Xubuntu on the Raspberry Pi 2/3/3B+

[Adam Smith]

On 5/27/18, Richard Elkins wrote:
> Out of curiosity, why take on adapting the Raspberry Pi foundation's
> special hardware-related tools and kernel into Xubuntu?
>
> After a Raspbian install, it is straight-forward to add the XFCE desktop
> and optionally remove the LXDE desktop.  The result looks just like
> Xubuntu on x32/x64.  I did this with my Raspberry Pi and have no regrets.
>
> The advantages to the XFCE on Raspbian approach:
>
>   * Continue to leverage the large Raspberry Pi Raspbian community.
>     XFCE is supported.
>   * Still running with the base as the Raspberry Pi foundation intended.
>   * Still able to use the Ubuntu SNAP and other 3rd party packages for
>     Raspberry Pi.
>   * raspi-config still works.
>   * Migrating to a USB-disk-boot/operate environment (get rid of
>     MicroSD) works as documented by the Raspberry Pi foundation.
>
> I might have missed something so feel free point that out.
>
>
> On 05/13/2018 06:14 AM, Adam Smith wrote:
>> Hi everybody
>>
>> Thanks for all the kind offers to help with testing and words of
>> encouragement.
>>
>> Here is the arm64 version
>> https://1drv.ms/u/s!AvHY_kl4hMB4gQHfDAh2SYG_Q4Bt
>>
>> The only problem that I know of is that it doesn't ask to eject the
>> USB stick/cdrom at the end of the installation.
>>
>> To use just format a USB stick/sd card as fat (you have to use a
>> mbr/msdos partition table) and copy the zipped files (including the
>> usually hidden '.disk' folder) to your stick/card.  Then it is just
>> like a normal installation on a normal computer.
>>
>> I'm not signed up to the xubuntu lists, so please add my email to any
>> messages if you need a speedy reply!
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Adam
>>

Hi Richard

I sent that message a couple of weeks ago.  I think it has been
delayed in the list's spam filter!

I don't really want to get into some sort of distro war.  If you are
happy with Raspbian then that is great.  The Raspbian desktop and
tools are targeted at a young audience.  Raspbian is a great choice
for a 10 year old who wants to turn an led on and off with a bit of
python code.  But no serious developer with a Pi 3 would choose to
develop on Raspbian when they can use *ubuntu, debian, fedora,
opensuse, gentoo and arch.  The vast majority of apps/tools/python
libraries that Raspbian provides I personally don't want/need.  What I
want is the same apps/libraries as I use on other architectures.

I don't think I'm unique in this.  There is clearly a high level of
interest in Ubuntu-mate's raspberry image.  Martin Wimpress has
claimed that armhf is Ubuntu-mate's most popular architecture,
although how he is measuring that I'm not sure.  Martin has adapted
many of the raspberry pi tools/apps plus included a raspberry pi
kernel in the flavour maker ppa.  That does indeed require quite a
high level of maintenance.

I've taken a different approach.  I'm not interested in becoming some
sort of pi package maintainer.  The installers I uploaded don't use a
ppa.  Every package comes directly from the ubuntu archives (including
the kernel).  The only exceptions are the pi bootloaders and wifi
firmware.  The installer uses a preseed file to adapt the installation
to the pi.  It's all pretty standard stuff.

There is no arm64 version of Raspbian.  People seem to like to have
endless debates about armhf vs arm64 on the pi.  I'm not going to add
to them, except to say arm64 has working Firefox, whereas it has been
broken for months on armhf.  Ultimatley the choice will come down to
which architecture has the apps you want.

Pasi Lallinaho suggested I subscribe to the Xubuntu-devel mailing list
to discuss the issues brought up by an unofficial installer.  So here
I am!  I haven't heavily advertised the installers, but where I have
posted them on forums it is pretty clear that they are unofficial.  If
xubuntu are not happy about them then I'll withdraw them.

However, if xubuntu want to make use of them to promote xubuntu then
that is fine by me.  I've got a xubuntu-core armhf image (not a
ubiquity installer) that I can upload as a replacement for the xubuntu
(ubiquity based) installer.  I think the arm64 installer has the
potential to generate a bit of interest if it was on omgubuntu or the
like.  A 18.04 armhf version of ubuntu-mate (and the other flavour
maker images) won't be released until 18.04.1 (end of July ~ 2 months
away).  There are also not many distros that work with the 3B+ out of
the box at the moment.

Adam