Install Desktop Environments or use different distributions [duplicate]

For you that have tested this, should we use Ubuntu and install different Desktop Environments (KDE/XFCE...) or we should install different distributions (Kubuntu/Xubuntu...). Are there any notable issues in performance / CPU consumption?

PS:

I know how to install them (already did), I wanted to know if anyone has any problems regarding the performance and what is better to install the desktop or to use the ditribution

Solution 1:

Yes, You can install different desktop environment on the default system. For example, installing kubuntu-desktop package on Ubuntu system.

The difference is --

1. When you install kubuntu-desktop package on Ubuntu, it will download all the packages of the kubuntu CD. so, more than one web-browser, office software (such as Abiword, Gnumeric installed with XFCE), chat software, partition editor, terminals and etc. So if you want a cleaner system, a clean install with only the preferred Desktop Environment is recommended.

2. But you should be aware of the fact that you need to install your necessary software on each installed system. So, this method is a bit expensive.

3. You should also aware of some incompatibility issue of firefox font-rendering between KDE and GNOME system. also exo-utils related workaround which occur with XFCE installation. Search Google and Ubuntu-forum for more information about these issue.

Note about Integration
I recently installed kubuntu-desktop in the default Ubuntu. The first point I noted is, The smooth integration between default Ubuntu and KDE. Also KDE more memory friendly now.

My Suggestion My Suggestion is Install Ubuntu and Kubuntu as separate system if you prefer smooth Integration. You can install lubuntu-desktop and xubuntu-desktop on the Ubuntu system. Because these use most of the Gnome libraries. But I installed kubuntu-desktop on top of Ubuntu, and I think this is good now.

Note 2
You can try only the Desktop Environment without installing many more extra softwares by using --no-install-recommends switch to apt-get command line. For example

For Kubuntu

sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends kubuntu-desktop. Kubuntu

For Xubuntu

sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends xubuntu-desktop. Xubuntu

For Lubuntu

sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends lubuntu-desktop. Lubuntu

Solution 2:

1. All *buntus are the SAME EXACT Operating System, the difference resides in
2. The Desktop environments, and the default software all come with their own set of issues, and different performance.

Installing kubuntu-desktop, xubuntu-desktop, lubuntu-desktop will give you the same results.

The heavier environment would be KDE the lightest LXDE.

The results are the same regardless of which *buntu you have already installed, you'll only have the extra software you download + the one you already have. So installing Ubuntu and then downloading the corresponding KDE package is no different than having Kubuntu and downloading the corresping Ubuntu package.

Solution 3:

There is a lot of difference between Xfce and Xubuntu-desktop and similarly with lxde and lubuntu-desktop , kubuntu-desktop and KDE .

these XFCE,KDE,LXDE just environments and these are not gonna give you any other pkg's . but Xubuntu-desktop,Lubuntu-desktop,Kubuntu-desktop will give you some applications along with desktop environments .

so if you try those environments then i would suggest you to just go with installation of those environments only, not the desktops .

and you can get those Environments in a easy way from software center by typing them on Search box .