[sf-lug] alternatives to ubuntu?

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Larry Cafiero (larry.cafiero at gmail.com):

> If you really like Ubuntu, but don't like Unity -- and, believe me,
> you have to get in line (but I'll let you cut in front of me) -- there
> are other 'buntus you can use, like Kubuntu (Ubuntu with the KDE
> desktop), Xubuntu (one of my favorite distros, utilizing the Xfce
> desktop) and Lubuntu (LXDE desktop).
> 
> In fact, you may not have to reinstall, as I know you can change the
> desktop environment, but I don't know how exactly to do that on
> Ubuntu/Debian-based distros. I know it's in the Ubuntu forums at
> ubuntuforums.org (forgive me, but while I use Xubuntu, I'm really a
> Fedora guy). Anyone else know where the instructions/tutorial is to
> change the desktop environment on Ubuntu?

First, install one or more of the DEs you don't yet have.

$ sudo apt-get update && apt-get install kubuntu-desktop xubuntu-desktop
edubuntu-desktop mythbuntu-desktop

(Trim that list of metapackages to suit.  Each pulls down a whole lot of
packages.  Metapackage 'ubuntu-desktop', omitted from the foregoing, is
Ubuntu's GNOME metapackage.)

Then, select which session manager and window manager you want to use by
default:

$ sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager
$ sudo update-alternatives --config x-window-manager


Either kill undesired processes and restart X11 or take the lazy way out
and reboot.

Consider the (IMO) rather superior alternative of no DE whatsoever, 
and just running the window manager of your choosing.  Better, install
various WMs and switch among them until you find the one you like best.
Most efficient way of losing the DE undergrowth is to just delete the
/etc/alternatives/x-session-manager symlink (or, if timid, move it
somewhere else for safekeeping -- but you can always run 'sudo
update-alternatives --config x-session-manager' to re-create it).