14 DAY TRIAL // Lubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) has been officially released and joins its brethren from the Ubuntu family – Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Ubuntu GNOME.
The Lubuntu developers don't usually make big changes from one version to another, and this is true for the latest build of the Linux distribution. This aspect is even more important because this is an LTS release and it's supposed to provide a stable and fast experience.
This doesn't mean that Lubuntu 14.04 LTS is not full of features and improvements. For example, it sports a new version of pcmanfm (1.2.0) that comes with folder settings, dual pane view, and menu editing, the lxsession-default-apps has been updated with a new user interface, and the artwork has been upgraded (new icons and themes).
The distribution is based on LXDE, which is one of the lightest desktop environments around. Because it uses a similar layout with the one found on the old and defunct Windows XP, this OS is considered to be a very good and appropriate replacement for Microsoft's operating system.
The developers have also explained that Lubuntu is able to run on most systems out there, including old PCs and even old Macs.
“14.04 32 bit ISO require your CPU to have Physical Address Extensions, or PAE. PAE is provided by Intel Pentium Pro and above CPUs, including all later Pentium-series processors (except most 400 MHz-bus versions of the Pentium M, said the developers in the official announcement. Also, for PowerPC, users will need at least a G4 running at 867MHz with 640MB RAM, and for Intel based Macs, Lubuntu should run on all models.”
A number of small problems still persist. For example, the Network indicator on the panel may not start at login, PC has several issues and workarounds, Slideshow on the PPC Desktop ISO has been removed because of a bug on webkit, some keyboard layouts may have problems (like UK), and the installer on Desktop PPC (Ubiquity) is not able to resize and split partitions. All these issues and other problems will be solved with upcoming patches.
The system requirements for Lubuntu have remained largely the same. According to the developers, a Pentium II or Celeron system with 128 MB of RAM will most likely be able to run the OS.
More details about this release can be found in the official announcement. Download the Lubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) Linux distribution right now from Softpedia.