what are the differences between ubuntu and kubuntu?

Question

and what is KDE and GNOME?

Answer 1

KDE and GNOME are different desktop environments like the previous poster said. It's pretty much a matter of personal preference which you like. If you don't care either way, I'd go with GNOME, just because that's the default in Ubuntu and thus probably gets more QA than KDE. I think GNOME is a little simpler and easier on the eyes than KDE (KDE feels cluttered to me), but that is very much a personal thing and will vary from person to person.

By the way, you can install both and switch back and forth between them so don't sweat it to much.

If you install Ubuntu and then do "sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop," you'll get the Kubuntu/KDE stuff and when you login, you'll be able to choose between GNOME and KDE. Also, just for completeness, there is a third choice called XFCE, which uses less resources and thus is a good choice for older hardware.

Answer 2

KDE or the K Desktop Environment allows for easy navigation with the aid of the K File Manager, Virtual Desktops and use of KDE-based applications like K-Edit. Currently, installed by default on many Linux distributions with notable exceptions of RedHat (GNOME) and Debian (Window Maker).
Acronym for GNU Network Object Model Environment. (Pronounced guh-nome.) GNOME is part of the GNU project and part of the free software, or open source, movement. GNOME is a Windows-like desktop system that works on UNIX and UNIX-like systems and is not dependent on any one window manager. The current version runs on Linux, FreeBSD, IRIX and Solaris. The main objective of GNOME is to provide a user-friendly suite of applications and an easy-to-use desktop.