[Bug 1055866] [NEW] Combine all official derivatives differing only in default desktop environment to single distribution

[Kip Warner]

Public bug reported:

Ubuntu currently has a number of official derivatives. These include the
following.

    Xubuntu - Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop environment

    Ubuntu Studio - Designed for multimedia editing and creation

    Mythbuntu - Designed for creating a home theatre PC with MythTV

    Kubuntu - Ubuntu with the K Desktop environment

    Edubuntu - Ubuntu for education

    Lubuntu - Ubuntu that uses LXDE

It is a good idea to offer users the freedom of choice to select an
appropriate derivative, but this can probably be done better by
simplifying the number of official derivatives that differ only in the
default desktop environment by collapsing them into a single official
distribution. Ubuntu Studio, Mythbuntu, and Edubuntu are sufficiently
conceptually different enough from one another to warrant separate
distributions, whereas Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Xubuntu are all different in
the same way. They differ only really based on the default desktop
environment. That choice alone perhaps does not warrant the availability
and support of distinct distributions.

Instead, a single official distribution for all those that differ only
in terms of the default desktop environment could give the user a choice
during installation time of the default desktop environment to use,
leaving Unity as the default as it currently is for vanilla Ubuntu,
respecting Canonical's commitment to that desktop environment for new
users or for those who are comfortable with the default choice, while
providing brief summaries of the other options if the user makes the
appropriate selection (e.g. Xfce, Lxde, Gnome, KDE).

This has many added benefits, not least of which is the reduction in the
number of different types of DVD discs that need to be replicated and
only one type that needs to be on hand at Ubuntu community events.

** Affects: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: Opinion

** Changed in: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
       Status: New => Opinion

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1055866

Title:
  Combine all official derivatives differing only in default desktop
  environment to single distribution

Status in “ubiquity” package in Ubuntu:
  Opinion

Bug description:
  Ubuntu currently has a number of official derivatives. These include
  the following.

      Xubuntu - Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop environment

      Ubuntu Studio - Designed for multimedia editing and creation

      Mythbuntu - Designed for creating a home theatre PC with MythTV

      Kubuntu - Ubuntu with the K Desktop environment

      Edubuntu - Ubuntu for education

      Lubuntu - Ubuntu that uses LXDE

  It is a good idea to offer users the freedom of choice to select an
  appropriate derivative, but this can probably be done better by
  simplifying the number of official derivatives that differ only in the
  default desktop environment by collapsing them into a single official
  distribution. Ubuntu Studio, Mythbuntu, and Edubuntu are sufficiently
  conceptually different enough from one another to warrant separate
  distributions, whereas Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Xubuntu are all different
  in the same way. They differ only really based on the default desktop
  environment. That choice alone perhaps does not warrant the
  availability and support of distinct distributions.

  Instead, a single official distribution for all those that differ only
  in terms of the default desktop environment could give the user a
  choice during installation time of the default desktop environment to
  use, leaving Unity as the default as it currently is for vanilla
  Ubuntu, respecting Canonical's commitment to that desktop environment
  for new users or for those who are comfortable with the default
  choice, while providing brief summaries of the other options if the
  user makes the appropriate selection (e.g. Xfce, Lxde, Gnome, KDE).

  This has many added benefits, not least of which is the reduction in
  the number of different types of DVD discs that need to be replicated
  and only one type that needs to be on hand at Ubuntu community events.

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