Lubuntu is a lightweight Linux operating system based on Ubuntu but using the LXDE desktop environment in place of Ubuntu’s Unity desktop (formerly GNOME). LXDE is touted as being “lighter, less resource hungry and more energy-efficient”.
The Lubuntu project started in March 2009, with the purpose of creating a lighter and less resource demanding alternative to the Xubuntu operating system, using the LXDE desktop environment.
Lubuntu received official recognition as a formal member of the Ubuntu family on 11 May 2011 after what seems like an eternity of waiting, commencing with Lubuntu 11.10, to be released 13 October 2011. While Lubuntu 11.04 had not completed the process for official status as a member of the Ubuntu family, Mario Behling stated: “The next goals of the project are clear. Apart from constantly improving the distribution, the lubuntu project aims to become an official flavour of Ubuntu.”
The developers claim that, while Xubuntu is often represented as a lightweight distro, it actually fails on running on older hardware, so they are targeting Linux their distribution at older legacy computers and devices with less than 256 MB of RAM.
It is hoped the move will see Lubuntu achieve greater visibility within the community and beyond.