Mutiple distro versions of the same Linux?

dos2unix

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I am a little curious. I don't use Ubuntu much, and it's been years since I've used Ubuntu with a xWindows GUI interface.

But I notice, in some places like Distrowatch for example, they list Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, etc...
almost like these are different distros. Are they really? Or are they just the same distro with different Xwindows desktops?

With other distro's, such as OpenSuSE or Fedora for example... they simply list Fedora, as one distro.
Fedora also has different desktop "spins", like Gnome, KDE, Xfce, Mate, etc... but it doesn't really matter
which spin your download, because you can install any desktop environment on any version of Fedora.

Isn't it the same way with Ubuntu? Can't you install any desktop (or even multiple desktops) on any version of Ubuntu?
 


Yes you can do the same with Ubuntu, I think the difference is different Ubuntu flavors(Lubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, etc.) other than vanilla Ubuntu have a different team of volunteers working on them. No idea why those became separate distributions, only thing I can think of is that Canonical didn't have time to or didn't want to so others decided to do it themselves giving beginners who don't yet understand how modular Linux is the freedom of choice to choose between the different flavors of Ubuntu. @KGIII is one of the volunteers working for the Lubuntu team maybe he has an answer.
 
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But I notice, in some places like Distrowatch for example, they list Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, etc...
almost like these are different distros. Are they really? Or are they just the same distro with different Xwindows desktops?

They're all Ubuntu - but with different DE and default software, they're all also all independent, run by their own charters with different leaders, team members, and council members. Some projects have bigger individual dev teams.

To get software into the Ubuntu repos (without a PPA) they also work with Debian. So, there's usually at least one Debian guru (with privileges to add software to the repos) attached to each of the official Ubuntu flavors. So, it's Lubuntu that's responsible for getting things like LXQt into the repos via Debian.

The end result is, of course, you can take a standard Ubuntu install and turn it into Kubuntu, Lubuntu, etc...
 
Presumably and shortly...

@KGIII is one of the volunteers working for the Lubuntu team maybe he has an answer.

The council still has to meet and have a formal vote, then I must attend an online meeting with the council.

LOL It's gonna be so much more work. I figure I'll be willing to double my current level of hours spent on the project.
 
Debian does the same thing the have several different Desktops - Cinnamon, LXQt, Xfce, Gnome, Mate, and KDE Plasma - all the same Debian base just different Desktops - which Ubuntu is based on by the way
 
Killing my text wall, I'll surmise it as this:
- It's philosophical what constitutes a new distro if it's based on another. Is it merely different default software + DE? (No, IMO) Is it a modified kernel? Is it having its own repos? Becomes tough.
- For new users, they don't understand the relationship between an OS and DE. They could not contemplate the DE being a shell (unless they remember early Windows, C:\>WIN, lol). They are used to the idea that Windows and MacOS teach: all in one. So calling it Xubuntu may be easier to get their heads around as they learn the inner workings of an OS (applicable to any OS, as my Windows/MSDOS example). So that's likely why. Well that and people love pretending they made an OS by swapping a few parts, lol.

Personally, I think Ubuntu, Ubuntu-XFCE, Ubuntu-KDE, etc. would do great, but I'm no expert on how common everyday PC users today think -- other than the keen knowledge that most of them don't.
 

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