Xubuntu Rocks

XUBUNTU!!! Pronounce 'xubuntu' with a deep, rich german accent for best results. This distribution has torn me away from Fedora Core/RedHat which I have been with all the way back to the original slackware and yggdrasil days.

Like Ubuntu, xubuntu live boots so you can make sure your hardware functions prior to committing to an installation--beautiful.

I have never been able to get a linux distribution functioning well on a laptop. I've always tended to have a laptop that is just a bit too new for the open source community to support. Also, linux distributions have tended to just suck for laptops. They have never seemed to get power management correct nor even have suspend or hibernate working. Not so with xubuntu. These features worked perfectly right out of the box.

Why Xubuntu? KDE is a great linux desktop platform and GNOME is alright but I always come back to XFCE4. It is quick quick quick. The think I get tired of in KDE and GNOME is the extra time it takes to switch virtual desktops. I require that switch to be QUICK! In XFCE4 it is quick. Also, in Linux, system memory seems to be the most important requirement for a good experience. XFCE4 simply uses less resources than KDE or GNOME while providing similar features.

Another fun thing to try with xubuntu was Xgl and Compiz. This was not trivial to setup but much simpler than compiling Xgl and compiz from source code. It actually worked reasonably well on my laptop but, because of my intel 915 video card, was just a tiny bit too slow for regular use. Super-sweet software that is, though. I'm considering upgrading my desktop video card in order to experience this joy.

I haven't been able to put Mom and Pop on Linux prior to this but now it is time. Linux is ready for the desktop.

Read more at wiki.ubuntu.com/Xubuntu