14 Apr

Lubuntu 17.04 (Zesty Zapus) Released!

Thanks to all the hard work from our contributors, Lubuntu 17.04 has been released! With the codename Zesty Zapus, Lubuntu 17.04 is the 12th release of Lubuntu, with support until January of 2018.

What is Lubuntu?

Lubuntu is an official Ubuntu flavor based on the Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment (LXDE). The project’s goal is to provide a lightweight yet functional distribution. Lubuntu specifically targets older machines with lower resources, but also runs great on newer hardware. Along with a simple but usuable graphical user interface, Lubuntu comes with a wide variety of applications chosen for their small footprint so you can browse, email, chat, play, and be productive.

Where can I download it?

On the Ubuntu cdimage server, we have images for the following architectures:

  • amd64 (commonly referred to as 64-bit)
  • i386 (commonly referred to as 32-bit)

The release notes are here if you wish to read them. We have left out some notes that are common to all flavors, so read the Ubuntu release notes if you wish.

What’s improved since 16.10?

  • We now ship with Linux Kernel 4.10.
  • General bug fix release as we prepare to switch to LXQt.
  • LXDE components have been updated with bug fixes.
  • The artwork has received an update.

System Requirements

Lubuntu is a good operating system for many old computers, but not for all of them. Some computers have too little horsepower or memory. A rule of thumb is that the computer should not be more than 10 years old.

Memory (RAM)

For advanced internet services like Google+, YouTube, Google Drive, and Facebook, your computer needs at least 1 GB of RAM.

For local programs like LibreOffice and simple browsing habits, your computer needs at least 512 MB of RAM.

Processor (CPU)

The minimum specification for CPU is Pentium 4 or Pentium M or AMD K8. Older processors are too slow and the AMD K7 has problems with Flash video.

How do I get support?

We recommend that you email the lubuntu-users mailing list. Send an email to lubuntu-users AT lists DOT ubuntu DOT com.

If you prefer IRC, our support channel is #lubuntu on freenode IRC. If you don’t have an IRC client, click the link in the earlier sentence, type in a nickname, press start, state your question and press Enter to speak.

How do I contribute?

We always need more help! If you would like to contribute, head over to our Getting Involved page. If you have any questions about contributing, please join #lubuntu-devel on freenode or email the lubuntu-devel mailing list at lubuntu-devel AT lists DOT ubuntu DOT com.

Known Issues

For known issues, please see the release notes.

LXQt

Unfortunately, we could not get LXQt ready in time for 17.04, so Lubuntu 17.04 ships with LXDE.