Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MX Linux VS Lubuntu

Compare MX Linux VS Lubuntu and see what are their differences

MX Linux logo MX Linux

MX Linux is an operating system - a cooperative venture between the antiX and former MEPIS...

Lubuntu logo Lubuntu

Lubuntu is a fast and lightweight operating system with a clean and easy-to-use user interface. The core of the system is based on Linux and Ubuntu. Lubuntu uses the minimal desktop LXDE, and a selection of light applications.
  • MX Linux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-26
  • Lubuntu Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-17

MX Linux features and specs

  • User-Friendly
    MX Linux offers a highly intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it a great choice for beginners who might be new to Linux.
  • Performance
    The distribution is lightweight and optimized to run smoothly even on older hardware, ensuring good performance.
  • Stability
    Built on the Debian Stable base, MX Linux is known for its robustness and reliability, providing fewer system crashes and bugs.
  • Customization
    MX Linux allows extensive customization, enabling users to tailor their system’s appearance and functionality to their liking.
  • MX Tools
    The distribution includes a unique set of tools, such as MX Snapshot and MX Package Installer, that enhance user experience by simplifying complex tasks.
  • Community Support
    MX Linux has an active and helpful community, offering extensive forums and documentation to assist users in troubleshooting and optimizing their systems.

Possible disadvantages of MX Linux

  • Slower Updates
    Being based on Debian Stable, MX Linux may not have the latest software and feature updates, lagging behind more cutting-edge distributions.
  • Limited Software Availability
    The software repositories, although extensive, may not have as wide a selection as some other distros, requiring users to sometimes rely on external sources.
  • Aesthetic
    While functional and customizable, the default look and feel might not be as polished as some other distributions designed with visual aesthetics in mind.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Customization
    While it is user-friendly for basic tasks, more advanced customization and optimization may require a steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with Linux internals.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    Though generally good, there can be occasional issues with hardware compatibility, especially with very new or very old devices.

Lubuntu features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Lubuntu is designed to be lightweight, making it ideal for older or less powerful hardware.
  • Faster Performance
    Due to its minimal resource requirements, Lubuntu typically performs faster than more feature-rich operating systems.
  • User Friendly
    The LXQt desktop environment of Lubuntu provides a simple and intuitive user interface, making it easy for new users to adapt.
  • Good Community Support
    As an official Ubuntu derivative, Lubuntu benefits from the extensive support and resources available from the Ubuntu community.
  • Regular Updates
    Lubuntu receives regular updates and security patches, ensuring a more secure and stable system.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, Lubuntu is free to use, modify, and distribute.

Possible disadvantages of Lubuntu

  • Minimal Software
    Out of the box, Lubuntu comes with fewer pre-installed applications, requiring users to install additional software to meet their needs.
  • Less Eye Candy
    The LXQt desktop environment is more utilitarian and may lack the visual polish and extensive customization options found in heavier desktop environments.
  • Limited Features
    To maintain its lightweight nature, Lubuntu sacrifices some advanced features and functionalities that might be present in other, more resource-intensive distributions.
  • Hardware Compatibility Issues
    While generally compatible with a wide range of hardware, some very specific or very new hardware may require additional drivers or tweaks.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Customization
    Advanced customization and configuration might require more technical knowledge than what is needed for mainstream distributions.

Analysis of Lubuntu

Overall verdict

  • Lubuntu is a good choice if you are looking for a fast, efficient, and low-resource operating system that comes with the backing of Canonical's support and the extensive Ubuntu community.

Why this product is good

  • Lubuntu is a lightweight variant of the official Ubuntu operating system provided by Canonical. It is designed to be resource-efficient, which makes it an excellent choice for older hardware or systems with limited resources. The LXQt desktop environment, which Lubuntu uses, is known for its simplicity and speed. Additionally, Lubuntu benefits from the larger Ubuntu ecosystem, providing access to a wide array of software, community support, and regular security updates.

Recommended for

    Lubuntu is particularly recommended for users who have older computers or devices with limited RAM and CPU capacity, users who prefer a minimalist and straightforward desktop environment, and those who want to extend the lifespan of their existing hardware without compromising on functionality.

MX Linux videos

MX Linux 19.1 Xfce Review | Distro Delves S2:Ep9

More videos:

  • Review - REVIEW: MX LINUX 19 : "BLAZING FAST!"
  • Review - Why is MX Linux So Popular?

Lubuntu videos

Lubuntu 18.10 Review - Now with LXQt Desktop

More videos:

  • Review - Lubuntu 19.10 Look Around
  • Review - Lubuntu 19.04 overview | Lightweight, fast, easier.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MX Linux and Lubuntu)
Linux
53 53%
47% 47
Operating Systems
53 53%
47% 47
Linux Distribution
48 48%
52% 52
OS & Utilities
56 56%
44% 44

