In previous reviews, I looked at the latest versions of Ubuntu and Kubuntu. Now it’s time to look at a lightweight alternative to both of them, Lubuntu. Lubuntu uses the Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment (LXDE) instead of the chunkier GNOME or KDE desktops.
Lubuntu 10.04 is not an official derivative of Ubuntu; it is not supported by Canonical. However, it is serves a very important purpose by providing an Ubuntu distro geared toward older or less powerful computers.
What’s New In This Release
Lubuntu 10.04 is based on Ubuntu 10.04 so it shares some similar new features such as faster boot time, etc. This release also includes a rewrite of PCMan File Manager that brings it to 0.9.5, LXDM, and Chromium as the default browser.
Beyond that, there’s not much more in the way of new features in this release of Lubuntu, according to the release notes. I’d really like to see Lubuntu (and a lot of other distro developers) emulate how Linux Mint presents new features. Linux Mint makes it very easy on reviewers by providing a comprehensive new features page.
So many distros have information scattered all over the place that it ends up being a huge pain in the ass to try to find out all of the significant new features. Make it easy on us guys; feed us the information we need to write a comprehensive review. Don’t make us scour your site looking at this page or that blog entry to try to find out what’s new and why our readers should care.
Thanks.
Hardware Requirements & Installation
Hardware Requirements
Here’s what you’ll need to run Lubuntu 10.04:
The minimum memory requirement for running lubuntu 10.04 is 128 MB of memory. Note that some of your system’s memory may be unavailable due to being used by the graphics card.
To use the graphical installer from the live-cd, you need at least 160 MB of memory.
There was no information related to a specific processor speed or video card on the release notes page for Lubuntu 10.04.
Installation
The installer doesn’t have a slideshow built into it, so you won’t be entertained while the install happens. But it’s as easy as installing any other Ubuntu derivative.
Booting & Login
Bootsplash
The bootsplash screen has the redesigned Lubuntu logo (similar to Ubuntu 10.04′s in shape and coloring). The pre-install bootsplash screen lets you pick the Live CD option, so you can try Lubuntu without actually having to install it on your system.
Login Screen
The login screen lets you choose your language and desktop options.
The Desktop
Lubuntu’s desktop is completely clean, there are no icons scattered all over the place on it. Nor is it choked with eye candy or other unnecessary debris.
You’ll find the Lubuntu “start” button on the end of the left side of the panel. Next to it are the file manager icon, Chromium browser, and multiple desktops. On the far right are the volume, networking, time/date and session icons.
The application menus are broken down into the usual categories:
Accessories
Graphics
Internet
Office
Other
Sound & Video
One thing you’ll notice about using the Lubuntu desktop is that it’s fast. Very, very fast. Even on an underpowered machine, Lubuntu should perform very well. It’s one of the best things about this distro; it leaves behind the bloated eye candy that can sometimes bog down GNOME and KDE.
Controls
Click the Lubuntu button on the panel and then click Preferences. From there, you can access all of the controls necessary to manage your system. Monitor settings, bluetooth, appearance, keyboard and mouse, etc. It’s all there, along with the Synaptic software manage, user management and other important tools.
Themes
The default Window theme is Clearlooks. But you can also choose Industrial, Redmond, Raleigh, ThinIce, Crux and Mist.
Wallpaper
The Lubuntu wallpaper is attractive and clean. It won’t overwhelm you with glitz. It’s much like this distro, functional and matter of fact.
Bundled Software
Here’s a sample of the software included in this release.
Games
No Games
Graphics
Simple Scan
mtPaint Graphic Editor
Internet
Chromium
Pidgin IM
Sylpheed
Transmission
XChat IRC
PyNeighborhood
Multimedia
Aqualung
Cheese
GNOME MPlayer
Xfburn
Office
Abiword
Gnumeric
Lubuntu does not come with an overwhelming amount of software bundled into it, but it does cover the basics. If you want more you can find it in Synaptic. I installed OpenOffice.org, GIMP and Shutter via Synaptic. Abiword is a fine word processor but I really prefer having OpenOffice.org available in case I need it. Shutter is a great application to use for screenshots.
