Xubuntu 14.10, codenamed Utopic Unicorn, landed on 23 October 2014. As the lightweight member of the Ubuntu family, Xubuntu paired the Xfce desktop with Ubuntu’s 3.16 kernel and a set of curated applications designed for efficiency. This release didn’t reinvent the wheel—it refined it. Here’s a detailed look at what changed, how it performs, and whether it’s worth upgrading from 14.04 LTS.
What’s New in Xubuntu 14.10
Linux Kernel 3.16
The jump from kernel 3.13 (in 14.04) to 3.16 brought meaningful hardware improvements:
- Better support for Intel Broadwell and Haswell graphics.
- Improved power management for laptops, including better runtime PM for USB devices.
- Updated wireless drivers for newer Realtek and Atheros chipsets.
- Deadline I/O scheduler improvements for better disk performance.
Xfce 4.11 Development Components
While Xfce 4.12 was not yet officially released, Xubuntu 14.10 incorporated development versions of several Xfce components that previewed the upcoming release:
- Xfce Power Manager 1.4.0 with a panel plugin showing battery status and brightness controls directly in the notification area.
- Xfce Settings 4.11 with improved display management, including better multi-monitor support and a streamlined settings dialog.
- Thunar 1.6.3 with improved performance for directories containing thousands of files and better handling of remote filesystems.
Application Updates
- Mozilla Firefox 33 — latest stable release at the time.
- Thunderbird 31 — with improved conversation view and better search.
- LibreOffice 4.3 — new spreadsheet features, improved document compatibility.
- Parole Media Player 0.6.1 — Xfce’s lightweight media player with improved codec handling.
- Catfish 1.2.2 — the Xfce file search utility with faster indexing.
Visual Refinements
The default Greybird theme received minor tweaks for consistency. The Xubuntu wallpaper collection was refreshed with new community-submitted artwork, maintaining the cool blue-grey aesthetic the distribution was known for.
Step-by-Step Installation
Step 1 — Download the ISO
Download the Xubuntu 14.10 ISO image (approximately 1 GB) from the official archive mirrors. Choose the architecture matching your hardware—64-bit (amd64) for modern systems, 32-bit (i386) for older machines.
Step 2 — Create Bootable Media
Write the ISO to a USB drive using dd or a graphical tool:
sudo dd if=xubuntu-14.10-desktop-amd64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
sync
Replace /dev/sdX with your actual USB device. Double-check the device name—dd will overwrite whatever you point it at without asking.
Alternatively, use the Startup Disk Creator tool included in any existing Ubuntu installation.
Step 3 — Boot from USB
Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. You may need to press F12, F2, or Esc during POST to access the boot menu, depending on your BIOS.
Step 4 — Run the Installer
Select Install Xubuntu from the boot menu. The Ubiquity installer walks you through:
- Language and keyboard layout selection.
- Preparation — checks for disk space, internet connection, and offers to install third-party codecs.
- Installation type — choose between erasing the entire disk, dual-booting alongside an existing OS, or manual partitioning.
- Location and user account setup.
Step 5 — First Boot Configuration
After installation, remove the USB drive and reboot. Xubuntu loads to the LightDM login screen. Log in, and you’ll be greeted by the Xfce desktop with the bottom panel, Whisker Menu, and a clean, minimal layout.
Step 6 — Post-Install Updates
Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
This pulls in any security patches and bug fixes released since the ISO was built.
Performance
Xubuntu’s selling point has always been its resource efficiency. On a test system with 2 GB RAM and an Intel Core 2 Duo:
- Idle RAM usage: ~320 MB after login (compared to ~520 MB for Ubuntu 14.10 with Unity).
- Boot time: ~22 seconds from GRUB to desktop on an SSD, ~45 seconds on a 5400 RPM HDD.
- Application launch: Thunar opened in under 1 second; Firefox in ~3 seconds; LibreOffice Writer in ~4 seconds.
For machines with 1–2 GB of RAM, Xubuntu remained the most comfortable official Ubuntu flavour. It left enough headroom for actual work without constant swap thrashing.
Upgrading from 14.04 LTS
Should You Upgrade?
The decision depends on your priorities:
Reasons to upgrade:
- You need kernel 3.16 for newer hardware support.
- You want the latest Xfce power manager panel plugin.
- You need updated application versions.
Reasons to stay on 14.04 LTS:
- You value stability and long-term support (14.04 is supported until April 2017).
- Your hardware works fine with kernel 3.13.
- You’re running a server or kiosk that shouldn’t change frequently.
Upgrade Procedure
Back up your data first. Then:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo do-release-upgrade
Follow the on-screen prompts. The upgrade downloads approximately 500–800 MB of packages and takes 30–60 minutes depending on your internet speed and hardware.
After the upgrade, verify your Xfce version:
xfce4-session --version
Package Changes
Notable package additions and removals in 14.10:
| Added | Removed |
|---|---|
| menulibre (menu editor) | gksu (deprecated) |
| xfce4-power-manager-plugins | - |
| light-locker (replaced xscreensaver) | xscreensaver |
The switch from xscreensaver to light-locker was significant. Light-locker integrates with LightDM for lock screen functionality, providing a more cohesive experience. However, some users missed xscreensaver’s extensive screensaver collection.
Common Pitfalls
light-locker not locking on suspend. Some users reported that closing the laptop lid didn’t trigger the lock screen. The fix was to ensure light-locker was running and properly configured:
light-locker --lock-on-suspend &
Add this to Settings → Session and Startup → Application Autostart if it wasn’t already present.
PulseAudio volume control missing from panel. After upgrading, the volume indicator sometimes disappeared. Re-add it by right-clicking the panel, selecting Panel → Add New Items, and adding the PulseAudio Plugin.
Screen tearing in composited mode. Xfce’s compositor could exhibit tearing during video playback or window dragging. The fix was to open Settings → Window Manager Tweaks → Compositor and enable Synchronize drawing to the vertical blank. For NVIDIA users, enabling “Force Full Composition Pipeline” in nvidia-settings also resolved the issue.
Broadcom wireless not working after install. Some Broadcom chipsets required the bcmwl-kernel-source package:
sudo apt-get install bcmwl-kernel-source
This was not specific to Xubuntu but caught many users after a fresh install.
Who Should Use Xubuntu 14.10?
Xubuntu 14.10 is ideal for:
- Older hardware where Unity or GNOME Shell feel sluggish.
- Users who prefer a traditional desktop with a taskbar, system tray, and desktop icons.
- Developers who want a lightweight base that stays out of the way.
- Anyone migrating from Windows XP (which had just reached end of life in April 2014), as Xfce’s layout feels immediately familiar.
Final Thoughts
Xubuntu 14.10 was an incremental but worthwhile release. The kernel upgrade and Xfce component updates made it feel snappier and more capable than 14.04, especially on newer hardware. The trade-off was a 9-month support window instead of the LTS’s multi-year guarantee. For most desktop users who like to stay current, it was a solid release. For those prioritising long-term stability, 14.04 LTS remained the better foundation.