Meet the family
An Ubuntu release isn’t just about a solitary Unity-based desktop distro but a whole family of spins. Besides the changes in the core infrastructure of the main release, every spin also adds its own.
Kubuntu 15.10, eg uses the latest KDE Plasma 5.4 desktop and KDE Apps 15.08. Plasma 5.4 introduces a slew of improvements and changes, including preliminary support for Wayland and improved support for HiDPI (High Dots Per Inch) screens. The release also removes any remaining wrinkles from Plasma 5’s new flat look.
The newest member of the Ubuntu family, Ubuntu Mate 15.10, ships with Mate 1.10. This release of the lightweight desktop comes with several improvements to its core components and applications. The distro also uses an updated Ubuntu Mate Welcome screen, which now enables you to quickly install browser plugins, apps and games.
If you’re a Gnome user you can experience the full Gnome 3.16 improvements via the Ubuntu Gnome 15.10 release. It features a new notification system and a mildly toned down theme. The release has also made some changes to the application stack. The distro includes GnomeMusic by default and has replaced the Shotwell image manager with GnomePhotos. Like Kubuntu, Ubuntu Gnome 15.10 also includes experimental support for Wayland. If you use open source graphics drivers you can install the gnome-session
wayland package and then select the ‘Gnome on wayland’ option at the login screen. Xubuntu 15.10 has also swapped applications in its effort to pitch itself as a lightweight yet full-fledged desktop distro. It has replaced the two main productivity applications, Abiword and Gnumeric, with the fully featured Writer and Calc from the LibreOffice suite.
In terms of the overall desktop, the previous 15.05 release included the overhauled Xfce 4.12 desktop and this one ships with primarily a bug fix release with minor updates, such as the new Xfce 4 Panel Switch application for changing panels along with five preset panel layouts. The other mainstay of the Ubuntu family, Lubuntu 15.10 has also pushed out a bug fix release as they prepare for the LXQt-based version that’s expected next year.