{"slug": "xubuntu", "name": "Xubuntu", "category": "os", "category_name": "Operating systems and desktop", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 9, "warners": 1, "score": 2.893, "rising": -0.98, "first": "2025-11-15", "latest": "2026-06-03", "why": "It is the reason why I'm now happily running Xubuntu on the same machine.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 6, "compare": 1, "warn": 1}, "spark": [0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "It is the reason why I'm now happily running Xubuntu on the same machine.", "kind": "", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://xubuntu.org", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Xubuntu"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 774155280, "item_id": 48384705, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48384705", "by": "stuxnet79", "date": "2026-06-03", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is the reason why I'm now happily running Xubuntu on the same machine.", "excerpt": "> Windows it would nag me to update but apparently the CPU is too old for new Windows When I was trying to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 I got the same warning. It is the reason why I'm now happily running Xubuntu on the same machine. I did end up installing a Windows 11 VM (VirtualBox) which works perfectly fine running as a guest under Xubuntu on a 4790k (screw you Microsoft). But I otherwise never want go ", "context": "", "use_case": "Daily driver OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "32GB of DDR5 now costs $375 \u2013 AI shortage continues to squeeze PC building"}, {"id": 745370099, "item_id": 46585631, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46585631", "by": "liampulles", "date": "2026-01-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "then I switched to Xubuntu and was happy again.", "excerpt": "I'm a longtime fan of XFCE. I try all sorts of DEs from time time on spare computers, but I reliably come back to XFCE, which is really just a fairly low-resource, stable embodiment of the classic GNOME feel. I used mainline Ubuntu for a few years until they released GNOME 3 (which I hated then and hate now) and then I switched to Xubuntu and was happy again. I made a conscious decision a few years ago (after trying ", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "Ubuntu", "story": "XFCE Is Great"}, {"id": 739034673, "item_id": 46189667, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46189667", "by": "compounding_it", "date": "2025-12-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I switched to Xubuntu and it was about 5 minutes.", "excerpt": "Distros like these help troubleshoot boxes that are old/slow but also not used as computers in the traditional sense. For example network boxes, NAS, video recording boxes etc that can't run the latest LTS ubuntu well but can boot a distro like DSL. getting a vga out on these things with a fast to boot distro helps you fix things like corrupt drives, bad partitioning, bad boot loaders etc which needs a few terminal c", "context": "", "use_case": "old network box", "switched_from": "Ubuntu", "story": "Damn Small Linux"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 745112673, "item_id": 46569542, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46569542", "by": "Jigsy", "date": "2026-01-10", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "switched to Mint at the start of March last year since it (Xubuntu) was going to EoL", "excerpt": "Originally started with Xubuntu 22.04, but switched to Mint at the start of March last year since it (Xubuntu) was going to EoL. Mint does everything I need it to, so there's no need for me to hop.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "I replaced Windows with Linux and everything's going great"}]}], "who": [{"by": "stuxnet79", "context": "Switched from Windows 10 last year", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48125829", "date": "2026-05-13"}, {"by": "mcswell", "context": "switched from Windows over AI distrust, non-programmer-ish user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46799740", "date": "2026-01-28"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["daily driver os", "linux os on chromebook", "daily desktop os", "desktop os", "os on old computers", "old network box"], "compared": [{"slug": "ubuntu", "name": "Ubuntu", "co": 4, "switched_from": 2, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "linux-mint", "name": "Linux Mint", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "windows-11", "name": "Windows 11", "co": 2, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "xfce", "name": "Xfce", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46795864", "title": "Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46187387", "title": "Damn Small Linux", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48383241", "title": "32GB of DDR5 now costs $375 \u2013 AI shortage continues to squeeze PC building", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48087887", "title": "Linux gaming is faster because Windows APIs are becoming Linux kernel features", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47068948", "title": "Minecraft Java is switching from OpenGL to Vulkan", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46584173", "title": "XFCE Is Great", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"neutral": 1}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 1, "compare": 1}, "2026-01": {"neutral": 3, "warn": 1, "recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 774155280, "item_id": 48384705, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48384705", "by": "stuxnet79", "date": "2026-06-03", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It is the reason why I'm now happily running Xubuntu on the same machine.", "excerpt": "> Windows it would nag me to update but apparently the CPU is too old for new Windows When I was trying to upgrade to Windows 11 from Windows 10 I got the same warning. It is the reason why I'm now happily running Xubuntu on the same machine. I did end up installing a Windows 11 VM (VirtualBox) which works perfectly fine running as a guest under Xubuntu on a 4790k (screw you Microsoft). But I otherwise never want go ", "context": "", "use_case": "Daily driver OS", "switched_from": "", "story": "32GB of DDR5 now costs $375 \u2013 AI shortage continues to squeeze PC building"}, {"id": 770013264, "item_id": 48125829, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48125829", "by": "stuxnet79", "date": "2026-05-13", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I switched from Windows 10 to Xubuntu last year", "excerpt": "Which card and which drivers? I switched from Windows 10 to Xubuntu last year and have had endless issues with my Nvidia card (GTX 970). At the moment, I can't even use the desktop without annoying flickering & hard to diagnose / fix bugs. Its an old card so I have no idea why I'm still struggling to get it to work. Is