What linux is ubuntu based on

10 Best Ubuntu-based Linux Distributions

Ubuntu is arguably one of the most popular and widely-used Linux distribution owing to its classic UI, stability, user-friendliness, and a rich repository that contains over 50,000 software packages. Furthermore, it comes highly recommended for beginners who are trying to give a shot at Linux.

In addition, Ubuntu is supported by a vast community of dedicated opensource developers who actively maintain contribute to its development to deliver up-to-date software packages, updates, and bug-fixes.

There are numerous flavors based on Ubuntu, and a common misconception is that they are all the same. While they may be based on Ubuntu, each flavor ships with its own unique style and variations to make it stand out from the rest.

In this guide, we are going to explore some of the most popular Ubuntu-based Linux variants.

1. Linux Mint

Used by millions around the globe, Linux Mint is a massively popular Linux flavor based off of Ubuntu. It provides a sleek UI with out-of-the-box applications for everyday use such as LibreOffice suite, Firefox, Pidgin, Thunderbird, and multimedia apps such as VLC and Audacious media players.

Linux Mint Desktop

Owing to its simplicity and ease-of-use, Mint is considered ideal for beginners who are making a transition from Windows to Linux and those who prefer to steer clear from the default GNOME desktop but still enjoy the stability and the same code base that Ubuntu provides.

The latest Mint release is Linux Mint 20 and is based on the Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

2. Elementary OS

If there was ever a Linux flavor that was built with stunning appeal in mind without compromising crucial aspects such as stability and security, then it has to be Elementary. Based on Ubuntu, Elementary is an opensource flavor that ships with an eye-candy Pantheon desktop environment inspired by Apple’s macOS. It provides a dock which is reminiscent of macOS, and beautifully styled icons and numerous fonts.

Elementary OS Desktop

From its official site, Elementary emphasizes on keeping users’ data as private as possible by not collecting sensitive data. It also takes pride in being a fast and reliable operating system ideal for those transitioning from macOS and Windows environments.

Just like Ubuntu, Elementary comes with its own Software store known as App Center from where you can download and install your favourite applications ( both free and paid ) from a simple mouse-click. Of course, it ships with default apps such as Epiphany, photo, and video playing application but the variety is quite limited compared to Mint.

3. Zorin OS

Written in C, C++, and Python, Zorin is a fast, and stable Linux distribution that ships with a sleek UI that closely mimics Windows 7. Zorin is hyped as an ideal alternative to Windows and, upon trying it out, I couldn’t agree more. The bottom panel resembles the traditional taskbar found in Windows with the iconic start menu and pinned application shortcuts.

Zorin OS Desktop

Like Elementary, it underscores the fact that it respects users’ privacy by not collecting private and sensitive data. One cannot be certain about this claim and you can only take their word for it.

Another key highlight is its ability to run impressively well on old PCs – with as little as 1 GHz Intel Dual Core processor, 1 GB of RAM & 10G of hard disk space. Additionally, you get to enjoy powerful applications such as LibreOffice, Calendar app & slack, and games that work out of the box.

4. POP! OS

Developed & maintained by System76, POP! OS is yet another opensource distribution based on Canonical’s Ubuntu. POP breathes some fresh air in user experience with an emphasis on streamlined workflows thanks to its raft of keyboard shortcuts and automatic window tiling.

Pop!_OS Desktop

POP! also brings on board a Software Center- Pop! Shop – that is replete with applications from diverse categories such as Science & Engineering, development, communication, and gaming apps to mention a few.

A remarkable improvement that POP! has made is the bundling of NVIDIA drivers into the ISO image. In fact, during the download, you get to select between the standard Intel/AMD ISO image and one that ships with NVIDIA drivers for systems equipped with NVIDIA GPU. The ability to handle hybrid graphics makes POP ideal for gaming.

The latest version of POP! Is POP! 20.04 LTS based off of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

5. LXLE

If you are wondering what to do with your aging piece of hardware, and the only thought that crosses your mind is tossing it in the dumpster, you might want to hold back a little and try out LXLE.

LXLE Linux

The LXLE project was primarily developed to revive old PCs that have a low specification and have seemingly outlived their usefulness. How does it achieve this? LXLE ships with a lightweight LXDE desktop environment that is friendly on the system resources without compromising on the functionality required to get things done. We have included it in a previous article on the best Linux distributions for old computers.

LXLE is packed with cool wallpapers and numerous other additions and customization options that you can apply to suit your style. It’s super fast on boot and general performance and ships with added PPAs to provide extended software availability. LXLE is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

The latest release of LXLE is LXLE 18.04 LTS.

