[xubuntu-users] Xubuntu - my favourite

[James Freer]

On Fri, 13 Sep 2013, Ralf Mardorf wrote:

> On Thu, 2013-09-12 at 23:05 +0100, James Freer wrote:
>> Like others have said - I also use xubuntu because I like its minimal
>> approach and I add what I want to it (rather than doing what I used to
>> do with Ubuntu back in 2009 - remove some and add others).
>>
>> I also did a survey of other xfce distros and also find that it is by
>> far the most stable and pleasant to use. I also looked at the rolling
>> release ones and I don't follow the rolling release model thoughts
>> http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/1246
>>
>> I was unfairly criticised when I mentioned it a while back in a
>> discussion about improvement. I had mentioned that I think an
>> improvement would be to have one annual point release as 6 month
>> releases do demand quite a lot of work for developers. But rolling
>> release seems very much a backward step for stability.
>>
>> But as far as the current situation goes - Distrowatch Page hit
>> ranking Xubuntu is #27. So how can we promote Xubuntu to the place it
>> deserves.
>>
>> james
>>
>
> Hi James,
>
> first of all I like Xubuntu, resp. Ubuntu Studio, but you are writing
> some nonsense here. An advantage of Xubuntu/Ubuntu Studio is, that you
> have less work with setting up the install, but Xubuntu doesn't have a
> "minimal approach", it's vise versa, it's far a way from the KISS
> principle and bloated, the advantage is caused by the fact that it does
> start all kinds of "unneeded" services, by installing all kinds of
> "unneeded" software. By default Xubuntu does provide much software to
> satisfy a huge target group. Regarding to the rolling release model and
> stability, I experience Arch Linux as far more stable than
> Xubuntu/Ubuntu Studio. Arch does use current stable versions from
> upstream and those versions in addition first are tested by experienced
> users. Such distros usually have a more experienced user base, than the
> *buntu distros have got.

When I referred to 'minimal' I just used it as a loose term. There is less to 
take off for me compared with Ubuntu (as 2009 releases... haven't looked at it 
since). Similar in some ways to PCLoS's Zen a few years back (not sure if they 
still do it) - a minimal install... basic core that one adds too. I see from 
the Xubuntu website that a meta core package will be in 13.10 - which I'll be 
keen to try... Xubuntu can now be minimal install.

KISS is a term several distros use and it's not quite the same in each - you 
refer to it in the case of Arch "let the end user decide". Slackware 
derivatives also use the term but Vector Linux has more eye candy than Xubuntu 
e.g. cairo dock and the application menu can't be customised like the xubuntu 
one and so don't let the end user decide (to my liking that is!). So while I 
like VL, Zenwalk, Salix for their speed - I don't know why but they are faster 
for installation and I think use.

> principle. Regarding to your needs, you are using the wrong distro ;).

Well we can agree to disagree! Apt, synaptic and repos are also important - 
alternatives I have tried I can't get on with. Also very important is how many 
folk are on the maintenance team. One distro I tried distrowatch #1 slot - 
their xfce maintainer had a misfortune and so there was no one to step in... no 
update for almost a year. Xubuntu is a big enough team to cope with a problem 
should that sadly arise. I am a 'happy camper' with Xubuntu.

james