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    #1

    Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...


    I love my Ubuntu-based distro (Crunchbang Linux) for it's leanness and speed, but I miss my pretty desktop! I tried an equally "lean, mean, and fast" desktop environment called LXDE, but it doesn't play nice with Crunchbang. I've been using Linux for just over a month, so I have minimal Linux expertise... I've pretty much decided to switch to Kubuntu (when my CD arrives from Shipit), but before I do, just a couple of questions:

    1.) I have my 80 gig hard drive partitioned like this: 10 gigs for "primary" (Ubuntu), 5 gigs for Swap, and the rest is /home. Is that good with Kubuntu or should I resize it when I get my installation CD?

    2.) If I don't format my /home partition, will my current applications (Thunderbird, Firefox, Abiword, etc) play nice with the built-in Kubuntu applications (which look awesome by the way)? Can Kmail, for instance, "import" my email settings from Thunderbird and Konquerer import from Firefox? Not that this is especially critical... I may format the /home partition anyway just for a fresh start with new applications. And lastly,

    3.) Is Kubuntu a resource hog like WinXP was? I'm sure my 'puter will run it (because it ran Ubuntu Intrepid just fine), but the faster and more lightweight the better. Just not at the expense of a gorgeous, functional desktop. I was going to play with XFCE but I don't need to, and according to several posts and threads in the Ubuntu forums, Xubuntu is every bit as "heavy" as it's Gnome-based parent. Kubuntu looks just awesome, and it will be my first experience with the KDE environment.

    Thanks for a great-looking distro, and thanks for taking a few minutes to answer a transitioning newbie post!

    -Robin
    The trouble with getting it right the first time is that no one appreciates how difficult it was!
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    #2
    Re: Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...

    Hi,

    I'll just comment on the bits I understand.

    1. From what I read, swap should be no larger than RAM. Mine is set at 1 Mio. 5 Gio sounds like way too much.

    2. If I were you, I'd copy anything sensitive onto a CD or external HD. I managed to erase everything "by mistake" before, which is very anoying.

    3. I was using Gnome Ubuntu before. I find that things are faster on Kubuntu, both startup and browsing for example. Maybe that's because I'm using ext4 instead of ext3.

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      #3
      Re: Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...

      If you are running a laptop with 3 or 4 Gig of RAM 5 Gig of swap is about right. Firefox and Thunderbird will play nice with your current settings. To start using KMail (is is even better than thunderbird) look at
      http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3103270.0

      Other people may disagree but I have found KDE 4 to be a much better performer than Gnome ever thought about being, but both of them are more resource intensive than a basic window manager.
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        #4
        Re: Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...

        Okay, thanks! I think I'll do a complete do-over from scratch when my Kubuntu CD arrives (I hope it's soon! My poor li'l internet connection can't bear the download, LOL). Besides, I learn much more that way - fresh install and all that, and just leave all the default applications on and manually input all my bookmarks and e-mail stuff.

        From what I hear, the new ext4 file system really speeds things up anyway.

        I'm like a little kid awaiting Christmas and anxious to play with a fantastic new toy I've heard so much about.

        My goal is to have two things: Kubuntu, probably, for my nice fairly new PC, and some sort of "Kubuntu Lite" for older hardware and a laptop. Is there such a thing as Kubuntu Lite?

        Thanks again,
        Robin
        The trouble with getting it right the first time is that no one appreciates how difficult it was!
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          #5
          Re: Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...

          Not exactly, but when you have a little familiarity with a linux system you can use Debian which can be configured to what you might call Kubuntu lite. Of course the truth is Kubuntu is Debian "heavy" with a few errors thrown in.
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            #6
            Re: Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...

            One point here, if what I have read about crunchbang is correct, doesn't it use the ubuntu repos? If so, is the kubuntu-desktop package available? If it is, it should be a simple case of installing that to get your kde fix, leaving you the best of both worlds.
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              #7
              Re: Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...

              Originally posted by The Liquidator
              One point here, if what I have read about crunchbang is correct, doesn't it use the ubuntu repos? If so, is the kubuntu-desktop package available? If it is, it should be a simple case of installing that to get your kde fix, leaving you the best of both worlds.
              Indeed it would, but I'm using two different computers. The newer one to play with resource-hungry Kubuntu on (eye candy and cool apps), and the older one to use the stripped-down bare-bones Ubuntu variant (Crunchbang) with the most lightweight of desktop environments (just to make it newbie-friendly), LXDE. Crunchbang does use Ubuntu's repositories. And the super-lightweight LXDE desktop environment makes it pretty without taxing the resources of older hardware.

              -Robin


              The trouble with getting it right the first time is that no one appreciates how difficult it was!
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                #8
                Re: Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...

                Have you considered Mepis?

                The install is flawless, all my hardware was found and auto-configured.

                I find it light-weight and amply fast enough for normal, every-day useage.

                It won't be using the KDE 4 desktop anytime soon, though, Warren doesn't like it.
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                  #9
                  Re: Before I Switch from Ubuntu to Kubuntu...

                  some sort of "Kubuntu Lite" for older hardware and a laptop
                  OK there is no official version of anything like Kubuntu Lite

                  But there has recently appeared "HowTo Achieve "Ubuntu-Desktop-Minimal" at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1155961

                  There are clearly some things in this that will translate to Kubuntu e.g. gdm becomes kdm.

                  Maybe this should be a challenge to the Kubuntu technical people to come up with a Kubuntu-Desktop-Minimal based on Ubuntu-Desktop-Minimal...
                  "A problem well stated is a problem half solved." --Charles F. Kettering
                  "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."--Dr. Seuss
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