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MX Linux and Lubuntu

MX Linux Reviews

Top 9 Fastest Linux Distros in 2024
MX Linux is a mid-weight distro that uses the Xfce desktop environment. It is known for its stability, ease of use, and performance.
Source: linuxsimply.com
10 Most Popular Linux Distros of the Year 2023
MX Linux is always able to make its place in our list when it comes to selecting the best mid-weight Linux distros. Out of the box it uses a lightweight XFCE desktop environment and being built on Debian, stability is always not an issue. The user-friendly approach to this distro and multiple sources to install popular Linux packages make it an excellent choice for old and...
The best Linux distributions (operating systems)
MX Linux is based on Debian and is suitable for use on older and less powerful computers because of its slim Xfce desktop. Compared to other professional Linux distributions, MX Linux is much more user-friendly. However, because of its many options it is also an interesting distribution for experienced users.
Source: www.ionos.com

Lubuntu Reviews

Top 9 Fastest Linux Distros in 2024
Lubuntu has become your go-to choice, right? It’s not necessarily the best at everything, but it ticks all the right boxes. Quick boot times, responsiveness, and the freedom to install whatever you want. Lubuntu’s got your back! Now, about that anonymous web browsing for political activism, you’re on the right track. Consider the Tor Browser, a trusty VPN, and some privacy...
Source: linuxsimply.com
Best Top 20 Ubuntu Linux Alternatives (Pros and Cons)
Lubuntu is a lightweight Linux system based on Ubuntu that utilizes LXQt instead of GNOME. Lubuntu claims to be lighter, less resource-hungry, and more energy-efficient. Lubuntu is a combination of LXQt and Ubuntu.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MX Linux should be more popular than Lubuntu. It has been mentiond 91 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MX Linux mentions (91)

  • Linux market share approaching 4.5% for first time, could hit 5% by 1Q25
    Does one really care? Have you looked at https://www.clearlinux.org/ https://github.com/clearlinux https://github.com/CachyOS https://github.com/MX-Linux ? Would they lack anything? I picked these three specifically because I tested them recently on new hardware I got. What they have in common is their focus on encapsulating 4. For mere mortals, while not doing 5, or at... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Ask HN: What if I don't want constant OS upgrades?
    I like Manjaro XFCE, it's rolling updates so it's as packages come out you can update to the newest (it pulls latest from github, but has other repos) if you want oldschool oldschool, check out antiX linux, MX Linux is based on AntiX but looks semi-better, they're based on Debian. Remember though, debian is like 5 package versions behind, because that's what they do with their auditing for stability. MX Linux has... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • what happened to my linux mint laptop and how do I fix it?
    If you want something new you probably want to aim light. I'd opt for AntiX full version as it's very light, stable and comes with a variety of lightweight desktops, themes and other stuff to choose from at login. The sister project MXLinux could also be worth a look for a more traditional system, but I'd try the Fluxbox option to keep things light. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Installing MX Linux
    I'm getting an error of - Could not find file antiX/linuxfs - searched devices /dev/sdc1 /dev/sdb1 etc. Gives me an ooption to contact Bitjam at mxlinux.org and then says P=power off, r=reboot. I've tried to look around but I'm not finding any details on what's going on. There was a mention of bad hardware, but if my other ISO's are booting no problem I dont think that is the issue. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Arch, void or something else entirely?
    I thought I would never say this, but I think you should try the KDE edition of https://mxlinux.org/. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

Lubuntu mentions (19)

  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (January 2025)
    Canonical | https://canonical.com/ | REMOTE | Software-Defined Networking Engineer We are particularly interested in candidates with deep understanding of Open vSwitch (OVS) and Open Virtual Network (OVN). https://canonical.com/careers/5163397 If you have a passion for networking technologies, deep familiarity with Linux networking and awareness of open source community best practices, then you will enjoy our... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • DevRel - Developer Relations - a scientific perspective
    Canonical: Engages with developer communities and ISVs to help them reach the Ubuntu ecosystem. Typically helps communities shape their snaps, charms, or Docker images based on Ubuntu and ensures Ubuntu is fully enabled in their CI/CD pipelines. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Running workloads at the edge with MicroK8s
    MicroK8s is a lightweight, batteries included Kubernetes distribution by Canonical designed for running edge workloads which also happens to be developer-friendly and a great choice for building your own homelab. The following lab covers how to install and run MicroK8s on your own edge node running Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, deploy the NGINX web service and exposing your NGINX website to the Internet with SSL/TLS enabled... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Session manager Anbox
    Anbox Cloud as a solution developed by Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, to bring Android at scale to any cloud with support for ultra low latency video streaming and recent Android versions. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Open Class - Distributing ROS2 Apps with Snaps
    In this open class, we will get hands-on with the new course Distributing ROS2 Apps with Snaps offered by Canonical - Developers of ubuntu), you’ll learn the basics of snap creation for ROS & ROS2 applications. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MX Linux and Lubuntu, you can also consider the following products

Linux Mint - Linux Mint is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions and used by millions of people.

Ubuntu - Ubuntu is a Debian Linux-based open source operating system for desktop computers.

Manjaro - Manjaro Linux is a linux distribution which is based on arch linux. It uses the PACMAN package manager.

Fedora - Fedora creates an innovative, free, and open source platform for hardware, clouds, and containers that enables software developers and community members to build tailored solutions for their users.

Arch Linux - You've reached the website for Arch Linux, a lightweight and flexible Linux® distribution that tries to Keep It Simple. Currently we have official packages optimized for the x86-64 architecture.

elementary OS - A fast and open replacement for Windows and macOS. Pay what you want or download for free.