Lubuntu release 10.04 "final stable beta"

Lubuntu 10.04's light desktop Lubuntu 10.04, the LXDE and Ubuntu based Linux distribution, has been released as a "final stable beta" version. The developers aim to earn official endorsement from Canonical in the future which, if it happens, would make the release "final and stable". Ubuntu variants using LXDE have existed before, but the Lubuntu project, which started in September 2009, set out specifically to create a release which could get Canonical's blessing. This would allow it to join XFCE-based Xubuntu and KDE-based Kubuntu as official variants of the Ubuntu project.

Lubuntu 10.04 uses Chromium as its default browser and is based on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS which was released last week. Other lightweight applications included in the distribution are the Sylpheed email client, Gnumeric spreadsheet, Abiword word processor, Pidgin instant messaging and Leafpad text editor. The developers do point out that although Lubuntu 10.04 is based on the LTS (Long Term Support) release of Ubuntu, it is not an LTS release. Full details of the applications used and release notes are available and Lubuntu can be downloaded directly (ISO image download, 530MB) or via bittorrent. Further information is available at lubuntu.net, the project's home.

See also:

• Minimalist Linux desktops, a feature article from The H

(djwm)