[xubuntu-users] Choosing the right/best version (release) of Xubuntu

[PGillespie]

No two respondents are probably going to give you the same answer. 
You're going to find a lot of 2-cent currency in your pocket.

My own 2 Cents: Don't worry about whether it's LTS. That's overblown in 
my opinion. A Linux machine whose expiration date has expired is still 
safer than an up-to-date Windows machine. Every now and then some user 
at Ubuntu forums will pipe up, bragging that he's still using 9.04 (dead 
and loving it), right before all the nervous nellies start wringing 
their hands. Whatever... I say. If you're going to use Xubuntu, I think 
it's worth getting the latest refinements

Beyond that, you know your friend better than anyone.

Your subject header implies you're only considering Xubuntu, but then 
you mention Gnome in the body of your message, so what follows is my own 
experience doing (and having done) exactly what you're doing.

If they like the "looks" of Vista & 7, then they're probably not going 
to like Xubuntu. Xubuntu is going to look like a cheap knock-off of who 
knows what. Install the latest NetrunnerOS (KDE). It's Ubuntu/Mint based 
and runs well on low end machines and is gorgeous. It just works. No 
problem with the screensaver, for example, and that can't be said of 
Xubuntu -- yet. Also, for all the "lightness" of thunar, it's 
presentation is a pale shadow of explorer/dolphin/nemo. I like Thunar, 
but sometimes find it too Spartan.

I would be careful recommending Gnome. That DE can be like wearing a 
straight-jacket after the comparative freedom of Windows (let alone 
Xubuntu). Sure, they have the Gnome Extensions Page, *if* it works. 
Gnome is an incredibly frustrating DE in my experience, unless you've 
drunk the Kool-aide (it's slick, plastic bling not-withstanding). For 
the most part, it's their way or the highway.

To be honest, I might recommend the latest Mint 16:

Clem has made some really impressive progress with Cinnamon (now 2.0). 
It now uses its own code base (no longer Gnome/version dependent). 
Associating Mime types (unintuitive and missing in Xubuntu) is vastly 
easier in Cinnamon 2.0. (I have a friend for whom I installed Xubuntu a 
couple years ago -- a former Windows user -- and the PITA which is file 
association in Xubuntu is a feature he complains about -- I'll be 
installing Mint 16 for him this coming month.)   Also, where Xubuntu can 
look like it's stuck together with chewing gum and band-aids, Mint 
presents a much more cohesive experience.

If your friend likes to tweak, tweak, tweak... then Xubuntu can't be 
beat. Xubuntu is the most tweakable DE on Linux.

Unity is kind of cool, but as with Gnome, it's their way or the highway. 
All Unity desktops, in my opinion, look the same. On the upside, Unity 
feels cutting edge, it works well on small screens, but it's also a 
little dumbed down for my tastes -- user management being an example 
(unless they've changed that). Unity still doesn't feel as finished and 
cohesive as KDE or Mint (which is surprising to me). One minute you'll 
be in bling-land, and the next some dialog box from 1996 will pop up. If 
your friend likes the old-school app-menu, then that also eliminates 
both Unity & Gnome. Also, Ubuntu/Unity is a moving target in a way that 
the other Distros aren't. They'll soon be moving to a completely 
different display server, for example. So, with Unity, a willingness to 
keep installing new versions is probably helpful.

There's always Bodhi, but (subjective opinion) the Enlightenment Desktop 
has always struck me as blingy in all the wrong ways.

Good luck. :)


On 11/20/2013 07:13 AM, Ali Linx (amjjawad) wrote:
> Tell you the truth, I am a bit confused as what Ubuntu Based System 
> shall I go ahead and install on these machines? these two laptops 
> aren't Low Hardware Machines so any Ubuntu Flavour should do the job.
>
> I was thinking about using Xubuntu because, IMHO, I think it would be 
> a good choice for a Windows User. He has never used Linux before :)
>
> However, I am not too sure which release do you recommend? I was 
> thinking about 12.04 because it is an LTS release but what do you 
> recommend?
>
>
>

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