If you’re a fan of Firefox, you’ll need to install that yourself. Chromium is the only browser included with Lubuntu. Since I’ve more or less switched from Firefox to Chrome on my other systems, I was very comfortable with Chromium. But I still took a moment to install Firefox. It never hurts to have it available if it’s needed. So far Chromium has proven itself quite well, but I still like having Firefox installed anyway.
Updating Lubuntu is also done through Synaptic. After I booted into my Lubuntu desktop, I immediately opened Synaptic and updated my system.
Software Repositories
If you want to add more repositories, click Settings then Repositories in Synaptic. Given what’s available already, it really isn’t necessary to add more software sources. You should be able to find plenty of software in Synaptic.
Adding & Removing Software
To add software, simply find it in Synaptic and click the check box. Then click Mark for Installation, and then confirm when the menu pops up. Then click the Apply button and your software will be installed.
Sound and Multimedia
YouTube & DVDs
You’ll need to install flash to watch YouTube videos in Chromium. I installed it via Synaptic and had no problems running YouTube videos.
If you want to run DVDs, you’ll have to find the appropriate software and install it from another source. It’s not available in Synaptic for legal reasons.
Problems & Headaches
I didn’t run into any noticeable problems with Lubuntu. It was very fast and stable, and I didn’t see noticeable bugs or problems.
I hate it when this happens since it’s so much more interesting for my readers when I run into one nasty problem or another. Hopefully the next version of Lubuntu will be chock full of horrendous problems and bugs. Just kidding. If you’ve run Lubuntu and see any nasty headaches, please share them in the comments.
Where To Get Help
Please take a moment to register for the DLR forum (registration takes less than a minute and you can login with your Facebook account if you want); everybody is welcome. You are welcome to post a message in the Linux Help section and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction. The forum contains discussions about Linux, but also many other topics. Please stop by and say hello when you have a chance.
Drop by the forum to get help, talk about Linux or just hang out.
You might also want to check out the Ubuntu forum (use the Lubuntu prefix when you post), Lubuntu Live Help, and the Lubuntu mailing list.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Use It
Lubuntu 10.04 is perfect for those who use older computers or who simply want to use their systems without getting bogged down in KDE, GNOME or Windows bloat. Lubuntu is not particularly elegant but it is very fast and I found it to be quite reliable.
Beginners should have no problem using Lubuntu, and Linux veterans can certainly appreciate what it has to offer too.
What’s your take on this distro? Tell me in the comments below. Visit the DLR forum for more discussions. Visit JimLynch.com for opinion columns.
Summary Table:
| Product: | Lubuntu 10.04 |
| Web Site: | http://lubuntu.net/ |
| Price: | Free |
| Pros: | Light-weight desktop is an excellent choice for older or underpowered machines. |
| Cons: | The default software selection is somewhat sparse, so you’ll probably need to hit Synaptic to fill things out until you have all the applications you need. |
| Suitable For: | Beginner, intermediate or advanced Linux users. |
| Summary: | Lubuntu 10.04 provides a functional, fast desktop environment. It eschews glitz and eye-candy bloat in favor of speed and low use of system resources. |
| Rating: | 4/5 |
Earl wrote:
That's a good way to do it, as long as you still have a working video driver that matches what is specified in the xorg.conf file that gets created; otherwise you may have to alter that information in order for this approach to work correctly, but it is a good idea; I've copied many a config file over the years. However, right now, most of my systems have Intel-based graphics, and those systems seem to work fine, at least for me.
I found a way to "cheat" on older machines. I got a book from the public library on Ubuntu 6.10 at the public library that had the live CD. I used the live CD to generate an xorg file and put that into my configuration.
Earl
How to use print screen in lubuntu?
