Version Confusion

It's worth mentioning that while Ubuntu Desktop Edition and Ubuntu Netbook Edition are the most commonly used "flavors" of Ubuntu (probably because they serve people's needs very well), they are not the only options. There are other options, which include the following:

(1) An Ubuntu command-line system, with no graphical interface. Boot from the Alternate Install CD and, after selecting the installation language, press F4 and select "Install command-line system." You probably don't want this. One of the uses for an Ubuntu command-line system is to serve as a base for installing a more fully-featured Ubuntu flavor that has a graphical user interface, if install media are not available (for example, see the instructions below for installing a 64-bit Lubuntu system).

(2) An Ubuntu Server system (install with the Ubuntu Server Install CD). This also comes with no graphical user interface, but it is not the same as an Ubuntu command-line system. It is optimized for running network servers, and the installation allows you to install and (to a degree) configure them. For a desktop system (even a desktop system that will run servers), this is probably not the best option.

(3) Kubuntu (http://www.kubuntu.org/), which uses KDE. GNOME (which is used by Ubuntu Desktop Edition and, with some different components, Ubuntu Netbook Edition) is one of the two highly popular and fully-featured desktop environments for Unix-like systems. KDE is the other. You can add this to an existing Ubuntu system by installing the package kubuntu-desktop.

(4) Xubuntu (http://xubuntu.org/), which uses Xfce as its desktop environment. This is designed to be well-featured, but significantly lighter weight than Ubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu Netbook, and Kubuntu. If you want a simpler interface or have a computer with not much RAM or hard disk space, this might be an excellent choice. You can add this to an existing Ubuntu system by installing the package xubuntu-desktop.

(5) Lubuntu (http://lubuntu.net/), which uses LXDE as its desktop environment. This is even lighter weight than Xfce, though the desktop environment is not as fully featured and this tends to be less ideal for novices than Xubuntu (at least in its current state of development). Lubuntu is appropriate for production use, but (unlike the others listed here) it is not (yet) an official Ubuntu derivative. You can add this to an existing Ubuntu system by installing the package lubuntu-desktop. Unlike the others, Lubuntu doesn't have an installation CD for 64-bit systems. Of course, you can install the 32-bit version of any Ubuntu flavor on a 64-bit system, but the OS won't take full advantage of the hardware's capabilities. To get a 64-bit Lubuntu system, you can install an Ubuntu command-line system (see above), update the system ("sudo apt-get update"), and then install the lubuntu-desktop package ("sudo apt-get install lubuntu-desktop").

(6) Edubuntu (http://edubuntu.org/), which uses GNOME (like Ubuntu Desktop and Ubuntu Netbook). This is optimized for use in primary and secondary school environments, and the default installation includes many applications useful in that context. You can add this to an existing Ubuntu system by installing the package edubuntu-desktop.

Thank you Eliah..I will try it out.
Regards,
Naveen

> To: <email address hidden>
> From: <email address hidden>
> Subject: Re: [Question #141749]: Version Confusion
> Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 07:51:13 +0000
>
> Your question #141749 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/141749
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Eliah Kagan proposed the following answer:
> Both Ubuntu Desktop Edition and Ubuntu Netbook Edition should work well.
> Since your computer has a full-sized display, a pretty fast processor,
> and reasonably long battery life, it would make sense to run Ubuntu
> Desktop Edition (the Netbook Edition is designed with netbooks in mind,
> though it runs fine on full-sized laptops like yours, and desktops too)

Thanks Eliah Kagan, that solved my question.