eject
our removable devices by file manager.
CONCLUSION
So,
what is the best Ubuntu derivative? I have no answer except this
cliches rhetoric : It depends to your need. What is exactly you want?
Elegance? Fancy desktop? Simplicity? Or fast computing? Ubuntu family
has the choices.
Comments