Linuxman's Ratings Guide
Required User Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Installation: Not bad - very basic, but easy to understand with good default choices. Will require some input. Took me about 40mins
Support: Excellent - forums, IRC & online documentation, very detailed
No. of CD's or DVD's: 1
Media: CDR

Kubuntu is Ubuntu but with the power of KDE desktop

Want Ubuntu but hate GNOME? Then you need Kubuntu.

Kubuntu was the first Ubuntu derived distribution. Kubuntu is made up of Ubuntu's base plus KDE. Kubuntu stepped over the edge, becoming the best release to date. Improved desktop, updated applications and increased usability features are just a few of the surprises with this latest release. The goal for Kubuntu was to continue on the creation of a secure and stable environment, working towards the perfect KDE based operating system. Starting with the excellent base of Ubuntu and an implementation of KDE, Kubuntu set out to smooth the rough edges and polish the future of Kubuntu.

Kubuntu includes more than 16,000 pieces of software, but the core desktop installation fits on a single CD. Kubuntu covers every standard desktop application from word processing and spreadsheet applications to internet access applications, web server software, email software, programming languages and tools and of course several games.

Kubuntu comes packed with a host of new features including easier ways to install multimedia codecs, binary drivers, as well as networking improvements, excellent wireless support, multimedia support and of course, KDE, the latest stable kernel and more.

Version Explanation

Desktop CD (system requirements)

The desktop CD allows you to try Kubuntu without changing your computer at all, and at your option to install it permanently later. This type of CD is what most people will want to use. You will need at least 384MB of RAM to install from from a Live Environment with this CD. With only the minimum amount of memory available, the installation process will take longer than normal, but will be complete successfully, and the system will perform adequately once installed. Low-memory systems (256mb) may be able to use the Desktop CD to install by selecting "Install Kubuntu" from the boot menu to run just the installer, rather than running a whole Live Environment which would be started by selecting "Try Kubuntu without any change to your computer".

Alternate install CD (system requirements)

The alternate install CD allows you to perform certain specialist installations of Kubuntu. It provides for the following situations:

• creating pre-configured OEM systems
• setting up automated deployments
• upgrading from older installations without network access
• LVM and/or RAID partitioning
• installing GRUB to a location other than the Master Boot Record
• installs on systems with less than 384MB of RAM (minimum 256mb)

There are two Desktop CD's and two Alternate CD's, each for different types of computer:

32bit: For almost all PCs. This includes most machines with Intel/AMD/etc type processors and almost all computers that run Microsoft Windows, as well as newer Apple Macintosh systems based on Intel processors. Choose this if you are at all unsure.

64bit: Choose this to take full advantage of computers based on the AMD64 or EM64T architecture (e.g., Athlon64, Opteron, EM64T Xeon). If you have a non-64-bit processor made by AMD, or if you need full support for 32-bit code, use the Intel x86 images instead.

Linux-Man Notes:
Kubuntu 12.04.1 LTS (Long Term Supported) will be supported by Ubuntu/Kubuntu with security updates for 36 months after its release, and professional technical support is available from many companies around the world.

Currently we only have 12.04.1 on CD-R. We may have a few factory pressed CD's in the coming weeks.

We also have the 'Desktop' version in 32bit or 64bit and the Alternate 32bit version.

Information Courtesy of Kubuntu Wiki and reprinted in compliance with the Open Publication License. All trademarks/copyrights are the property of their respective owners