I’ll probably keep using Unity7 until UBports releases a relatively stable version of Unity8 (or whatever it will eventually be called).
Note that UBports is actively working to port Unity8 to run on Ubuntu 18.04. Their efforts garnered some early success, as can be seen here. Unfortunately, some recent changes to the Mir display server (which is being rewritten to add Wayland compliance) resulted in some setbacks in the Unity 8 porting efforts. However, the Mir developers are working on fixes that will again get Unity 8 working on 18.04.
The UBports devs discussed some of the setbacks in UBports Q&A 25 here, and discussed some recent progress in UBports Q&A 26 here.
Additional progress in the Unity 8 porting efforts is expected once Mir 0.32 is released.
I changed the subject to make it clear that we’re only talking about official flavors. That said, I’m excited to see Ubuntu Unity continue and I hope to see official status soon! Just get rid of those unnecessary bits. In much the same way that vanilla Ubuntu + some-flavor-desktop-package is a thing that can be done, the experience is never quite as good as with an image defined to support that particular experience.
That’s certainly not applicable here, since we’re talking about official Ubuntu flavors, but if we ignore the differences and go with something Debian-based, that’s essentially Ubuntu Budge.
My favourite “flavour” is not available as an “official” flavour. It has to be built with available packages in the “official” repo. It is just Ubuntu base with Openbox. I play around with many, but always come back to Openbox. It is the snappiest Ubuntu at the moment.
The best official flavour with all the bells and whistles, and also as one of the snappiest is Kubuntu. The one “unofficial” flavour that has a special place with me is the once default Unity.
If I am to choose between the “official” ones, I’ll choose Kubuntu. It is fully fledged.
Lubuntu has a DE that I don’t want. Openbox doesn’t have a DE. I have hot corners enabled, with menu jumping out, when I move the cursor to the bottom left corner. I also have a full screen task switcher on the bottom right hand corner. I can move from one virtual desktop to another by turning the scroll wheel on Tint2 or any free place on the screen. Ah, btw, I use LXAppearance from LXDE on Openbox.
Lubuntu is going the QT way now, even though it might contain Openbox. Anyway, with QT, I’ll use the more fully fledged Kubuntu. So, it’d be Kubuntu, Openbox and Unity, all from Ubuntu in 3 partitions, one of them being an official flavour.
Much as I love Ubuntu MATE and the great work that’s happened there and would pick it on a computer that’s unable to run Kubuntu, Ubuntu proper, or Ubuntu Budgie, but is able to run that, I’m voting Kubuntu on the grounds that it’s KDE and what I’m recommending to people who can’t stand GNOME’s design decisions If one wants maximum configurability and general user power, you’ve got to go Kubuntu.
Well, then one should use Windows. One doesn’t tinker, just plug and play.
Anyway, its pretty easy to create one’s own Openbox install. No DE is needed, just the WM and add anything one wants. Flies on an i3 and i5.
If I need a DE, then it should be fully fledged, and with bells and whistles, so it’d be Kubuntu or Unity. They have bells and whistles inbuilt. Out of the “official” flavours, I vote Kubuntu. Dolphin has more than enough features, while Nautilus loses them.
Admittedly, one would like to run something that actually works and isn’t a vector for malware, but sure.
I don’t think that “not tinkering” is what I’m advocating so much as unnecessarily making work for yourself when it’s already done for you. I mean, that’s, after all, what flavors are all about.