Using Ubuntu Linux/Ubuntu Variations

The Linux ecosystem is diverse and allows for a multitude of desktop environments to be built for it. Many are packaged in their own flavours of Ubuntu.

Official Editions

 * Ubuntu for desktops: This is the main Ubuntu version, also known as Ubuntu Desktop. All other versions of Ubuntu are based on it. It uses the Unity desktop environment. Recommended requirements are 1 GiB of RAM and 5 GB (minimum) of Hard Drive space.


 * Ubuntu Server: This edition strips the desktop features for server capabilities, and allows you to have a fully working LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) Web Server up and running in less than an hour. It requires at least 192 MiB of RAM and 5 GB Hard Drive space.

Supported Derivatives
Flavours are listed according to this downloads page.


 * Kubuntu: The KDE spin, featuring KDE versions of software. Emphasizes productivity over general purpose use.


 * Mythbuntu: A Xubuntu spin designed to make building your own DVR (Digital Video Recorder) using the MythTV software suite as easy as possible.


 * Lubuntu: A scaled down variant of Ubuntu that is lighter, less resource hungry and more energy-efficient by using lightweight applications and LXDE, the Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment, as its default desktop environment. It's geared towards low-spec hardware that doesn't have enough resources for all the bells and whistles of the "full-featured" mainstream distributions.


 * Ubuntu Budgie: A spin of Ubuntu using Budgie as its desktop environment (developed for Solus, another Linux distribution).


 * Ubuntu GNOME: Uses the GNOME desktop environment instead of Unity.


 * Ubuntu Kylin: Geared towards Chinese users.


 * Ubuntu MATE: Goes closer to Ubuntu's origins by using the MATE desktop environment.


 * Xubuntu: A lightweight version of Ubuntu that uses the XFCE environment. The standard applications are a 50/50 mix of GNOME and XFCE-centric programs. This version is geared towards older hardware.


 * Ubuntu Studio: An unofficial, community-built Ubuntu derivative geared towards Musicians, Digital Artists/Designers, and Movie Makers.

Other Derivatives

 * Edubuntu: This version includes applications geared toward education. A KDE version and a GNOME version exists. It is recommended to install the Standard Edition as the website has not been updated to distribute 16.04 LTS images.