Lubuntu vs Elementary OS

[noahsheldon]

Hello, currently I have a Lenovo Thinkpad X220 hackintosh which is running El Capitan. I am looking to experiment/try Linux because one of my friends say he likes it way better than OSX or Windows. I want a light version that won't use many resources, will run quiet, have great battery life, and be secure. My two top choices right now after doing some research are Lubuntu and Elementary OS. Which one would you recommend and why? Also, if you have a different distro you think I would like better or would work better for me, just let me know.
Thanks in advance.

 

[joex444]

Lubuntu is at least a variant of Ubuntu while Elementary is not. Elementary's main feature is basically that it's Linux that looks like OS X.

TBH, though, OS X is already a BSD variant and I typically find people who make good use of OS X are proficient at the terminal, which is a great advantage over Windows' (almost-)everything-is-a-GUI approach. Since Linux has the same terminal - Bash - you don't really get too much from that alone. (Sure, you can install other shells like CSH or ZSH but the default is Bash.)

If you want to try it out, I'd suggest Lubuntu over Elemntary OS but really the differences are just window managers. Ubuntu is Unity, Lubuntu is LXDE, Xubuntu is XFCE, Kubuntu is KDE, Ubuntu-Gnome is Gnome, and Ubuntu Mate is Mate. Shocking, I know. I do prefer Xubuntu over Lubuntu, but really just look at some screenshots to see the difference. (Default programs also change though, so there's slight differences in that but you're also free to install whatever you want since they share the Ubuntu repository.)

The other thing to note is that you can, and should, install Virtualbox and just run a virtual machine with these things to try them. I have a feeling you won't find anything compelling to push you away from OS X, though there's plenty compelling to push someone wanting more powerful software away from Windows.

 

[noahsheldon]

Snip

Thanks, that was very informative. I do have another question though. This may sound like a noob/stupid question, but, what is the advantage of linux over osx or even windows? My friend talks like it is the end all be all but personally I don't see on the surface what is so great about it. And if it is so good what extra features does it have that OSX or windows doesn't have?
Also, what virtual box do you recommend?

 

[skittle]

By far the largest advantage that Linux has over windows and OSX is package management. One command installs any software from a secure repository and one command upgrades every software package on your system.

Other than that there really isn't one thing that any OS can do that another can't. And of course it is infinitely customizable which is a stark contrast to Windows/OSX. If you ever wonder: "I wonder if I can change this"; The answer is yes, you can change anything.

And of course because most linux distrobutions are Free Software they inherit certain freedoms that Windows and OSX can't ever dream to achieve

and of course this:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/malware-microsoft.html

 

[McHenryB]

You forgot what is, to me, one of the great advantages of Linux. It can run on practically any computer, ranging from simple ARM-based devices - such as the Raspberry Pi, tablets, mobile phones - through the x86 PCs that most people think of when they think of "computer", all the way up to IBM's iSeries and zSeries mainframes and the multiple-node supercomputers at the top of the tree. No other OS has this breadth of coverage.

The disadvantage is that you sometimes have to put up with zealots who insist that it is the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. Specialized OSs are still best for specialized tasks. And, of course, in the case of the OP it has the advantage that - unlike their current setup - it is legal.