Mixing Ubuntu And Kubuntu. Good Or Bad Idea?

[Guest]

Hello

Are the two interchangeable? For example I have Kubuntu installed and was tempted to install a package from the Ubuntu website. Is that reasonable?
Another example is, if you had an Ubuntu laptop with boot problems, is booting from a Kubuntu USB drive to make repairs to the Ubuntu system reasonable?

What about just to repair the boot/partition records on the Unbuntu machine? Is is safe to assume that it is ok as the partition info is OS agnostic? Whereas the packages would be OS specific and so will not mix?

Thanks gents, I hope you had a nice lunch

[chimak111]

Hello

Are the two interchangeable? For example I have Kubuntu installed and was tempted to install a package from the Ubuntu website. Is that reasonable?

Sure, but it depends on the package. If you have doubts, just ask here mentioning the name of the specific package.

[oshunluvr]

The overwhelming primary difference between Ubuntu and Kubuntu or any other *buntu is the Desktop Environment (DE). Whether or not a package from "the Ubuntu website" (I seriously don't know what you mean by that) will install would depend on if the dependencies can be met. In the old days, the DEs would co-exist pretty well. Of late, there seems to be some conflictions, by which I mean installing part of one DE might break or force the uninstall of part of another DE. Also, Ubuntu or more correctly, Gnome, relies heavily on GTK and Kubuntu, which uses the KDE/Plasma DE, on QT. So, in answer to your first question, "Are the two interchangeable?" the answer is "Mostly."

It would be reasonable to repair a non-booting Ubuntu install from a Kubuntu USB drive. In fact most situations that leave any Linux install totally unbootable could be reasonably repaired from any live USB. I think the question you have might have actually been "If I'm repairing a non-bootable Ubuntu install, do I have to have a Ubuntu Live USB?" The answer to that would be "Not necessarily." The caveat lies it what specifically needs to be repaired in order make the broken install bootable again. If it were something as simple as GRUB, the issue might require a live USB with a compatible version of GRUB available on it. If you just need to make some adjustments to some config, any live USB would suffice. In practice, it's always a could idea to have a second bootable install available in case the worst happens. So if you're keeping a live USB around anyway, why not the same one you installed from?

Regarding

What about just to repair the boot/partition records on the Unbuntu machine? Is is safe to assume that it is ok as the partition info is OS agnostic? Whereas the packages would be OS specific and so will not mix?

It is safe to assume boot records and partition tables are agnostic. The contents of the boot record would depend on the boot manager. Indeed, some modern boot managers when using modern partition tables also require a small partition and some files of their own. For example, when booting using EFI.

The only time you might run into issues that would "not mix" would be if you tried to mix boot managers. My advice here is to pick one (a boot manager), learn it, learn to repair and back it up, and stick with it. Although I have new motherboards with EFI BIOS, I use Legacy mode and have stuck with GRUB2. I know it very well and have been using it since it was first released. I see no reason to switch to UEFI booting. You, on the other hand might prefer EFI booting especially if you're still using Windows on occasion.

Finally;

Thanks gents, I hope you had a nice lunch

Your post occurred at 4am my time (it's 8:30am now Eastern USA) so I assume you're in Europe?

[Bings]

Post was 9am UTC/GMT so likely nearer the longitude of the Middle East and India

[oshunluvr]

Post was 9am UTC/GMT so likely nearer the longitude of the Middle East and India

Hmm, @here forum shows local time for the OP is 2:40pm which would be Central/Western Europe or Western Africa, right?

[Bings]

I guess local time is by default set to UK time, that's what Kurama's local time is set too

[oshunluvr]

I guess local time is by default set to UK time, that's what Kurama's local time is set too

Didn't think of that. Honestly, I don't recall what the default is but GMT would make sense. Seems I wrongly assumed people would set their profile correctly.

[GreyGeek]

Before Shuttlesworth took Ubuntu down the Unity dead end, the Gnome and KDE devs used to get together and work out compatibility problems between the two DEs. The result, IIRC, was a compatibility layer that allowed the installation of any GTK based on on a KDE DE or visa-versa.

Right now, if you open KDE Neon (and I assume Kubuntu as well) you will find gnome listed. Click on it and you will be notified that about 400+ packages are ready to be installed, and none will be removed. Once that installation is complete, when you are given the login screen you will also have the opportunity to select the gnome desktop.

[oshunluvr]

Before Shuttlesworth took Ubuntu down the Unity dead end, the Gnome and KDE devs used to get together and work out compatibility problems between the two DEs. The result, IIRC, was a compatibility layer that allowed the installation of any GTK based on on a KDE DE or visa-versa.

Right now, if you open KDE Neon (and I assume Kubuntu as well) you will find gnome listed. Click on it and you will be notified that about 400+ packages are ready to be installed, and none will be removed. Once that installation is complete, when you are given the login screen you will also have the opportunity to select the gnome desktop.

That totally explains my experience.

[jpenguin]

They're the some OS. As mentioned, you may want to check the depends first & install with apt-get*with the*--no-install-recommends*flag or*aptitude with the*--without-recommends/-R*flag.
If their are a lot of gnome dependencies, you can alwats look for an appimage or flatpack, sometimes it's preferrable to not clutter /usr with libs from another DE.

[woodsmoke]

Ummmm for the LAST MANY YEARS... the old woodsmoker has been told,,,,,,

UMMNM YOU STOOPID DOOF...

THERE IS NOTHING...

NADA...

ZILCH...

ANYTHING...about Kubuntu other than that...

Kubuntu...is KDE put on top of Ubuntu...

Ok...I'm just stupid...

but there is some kind of "feel" that Kubuntu has that "KDE on top of Ubuntu" does not have...because...

I have put "KDE" "on top of Ubuntu" for several years now...and...

nooooo I do not care what is politically correct to SAY by the folks who are the "OLD GROANERS'... here...

but...there REALLY IS..."something" about Kubuntu that "works" and that 'KDE on top of Ubuntu" is lacking...

WHAT IS IT? i HAVE NO CLUE ...BUT THE OLD GROANERS...

THOSE FOLKS...

HAVE A SENSE...

AN INTUITION...

ABOUT WHAT "THE AVERAGE FOLKS WHO HAPPEN BY KUBUNTU FORUMS" are seeking...what is it...I do not know...



woodjustanolddoofsmoke