LXDE and Lubuntu
Lubuntu is based on LXDE, an extremely fast desktop environment that uses
less memory and fewer CPU cycles than any of the others discussed. It is
developed specifically with lower-powered computers such as netbooks in
mind, but that isn’t the sole use case. For example, Knoppix, which is a Linux
distribution that runs from a live, bootable CD or DVD, now uses LXDE.
Knoppix is a longtime favorite of sysadmins for emergency repairs of
unbootable systems and for its portability. It recently switched from KDE to
LXDE to benefit from this lightness because running an operating system
from a CD or DVD is generally much slower than when it is installed on a
hard drive.
As the focus in Xubuntu turned from speed and lightness to enjoying the
flexibility of Xfce, a gap was created. Users and developers interested in less-
expensive hardware, such as mobile Internet devices and ARM or MIPS
processor-based computers, wanted to find a way to run a distribution of
Linux that shared the community of Ubuntu, that had a beautiful and useful
desktop, and that did not get bogged down on slower machines. LXDE is
quite new, and its development philosophy fits quite well with the hopes and
dreams of these users, so it seems a perfect fit.
The Lubuntu (see Figure 7.3) distribution is still very new. The developers are
working within the Ubuntu community and making consistent progress, and
they are also appealing for interested people to join the development team and
help out. Install lubuntu-desktop from the Ubuntu repositories to check
it out.