xubuntu / ubuntu "dual-install"

What some new users of ubuntu linux don't understand is this: xubuntu, kubuntu, and ubuntu are all the same thing ... underneath. They simply have different things on top. That is to say, ubuntu uses gnome, kubuntu uses kde, and xubuntu uses xfce. So, it is possible (in theory) to install all three on the same machine, without "triple booting" your computer. You only need one copy of the underlying linux kernel and programs and other OS stuff, and then you can install all three gui's on top of that system.

Originally, I had an Ubuntu Edgy Eft installed on a HP Compaq tc1100 Tablet PC. Yesterday, I installed xfce (to get "xubuntu"), and the results were pretty good, although I'm still getting used to the menu item placements and different programs set as default for Xubuntu vs Ubuntu (e.g. Mousepad for Gedit, Thunar for Nautilus). Here's how I did it:

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

this command, typed into the terminal (which can be found under Applications --> Accessories --> Terminal in Ubuntu 6.10), automatically installs all the packages necessary for an xubuntu install, including the latest version of xfce (currently version 4.4). After rebooting (or simply login out), you can log into your new xubuntu desktop by selecting Options --> Select Session --> Use Xfce (or Gnome, if you're switching back to Ubuntu after having used Xubuntu).

Frantic Pace

Ga! It's so hard to keep up with the frantic pace that I used to have for these posts! I will now rest for a while to collect topics ...