The main two differences between Ubuntu and its derivatives are the backing and the default installed packages. For all official derivatives, you can convert between variants by installing certain packages.
Ubuntu comes with the Unity desktop environment. The underlying Unity platform is still GNOME, but instead of using the GNOME Shell interface, Unity uses the Unity shell.
Ubuntu and Unity are commercially backed and supported by Canonical.
To convert an installation into regular Ubuntu, install ubuntu-desktop .
This is the KDE flavor of the typical Ubuntu (which is GNOME driven). The primary difference is that Kubuntu comes with KDE as the default Desktop Environment, as opposed to GNOME with the Unity shell.
Kubuntu is sponsored by Blue Systems. Canonical stopped backing it in 2012, but it is still an officially recognized Ubuntu variant, which means that it gets build machines, test machines, CD image distribution servers, etc. dedicated to it.
To convert an installation into Kubuntu, install kubuntu-desktop .
Ubuntu GNOME aims to have a mostly pure GNOME desktop installed by default.
Ubuntu GNOME is community-driven. It was originally called Ubuntu GNOME Remix; it was renamed to Ubuntu GNOME when it became officially recognized. Ubuntu GNOME is very new: its first release as an official derivative was 13.04 Raring Ringtail, which as of 6/9/13 is the current release.
This is a lighter weight, highly efficient and optimized flavor of Ubuntu designed to run on older computers. It uses Xfce which is a proven faster Desktop Environment than both KDE and GNOME. This is a typically simpler slim interface.
Xubuntu is community-driven and operates under a Strategy Document. It is also officially recognized by Canonical (see Kubuntu for what that means).
To convert an installation into Xubuntu, install xubuntu-desktop .
Ubuntu Server is optimized for use as a server. It does not come with X.Org, and as such does not use any graphical environment like a desktop environment or a window manager. Instead, it comes only with a CLI environment.
Ubuntu Server is commercially backed and supported by Canonical.
The counterpart to Xubuntu - Mythbuntu is designed to be an entertainment powerhouse. Focused around being a Media Center it includes many drivers and setups for TV Tuners, TV Out cards, and has a Media Center application (MythTV) integrated into the Desktop Environment to facilitate the entertainment powerhouse it advertises.
Mythbuntu is an officially recognized Ubuntu variant.
Lubuntu takes the aims of Xubuntu and pushes the Desktop Environment to an even more bare bones lightweight variant:
LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment) in releases up to 18.04, and
LXQt in releases after that.
Both are very efficient (LXDE used GTK2, it was being ported to GTK3 where it was deemed to heavy, so the devs ported it to Qt5, they then joined the Razor-Qt team forming the newer LXQt project). It's a more efficient (the lightest official flavor out of the box), power saving, fast, lightweight Desktop Manager than XFCE (though if using GTK3 apps some of its lightness will be lost).
Lubuntu is community-driven. It is officially recognized as a variant by Canonical.
To convert an installation into Lubuntu, install lubuntu-desktop
My Opinion
I've used the first three before and I believe all have some backing from Canonical (or other corporate backing) while Lubuntu is still relatively new and community driven. Though if you have a very old/slow computer it certainly might be what you're looking for.
Figured I'd add the other flavors of Ubuntu I knew where out there
This flavor is designed with Educational intent. Runs very close to the vanilla Ubuntu release though it comes with many additional applications that are best suited for an Educational environment. It also is configured and stylized with kids in mind.
This flavor is geared towards those who deal with multimedia (Video, Audio, Graphics, Design) on a daily basis. Comes bundled with many applications, codecs, and drivers required to facilitate those activities.
Ubuntu Studio is an officially recognized variant.
Ubuntu CE (Ubuntu Christian Edition) is Ubuntu designed for Christians who wish to maintain an "Christianly" lifestyle. This comes bundled with a lot of religious software and security tools to help protect moral religious obligations.
This project is idle, but it's intent was to bring stronger hardened security to the stock Ubuntu installation. It targets security practitioners like penetration testers.
The most common and known, Ubuntu uses the Unity Desktop as default and creates an standard desktop environment for TVs, smartphones and desktops. Ubuntu is not considered a lightweight distro although it works on some low end hardware.
