Ubuntu alternatives

Michael Reed investigates Ubuntu progenies and finds that they each have their own take on a how a desktop should work…

- Michael Reed

HOW WE TESTED…

Having installed each distribution, it was time to start playing around. This consisted of using the distribution for a while to carry out typical desktop computer tasks such as browsing the web and running software such LibreOffice. We also tried installing some software using the package management facilities of the distribution, noting any difficulties along the way.

In addition to the standard desktop computer tests, we loaded each of the distributions up on an old laptop fitted with 2GB of RAM and a 1.66GHz single core hyperthreaded CPU, because we were curious to look for problems when the system is really under strain. To our satisfaction, all the distributions were usable on such a setup, but we would only consider Lubuntu and Bodhi as viable full-time OSes for this machine. Beyond 2GB of memory, the operating system and desktop becomes less of a factor, and substantial applications use a higher percentage of the total memory anyway.

This month, we’re looking at Ubuntu alternatives. These are Linux distributions that use Ubuntu as a base and then add customised functionality. This way of creating a distro makes a lot of sense because it guarantees the stability and massive software base and driver support of Ubuntu, while still giving the developers freedom to customise the experience.