it perhaps because I'm using Xfce? I heard that Nvidia cards play better with Wayland although I ha", "context": "Switched from Windows 10 last year", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "Windows 10", "story": "Linux gaming is faster because Windows APIs are becoming Linux kernel features"}, {"id": 753170592, "item_id": 47073162, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47073162", "by": "le-mark", "date": "2026-02-19", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I ran xubuntu on it with the Mr Chromebook firmware for a loooong time", "excerpt": "It was a great machine. It was my daily driver until a few years ago. I ran xubuntu on it with the Mr Chromebook firmware for a loooong time until my most commonly used websites became so heavy browsing was impossible.", "context": "", "use_case": "Linux OS on Chromebook", "switched_from": "", "story": "Minecraft Java is switching from OpenGL to Vulkan"}, {"id": 748828179, "item_id": 46801761, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46801761", "by": "mixmastamyk", "date": "2026-01-28", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "", "excerpt": "I recommend Mint over Ubuntu, the snap issue does not exist there. > And don't tell me that Linux doesn't need antivirus... you sometimes log in on public WiFi networks. This is a misunderstanding of the threat model of Wifi. Stick to software from the signed repos and SSL. Avoid attachments, keep updated. I've never used antivirus with Linux, despite working on symantec antivirus back in the day.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux"}, {"id": 748795840, "item_id": 46799740, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46799740", "by": "mcswell", "date": "2026-01-28", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I switched from Windows (11) to Linux (Xubuntu) back in November", "excerpt": "I switched from Windows (11) to Linux (Xubuntu) back in November, mostly because of all the AI stuff I didn't trust. While Linux is working ok for me, I can see why people complain about its not being user-friendly, particularly if you're not a Real Programmer. I've had to go to forums too many times to figure out why this or that doesn't work. The latest is the fact that 'apt update' has stopped working today for Vi", "context": "switched from Windows over AI distrust, non-programmer-ish user", "use_case": "daily desktop OS", "switched_from": "Windows 11", "story": "Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux"}, {"id": 745370099, "item_id": 46585631, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46585631", "by": "liampulles", "date": "2026-01-12", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "then I switched to Xubuntu and was happy again.", "excerpt": "I'm a longtime fan of XFCE. I try all sorts of DEs from time time on spare computers, but I reliably come back to XFCE, which is really just a fairly low-resource, stable embodiment of the classic GNOME feel. I used mainline Ubuntu for a few years until they released GNOME 3 (which I hated then and hate now) and then I switched to Xubuntu and was happy again. I made a conscious decision a few years ago (after trying ", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop OS", "switched_from": "Ubuntu", "story": "XFCE Is Great"}, {"id": 745112673, "item_id": 46569542, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46569542", "by": "Jigsy", "date": "2026-01-10", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "switched to Mint at the start of March last year since it (Xubuntu) was going to EoL", "excerpt": "Originally started with Xubuntu 22.04, but switched to Mint at the start of March last year since it (Xubuntu) was going to EoL. Mint does everything I need it to, so there's no need for me to hop.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "I replaced Windows with Linux and everything's going great"}, {"id": 743330704, "item_id": 46458169, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46458169", "by": "system2", "date": "2026-01-01", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Xubuntu on all my old computers", "excerpt": "Linux is not suitable for the average user. I use Xubuntu on all my old computers, but I am 100% sure a normie would not tolerate the tedium of it. People want shiny icons with animations and a bunch of garbage on their computers to make them feel they are doing something. Linux is too static for that. If I have an issue with an application or if I want an application, I must use the terminal. I can't imagine a Mac u", "context": "", "use_case": "OS on old computers", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux is good now; to feel like you actually own your PC, put Linux on it"}, {"id": 739263473, "item_id": 46203967, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46203967", "by": "lproven", "date": "2025-12-09", "version": null, "stance": "compare", "quote": "Xubuntu 22.04 took nearly 10 GB of disk and half a gig of RAM.", "excerpt": "It is still slow. Try Alpine. It's amazing. Xubuntu 22.04 took nearly 10 GB of disk and half a gig of RAM. I measured it: https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/18/ubuntu_remixes/ Alpine takes 1.1 GB of disk and under 200 MB of RAM. https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/05/new_lts_kernel_and_alpine/ Both running a full Xfce $CURRENT desktop, in a Virtualbox VM.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Damn Small Linux"}, {"id": 739034673, "item_id": 46189667, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46189667", "by": "compounding_it", "date": "2025-12-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I switched to Xubuntu and it was about 5 minutes.", "excerpt": "Distros like these help troubleshoot boxes that are old/slow but also not used as computers in the traditional sense. For example network boxes, NAS, video recording boxes etc that can't run the latest LTS ubuntu well but can boot a distro like DSL. getting a vga out on these things with a fast to boot distro helps you fix things like corrupt drives, bad partitioning, bad boot loaders etc which needs a few terminal c", "context": "", "use_case": "old network box", "switched_from": "Ubuntu", "story": "Damn Small Linux"}, {"id": 735041969, "item_id": 45940123, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45940123", "by": "system2", "date": "2025-11-15", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I use Xubuntu on my crappy old devices", "excerpt": "A foolish take, makes me believe you didn't really work in the real world. Because the entire global computer ecosystem is built on Windows-compatible software. Finance, accounting, medical, car diagnostics, and even HVAC software are built windows-compatible-only only. Don't get me wrong, I use Xubuntu on my crappy old devices, Ubuntu on my secondary mini-pc, and switch between them with KVM while working. I tried t", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windhawk Windows classic theme mod for Windows 11"}]}