Thanks to both of you, Brian and lagenda.
Mandriva (gnome) used to be my distro of choice in 2009 and early 2010. I found it quite polished. I used Mandriva lxde for a while but I think both Lubuntu and Peppermint are better.
I like PCLinuxOS lxde because it's relatively fast, stable and easy to configure. Even updating and downloading applications is made easy with the use of Synaptic. It's also a rolling distro, so no need to fresh install new versions. I've had to take out some of the bundled applications and replace them with those that I really use. But overall, it's an OS I feel I can use for daily computing. I am using it now on a vintage IBM desktop with a 1.2GHz processor.
Barista Uno wrote:
If the PCLinuxOS LXDE edition works for you, stick with it. The one thing I can say about PCLinuxOS is that the way the developers tend to configure it, the systems tend to use more virtual memory than similar systems using the same window management software on other distributions, but the reason for this is that PCLinuxOS, by default, INCLUDES more software tools, things like Dan's Guardian to protect the sites you visit, an Email transport server, in case you set up your own Email environment, things like that. These chew up memory, but they are there if you need them, and they can be turned off. In other systems, if you needed them, you would have to install them.
Lubuntu is probably the lightest of the three distros you mention, and it has the same software AVAILABLE in repositories, but it actually installs and preconfigures VERY LITTLE of it. Peppermint installs and configures a few things, but PCLinuxOS is the most complete.
So the trade off is that PCLinuxOS chews up more memory, Lubuntu the least of the three, Peppermint OS One, somewhere in between, but this is all about what each of them sets up for you.
I think you've seen that the PCLinuxOS approach is pretty pragmatic and it tends to work, so if it works for you, stick with it.
Brian Masinick wrote:
… and with regard to Mandriva, going all the way back to Mandrake, this distribution HAD been a favorite of mine for a very long time. Looks like Mageia will be replacing that spot in my heart - it's made by some of the better FORMER Mandriva developers.
lagenda wrote:
I am not sure that I would agree with you right now, Barista. Mandriva is a distribution in a state of flux. I tested it for a few builds during the early testing. In the past, I've been able to run a Mandriva Cooker across releases. This testing cycle, things were so erratic that I had to install a newer test build, and that one did not work very long before it badly broke, so quality is a big issue right now with Mandriva.
I have also run Mageia and the quality of it is quite a bit superior to what I've seen in Mandriva, at least for this particular release. But Mageia is still Beta test quality. When Mageia is released (or when a viable release candidate is available), I do hope that Jim takes a look at it and gives it a full review. As for Mandriva, he's reviewed it several times over the years. Maybe an "Eye on Linux" Quick Look" review is in order once they release to see if they "get their ship in order". I am not too optimistic about them; they have messed up too many times, almost since their inception in 1998. They have really good technology at times, but they are exceptionally poorly managed. Without big changes, I can see them finally going under completely.
@ Barista Uno:
U shuld go to Mandriva or Mageia.
I had been alternating between Lubuntu and Peppermint but I am currently using PCLinuxOS lxde edition and may stick to it indefinitely.
Anybody can give me a compelling reason to go back to either Lubuntu or Peppermint latest editions?
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the review!
I'm currently using Lubuntu 10.10 but slightly hesitant to move to the 11.04 version. Is it worth moving to the version 11.04 ? What are the improvements in RAM consumption compared to the 10.10 and about the stability.
Regards,
Denny
@ Kendall Weaver: Wow, you have amazed me Kendall and are totally correct. Your Peppermint Distro is fast and simple i'll give you that, looking forward to checking out your distro in the future. I am a Lubuntu User who believes in the Lubuntu team. I enjoy checking out other distros from time to time but never switch. As a note: Since Pepperminos is a cloud distro there should be more cloud security. This thing about linux not prone to malicious code is fantasy. Protected distro is a usable distro with no back doors. Maybe if the browsers cache ran in a sandbox, along with flash, java, and maybe. . . well you get the point. Possibly update your irc handlers, the word unprofessional beams me in the face on every visit.
