It used to be that if a Linux user wanted his external hardware to work (things like printers and PDAs, and scanners) he had to use one of the big distributions: Ubuntu, openSUSE, Fedora, Debian, Knoppix. Often, he had to use Gnome for his desktop environment, too. That was not really a big deal, unless he was in love with a smaller distribution like Puppy Linux, or Slax, or PCLinuxOS.
With the variety of hardware available, Linux frequently faces the problem of having to constantly reverse-engineer drivers for all sorts of commercial equipment. The bigger distributions have more people to devote to this, and as a result, work with more hardware than the others. This is equally true for the desktop environments.
XFCE Sessions Cause Problems with Functionality
The Gnome and KDE desktops have traditionally led the way in compatibility with hardware. The bundled software that comes standard has been tested for years with almost everything available, and it works. Using KDE with Knoppix or Gnome with Ubuntu yields excellent results. But what happens when running an XFCE session in Ubuntu or Fedora, or openSUSE? Often, the functionality with hardware, and many of the software programs, disappear from the menu.
They're replaced with XFCE programs. Xfburn appears in the menu instead of Brasero; PCman, Thunar, or Openbox becomes the window manager; and suddenly, little things like finding printers can get complicated.
XFCE Desktop by Default in Newer Linux Distros
When users choose a Linux distro that uses XFCE as its default desktop environment, things work a lot better. It stands to reason that a distribution making all its software decisions with the XFCE desktop as its first choice will automatically have better hardware compatibility than the others. Some of these are
- PC/OS Linux
- Vector Linux
- U-Lite
- Xubuntu
- Masonux
PC/OS Linux Webstation 10
PC/OS Webstation 10 is as businesslike a distribution as any out there. And it has Google Chrome as its default browser. The browser's fast, the install is fast, and the OS is fast. Everything is fast and efficient. Useful software is installed upon first startup, and little else is needed to enjoy the distro. Specs:
- Ubuntu 9.04 at its roots
- XFCE 4.6
- Starts up in 48 seconds
- Uses xfwm4 window manager
- xfce4-panel for launchers, desktop switcher, and other graphical effects
- xfdesktop Desktop Manager
- Thunar file manager
Great distro. The docks at top and bottom are simple, but functional. The distribution does exactly what it seems meant to do. And again, it has Chrome as the default browser. That's special.
Vector Linux 5.9 Standard vs. GoblinX
Vector Linux is a pretty clean distribution, and it handles most things well. It's fast (XFCE) and takes very little hard drive space. The installer is text-based, not graphical like the newer Ubuntu variants and others. The Thunar file manager is very intuitive. The default applications are a little light, and printing seems to be a problem. Vector doesn't immediately find attached printers, and to get it to do so requires some work. Running LXDE on Vector Linux is interesting. The applications immediately shrink, and the desktop-configurability goes way down. The responsiveness of the system, however, gets even better.
- Starts up in 55 seconds
- Based on Slackware
- XFCE 4.4.3 OR LXDE
- Uses xfwm4 window manager
- xfce4-panel for launchers, desktop switcher, and other graphical effects
- xfdesktop Desktop Manager
- Thunar file manager
GoblinX is superior in many ways to Vector Linux, although both have Slackware roots. GobinX gives dozens more programs, more desktop configurability, more of almost everything. It's look is more comfortable. GoblinX is more comfortable being a Slackware variant than Vector seems to be. Its focus seems to be using the Slackware model within XFCE, while Vector Linux almost tries to hide its Slackware heritage. Vector Linux certainly has some perks. It finds and works with the B43xx wireless card that most Slackware products (including GoblinX) reject, but overall, GoblinX is an interesting diversion in the XFCE world.
U-Lite Linux (Ubuntu-Lite)
U-Lite clocks in at #69 on Distrowatch's popularity chart for the last six months. U-Lite uses the LXDE Desktop Environment, which many say is faster than XFCE. However, on a two-year-old Acer laptop, it boots slower than Xubuntu and PC/OS.
- Ubuntu 8.04 Base
- Starts up in 52 seconds
- PCMan File Manager
- Openbox Configuration Manager
Once up, U-Lite's operation is fast, but not smooth. This distro maximizes speed at the expense of polish. The Kazehakase Web Browser is functional, but not pretty. GNU Paint is definitely not GIMP. Downloading Firefox through Synaptic works, but Firefox has no icon.
The distro has several issues, beginning with windows that minimize to "inner space," (they just disappear) and ending with a pcman file manager that stalls. The forums have little information to help these issues, and although after a frustrating evening of research, they can be solved, this OS is not for Linux newbies. If this is LXDE at its best, then LXDE isn't worth pursuing just yet.
Xubuntu Linux
Xubuntu's XFCE version of the popular Ubuntu distribution maximizes both Ubuntu's reservoirs of software and developers and also XFCE's speed. Xubuntu's polished look and performance make it a stand-out distro. The familiar Ubuntu menus help users adapt to the XFCE items that are new.
- XFCE 4.6.1
- Ubuntu 9.10 Base
- Starts up in 45 seconds
- Uses xfwm4 window manager
- xfce4-panel for launchers, desktop switcher, and other graphical effects
- xfdesktop Desktop Manager
- Thunar file manager
Masonux Linux, LXDE Done Right
For those using older equipment, or those with small netbooks with lightweight hard drives, Masonux is a distro worth investigating. U-Lite's version of LXDE is a little buggy, but Masonux takes LXDE and provides a slim OS with a few pieces of useful software. For those needing a hefty OS and lots of RAM-eating software, Masonux would be wrong, but it's a clean, effective system for those smaller PCs.
- From a 2 GB USB drive, Masonux boots in 47 seconds. Wow.
- From a two-year-old mid-level laptop, it boots in 35 seconds. Double-Wow.
Xubuntu and PC/OS are the standout XFCE distributions to date. For those looking for a polished, finished distro that uses XFCE as its default desktop environment, these two are the ones to start with. They offer much of the functionality of the bigger (Gnome and KDE) distributions, and lose little in the way of configurability. They don't have quite as many options for desktop effects, but their speed and responsiveness are impressive.
Ben Lingenfelter - As an intinerant writer, I've found freedom to write and learn about a variety of topics. That fits me perfectly. I've been an English ...
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