Most Windows users love this one since the transition from Windows to the KDE desktop is very easy to grip. To top it off, KDE is known to give pretty much many customization options for the user, ranging from general ones to very specific ones. This is also considered something bad (not from me at least) because it gives you a LOT of options to customize. Don't be amazed if you find an option for your fridge there. Like Ubuntu, Kubuntu is not a lightweight distro.
For avid multimedia users, it focuses on the Multimedia aspects of a system, It offers video/audio design & edition, Multimedia Authoring, 2D/3D Design, several preinstalled video editors, audio editors, graphic editors, digital design, raw image applications and any other multimedia editor needed for a full blowned multimedia workspace.
It offers users a new desktop look using the Mate Desktop experience and mixing features and hardware requirements from lightweight distributions with more robust distributions. A reborned unique desktop experience.
Developed primarily for China, Ubuntu Kylin offers many unique features not found in other flavors of Ubuntu (Apart from Mandarin as default ^^). It originated from the Kylin operating system designed in China by the National University of Defense Technology. The name Kylin comes from the Mythical Chimerical creature Qilin, which is a creature that when it appears it means a good omen (Prosperity or Peace). It is often called the Chinese Unicorn, which would be simply amazing when Utopic Unicorn arrives.
For Benchmark, CPU & Memory Usage, Minimum Hardware Requirements, Recommended Hardware Requirements and User Recommended Hardware Requirements, ISO Download Size, Look after installed and Desktop used please see the answers below for the respective Ubuntu Distribution.
All 10 distributions shown independently below offer the following:
10 Official Ubuntu Distributions (32-bit and 64-bit)
Hardware Requirements (Minimum, Officially Recommended and My Recommendation)
Unique Features
Resource Usage & Performance
All share similar Hard Drive I/O performance, Network Speed & Installation Time
Apart from Edubuntu, Mythbuntu & Ubuntu Studio offering some unique installation options, all have similar installation procedures
General GPU usage and performance actually varies more on what type of Video card, CPU, Amount of RAM and Motherboard you are using than on what Desktop you are using. In any case, at the end you can see the overall FPS performance for each Desktop.
Test took one week and was done with the following Hardware:
CPU: Intel i7-4770
Intel Haswell Integrated GPU
Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256 GB
RAM: 4 GB DDR3
MOBO: Asus Z87 Pro
SDD was formatted each time a new distribution was tested
Office Apps means the following:
LibreOffice Writer, Calc & Impress opened with a simple document
For the Cases of Lubuntu & Xubuntu, the Office Suite was Gnumeric and Abiword
For the Cases of Mythbuntu & Ubuntu Studio, there were no Office Suite. Because of this, the Full Apps tests for them, does not include any Office Suite.
HDD Usage means the hard drive space used after installation.
Full Apps means the following:
Includes all applications from the Office Apps
Firefox opened with 20 Tabs showing the following sites: Ask Ubuntu, Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Edubuntu, Mythbuntu, Ubuntu Studio, Ubuntu Gnome, Ubuntu Kylin, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Kubuntu, Ubuntu G+, Launchpad, Phoronix, Ubuntu Discourse, OMG Ubuntu, WEB UPD8, Slashdot, Linux Foundation, LibreOffice.
For the case of Mythbuntu which does not come with Firefox by default I used Chromium. I also had to exit the MythTV Application which launches by default to do the tests.
The Real Hardware Requirements are based on my personal opinion on how the user would perceive Ubuntu when using it. Will it be slow or fast. Will it load apps quick or take longer. Is the desktop responsive or sluggish. How much resources does the distribution actually take. This are my personal hardware requirements when trying out this particular distribution, but as they are personal, they can vary from hardware to hardware and user to user. The objective is to give the user an idea of what actual requirements could be needed and proceed from there on.
The CPU and RAM usage is to give the end user an idea on how much that particular distribution uses when having several applications opened. This should be taken litely since the scenario could change. For example having Blender opened while rendering a video can use more CPU and RAM than having LibreOffice opened with several documents. So do not take this resource usage seriously, only use it as a basic guide, especially since the type of CPU and CPU power can dramatically change the usage value (Eg: Comparing an Intel P4 2.4Ghz with an Intel i7-4770).
