When comparing Recalbox vs Ubuntu LTS, the Slant community recommends Recalbox for most people. In the question“What is the best OS for gaming?” Recalbox is ranked 2nd while Ubuntu LTS is ranked 16th. The most important reason people chose Recalbox is:
It has a simple and easy to use UI.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Easy user interface
It has a simple and easy to use UI.
Pro PLUG & PLAY - if you boot on it, it works
- It can be portable and ready to use.
- You can dual boot (wiki support for dual booting.)
- Updates and support by the community.
Pro Easy to configure
Almost all configuration are done via user interface.
Pro Faster
Build on top of buildroot, the system only have the necessary services to run.
Pro Custom EmulationStation built for Recalbox
EmulationStation is customized to fit Recalbox features, making the configuration a lot easier.
Pro Just works out of the box
Lots of support for hardware, lots of pre-installed software, and a smooth install process means less time downloading drivers, less time digging through configuration files, and less time deciding on software to use just to get up and running. It also means less time digging through forums looking for support.
Pro Good PPA repositories available
PPA repositories allow you to install the latest version of your preferred software while keeping the rest of the operating system "stable".
Pro Great Long Term Support release schedule (2 years)
This allows for users to always have a new supported release available without long unkown wait times in between.
Pro Lots of support
As the most popular Linux distribution, there's a wide range of sources for support online if you ever need help, including the Ubuntu Wiki, Ubuntu Forums and the Ask Ubuntu Stack Exchange site.
Pro Most users are already familiar with it
Ubuntu is the go-to Linux distro for most people, so there is a sense of familiarity and comfort in using something they have used before.
Cons
Con Toxic community
If you're not French, they will make zero effort to help you. Switch to Batocera, their community is miles ahead from Recalbox.
Con Needs the whole disk
There is no option to install the system in dual-boot with another OS on one hard disk drive.
Con Relatively high system requirements
The default Unity desktop environment is a resource hog which requires hardware accelerated graphics rendering in order to run smoothly, making out of the box Ubuntu unsuitable for low end systems and older hardware. Even mildly aged hardware, you'll get far better performance out of a lighter desktop environment like LXDE or XFCE.