6. Kubuntu

Kubuntu is a lightweight Ubuntu variant that ships with KDE Plasma desktop instead of the traditional GNOME environment. The lightweight KDE Plasma is extremely lean and doesn’t gobble up the CPU. In so doing, it frees up system resources to be used by other processes. The end result is a faster and reliable system that enables you to do so much more.

Kubuntu Linux

Like Ubuntu, it’s quite easy to install and use. The KDE Plasma provides a sleek & elegant look-and-feel with numerous wallpapers and polished icons. Aside from the desktop environment, it resembles Ubuntu in almost every other way like shipping with a set of apps for everyday use like office, graphics, email, music, and photography applications.

Kubuntu adopts the same versioning system as Ubuntu and the latest release – Kubuntu 20.04 LTS – is based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

7. Lubuntu

We cannot afford to leave out Lubuntu which is a lightweight distro that comes with an LXDE/LXQT desktop environment alongside an assortment of lightweight applications.

Lubuntu Linux

With a minimalistic desktop environment, it comes recommended for systems with low hardware specifications, more especially old PCs with a 2G RAM. The latest version at the time of writing this guide is Lubuntu 20.04 with the LXQt desktop environment. This will be supported until April 2023. Lubuntu 18.04 which comes with LXDE will enjoy support until April 2021.

8. Xubuntu

A portmanteau of Xfce and Ubuntu, Xubuntu is a community-driven Ubuntu variant that is lean, stable, and highly customizable. It ships with a modern and stylish look and out-of-the-box applications to get you started out. You can easily install it on your laptop, desktop and even an older PC would suffice.

Xubuntu Linux Desktop

The latest release is Xubuntu 20.04 which will be supported till 2023. This is also based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

9. Ubuntu Budgie

As you might have guessed it, Ubuntu Budgie is a fusion of the traditional Ubuntu distribution with the innovative and sleek budgie desktop. The latest release, Ubuntu Budgie 20.04 LTS is a flavor of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. It aims at combining the simplicity and elegance of Budgie with the stability and reliability of the traditional Ubuntu desktop.

Ubuntu Budgie

Ubuntu Budgie 20.04 LTS features tons of enhancements such as 4K resolution support, a new window shuffler, budgie-nemo integration, and updated GNOME dependencies.

10. KDE Neon

We earlier featured KDE Neon on an article about the best Linux distros for KDE Plasma 5. Just like Kubuntu, it ships with KDE Plasma 5, and the latest version – KDE Neon 20.04 LTS is rebased on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

KDE Neon

This may not be the entire list of all Ubuntu-based Linux distros. We decided to feature the top 10 commonly used Ubuntu-based variants. Your input on this is highly welcome. Feel free to send a shout.

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Linux vs Ubuntu

By Priya Pedamkar

Differences Between Linux vs Ubuntu

Linux is an open-source and free software operating system built around the Linux kernel and was first released by Linux Torvalds on September 17, 1991. A family of an operating system uses the name ‘Linux’ to emphasize that many Linux distributions share Linux kernel.

Ubuntu is an open-source and freely available operating system, one of the Linux distributions. There are several flavors of Ubuntu in markets like Ubuntu desktop for personal computing, Ubuntu Server for servers and Ubuntu core for a network of physical devices popularly known as the Internet of things (IoT).

Web development, programming languages, Software testing & others

Linux usage is very high among servers; the majority of the web servers across the world run on Linux based operating system. Even though Windows and MAC like operating system are more popular than Linux for personal computing, but still Linux is steadily gaining popularity among the masses.

Ubuntu is based on the Linux kernel, and it is one of the Linux distributions, a project started by South African Mark Shuttle worth. Ubuntu is the most used type of Linux based operating system in desktop installations. Ubuntu provides a friendly operating system and stable enough, which is targeted toward the average computer user. It is easy to install, and simplicity is one of its key features.

Linux kernel is the core of the operating system, which is equivalent to an engine. Linux operating system is based on this kernel which Linus Torvalds crafted.

With its default installation, Ubuntu has a variety of software available like Firefox and several light games like chess and Sudoku.

Linux distributions include Fedora, Debian and so on. The most popular of all, when it comes to desktop installation, is Ubuntu. Linux gains some height during the 1990s because of developers who were basically a hobbyist. Although not user-friendly like windows and MAC, but it rarely crashes and reliable.

