Thursday, September 6, 2012

Lubuntu 12.04 is very impressive


Last weekend I setup my Linux Sawtooth to dual boot Ubuntu and Lubuntu.  As I wrote about last week I used the GNOME GUI in Ubuntu to replace Unity which has really improved performance and the overall usefulness of the OS.  Running Lubuntu makes Ubuntu (even with GNOME) look like a sick dog.  The difference is very much night and day on the G4 400 MHz chip.  When running Openbox there isn't even a proper comparison that could be made because the difference is so vast.

For those who don't know of Lubuntu it's a lower resource and more streamlined version of Ubuntu but with LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment) and Openbox as the built in GUI's rather than Unity/GNOME.  LXDE is a very capable GUI while still without any unneeded fluff.   All the built in apps are very light on the system but if all this isn't light enough for you just logout and go into Openbox.

Openbox is about as bare bones a GUI as you will find but it screams like a banshee.  It makes this old Sawtooth seem like a modern system which is enough to cause at least a few to give Lubuntu a go I would hope.  When it comes to being new to Linux this is a very good place to start.  All the Ubuntu based OS are all very easy to install because they provide a full GUI install if you download the desktop images.  Debian and Mint are both very solid OS but they are not nearly as easy to install for a Linux newbie.  I luckily have command line skills from BSD which has helped me a great deal but for those that don't these GUI installs are very helpful.  A person who is Mac only is used to the GUI installs and most would have no idea what to do at any type of text prompt so the most seamless way into the open source OS world is a nice easy 100% GUI install. 

I would put performance about 20-30% faster than Tiger/Leopard when running the LXDE GUI but when running Openbox the performance is noticeably better than that.  Linux is the best way for people running PowerPC hardware in the modern world to get modern secure software where it really matters like the OS and browser.  No need to give up Mac OS either because you can dual boot as you make the transition to Linux. 

The performance is so good on my 400 MHz that I am contemplating making my 1.8 GHz G4 dual boot this and Leopard.  Lubuntu also seems to have better PowerPC support vs Ubuntu which makes sense because it's geared for older hardware.  Give it a try because it may just convert you when you see how well your old Mac can run new software. 


Download:
Lubuntu 12.04 PowerPC (G3/G4/G5)

  
More Info:
Lubuntu - LXDE - Openbox
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10 comments:

  1. I have a question, how do linux deal with "hacked" hardware into the ppc, like flashed nvidia cards (as fair as I know nvidia never launched drivers for linux ppc)?
    And flash can you run it?is there anything like mactubes for ppc linux?
    For about 2years ubuntu was my main OS (when I had an HP DV9575ep laptop), very nice distro.
    You should give a try on mint ppc and maybe puppy linux (some years ago there was a folk "porting" it to ppc macs).

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    1. I have a flashed 6200 in the Linux machine and I have also used a Mac edition 7500. Both run fine in Lubuntu and Ubuntu. Most modern Linux is very good at getting by with generic video drivers if it cannot find the proper ones.

      I have not played with flash or YouTube yet but I have played many different XviD/DivX with great success in GNOME Mplayer and VLC. I will look for Mactubes type options.

      I did try Mint 9 awhile back and was impressed also. Lubuntu is easier to sink your teeth into while still very efficient.

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  2. Thanks for the input zen =)
    Although ubuntu may be easier do deal with,I guess the best bet should be debian (net install).
    In my time Linux Mint was even easier to use than ubuntu.

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    1. All the Ubuntu versions are Debian based. When you ran Ubuntu did you use Unity or another GUI?

      Mint would be a better option than Ubuntu but it's not easier to install. I played with Mint for a few weeks just over a year ago and I have grown to like Lubuntu more in just a few days. It's all about personal preference which is why it's best for people to try all the options that interest them.

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    2. When I used u ubuntu (as I said HP DV9575EP) it was the version 8.04, gnome 2.x, no unity.

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  3. some humble youtube/flash replacment suggestions for LinuxPPC

    minitube....mactubes like, but kinda sucks in comparison.
    gnash and lightspark were remarkable only in their ability to NOT play flash or anything else
    downloadhelper extension still sniffs the url, you can paste it into VLC, mplayer, whatevs.
    PPCluddite just posted on quvi. Suspect you may have already read about it. For a slower G4 that might be just the ticket. Its also being used in the new (3.4.3) totem mozilla plugin name Vegas Baby!, but I haven't been able to install that on x386 Linux yet.

    that's all I can think of. Man you are posting some good stuff.

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  4. Thanks for giving Lubuntu/PPC a web presence! I work in a totally cash-strapped school district and wanted to make these old eMac's useful. I tried for over a week to compile LibreOffice on one! I was thinking that if I could bind them to our Active Directory network and have word processing (AbiWord) and internet they would be useful. But no flash is a deal breaker...

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    1. I have successfully accomplished everything but flash in Lubuntu. I personally don't allow flash code on any of my computers so it's not a limitation for me.

      What package manager are you using? Be sure to use Synaptic and not Lubuntu Software Centre. It took me 2-3 min to find and install LibreOffice. For networking with Macs you need to setup SMB file sharing on the Mac end.

      I have never tried installing it on an eMac but everything has been smooth for me on a 400MHz Sawtooth along with my 1.8 GHz Sawtooth also.

      If you are new to Linux there will be a transition period where you are not even sure what to do half the time. Literally everything from top to bottom works differently than the Mac or Windows world most people know so it would be a good idea to feel it out longer on at least one system.

      Try some of the Youtube alternatives that dr. dave lists above also.

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  5. Great work,
    Perhaps you could walk us nebie Linux types through a few examples (how to instal applications from a magazine disc would be good for me for example). Yes the forums can be usefuel but it can also be a nightmare trying to find what you want and so many drift of topic or turn into a rant about something.
    cheers and keep up the most excellent work
    milkybar

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  6. Hey zen, really nice blog you're unfolding. Keep up the good work, sounds like you are being really motivated.

    Actually, I can contribute some not so positive experiences with PC flashed NVidia graphic cards. Though they are supported by nouveau driver to some extent (2D/video acceleration) fan control is not part of it, at least not in my case with a flashed 7600GS. And a video adapter with a fan running at 100% all the time is just pita.

    Greets

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