This distribution is not only our personal top favourite, the visitors to DistroWatch.com also agree and have made it the most popular distribution for the past 12 months. (October, 2006)

"everything works, great community forum and instructions for anything, bleeding edge, yet very stable, best package manager" -- kazuya1977 LinuxQuestions.org

"In a sentence. Ubuntu is definitely Linux for Human Beings( and servers :-) )" -- linux-ishu LinuxQuestions.org

"Does exactly what it says on the tin, really really well" -- tmbowie16 LinuxQuestions.org

Background/History

Ubuntu: Linux for human beings The name is an ancient African word, meaning 'humanity to others', also 'I am what I am because of who we all are'. 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 customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. The Ubuntu Linux distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.

Sponsored by Mark Shuttelworth (née Thawte) of Canonical Ltd, with a $10 million grant via the Ubuntu Foundation, and launched in October 2004 (v 4.10 Warty Warthog), Ubuntu has come from nowhere to being one of the most used and well respected distributions available today. Ubuntu is based on the Debian distribution, Ubuntu provides its users with an extremely wide selection of software and includes some of the best regarded management tool for software updates and changes. "Debian is integral to the success and popularity of Ubuntu" said Matt Zimmerman, CTO of Ubuntu. "The combined efforts of more than 1,000 developers create a unique platform in Debian, which allows Ubuntu to focus on the specific needs of our users".

Free support for Ubuntu is available via the Ubuntu forums. Paid support starts at $100 per desktop per year, or $250 with phone support. More information can be found here

Key Features

• Based on Debian Linux
• Uses Synaptic package manager to install new software and update the system
• Long Term Support v6.06 LTS (Long Term Support) aliases Dapper Drake
• AlaCarte Menu editor to easily customize the applications menu
• No Root user. Normal users can use the sudo command to do activities as superuser.
• OpenOffice 2.0.2 Office Suite
• Automatic Update Notifier lets you know when there are new software updates for you particular installation/configuration

Target Audience

Desktop users from beginners to expert.

Strength/Weakness

• certified for use with IBM's DB2 database
• Uses the sudo command which may or may not be easier for users depending on their experience level
• Some necessary but non-free packages can be obtained via easyubuntu or automatix http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/ or http://www.getautomatix.com.
• Some members of the Debian community feel that Ubuntu detracts from the their development effort.

Web site

www.ubuntu.com

The Unofficial Ubuntu Guide http://ubuntuguide.org/

Ubuntu Forums http://www.ubuntuforums.org/