Barista Uno wrote:
It is nimble, that is for sure!
To borrow a phrase from Mohammad Ali, this distro floats like and butterfly and stings like a bee.
It will be interesting to see how the Lubuntu changes affect future versions of Peppermint, since Peppermint has been built on top of Lubuntu. The early versions of Peppermint were based on Alpha 3 of Lubuntu 10.04. I have not recently checked to see where that's at, but I have been periodically updating my Peppermint instance, which I've started to customize to suit my own tastes, and it's still running very well.
I wonder about a rolling version of Peppermint in the future. Hmm, that could be interesting too.
Barista Uno wrote:
Education time: with the Debian packaging style, it's pretty easy to add and remove applications. If you stick only to the package updates provided with the Software Update desktop icon, I can see why you may think that you are limited.
On my Peppermint OS One setup, I have both the stock apps and a number that I put there myself. I wanted to compare using Prism to using Chrome or Chromium, so I installed both. I sometimes use different media players, so I install what I want. You are not limited to what gets included, you can add, remove, and customize what's there. However if you have a strong opinion about something, bring it up at the Peppermint forums and see what their view on the topic is and what their suggestions would be.
I've been running the latest Peppermint One Respin on my notebook. So far, so good. It's fast and fairly stable. Some areas where I'd like to see some improvements:
1) Prism cloud applications - Users should be given the option to choose what applications to remove and to keep. Ebuddy IM Client is included in the package and it's terribly annoying to use because of the adverts.
2) VLC should be the stock/default media player.
3) The vanilla Peppermint install should include some nifty applications that many users are likely to need - e.g., unetbootin or some similar USB installer, Goldendict (who doesn't need a dictionary?), xPad or a similarly lightweight post-it note application.
As it is, Peppermint One Respin is fast and stable though far, far from perfect. I just might replace it with Ubuntu netbook edition or openSUSE netbook.
@ Brian Masinick:
Note that Lubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" also made the news, shortly following after the officially supported 10.10 release with a community announcement of the release of the Beta test of the LXDE version of Ubuntu, Lubuntu. Should be pretty light, fast, and simple, and it might be worth a look.
Actually there is a solution, in Xubuntu I solved it by editing the xorg.conf file so that the resolution 1024×768 also appeared and worked fine. (on my Dell Latitude C600 with ATi video card) @ Earl Violet:
@ Max:
I do not loke look of LXDE but the speed is amazing.
Ben D wrote:
The older and slower your system is, the more likely that you will appreciate one of the versions of Puppy. There are now arguments going on in the Puppy camp because some changes being made may make Puppy more difficult (if possible) to run on certain old hardware, but suffice it to say that if you have old hardware, there is probably a Puppy release (maybe an older one) that will work with your system.
Puppy is also likely to start up fairly responsively even on ten year old hardware.
Lubuntu, on the other hand, runs modern software and has fewer compromises, but requires significantly more resources. It may run on a ten year old Pentium III system too, but you'll get snappier results with Puppy. On three to five year old systems, the advantages of the software included (as opposed to being hunted down and installed) in Lubuntu may give it some useful edges over Puppy in certain situations. Clearly though both current versions of both distributions have the POTENTIAL to install many of the same packages, so this is more about STARTING POINT as opposed to what you COULD DO with the systems. Both are flexible and you could ultimately morph either of them into something extremely similar in terms of applications, yet have them very different in window managers and package systems. (Pet vs. Deb).
Puppy 5 is an independent distro that can use ANY Ubuntu or *.deb packages.
Puppy 5 download is 128 M vs 500+ for Lubuntu. Puppy also uses significantly less memory while running.
The advantages to Lubuntu will accrue if it becomes an official member of the Ubuntu family of operating systems. Also if it develops a "road map" for future releases, which Puppy won't do, as it's an effort of Barry Kauler and a small group of enthusiasts.
