Difference between Lubuntu and Xubuntu

Ubuntu is a giant in the Linux world. Its massive popularity has led to loads of derivative distributions, flavors, and spinoffs, all of which retain the core Ubuntu operating system as their base. By allowing all these variants, Ubuntu is able to create a vast and thriving ecosystem, all interconnected and contributing to and strengthening the main Ubuntu.

With so many variations and so many of them using part of the Ubuntu name, it’s hard for newcomers to sort out exactly what’s what and distinguish between them. They all are different, though, each with its own desktop environment and set of tools.

What is Xubuntu?

Xubuntu is a recognized, community-maintained derivative of the Ubuntu operating system. The name Xubuntu is a portmanteau of Xfce and Ubuntu, as it uses the Xfce desktop environment, instead of Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop.

Xubuntu seeks to provide “a light, stable and configurable desktop environment with conservative workflows” using Xfce components. Xubuntu is intended for both new and experienced Linux users. Rather than explicitly targeting low-powered machines, it attempts to provide “extra responsiveness and speed” on existing hardware.

Xubuntu is perfect for those who want the most out of their desktops, laptops and netbooks with a modern look and enough features for efficient, daily usage. It works well on older hardware too.

Running Xubuntu from the hard drive requires 256 MB RAM, and 512 MB is strongly recommended. It requires a minimum of 2 GB of space on the hard drive.

Xubuntu can also run from a bootable CD-ROM or USB thumb drive. Booting Xubuntu from a removable disk can be useful for trying it out without modifying the hard disk, or when no hard disk is available.

What Is Lubuntu?

Lubuntu is one of the main official flavors of Ubuntu. Each of these flavors is essentially the same as the main Ubuntu release but paired with a different desktop environment. Kubuntu is Ubuntu with the KDE Plasma desktop. Xubuntu is Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop. Lubuntu, then, is Ubuntu with LXQt.

LXQt is a lightweight desktop environment based around the Qt toolkit, similar to KDE Plasma. It’s a full-featured desktop environment with all the tools and utilities that you’d expect but without a lot of the extras and visual effects that could weigh your computer down or make it feel bloated.

Lubuntu used to be based on the LXDE desktop, but LXDE merged with Raxor-qt to form the new LXQt desktop environment. Both desktops were lightweight and concerned with resource efficiency, and so is the result of their merger: LXQt.

Lubuntu comes packaged with many popular free software packages, such as Abiword, Audacious, Gnumeric, MPlayer, Pidgin, XChat, and Leafpad. It includes the synaptic software package manager for installing and uninstalling new software and maintaining dependencies. For web browsing, it includes the Chromium web browser by default. As of 2014, it is packaged with Firefox.

Also Read: Difference Between Application Software And System Software

What you need to know about Lubuntu And Xubuntu

Lubuntu

• Lubuntu is defined as Linux distribution for lightweight, easy-to-use, and fast operating system as it selects fewer apps which makes it lighter, and mainly it uses LDXE or LXQt desktop environment.
• Lubuntu provides a lean desktop as it compromises with a lot to make it easy-to-use and another reason is it makes choices of limited applications and software packages which mean LXQt is the barest of bones of the desktop.
• Lubuntu comes with software packed such as Gnumeric and Abiword which provides some default applications instead of LibreOffice when compared to Xubuntu.
• Lubuntu does not provide any more features when compared to Xubuntu and hence Lubuntu is bare which only allows very minimal customizations which make it look outdated.
• In Lubuntu, the LXQt developers use the Qt programming toolkit which is also used to create a Plasma interface.
• Lubuntu is the latest version of ubuntu for working with an older computer which traditionally uses LDXE interface but LXQt is much modern than LDXE.
• Lubuntu is generally ubuntu flavor that uses a desktop environment such as either LDXE or LXQt instead of Ubuntu’s GNOME. Lubuntu provides stability and security as of Ubuntu.
• Lubuntu runs perfectly even on computers with less RAM i.e 265 MB.

Xubuntu

• Xubuntu is also defined as a flavor of Ubuntu based on Linux distribution which is also an easy-to-use, a lightweight operating system with XFCE has a desktop environment.
• Xubuntu is not that lean as compared to Lubuntu though this is also lighter than GNOME, unity, etc as it uses XFCE as a desktop environment which does not make it as bare as LXQt.
• Xubuntu comes with LibreOffice and not with any other alternatives when compared to Lubuntu and Xubuntu does not skimp software.
• Xubuntu provides more features when compared to Lubuntu which makes it more elegant and user friendly to use as it provides very polished customizations which makes it look good.
• In Xubuntu, XFCE developers use the GTK toolkit as it is based on the GTK toolkit, but it is not GNOME fork.
• Xubuntu is a go-to version of ubuntu for working with older computers with more features and good looking interface than Lubuntu.
• Xubuntu is also a Ubuntu’s flavor with XFCE as a desktop environment which also provides security and stability of Ubuntu.
• Xubuntu also runs perfectly on computers with less RAM as 512 MB.

Also Read: Difference Between Ubuntu And Lubuntu

Xubuntu vs Lubuntu

Similarities

• Pre-installed applications, such as the installer and package manager, are similar.
• Software applications are similar.
• No real differences in support.

Conclusion

Lubuntu is a lightweight operating system based on Ubuntu Linux. Its desktop environment is LXDE, the Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment. It is designed to consume fewer system resources, and in testing, uses about half as much system RAM as comparable Linux distributions. Lubuntu is fast, secure, reliable, easy to set up, and a great choice for older PCs.

Xubuntu was developed with a stated goal of focusing on “integration, usability, and performance.” It consumes fewer system resources, squeezing more out of newer systems and breathing new life into machines with fewer, older, slower, or limited resources. It uses the Xfce desktop environment, which is designed to be fast and lightweight without compromising the visual enhancements of modern window management.