Xubuntu Linux - Still Refreshingly Boring

Xubuntu Screenshot

Xubuntu is an easy Linux Distribution to like, if you prefer the XFCE desktop. The yeh-sayers of XFCE promote its lighter demands on the system. I like XFCE because it fits what I want in a desktop, especially XFCE Version 4.16. I am always willing to trade bling for functionality.

Xubuntu or Ubuntu in general is created out of the Debian Testing Repository which places Xubuntu high on the list for those wanting to be closer to the bleeding edge. If you want to get a little closer, skip the LTS and go for the interim releases that have a shorter lifespan.

Detractors of Xubuntu at a user level, exclaim Xubuntu is boring, boring, boring. I tend to agree with this claim. Xubuntu in the moment or Xubuntu of ten years ago looks and acts as the same distribution. Personally I find this boring-ness refreshing. To each his/her own. I am okay with boring.

Xubuntu may be Ubuntu's most popular flavor out there, so many people are okay with sameness. Because in the moment, my computer is months rather than years old, everything works as expected. The numbers of Linux distributions I can use are fairly limited and Xubuntu is one of them.

If you are on the other end with an older computer, Xubuntu will work just as well for you because it's requirements are not as CPU intensive as some other desktop environments. If your needs are that of a general user, you may find that you do not need to add any additional applications as Xubuntu comes well stocked.

I do not care for Snap packages. I removed them shortly after I added the additional applications I use. This resulted in extra steps for removing Snap packages as some of the software I added arrived in the form of Snap packages. It was only an extra thirty minutes in removal and adding PPA's or adding .deb packages from the websites.

The arguments for and against Snap packages go on forever. They start with memory and end somewhere after losing control of your system, as the Snap package dictates the settings. I am at this end of the arguments. I use Firefox web browser across a number of computers. I have Firefox synced on all of them.

The first time I used Firefox as a Snap package, it didn't look right. I made adjustments so it looked as I thought it should. As I used the other computers which did not support Snap packaging, the settings made a mess out of Firefox. Adjusting the settings on a non Snap Firefox brought me back to square one with the Snap version.

Xubuntu and Ubuntu in general have two releases. LTS or Long Term Support for five years from release and interim releases, released every six months. Needless to say as in the case of XFCE, if you want to try out and use XFCE 4.16 in the moment, you need to use the interim release. Eventually what works well in the interim release filters down to LTS releases, and the rest is left at the roadside.

Ubuntu in general carries a lot of baggage. It has been accused of spying on its users, ignoring its user in promotion of its paid support options, and not sharing system improvements with Debian as much as they take from Debian for their own use.

There are a few other commercial Linux Companies out there and I am sure they all carry their own baggage. Xubuntu and its kin are user supported and in some ways not as directly influenced by Ubuntu's owners. The murky details of these relationships is another matter however.

Sex. Lies, and Politics adorn most conversation these days. Ubuntu and it's siblings are no exception. You can read about Ubuntu on Wikipedia as a reference point and make up your own mind on what is acceptable for your Linux Distribution. That is your own decision and choice.

For information, I added these packages to my install of Xubuntu. You may want more or less or none at all. Zim, FeatherPad, Pan, Brave Browser, Audacity, Celluloid, Cheese, Chrome, Gparted, Gnome Weather App.

Important -- Synaptic Package Manner is on the menu. Synaptic is the go to for me for non Snap packages and for other distributions. Do not use Synaptic to update or upgrade your system. Wait for Software (on the menu) to tell when you have updates. 

I forgot this interim Xubuntu is using packages from Debian Testing. I downloaded almost 500 mg of updates via Synaptic, and ended up reinstalling Xubuntu because the updates where not stable and borked my install. Do not do what I did. Use, "Software" for any needed system updates.

In closing, if you want to be close to the leading edge, want a stable Linux distribution, don't mind being bored with well oiled sameness, you can do a lot worse than an interim  Xubuntu release as your distribution of choice. If you want better stability with install and forget it, use the Xubuntu LTS release.