The current version of Ubuntu is 5.04 and affectionately known as "The Hoary Hedgehog". Version 5.10 is slated for release in October 2005 and is known as "Breezy Badger". Ubuntu in general is targeting the desktop market and normal user. I myself fall into that market, because after many years of working in the computer industry, I want to spend less time configuring my operating system, and more time using it, and yet I want it to be powerful and secure. Some purists would say I'm missing some of the internal knowledge that goes with Linux. I would say they are somewhat right, but with a busy complex life like mine, I want to use and learn not struggle and swear.
There is also no root account enabled by default; according to the Ubuntu developers, this is a security measure. Ubuntu includes Evolution, OpenOffice, Firefox, and a few GNOME games. It also includes Totem movie player, Rhythmbox media player, a CD player, GIMP, and a few other multimedia applications. The most common computing tasks can be accomplished with the software present in an initial Ubuntu install.
Ubuntu Linux
Ubuntu is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others". Ubuntu also means "I am what I am because of who we all are". The Ubuntu Linux distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.
Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support.
The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Manifesto: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customize and alter their software in whatever way they see fit.
These freedoms make Ubuntu fundamentally different from traditional proprietary software: not only are the tools you need available free of charge, you have the right to modify your software until it works the way you want it to.
The team behind Ubuntu makes the following public commitment to its users:
- Ubuntu will always be free of charge, and there is no extra fee for the "enterprise edition", we make our very best work available to everyone on the same Free terms.
- Ubuntu includes the very best in translations and accessibility infrastructure that the Free Software community has to offer, to make Ubuntu usable by as many people as possible.
- Ubuntu is released regularly and predictably; a new release is made every six months. You can use the current stable release or the current development release. Each release is supported with security updates for at least 18 months.
- Ubuntu is entirely committed to the principles of free and open source software development; we encourage people to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.
Ubuntu is suitable for both desktop and server use. The current Ubuntu release supports Intel x86 (IBM-compatible PC), AMD64 (Hammer) and PowerPC (Apple iBook and Powerbook, G4 and G5) architectures.
Ubuntu includes more than 16,000 pieces of software, but the core installation fits on a single CD. Ubuntu starts with the Linux kernel version 2.6 and Gnome 2.10, and covers every standard desktop application from word processing and spreadsheet applications to internet access applications, web server software, email software, programming languages and tools and of course several games. The Kernel version is currently at 2.6.10, as I write this article. Which brings me to one of the things I like with Ubuntu, "software updates". In the upper right corner is a small red icon if updates are available. This is a nice feature allowing you to keep software patched with less effort.
New Ubuntu Foundation Announced
Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical Ltd, founders of the popular Ubuntu Linux-based operating system, have announced the creation of "The Ubuntu Foundation" with an initial funding commitment of 10 million dollars. The Foundation was established on July 1st 2005.
The Ubuntu Foundation will employ core Ubuntu community members to ensure that Ubuntu remains fully supported for an extended period of time, and continues to produce new releases of the distribution. As a first step, the Foundation announces that Ubuntu version 6.04, due for release in April 2006, will be supported for three years on the desktop and five years on the server.
"It's important for us to distinguish the philanthropic and non-commercial work that is at the heart of the Ubuntu project, from the commercial support and certification programs that are the focus of Canonical Ltd." said Mark Shuttleworth, who is founder of the project and is making the initial 10 million dollar commitment to the Foundation. "The core team members employed by the Ubuntu Foundation will ensure that we can meet public commitments to keep Ubuntu entirely free of charge, as well as meeting commitments of support for extended periods. I'm very excited at the progress that has been made in bringing free software to the global marketplace, and pleased to continue my support for the project in this way", says Mark. Here is a link to the foundation http://www.ubuntulinux.org/UbuntuFoundation
Mark Shuttleworth
Mark Shuttleworth is an African entrepreneur with a love of technology, innovation and space flight. He funds HBD VentMark studied finance and information technology at the University of Cape Town, and went on to found Thawte, a company specializing in digital certificates and internet privacy. He sold Thawte to VeriSign in 1999, and founded HBD Venture Capital and The Shuttleworth Foundation. In April 2002 Mark flew in space for the first time, as a cosmonaut member of the crew of Soyuz mission TM34 to the International Space Station. Mark was born and raised in South Africa, and is currently living in London, where he researches new projects and technologies. With the financial backing that Mark has given the Ubuntu project, it is sure to help it mature into one of the top Linux distros available.
