[xubuntu-users] Changing from Ubuntu installation to Xubuntu.

[Arthur H. Johnson II]

> New to the list :-).
>   
Welcome to club Xubuntu!  We'll always welcome a new user!  A lot of us 
chill on IRC on the irc.ubuntu.com server (Freenode) in the #xubuntu and 
#xubuntu-offtopic channels.

> I've been using Ubuntu since the first public release, and regularly
> use different desktops/Wm's.
>
> To cut a long story short, I have a built-in soundcard and a PCI card.
>  When I use Gnome (Pulseaudio, I believe), my music/ movies/ sound
> never come out of the same device.  I find this unpredictability
> annoying and unacceptable.
>   
That would be one reason why I avoid Ubuntu right now
> As Gnome is too bloaty, I decided that as I am using Xfce most of the
> time, it would be best to demonstrate my allegiance, and make the
> switch to Xubuntu.
>   
And thats reason two ;)
> My first question is, how does a standard install of Xubuntu control
> sound output (will I have the same problem as Gnome)?
>
>   
Yes, but you may run into problems with the sound changing devices.  
There is an easy fix to this with Alsa, edit /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base 
and add an option to your secondary sound card to prevent it from 
getting index 0.  For instance, I added the following:

options snd_ens1370 index=-2

to alsa-base to prevent my Ensoniq card, which I use with Skype, from 
becoming the default sound card.

> My second question, if I want to completely remove Gnome and just have
> Xubuntu installed, rather than doing a fresh install, what is the best
> way to achieve this?
>
>   
There is really no easy way to achieve this.  The best option in my 
experience has been to ignore the GNOME option in GDM and enjoy life as 
you log into XFCE.

> The obvious solution would seem to be to search for all Gnome packages
> that are installed, and remove them, and also search for xubuntu
> packages (specifically xubuntu-desktop), and make sure they are
> installed.
>   
Xubuntu uses a lot of GNOME packages, you might wind up swimming 
upstream here.  You could remove xubuntu-desktop, remove whatever 
packages you think you won't be using, and then some, and finally 
install xubuntu-desktop again.  That way any packages that get 
accidentially removed in the removal step would be reinstalled.

> Would anybody agree/ disagree with this method?
>   

Personally?  I would just ignore the gnome stuff, unless your hurting 
for hdd space.