IMHO both Lubuntu and Puppy are excellent systems addressing the same potential users. Each has some small advantages versus the other.
Brian Masinick wrote:
Earlier I suggested that in the future, there would be Puppy derivatives that are based on Ubuntu packages. We've actually had them AVAILABLE for at least a few months now - the Puppy 5.0 release was code named "Lupu" because it offers packages from the Ubuntu Lucid Lynx (10.04 LTS) release, yet it is still a Puppy with Pet packages adapted from other package managers.
The Puppy technology that Barry Kauler has been working on for AT LEAST a year (maybe longer) is to have the capability of creating Pet (Puppy) packages from Slackware (.tgz), Red Hat (.rpm), or Debian (.deb) packages, and in theory, other formats as well. I have seen the Slackware based packages in the past, but most of the focus so far in recent Puppy projects - two threads - the Puppy 5.0 thread and the Barry Kauler "Quirky" thread, have so far been based on Ubuntu .deb packages.
@daemox: Unless Lubuntu has since reached the point where it has acquired all of the LTS packages and has settled down, the number of package updates alone would be reason enough not to recommend it to a first time user unless that person has the desire to be active in managing their system on a consistent basis.
At the same time, Lubuntu proved to be just as easy to install as Ubuntu, and certainly as easy to run Live. I felt that the software, while functional and a solid basis upon which to build other systems - as Kendall Weaver has certainly demonstrated with Peppermint OS, by itself, without the aide of experts like Kendall, Lubuntu just seems not quite at the stage where everything is completely finished and integrated, as it is in both the core Ubuntu products and in many of the Mint derivatives.
A veteran might find Lubuntu to be the PERFECT platform upon which to build their own derivative - and again, we've already seen that. A novice MIGHT be able to do something with this, but given the numerous alternatives that are already set up for immediate use, it would seem that the most appropriate use for this software, at least right now, is in using it as a starting point for creating something else. To me, it is almost ideal if used in that context, but lacking if viewed on its own without distinguishing finishing touches.
Hey,
Lubuntu is a project I excitedly watch and look forward to maturing, however I don't think it's fair to call this a novice friendly distro when compared to more heavy weight DE based ones like Ubuntu.
With full GUI support in Gnome, the Ubuntu Software Center, and the fact that Ubuntu 10.04 is an LTS release whereas Lubuntu 10.04 is not and, if I understand correctly, closer to beta quality than final at this point. All those points seem to combine to make it much less novice friendly than an Ubuntu 10.04 LTS install.
That's not saying a nerdy GNU/Linux newbie couldn't handle Lubuntu, but non-computer people would likely not want to hassle with the added problems or work they might see under Lubuntu as compared to Ubuntu.
Anyway, again this isn't a slam at Lubuntu as I really look forward to the project maturing and hope it's LTS quality in time for 12.04, but I think it's inaccurate to say it's a novice friendly distro.
Cheers,
daemox
@ Earl Violet : I have a Dell C600 and only a rare few Linux distributions can manage to display correctly at 1024. Usually you're stuck at 800 so here's a link to configure your Xorg.conf properly : http://www.ubuntugeek.com/fix-for-video-problem-o…
anyone tested blueman (or other bluetooth layer) on Lubuntu?
Maybe I missed it, but I don't remember your telling us how much space is requires for Lubuntu. Please advise.
Hello all
I swapped from Ubuntu 10.04 to Lubuntu a couple of weeks back following an update borking my laptop sound. I have been generally been very happy with Lubuntu, especially considering it is only at beta level.
The main word of warning with lightweight disros is you have to be careful with installing new apps/ swapping the lightweight ones out for ones that work better - you end up installing a load of gmome and KDE dependencies and your machine starts slowing down again like a windows box!
A few points of note:
Chromium daily builds can lead to a fairly unstable browsing experience and I have had to install firefox to supplement. PCMANFM crashes on one of my fuse mounted NAS partitions and I had to supplement by installing Thunar which works fine.
