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It's nearly spring, which means it's time for the first Ubuntu beta releases to emerge. This release cycle -- which will deliver version 14.04, nicknamed Trusty Tahr -- will be an important one because it culminates in a Long Term Support (LTS) version, the first in two years.
That means not only will Ubuntu 14.04 be supported for five years, this will be the first time many users move beyond the last LTS release -- 12.04.
The mainstream, Unity-powered Ubuntu you know and love no longer releases an initial beta. That doesn't mean though that there are no Ubuntu beta 1 releases. In fact almost all of the major Ubuntu "flavors" are participating in the first beta release this cycle.
If you've never tried anything but Ubuntu, it's time to branch out. There are quite a few alternative flavors, including the Xfce-based, Xubuntu, the KDE-based Kubuntu, the LDXE-based Lubuntu and the relative newcomer -- GNOME-based Ubuntu GNOME.
The release of Trusty Tahr also coincides with the end of Microsoft support for Windows XP, which means the Linux world may well see a large influx of users in the coming year.
While Ubuntu is perhaps the best known name in Linux, the primary, Unity-based Ubuntu may prove too much of a departure for many in the stolid world of IT. With that in mind, here's a quick rundown of what's coming for each of the major alternative 'buntus.
Keep in mind that nearly all of these share the same Debian underpinnings, so you still get your Ubuntu Software Center, the apt-get system and access to Ubuntu's extensive repositories. Most of them also offer the same great hardware support you'll find in Ubuntu proper. The primary difference here comes down to desktop environment.
## Xubuntu
Of all the various 'buntu alternatives, Xubuntu is most likely to feel natural to Windows XP refugees. Shipping with what purists might call a bloated version of Xfce, Xubuntu is nevertheless quite lightweight for a 'buntu distro. It has everything you'd want in a traditional desktop environment and makes a fine replacement for Windows XP (or GNOME 3, or Unity, as many have already discovered).
Xfce isn't trying to revolutionize the desktop experience. In fact, it's conservative enough that the always conservative Debian will be basing its next major release around Xfce rather than GNOME.
That, combined with the fact that this is an LTS release, make Xubuntu 14.04 a fairly conservative release. The Xfce desktop will be updated to version 4.11, along with the usual slew of bug fixes and app updates you'd expect, but there won't be the kind of radical changes that have you hunting for missing buttons or scratching your head at the strange search results you get while searching for files.
Xubuntu is the lightweight but powerful variant of the Ubuntu line. This release will continue the tradition of stable, no-nonsense releases that wrap the best of Ubuntu's underpinnings in the Xfce desktop.
## Kubuntu
The KDE world is gearing up for KDE Frameworks 5, though it will not arrive in time for Kubuntu 14.04.
Like Xubuntu, Kubuntu will not be making any revolutionary changes in Trusty Tahr. This release will feature KDE Platform 4.12, which offers some minor updates to the KDE desktop and accompanying apps. For example, the popular Kate text editor gets even more powerful with support for Vim macros; and the ebook reader Okular gains support for more Epub 3 features --including embedded HTML5 audio and video.
Kubuntu 14.04 is also set to include an all new Driver Manager that also ties into the notification system, letting you know when better drivers for your hardware are available.
While OpenSUSE remains my favorite KDE distro, Kubuntu 14.04 is looking like a great way to run KDE atop a Debian-based system.
## Lubuntu
The lightest of the lightweight, Lubuntu features the minimalist LXDE desktop. If you have older hardware that struggles with today's graphics-intensive desktops, Lubuntu just might be the distro you need to breathe some new life into your machine.
Version 14.04 marks the first time Lubuntu has released an LTS version. As such this will very much be an incremental update for Lubuntu. In fact, given the nature of LXDE -- a very traditional desktop -- don't expect too much to ever change in Lubuntu.
That said, there will be a significant under-the-hood change coming in future versions of Lubuntu as the team migrates from the GTK-based LXDE to Qt-based LXDE. The fruits of that change will likely begin to show in the Lubuntu 14.10 release, due later this year.
## Ubuntu GNOME
Ubuntu GNOME is the new flavor on the block (and has apparently not yet embraced Gubuntu, or GNubuntu). As of the beta it looks like Ubuntu GNOME will stick with GNOME 3.10. That's probably the right choice for an LTS release, though it does mean Ubuntu GNOME will be a bit behind the curve as the next release for most other distros will likely be GNOME 3.12, which packs in numerous improvements.
Frankly, GNOME Shell is rather strange atop Ubuntu. It's about halfway to Unity. The whole time I was testing, I couldn't help wondering, well, why? GNOME is too much like Unity to really distinguish itself like the other flavors and yet not enough like Unity to grab center stage in the integrated, neat and tidy Ubuntu universe that Unity enjoys.
Ubuntu GNOME is an odd duck, but if you prefer GNOME to Unity, it has you covered.
## Conclusion
The future of Ubuntu is clearly based around Unity and its integration across all facets of hardware, be it desktop, tablet, mobile or the web-enabled super watch/glasses/embedded neurochip of the future (please, no). That doesn't mean though that you can't use one flavor on your desktop and another on your phone. In fact that's part of the beautify of the various Ubuntu flavors, all the good of Ubuntu, but with the desktop of your choice.
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