Hi Kip,

One downside to the plan suggested in the bug is that download times would be increased ( for those who know just want one DE or know which one they want and just want to download that.)
(Internet is slow in some parts of the world)

But it would indeed decrease the download time for those who would like to try out the different DEs by removing redundancy in what is downloaded for that scenario.

another method to consider is the alternate / minimal installer, which is actually quite efficient,  with a beginners (default) mode for new users. (and those that know that they would have an internet connection upon installing.) 




________________________________
 From: Kip Warner <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden> 
Sent: Wednesday, 29 May 2013, 0:39
Subject: [Bug 1055866] Re: Combine all official derivatives differing only in default desktop environment to single distribution
 

Dmitrijs, you are missing the point. The point was not that everyone
should be using the same thing, but that we can reduce the number of
discs for a specific architecture the general public handles to a single
one, while preserving freedom of choice. Available space for the
necessary packages on the storage medium is not an issue anymore, now
that we are no longer limited to a 700 MB compact disc.

** Summary changed:

- Combine all official derivatives differing only in default desktop environment to single distribution
+ Coalesce some official derivatives to single while preserving freedom of desktop choice

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report.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1055866

Title:
  Coalesce some official derivatives to single while preserving freedom
  of desktop choice

Status in Ubuntu:
  Won't Fix

Bug description:
  Ubuntu currently has a number of official derivatives. These include
  the following.

      Xubuntu - Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop environment

      Ubuntu Studio - Designed for multimedia editing and creation

      Mythbuntu - Designed for creating a home theatre PC with MythTV

      Kubuntu - Ubuntu with the K Desktop environment

      Edubuntu - Ubuntu for education

      Lubuntu - Ubuntu that uses LXDE

  It is a good idea to offer users the freedom of choice to select an
  appropriate derivative, but this can probably be done better by
  simplifying the number of official derivatives that differ only in the
  default desktop environment by collapsing them into a single official
  distribution. Ubuntu Studio, Mythbuntu, and Edubuntu are sufficiently
  conceptually different enough from one another to warrant separate
  distributions, whereas Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Xubuntu are all different
  in the same way. They differ only really based on the default desktop
  environment. That choice alone perhaps does not warrant the
  availability and support of distinct distributions.

  Instead, a single official distribution for all those that differ only
  in terms of the default desktop environment could give the user a
  choice during installation time of the default desktop environment to
  use, leaving Unity as the default as it currently is for vanilla
  Ubuntu, respecting Canonical's commitment to that desktop environment
  for new users or for those who are comfortable with the default
  choice, while providing brief summaries of the other options if the
  user makes the appropriate selection (e.g. Xfce, Lxde, Gnome, KDE).

  This has many added benefits, not least of which is the reduction in
  the number of different types of DVD discs that need to be replicated
  and only one type that needs to be on hand at Ubuntu community events.

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