XFburn doesn't have a direct audio cd copy facility (have to go via ISO route) and I installed the cli based 'Burn' from the repos to address this. I guess what I'm saying is lighweight OS is a good goal to aim for, especially with older hardware, but it's no use if the bundled lightweight apps don't cut the mustard for mainstream computing tasks.
Guy
@ Earl Violet:
The Buntu's and ATI parted ways after version 8.10. They supply an open source driver which is not fully baked yet. The bad news is, getting your wifi to work with 8.10 and prior is a major chore.
Buntu does work well with Intel and Nvidia GPU's.
@ Innocent Bystander:
Q1: Lubuntu has been pushing for official Canonical sponsorship and it's very possible that they'll have it for the 10.10 release.
Q3: Gnome apps run just fine as LXDE also uses GTK and the file manager utilizes gvfs. Some Gnome apps will bring a bunch of dependencies, but they'll run fine.
@ Brian Masinick:
Peppermint OS is actually a fork of Lubuntu 10.04 Alpha 3. It does use some Mint tools and some of the lower level configuration files from Linux Mint. Without Lubuntu, it would be very difficult for Peppermint to exist as it presently does. See the Launchpad site for more details: https://launchpad.net/~kendalltweaver/+archive/pe…
Peppermint based on Mint, Mint based on Ubuntu and Ubuntu based on Debian.
I am getting tired. Any distro out there not based on another distro?
Before Lubuntu came into being, it was discussed by Canonical, including Mark Shuttlesworth, and it was approved. Not sure where or how far it is in the process of becoming an officially sponsored or sanctioned distribution. At this point, the name is recognized, but the corporate support is not there.
Peppermint OS One is based on Linux Mint 9, which also has its roots above in Ubuntu, and in particular, the 10.04 release, so Peppermint and Lubuntu are VERY CLOSE in capabilities since they use the same desktop environment. Personally, I like Peppermint; more tools, slightly more refined, and just as fast.
You can run whatever you want with either Peppermint or Lubuntu. Both have the Lucid Lynx repos of Ubuntu behind them.
Puppy is much more minimal than these distributions, but the recent Puppy derivative from Barry Kauler will allow the use of packages from other systems, whereas Puppy uses either its own, or at a stretch, Slackware based packages. Future Puppy derivatives from Barry are likely to be able to use Ubuntu packages.
Q1. If not officially supported by Ubuntu, How come it is allowed to use the owrd "Ubuntu" in its distro name?
Q2. Thanks to the previous posters, I have learnt that there is Peppermint which is also base on Ububtu + LXDE. Some weeks ago, I have also heard of PuppyLinux, how do these 3 Ubuntu + LXDE compare?
Q3. What happen if I run a Gnome application? And for the sake of education, let's imagine that this application is Gnome only and doesn't have an LXDE equivalent.
Thanks in advance for any help.
I tried the live CD on a Dell Latitude with an ATI Technologies Inc Rage Mobility M3 AGP 2x (rev 02) graphics card. The best resolution is 800×600. I heard of other problems with old computers and non-Intel graphics cards. If there is a solution, Hooray, Lubuntu; Otherwise, BOO! Screen resolution was fine with Mandriva 2009 Live CD so I know it can be done.
You got linked already by LXer, so that's pretty good Jim!
I would have to agree. Lubuntu seems like a nice effort, but Peppermint is still the lightweight king.
I am using Peppermint OS One right now. It seems to me that Peppermint is quite similar to Lubuntu, but Peppermint has both Ubuntu and Mint repos serving it with package updates. If you are a Mint fan, you may appreciate the simple, but artistic opening page, which is still quite lightweight.
I may grab the image, now that I have a USB drive again, but I don't see anything that Lubuntu is likely to offer that differs significantly from Peppermint, and I kind of like the responsiveness and everything else about Peppermint. I'd likely rate both of them well for systems needing light (or fast) setups.