If you’re looking for a lean Linux, you’ll quickly end up on Lubuntu and Xubuntu. But how are the two descendants of Ubuntu different?
Xubuntu and Lubuntu promise complete desktop operating systems with minimal use of resources. They both use the same base but different desktop environments. Read here how Ubuntu derivatives differ and which one is better.
Descendants of Ubuntu
With the names Lubuntu and Xubuntu, it quickly becomes clear that both distributions are variants of the popular Ubuntu. Basically, Ubuntu wants to be a kind of Windows Replacement – A simple, modern look with gimmicks like window effects, pre-installed tools, convenient administration, and overall a beginner-friendly system for everyone.
And with that Ubuntu, has one of the biggest Windows problems of all: loss of performance. Ubuntu is resource-intensive for Linux and therefore not really suitable for old computers or weak hardware like Raspberry Pi. But many users want to do without Ubuntu tricks and other Ubuntu aspects like built-in advertising.
Xubuntu and Lubuntu
And that’s where Lubuntu and Xubuntu come in: they both use Ubuntu as a base but rely on other desktop environments that are more careful with resources. Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop environment, Lubuntu LXQt (formerly LXDE), and Xubuntu Xfce by default. Another thing in common: Lubuntu and Xubuntu started as pure community projects, they are still maintained by the community, but both have long had the status of official Ubuntu variants.
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Lubuntu
Until the latest version, Lubuntu was based on the LXDE desktop environment, now LXQt, an implementation of LXDE based on the Qt development environment, running. Anyone who knows Lubuntu from the past should take another look: LXDE has the visual allure of Windows 98.
A great working environment for old-school friends but ultimately too conservative to really win the favour of typical end-users. With LXQt, the desktop looks much more polished, there are nice backgrounds, and the icons fit wonderfully into the overall concept.
Hardware requirements
Really low fit this: 512 megabytes of RAM, Pentium 4 processor, any graphics card, and 4 gigabytes of hard drive space. Working isn’t fun in all situations, but such old hardware is rarely found in a drawer. Even on single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi or on an old laptop, Lubuntu works flawlessly.
The operation concept is very classic; by default, there is a familiar start menu at the bottom left of the equally familiar taskbar. And of course, this can also be used by typing, as it is known in more complex systems. The kit may be a bit smaller than Ubuntu, but everything you need is pre-installed, including Office tools and a complex control panel.
Xubuntu
Xubuntu is based on the desktop Xfce, and this combination has long been marketed as the # 1 lightweight alternative to Ubuntu. Unlike LXDE Lubuntu, you can look in the start menu a power button, a more complex file manager, and a more modern look.
However, Xubuntu is repeatedly criticized for resources, as all sorts of Ubuntu packages are used, sometimes making the system seem just barely lighter than Ubuntu itself, e.g. Gnome software. It is somewhat slow from Ubuntu. However, the Xfce desktop is still much more responsive than the Ubuntu Gnome. Xubuntu’s minimum hardware requirements are officially exactly the same as the Lubuntu settings.
The operating concept
It also corresponds to Lubuntu, that is, the taskbar and the classic start menu. It is structured a bit differently from Lubuntu but offers the same user experience. The same goes for system administration, customization, and standard software – minor differences, but conceptually quite identical.
For example, when it comes to power management, as mentioned above, Xubuntu is still ahead because there are more options than in Lubuntu. In the graphics area, you will find Gimp image processing, which is very useful.
Which is better? (Best Between Lubuntu and Xubuntu)
The two systems are so similar that it should be essentially a matter of taste. Ultimately, what has always been true of both systems applies: Lubuntu is the lightest and most fixed version, and Xubuntu is the slightly polished, average consumer version, a bit more attractive. When it comes to inferior hardware that desktop Linux should run on for regular users, there is still no way around Lubuntu. If there’s enough power, you might prefer Xubuntu.
Lubuntu. Since switching to LXQt, Lubuntu not only looks great, it also has all the essential tools on board and just uses fewer resources in the background. And that can always come in handy. After all, some tasks push almost every computer to its performance limits, from video editing to extensive browsing with dozens of tabs in multiple browser instances. Every little resource counts.
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A personal review
If you like some polish or can reduce the system’s resources a bit, go with Xubuntu. Xubuntu looks more elegant and better, comes with more features, and is more user-friendly than Lubuntu.
Lubuntu looks much older and allows you much less customization. If you have an old PC with a very old specification, you can go with Lubuntu.
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