Ubuntu, like all Linux based operating system, has very few virus problems and, most of the time can be run without anti-virus software. Ubuntu requires specific privileges to install files, thus making it difficult for a virus to be loaded. This is the basic advantage provided by Ubuntu. Some of the versions of Linux, like Ubuntu, deactivate the file from the internet, which again helps block infections. Since an operating system like Ubuntu is an up-and-comer, writers with vile intentions are not yet spending enough time to target Ubuntu users.

Linux is open-source; thus, a majority of users can modify it, thus marking its range from phones to computers. User-friendly desktop environments, web browsers, and games helped increase Linux’s popularity and make it more suitable, comfortable for home desktops. Another attractive feature of Linux is flexibility. If I don’t like how something behaves, I can change it by replacing the piece of software that is compatible with my needs.

Head to Head Comparison Between Linux and Ubuntu (Infographics)

Below are the top 8 comparisons between Linux and Ubuntu:

Key Differences Between Linux and Ubuntu

Below is the list of points that explain the key difference between Linux and Ubuntu:

1. Linux is a generic term which is a kernel and has several distributions, whereas Ubuntu is one of the Linux kernel-based distribution.
2. Linux started its journey in 1991, whereas Ubuntu took off in 2004.
3. Linux was initially predominant among servers, making it hardly user-friendly among home and office users, whereas with the advent of Ubuntu, which was available on desktop computers, now becoming more receptive and friendly with home and office users.
4. Several Linux distributions are available like Fedora, Suse, Debian and so on, whereas Ubuntu is one such desktop-based distribution based on Linux kernel.
5. Linux is based on the Linux kernel, whereas Ubuntu is based on the Linux system and is one project or distribution.
6. Linux is secure, and most of the Linux distributions do not need anti-virus to install, whereas Ubuntu, a desktop-based operating system, is super-secure among Linux distributions.
7. Some of the Linux distributions are not desktop-based and dominant among servers, whereas Ubuntu is one of the desktop-based, is more user-friendly as compared to other Linux distribution.
8. Linux commands follow the rules and procedure that the majority of the Linux based operating system follows, whereas Ubuntu does the same but has its own style and list of features.
9. Navigation among Linux distribution can be quite a challenge for home and office users, whereas Ubuntu is easy and intuitive for the end-user.
10. Installing a free server-based Linux distribution can be intimidating for an end-user, whereas Ubuntu is being carried out with easier follow-up guidelines than server-based distributions.
11. Linux based operating system like Debian is not recommended for beginners, whereas Ubuntu is better for beginners.

Linux and Ubuntu Comparison Table

Following is the comparison table Between 8 Linux and Ubuntu.

BASIS FOR COMPARISON	Linux	Ubuntu
Distribution	Have several distributions based on Linux kernel	One of the distribution based on the Linux kernel
Ease of Use	Command-line is challenging for a home user	Desktop-based Linux distribution, more user-friendly
Variation	Server, embedded based varieties are available	Sever, core, desktop-based varieties are available.
Robust	Unix like architecture which provides more robustness	One of the fault-tolerant hardly crashes when any component misbehaves, make it robust
Security	Outshine every other competitor when it comes to security	One of the most secure operating system
Flexibility	Components are easily replaceable	Being based on the Linux kernel makes it more flexible
Reliability	Highly reliable make it more sale-worthy among business	It won’t bog down after months of usage, making it highly reliable
Forum Support	Linux forum support is receptive	Forum support still needs to be improved as compared to other Linux distributions.

Conclusion

Linux kernel is the heart of Ubuntu. It has Linux like architecture to interact with the computer’s hardware. Ubuntu commands also follow the same standard which standard Linux distribution follows, but at the same time, Ubuntu has its own set of standard and list of features.

Ubuntu is a graphical user interface (GUI) based operating system, making it the strongest competitor with the Windows and Mac operating system. On the top of the GUI, a security feature of Ubuntu is at par with other Linux distribution like Fedora, Debian etc. The reason for increasing awareness about Linux based operating system is mainly due to Ubuntu.

Linux has already been there for some time when Ubuntu was declared in 2004. Other Linux based distributions were pre-dominantly server-based and were not as user-friendly as Ubuntu, although sharing the same kernel. It was the first release of Ubuntu, making Linux reach far and wide among home and office users. Linux system can be installed in various computer hardware, smartphone, laptops and so on. Its usage is prevalent in servers. Although it may not match MAC and Windows’s popularity in the desktop market, it’s still gaining popularity in this region, thanks to Ubuntu like Linux distribution.

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