Unable to locate package lubuntu-desktop

Question

I have Ubuntu 18.04.0 LTS and have run apt-get update/upgrade

When searching for the package on packages.ubuntu.com it comes back showing the universe repository.

When running apt-cache search for lubuntu-desktop it returns nothing. When I run it for kubuntu-dekstop it returns the package. What I don't understand is how it can find kubuntu but not lubuntu when they are both from the universe repository.

Edit:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports bionic InRelease
Hit:2 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports bionic-updates InRelease
Hit:3 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports bionic-backports InRelease
Hit:4 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports bionic-security InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
3 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.

---

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ apt-cache policy kubuntu-desktop
kubuntu-desktop:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.370
  Version table:
     1.370 500
        500 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports bionic/universe arm64 Packages
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ apt-cache policy lubuntu-desktop
N: Unable to locate package lubuntu-desktop

Solution

In your particular case the answer is based on your CPU architecture - it is arm64.

So there is no package named lubuntu-desktop for this arch.

Such package is available only for 18.10 and 19.04:

---

But kubuntu-desktop is available for all releases and all architectures:

---

If you need to get lighter desktop - consider to try MATE DE. Install it with:

sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-desktop^

as this package is available for ARM64.

Comments

[N0rbert]

Please run sudo apt update again and post its output to the question. Also please add output of apt-cache policy lubuntu-desktop kubuntu-desktop.

[CBacchus]

@N0rbert editedwith those outputs

[CBacchus]

Ah, thanks for that information. I'm trying to get this to work on an RPi and had kubuntu installed but the lack of RAM was causing it to be slow. Looks like lubuntu is there for armhf so I will try to get that working on the RPi.

[N0rbert]

Consider to test MATE DE then. I have tested it on my RaspberryPi 3B+. You can install it with sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-desktop.

[CBacchus]

Thanks I'll try that. I will most likely end up using that as I was originally trying to use armhf but eventually gave up as the boot never gets past the rainbow splash.

[N0rbert]

You will install the meta-package on existing and installed system, not the whole new distribution (as it is known that Ubuntu MATE will not launch on 3B+ out the box).