THe CPU and RAM usage is tested AFTER the process has finished loading. This means that the CPU might spike when loading an application but will then settle after the loading process has finished. The average value when settled is the one I take into account. Same goes for RAM.
It offers users a new desktop look using the Mate Desktop experience and mixing features and hardware requirements from lightweight distributions with more robust distributions. A reborned unique desktop experience.
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Officially Recommended
CPU: 2.0+ GHz
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 7 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
My Recommendation
CPU: 2.0+ GHz
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 10 GB
VGA: 256GB+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Benchmark Tests
CPU Usage
0 Apps - 8%
Office Apps - 9%
Full Apps - 17%
RAM Usage
0 Apps - 445 MB
Office Apps - 540 MB
Full Apps - 845 MB
HDD Usage - 3.2 GB
Ubuntu GNOME 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
CPU: 1.0+ GHz
RAM: 1.5 GB
HDD: 6.5 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Officially Recommended
CPU: 2.0+ GHz
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 7 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
My Recommendation
CPU: 2.0+ GHz
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 10 GB
VGA: 256GB+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Benchmark Tests
CPU Usage
0 Apps - 8%
Office Apps - 10%
Full Apps - 15%
RAM Usage
0 Apps - 630 MB
Office Apps - 745 MB
Full Apps - 1.2 GB
HDD Usage - 3.3 GB
Notes about Ubuntu Gnome
Because it uses the Gnome Shell, the way the user interface appears, it feels like you are using a futuristic version of some operating system. Looks very good (I feel like I am 10 Years in the future and this is coming from a 99% Unity user).
Similar to Unity, it has a harder learning curve, even when compared to Unity, but if you learn to use it (Took me 25 minutes the first time), you can do many things very quickly.
It offers many integrated features for applications like chat, webcam, documents and more, everything with a very sleek design.
Most Windows users love this one since the transition from Windows to the KDE desktop is very easy to grip. To top it off, KDE is known to give pretty much many customization options for the user, ranging from general ones to very specific ones. This is also considered something bad (not from me at least) because it gives you a LOT of options to customize. Don't be amazed if you find an option for your fridge there. Like Ubuntu, Kubuntu is not a lightweight distro.
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 1.4+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Officially Recommended
CPU: 1.0+ GHz
RAM: 1 GB
HDD: 6 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
My Recommendation
CPU: 2.0+ GHz
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 10 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Benchmark Tests
CPU Usage
0 Apps - 1%
Office Apps - 2%
Full Apps - 4%
RAM Usage
0 Apps - 270 MB
Office Apps - 350 MB
Full Apps - 640 MB
HDD Usage - 5.6 GB
Kubuntu 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
CPU: 1.0+ GHz
RAM: 512 MB
HDD: 6 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 1.4+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Officially Recommended
CPU: 1.0+ GHz
RAM: 1 GB
HDD: 6 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
My Recommendation
CPU: 2.0+ GHz
RAM: 4 GB
HDD: 10 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Benchmark Tests
CPU Usage
0 Apps - 1%
Office Apps - 2%
Full Apps - 4%
RAM Usage
0 Apps - 410 MB
Office Apps - 500 MB
Full Apps - 870 MB
HDD Usage - 5.8 GB
Notes about Kubuntu
Has a very unique look for the installation process.
The installation process took a bit longer than any other Ubuntu distribution.
KDE is an awesome desktop with a lot of options for all users.
For a Desktop that offers so much, it has a pretty low resource usage. In fact, when doing some tests it showed excellent resource management. KDE has come a long way and it is awesome.
The most common and known, Ubuntu uses the Unity Desktop as default and creates an standard desktop format for TVs, smartphones and desktops. Ubuntu is not considered a lightweight distro although it works on some low end hardware.