Kubuntu
The Kubuntu project aims to be to KDE what Ubuntu is to Gnome: an integrated distro with all the great features of Ubuntu, but based on the KDE desktop. For those not familiar with Gnome or KDE, they are graphical desktop environments that run on top of the Linux kernel. In the Windows world you have one graphical interface. With open source software you have your choice.
Edubuntu
Edubuntu aims to be a Ubuntu version suitable for classroom use. The aim is to deliver a turnkey solution that enables time-poor educators with mid-range technical skills to set up a computer lab and/or establish an online learning environment with as few clicks as humanly possible, then administer that environment without having to significantly expand their technical skills. Centralized management of configuration, users, and processes together with facilities for collaborative work in a classroom setting are its principal design goals. Equally important is the gathering together of some of the best available free software and digital materials for education under one distro.
Support Options
Many companies around the world offer technical support for Ubuntu, you can find an abundant list of some of those that do, in the Ubuntu Marketplace. Note that there are many support options, including free community support and full commercial support. There is also a real nice "Unofficial Ubuntu 5.04 support site that is very helpful at http://ubuntuguide.org
Free CD's
Not that a single CD distro is that tough to download over modern broadband connections, but currently the Ubuntu team will send you the Ubuntu CD at no charge for you to install and share. They cover the cost of shipping the CD's to you as well. The default online order form comes up with 10 CD's recommending for you to share them with friends. At the time of writing this article I hadn't received my copies, but I have read in several forums that they do eventually arrive.
Here is the link to the CD request http://shipit.ubuntulinux.org/
Bounty
Bounties are projects in which the Ubuntu team will pay a bounty for the completion of a particular coding project that improves the Ubuntu distro. Ubuntu prefers the community to contribute work in Python (a popular scripting language). They develop tools and scripts in Python and it's much easier for them to integrate work if Python is used. Here is a link for more information http://www.ubuntulinux.org/community/bounties/
Summary
Most of the reviews I've read agree with me, that Ubuntu is a solid distro and a great choice for users of every level of experience, and an especially great distro for beginners to Linux. The install process and initial system is fairly straightforward for beginners, and Ubuntu has good hardware detection. I have now seen Ubuntu loaded onto several different levels of hardware with very little effort. Ubuntu may or may not be as great a distro for advanced users, as it is slightly less customizable than say Gentoo or Debian, but many advanced users are also very upbeat about Ubuntu (I know, I work with some of these guys). Linux in general is more secure than a Windows based operating system, and Ubuntu takes that one step further by making the base install even more secure. One way this is accomplished is by not having a root account by default. Those who require root privileges can have it, but not too many people will argue that you should not operate at root level all the time (but we tend to). This is especially good for beginners.
Linux has long been respected in the server world, with a high percentage of the computers used to run the Internet being based on Linux. Everyday great strides are made in Linux becoming a great alternative for a desktop replacement for Windows. I still run both Windows and Linux based machines, mostly because I need to support Windows so using it makes me better at supporting it. Secondly, I have an investment in tools based on Windows. A good example would be the software I use for graphics creation and manipulation. For years I have paid for the latest upgrade to my Windows based graphics program (we'll keep it anonymous for the sake of this article). The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) has now become my program of choice. Not only do I like the way it is designed, the power, and "user friendliness", I love the fact that it is free and open. OpenOffice and Evolution are two more ways that Linux is making it easier to not be tied to Windows.
With my last comments, one might think I'm anti-Microsoft, and that is not the case. I'm a realist, and Microsoft is a real piece of computing life. But I do want choices! What Linux is doing is bringing secure and reliable competition to the computing market. Competition is good, it makes everyone bring out the best products and services they have to offer. I personally give the Ubuntu distro a great review, and I'm using it at both my job and at home! Keep up the good work!