lubuntu 14.04

I run Ubuntu, but I mostly stay away from Ubuntu spin-offs/derivatives, although I do like Kubuntu. I thought that Lubuntu might be a good choice for one of my spare computers, so I downloaded lubuntu-14.04.1-desktop-i386.iso (Lubuntu 14.04.2 is available for download as of February 22). Here's what the default desktop looks like from the live session, from a flash drive created with Unetbootin:

Lubuntu 14.04 is a Long Term Support (LTS) release. That means a 3-year support window, unlike Ubuntu 14.04 and (I think) Kubuntu 14.04, which will be supported for five years after being released. So my Lubuntu installation should be good for a couple more years.

Lubuntu ships with the Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment (more commonly known as LXDE), which runs on top of the Openbox window manager. They include a nice selection of apps: Firefox, PCManFM, Abiword, Gnumeric, Leafpad, Audacious, GNOME MPlayer, and more. Lubuntu uses the Ubuntu repos, of course, so all of that software is available as well.

Installation was so easy that for once I didn't even bother to type up installation notes. I added a handful of my favorite apps, including Chromium, SpaceFM, and Geany.

The default menu set-up was good, but I tweaked things to give myself an Openbox desktop right-click menu for quick access to a few frequently used apps. The panel, called LXPanel, seems easy enough to work with. One nice touch is that LXDE allows for different wallpapers on different desktops.

Overall, Lubuntu provides a simple, light-weight, "traditional" environment to operate in. LXDE has developed into a nice alternative to Xfce. Here are a couple more screenshots, taken after I got things installed and set up:

For more info, see: http://lubuntu.net/

LXDE fans might also want to take a look at LXLE, which some folks say is better than Lubuntu (LXLE is, however, based on Lubuntu): http://lxle.net/