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 1.4+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Officially Recommended
CPU: 700+ MHz
RAM: 1 GB
HDD: 5 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
My Recommendation
CPU: 2.0+ GHz
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 10 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Benchmark Tests
CPU Usage
0 Apps - 5%
Office Apps - 8%
Full Apps - 10%
RAM Usage
0 Apps - 500 MB
Office Apps - 585 MB
Full Apps - 860 MB
HDD Usage - 3.3 GB
Ubuntu 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
CPU: 800+ MHz
RAM: 512 MB
HDD: 5 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 1.4+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Officially Recommended
CPU: 800+ MHz
RAM: 1 GB
HDD: 5 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
My Recommendation
CPU: 2.0+ GHz
RAM: 4 GB
HDD: 10 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Benchmark Tests
CPU Usage
0 Apps - 5%
Office Apps - 8%
Full Apps - 10%
RAM Usage
0 Apps - 670 MB
Office Apps - 780 MB
Full Apps - 1.0 GB
HDD Usage - 3.5 GB
Notes about Ubuntu
Learning to use the Unity Desktop can be a bit hard in the beginning, especially if you are coming from Windows, another Linux distribution, an older version of Ubuntu or a Mac. I tested the Unity desktop (Ubuntu 14.04.1) on my wife, a friend that uses Windows 7 and another that uses Mac. I could not say anything about the environment and they had to learn on their own how to use the Dash, the Launcher, change System Settings, install and find applications, use the File manager and connect to the network.
My wife took 30 minutes, while my Windows 7 friend took 20 minutes and my Mac friend took 10 minutes. So even if the appearance is completely different, all of them after two weeks told me positive news about how Unity behaved, from making them more productive (Quicker apps access, dash shortcuts, etc..) to simplifying steps to get a job done (Launcher, the HUD and more).
More than anything, for the Unity Desktop to be responsive, you need a good video card. I would recommend any video card that has 256 MB of RAM or more. With that in mind, I have actually tested 128 MB with no problem with the latest Unity, so the minimum requirements for it might be going down with newer updates.
The main two differences between Ubuntu and its derivatives are the backing and the default installed packages. For all official derivatives, you can convert between variants by installing certain packages.
Here is a small list:
Ubuntu
Ubuntu comes with the Unity desktop environment. The underlying Unity platform is still GNOME, but instead of using the GNOME Shell interface, Unity uses the Unity shell.
Ubuntu and Unity are commercially backed and supported by Canonical.
To convert an installation into regular Ubuntu, install ubuntu-desktop
.
Kubuntu
This is the KDE flavor of the typical Ubuntu (which is GNOME driven). The primary difference is that Kubuntu comes with KDE as the default Desktop Environment, as opposed to GNOME with the Unity shell.
Kubuntu is sponsored by Blue Systems. Canonical stopped backing it in 2012, but it is still an officially recognized Ubuntu variant, which means that it gets build machines, test machines, CD image distribution servers, etc. dedicated to it.
To convert an installation into Kubuntu, install kubuntu-desktop
.
Ubuntu GNOME
Ubuntu GNOME aims to have a mostly pure GNOME desktop installed by default.
Ubuntu GNOME is community-driven. It was originally called Ubuntu GNOME Remix; it was renamed to Ubuntu GNOME when it became officially recognized. Ubuntu GNOME is very new: its first release as an official derivative was 13.04 Raring Ringtail, which as of 6/9/13 is the current release.
To convert an installation into Ubuntu GNOME, install ubuntu-gnome-desktop
.
Xubuntu
This is a lighter weight, highly efficient and optimized flavor of Ubuntu designed to run on older computers. It uses Xfce which is a proven faster Desktop Environment than both KDE and GNOME. This is a typically simpler slim interface.
Xubuntu is community-driven and operates under a Strategy Document. It is also officially recognized by Canonical (see Kubuntu for what that means).
To convert an installation into Xubuntu, install xubuntu-desktop
.
Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu Server is optimized for use as a server. It does not come with X.Org, and as such does not use any graphical environment like a desktop environment or a window manager. Instead, it comes only with a CLI environment.
Ubuntu Server is commercially backed and supported by Canonical.
Mythbuntu
The counterpart to Xubuntu - Mythbuntu is designed to be an entertainment powerhouse. Focused around being a Media Center it includes many drivers and setups for TV Tuners, TV Out cards, and has a Media Center application (MythTV) integrated into the Desktop Environment to facilitate the entertainment powerhouse it advertises.
Mythbuntu is an officially recognized Ubuntu variant.
To convert an installation into Mythbuntu, install mythbuntu-desktop
.
Lubuntu
Lubuntu takes the aims of Xubuntu and pushes the Desktop Environment to an even more bare bones lightweight variant:
Lubuntu is community-driven. It is officially recognized as a variant by Canonical.
