These are the distributions of the editors of Ubunlog: Xubuntu 14.04 LTS

xubuntu 14.04 LTS

En Ubunlog We thought that, since we've been talking a lot about customization lately, maybe it would be a good idea show what editors' desks look like that we actively collaborate on the blog. It is true that one of the great advantages that Linux offers is the possibility of customize pretty much every aspect of the operating system until it matches our visual preferences, and this article is about that. Specifically, of what have we done to get an attractive desktop.

There are many desktops available for Ubuntu, not just Unity or the official flavors. Each one will use one or the other depending on their tastes or needs, or the resources of the machine they use to run the operating system. This time it is my turn to talk about mine, so without further ado I go on to tell how my life has been in this Ubuntu until today.

My beginnings in Ubuntu

My first contact with Ubuntu was quite some time ago, specifically with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx. At that time I had only used Windows and had been raved about Linux, so I decided to give it a try. I looked for a number of programs that could help me replace what I used regularly and installed it on my computer.

The surprise that I got was quite big. One of the things that surprised me the most was that that drivers were installed automatically with the operating system and that I didn't have to waste time looking for them, so that just being able to start working as soon as the installation was finished was a pretty big point in Ubuntu's favor. Graphics drivers were another matter, but with the help of the third-party driver installer that was solved.

Screen-Shot-2011-08-19-at-11.31.08

My marriage to Lucid Lynx lasted two happy years. I had customized it quite a bit, installed a However, and I was delighted with GNOME 2. I later installed Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, and I was not prepared for what I found. Accustomed as I was to GNOME 2, the environment and its menus, suddenly I find something that had more to do with Ubuntu Netbook Remix than with what I knew to date.

Unity had arrived, and with it began my Ubuntu distancing. Unity did not convince me at all, Kubuntu did not call me anything and Xubuntu at that time had a design that I did not like. He wanted to try other things to see what he found. I installed Debian, but it was not for me. I later installed Linux Mint 14, and with this distro I was a loyal user for a long time.

I really liked Linux Mint whole software pre-installed base, which saved me a lot of time looking for programs that I used on a regular basis. The Linux Mint Software Manager was another great hit for me, and for a long time I had dual installations of Linux Mint and Windows on all my computers.

Linux-Mint-Cinnamon-Start-Menu

However, my union with Linux Mint ended when I upgraded my desktop and bought a new laptop. I wanted something inexpensive that dedicate solely and exclusively to my work, so that the after-dinner was only for my free time. With Linux Mint, for some strange reason, even installing Linux Mint 17 XFCE was consuming a lot of resources from my laptop, so I had no choice but to look for another alternative.

My reunion with Ubuntu

Looking for something to replace Linux Mint 17 I came across Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, and the truth is that this time Xubuntu did convince me. Although I was going to spend an hour or two trying to customize it, this time it seemed to me that the graphical environment had a lot to offer me, asking for very little in return.

When installing it on my laptop it worked very, very well, without consuming hardly any resources and, taking into account that this computer has a mechanical hard disk and not an SSD, the graphical environment moves and opens the programs much better than I expected. And, of course, much better than Linux Mint had. This time I had come back to stay, at least for quite a long time.

The customization I use

Screenshot - 280815 - 12:38:29

I have tried different icon packs: Numix Circle, Buttonized, Ultra Flat Icons… I have recently come across one that I think is the best I have tried so far. For my icons I use Squared Icons, which you will be able to install using this PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:noobslab/icons2
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install square-icons

If you use Linux Mint or Debian, then you have to use these others:

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/noobslab/icons2/ubuntu precise main"
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys F59EAE4D
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install square-icons

As customization for the window manager I use Arc Theme, what We showed you how to install just a few days ago. For the rest, I use a fixed desktop background. I am not too fan to use applications like Variety or Wallch, although I understand that there are those who find them useful. In my specific case - although this data is somewhat anecdotal - it is the complete drawing of the cover of one of my favorite albums, the Demons and Wizards of the British group Uriah Heep.

The programs I use the most

spotify ubuntu 2

As with almost everyone, there are various basic programs I can't live without. The first and one of the main ones is Spotify:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-keys D2C19886 
echo deb http://repository.spotify.com stable non-free | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/spotify.list
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install spotify-client

Another program that I need for my day to day is Google Chrome browser:

wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google.list'
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install google-chrome-stable

And of course for my local music and video needs VLC is a must:

sudo apt-get install vlc

For my daily work I declare myself fan Haroopad absolute, an editor markdown to whom, how blogger, I get a lot out of it. You can download a self-installing DEB package from here. To these should be added the GIMP image editor, which comes pre-installed with Xubuntu and which I also use on a daily basis.

And this is, more or less, a summary of how is the distro What do I have on my computer? and my journey through the exciting world of Linux. I hope you liked it and gave you an idea for your computer.


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  1.   Danny Alexander Alva Rojas said

    Epaaaa, I really like the customization, I use Ubuntu and the truth is that I am fascinated with this distro, I tried many but the one that I most adapt to is precisely that one. All the best.

  2.   Shupacabra said

    In my case the resources are not minimal, I remove bluetooth samba apport and some other packages, but hardly below 240 mb in memory, a week ago I gave Debian another chance because it really consumes much less, but after installing binaries for That few things worked, hours of configuration and installing the applications I use, I had a not very pleasant experience, the themes were not very polished with some applications, so I think xubuntu is one of the best choices today

  3.   Apprentice said

    Lubuntu with openbox desktop on an amd semprom (tm) 2300+ at 1.4 Ghz with 1.5 gb of ram ddr. Long to configure but it is worth it. It has given this old computer extra years of life, eliminating unnecessary services, I am right now with three applications open and it does not exceed 700 mb of ram.

  4.   robertostgo said

    Ubuntu Mate 14.04.2 for me one of the most beautiful and that comes with the traditional menus above, although you can customize the menus and the style you want with ubuntu twek ... I really love it. My mawuina is an HP AMD A10 notebook, 1 TB 8 Ram and donle graphics card. Greetings, I follow the blog 1 year ago

  5.   robertostgo said

    Aaah I forgot something, I know Ubuntu and Linux since their version 4.10…. enough time ago and without hesitation it is the best alternative ... now if greetings

  6.   robertostgo1 said

    Aaah I forgot something, I know Ubuntu and Linux since their version 4.10…. enough time ago and without hesitation it is the best alternative ... now if greetings

  7.   Javier Sanchez said

    After trying Ubuntu, OpenSuse and linux mint, I decided to install a lighter distro with xfce environment, I tried linux mint xfce and despite its excellent performance I did not like the amount of useless programs it brought, so I decided to try debian 8 but later After a week of failed attempts to install it, I ended up discarding it and I only have to install Xubuntu, this report helped me to clarify some doubts I had with this operating system.

  8.   oscarius2 said

    Well now I have my big dilemma.
    I have been a user since Ubuntu 10.04 and when they changed my desktop I decided on xubuntu 12.04 with great joy. because I use it daily.
    I want to buy a sd disk and start from scratch, but of course, I don't know why they give xubuntu less support than ubuntu, and it catches me halfway with the 14.04 that if I install it now it ends up less mid-2017.
    I've tried Mint XFCE but can't quite get used to it, even though I've heard good reviews.
    Anyway people, I don't know what to do, because I'm not one of those who is formatting every two by three. and my pc I think I can still squeeze it a little more without problems with xubuntu. I do not want to pay attention to those who say that I switch to the new win8.1 or 10 who say that it is going well because in the work I do not risk viruses and Trojans and other stories that make the pc go slower in less than a year than a mule