To convert an installation into Lubuntu, install
lubuntu-desktopMy Opinion
I've used the first three before and I believe all have some backing from Canonical (or other corporate backing) while Lubuntu is still relatively new and community driven. Though if you have a very old/slow computer it certainly might be what you're looking for.
Figured I'd add the other flavors of Ubuntu I knew where out there
In addition to the above listed there is also:
Edubuntu
This flavor is designed with Educational intent. Runs very close to the vanilla Ubuntu release though it comes with many additional applications that are best suited for an Educational environment. It also is configured and stylized with kids in mind.
Edubuntu is an officially recognized variant.
Ubuntu Studio
This flavor is geared towards those who deal with multimedia (Video, Audio, Graphics, Design) on a daily basis. Comes bundled with many applications, codecs, and drivers required to facilitate those activities.
Ubuntu Studio is an officially recognized variant.
Ubuntu CE
Ubuntu CE (Ubuntu Christian Edition) is Ubuntu designed for Christians who wish to maintain an "Christianly" lifestyle. This comes bundled with a lot of religious software and security tools to help protect moral religious obligations.
Ubuntu CE is an unofficial derivative.
Nubuntu
This project is idle, but it's intent was to bring stronger hardened security to the stock Ubuntu installation. It targets security practitioners like penetration testers.
Nubuntu is an unofficial derivative.
Fluxbuntu
Fluxbuntu does not come with a desktop environment like GNOME or KDE. Instead, it only comes with a window manager called Fluxbox.
Fluxbuntu is community-driven. It is an unofficial variant.
Currently there are 10 Official Ubuntu flavors:
Ubuntu
The most common and known, Ubuntu uses the Unity Desktop as default and creates an standard desktop environment for TVs, smartphones and desktops. Ubuntu is not considered a lightweight distro although it works on some low end hardware.
Download - http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521700/7035
Kubuntu
Most Windows users love this one since the transition from Windows to the KDE desktop is very easy to grip. To top it off, KDE is known to give pretty much many customization options for the user, ranging from general ones to very specific ones. This is also considered something bad (not from me at least) because it gives you a LOT of options to customize. Don't be amazed if you find an option for your fridge there. Like Ubuntu, Kubuntu is not a lightweight distro.
Download - http://www.kubuntu.org/getkubuntu
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521701/7035
Lubuntu
It is one of the lightweight alternatives to Ubuntu. Easy to learn and recommended for old hardware that you want to bring back to life.
Download - http://lubuntu.net/
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521702/7035
Xubuntu
Like Lubuntu, Xubuntu is a lightweight distribution. It offers several friendlier features than Lubuntu and it offers more customization.
Download - http://xubuntu.org/getxubuntu/
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521704/7035
Edubuntu
Focused on education. The installation procedure offers many prebuilt learning packages
Download - http://www.edubuntu.org/download
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521705/7035
Mythbuntu
Focused on offering a complete HTPC solution. From TV recording and similar activities to wathing a Movie or TV Series list.
Download - http://www.mythbuntu.org/download-type
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521708/7035
Ubuntu Studio
For avid multimedia users, it focuses on the Multimedia aspects of a system, It offers video/audio design & edition, Multimedia Authoring, 2D/3D Design, several preinstalled video editors, audio editors, graphic editors, digital design, raw image applications and any other multimedia editor needed for a full blowned multimedia workspace.
Download - https://ubuntustudio.org/download/
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521710/7035
Ubuntu GNOME
It offers users a sleek, fast and elegant desktop with many integrated features that work together to make the end user's life easier.
Download - http://ubuntugnome.org/download/
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521711/7035
Ubuntu Mate
It offers users a new desktop look using the Mate Desktop experience and mixing features and hardware requirements from lightweight distributions with more robust distributions. A reborned unique desktop experience.
Download - https://ubuntu-mate.org/
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/585167/7035
Ubuntu Kylin
Developed primarily for China, Ubuntu Kylin offers many unique features not found in other flavors of Ubuntu (Apart from Mandarin as default ^^). It originated from the Kylin operating system designed in China by the National University of Defense Technology. The name Kylin comes from the Mythical Chimerical creature Qilin, which is a creature that when it appears it means a good omen (Prosperity or Peace). It is often called the Chinese Unicorn, which would be simply amazing when Utopic Unicorn arrives.
Download - http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu-kylin
Information - https://askubuntu.com/a/521713/7035
For Benchmark, CPU & Memory Usage, Minimum Hardware Requirements, Recommended Hardware Requirements and User Recommended Hardware Requirements, ISO Download Size, Look after installed and Desktop used please see the answers below for the respective Ubuntu Distribution.
All 10 distributions shown independently below offer the following:
Ubuntu Mate
It offers users a new desktop look using the Mate Desktop experience and mixing features and hardware requirements from lightweight distributions with more robust distributions. A reborned unique desktop experience.
Ubuntu Mate 32-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Ubuntu Mate 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Notes about Ubuntu Mate
#Lubuntu
It is one of the lightweight alternatives to Ubuntu. Easy to learn and recommended for old hardware that you want to bring back to life.
##Lubuntu 32-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
CPU: Pentium II (233+ MHz) + PAE Support
RAM: 384 MB
HDD: 2.5 GB
VGA: 16+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Officially Recommended
CPU: Pentium II (400+ MHz) + PAE Support
RAM: 512 MB
HDD: 3 GB
VGA: 32+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
My Recommendation
CPU: 1.2+ GHz
RAM: 1 GB
HDD: 5 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Benchmark Tests
##Lubuntu 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
CPU: 800+ Mhz 64-bit Processor
RAM: 256 MB
HDD: 2.5 GB
VGA: 16+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Officially Recommended
CPU: 800+ MHz 65-bit Processor
RAM: 512 MB
HDD: 3 GB
VGA: 32+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
My Recommendation
CPU: 1.2+ GHz
RAM: 2 GB
HDD: 5 GB
VGA: 128+ MB Video Capable of 1024x768 & OpenGL 2.0+
CD/DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media
Benchmark Tests
##Notes about Lubuntu
List of "recognized" Ubuntu Derivatives:
Ubuntu GNOME
It offers users a sleek, fast and elegant desktop with many integrated features that work together to make the end user's life easier.
Ubuntu GNOME 32-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Ubuntu GNOME 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Notes about Ubuntu Gnome
Xubuntu
Like Lubuntu, Xubuntu is a lightweight distribution. It offers several friendlier features than Lubuntu and it offers more customization.
Xubuntu 32-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Xubuntu 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Notes about Xubuntu
Kubuntu
Most Windows users love this one since the transition from Windows to the KDE desktop is very easy to grip. To top it off, KDE is known to give pretty much many customization options for the user, ranging from general ones to very specific ones. This is also considered something bad (not from me at least) because it gives you a LOT of options to customize. Don't be amazed if you find an option for your fridge there. Like Ubuntu, Kubuntu is not a lightweight distro.
Kubuntu 32-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Kubuntu 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Notes about Kubuntu
Ubuntu
The most common and known, Ubuntu uses the Unity Desktop as default and creates an standard desktop format for TVs, smartphones and desktops. Ubuntu is not considered a lightweight distro although it works on some low end hardware.
Ubuntu 32-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Ubuntu 64-bit
Hardware Requirements:
Minimum Recommended
Officially Recommended
My Recommendation
Benchmark Tests
Notes about Ubuntu
Learning to use the Unity Desktop can be a bit hard in the beginning, especially if you are coming from Windows, another Linux distribution, an older version of Ubuntu or a Mac. I tested the Unity desktop (Ubuntu 14.04.1) on my wife, a friend that uses Windows 7 and another that uses Mac. I could not say anything about the environment and they had to learn on their own how to use the Dash, the Launcher, change System Settings, install and find applications, use the File manager and connect to the network.
My wife took 30 minutes, while my Windows 7 friend took 20 minutes and my Mac friend took 10 minutes. So even if the appearance is completely different, all of them after two weeks told me positive news about how Unity behaved, from making them more productive (Quicker apps access, dash shortcuts, etc..) to simplifying steps to get a job done (Launcher, the HUD and more).
More than anything, for the Unity Desktop to be responsive, you need a good video card. I would recommend any video card that has 256 MB of RAM or more. With that in mind, I have actually tested 128 MB with no problem with the latest Unity, so the minimum requirements for it might be going down with newer updates.
It's all here on Wikipedia, including neat descriptions.