ChirKuT~On~OrKut
 | |
|---|---|
 Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) | |
| Company /developer | Canonical Ltd. / Ubuntu Foundation |
| OS family | Unix-like |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Free and open source software |
| Initial release | 20 October 2004 |
| Latest stable release | 9.10 / 2009-10-29[1] |
| Latest unstable release | 10.04 alpha 2 / 2010-01-14[2] |
| Availablelanguage(s) | Multilingual (more than 55) |
| Update method | APT (front-ends available) |
| Package manager | dpkg (front-ends like Synapticavailable) |
| Supported platforms | IA-32, x86-64, lpia, SPARC,PowerPC,ARM, IA-64 |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux) |
| Userland | GNU |
| Default user interface | GNOME |
| License | Mainly the GNU GPL / plus various other licenses |
| Website | www.ubuntu.com |
Ubuntu (pronounced /uːˈbuːntuː/),[3][4] is a computer operating systembased on theDebian GNU/Linux distribution. It is named after the Southern African ethical ideologyUbuntu ("humanity towards others")[5] and is distributed as free and open source software. Ubuntu provides an up-to-date, stable operating system for the average user, with a strong focus on usabilityand ease of installation. Ubuntu has been selected by readers of desktoplinux.com as the most popular Linux distribution for the desktop, claiming approximately 30% of Linux desktop installations in both 2006 and 2007.[6][7]Web statistics from late 2009 suggest that Ubuntu's share is between 40 and 50%.[8][9]
Ubuntu is composed of multiple software packages, of which the vast majority are distributed under a free software license (also known as open source). The main license used is the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) which, along with theGNU Lesser General Public License (GNU LGPL), explicitly declare that users are free to run, copy, distribute, study, change, develop and improve the software. Ubuntu is sponsored by the UK-based company Canonical Ltd., owned by South Africanentrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth. By keeping Ubuntu free and open source, Canonical is able to utilize the talents of community developers in Ubuntu's constituent components. Instead of selling Ubuntu for profit, Canonical creates revenue by sellingtechnical support and from creating several services tied to Ubuntu.
Canonical endorses and provides support for three additional Ubuntu-derived operating systems: Kubuntu, Edubuntu and Ubuntu Server Edition. There are several other derivative operating systems including local language and hardware-specific versions.[10]
Canonical releases new versions of Ubuntu every six months and supports Ubuntu for eighteen months by providing security fixes, patches to critical bugs and minor updates to programs. LTS (Long Term Support) versions, which are released every two years,[11] are supported for three years on the desktop and five years for servers.[12]The current version of Ubuntu, 9.10(Karmic Koala), was released on October 29, 2009.
History and development process
Ubuntu is a fork of the Debian project's code base.[13] The original aim was to release a new version of Ubuntu every six months, resulting in a more frequently updated system. Ubuntu's first release was on October 20, 2004.[14]
Ubuntu releases are timed about one month after GNOME releases.[15] In contrast to other forks of Debian, which extensively use proprietary andclosed source add-ons, Ubuntu uses primarily free (libre) software, making an exception only for some proprietary hardware drivers.[16]
Ubuntu packages are based on packages from Debian's unstable branch: both distributions use Debian's deb package format and package management tools (APT and Synaptic). Debian and Ubuntu packages are not necessarily binary compatible with each other, however, and sometimes .deb packages may need to be rebuilt from source to be used in Ubuntu.[17] Many Ubuntu developers are also maintainers of key packages within Debian. Ubuntu cooperates with Debian by pushing changes back to Debian,[18]although there has been criticism that this doesn't happen often enough. In the past, Ian Murdock, the founder of Debian, has expressed concern about Ubuntu packages potentially diverging too far from Debian Sarge to remain compatible.[19] Before release, packages are imported from Debian Unstablecontinuously and merged with Ubuntu-specific modifications. A month before release, imports are frozen, and packagers then work to ensure that the frozen features interoperate well together.
Ubuntu is currently funded by Canonical Ltd. On July 8, 2005, Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical Ltd announced the creation of the Ubuntu Foundation and provided an initial funding of US$10 million. The purpose of the foundation is to ensure the support and development for all future versions of Ubuntu. Mark Shuttleworth describes the foundation as an "emergency fund" (in case Canonical's involvement ends).[20]
Ubuntu 8.04, released on April 24, 2008, is the current Long Term Support (LTS) release. Canonical releases LTS versions every two years, with Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx (release number subject to change) scheduled as the next LTS version in 2010.[21][22][23] The current regular release, Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala), was released on October 29, 2009.
On March 12, 2009, Ubuntu announced developer support for 3rd party cloudmanagement platforms, such as for those used at Amazon EC2.[24]
Features
Ubuntu focuses on usability[25] andsecurity. The Ubiquity installer allows Ubuntu to be installed to the hard disk from within the Live CD environment, without the need for restarting the computer prior to installation. Ubuntu also emphasizesaccessibility andinternationalizationto reach as many people as possible. Beginning with 5.04, UTF-8 became the defaultcharacter encoding,[26] which allows for support of a variety of non-Roman scripts. As a security feature, the sudo tool is used to assign temporary privileges for performing administrative tasks, allowing the root account to remain locked, and preventing inexperienced users from inadvertently making catastrophic system changes or opening security holes.[27] PolicyKit is also being widely implemented into the desktop to further harden the system through theprinciple of least privilege.
Ubuntu comes installed with a wide range of software that includesOpenOffice, Firefox,Empathy (Pidginin versions before 9.10),Transmission, GIMP, and several lightweight games (such as Sudokuand chess). Ubuntu allowsnetworking ports to be closed using its firewall, with customized port selection available. End-users can install Gufw and keep it enabled.[28]GNOME (the current default desktop) offers support for more than 46 languages.[29] Ubuntu can also run many programs designed for Microsoft Windows(such as Microsoft Office), throughWine or using a Virtual Machine (such as VMware Workstation orVirtualBox).
Installation
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Installation of Ubuntu is generally performed with the Live CD. The Ubuntu OS can be run directly from the CD (albeit with a significant performance loss), allowing a user to "test-drive" the OS for hardware compatibility and driver support. The CD also contains the Ubiquity installer,[30] which then can guide the user through the permanent installation process. CD images of all current and past versions are available for download at the Ubuntu web site.[31] Installing from the CD requires a minimum of 256 MB RAM.
Users can download a disk image (.iso) of the CD, which can then either be written to a physical medium (CD or DVD), or optionally run directly from a hard drive (viaUNetbootin). Ubuntu is even available on thePowerPC platform (enabling users of older Macintosh computers to run Ubuntu natively on their machines); however, it is no longer officially supported.
Canonical offers Ubuntu[32] and Kubuntu[33] installation CDs at no cost, including paid postage for destinations in most countries around the world (via a service called ShipIt).
A Microsoft Windows migration tool, called Migration Assistant (introduced in April 2007),[34] can be used to import bookmarks,desktop background (wallpaper), and various settings from an existing MS Windows installation into a new Ubuntu installation.[35]
Ubuntu and Kubuntu can be booted and run from a USB Flash drive[36](as long as the BIOS supports booting from USB), with the option of saving settings to the flashdrive. This allows a portable installation that can be run on any PC which is capable of booting from a USB drive.[37]In newer versions of Ubuntu, the USB creator program is available to install Ubuntu on a USB drive (with or without a LiveCD disc).
Wubi, which is included as an option on the Live CD,[38] allows Ubuntu to be installed and run from within a virtual Windows loop device (as a large image file that is managed like any other Windows program via theWindows Control Panel). This method requires no partitioning of a Windows user's hard drive. Wubi also makes use of the Migration Assistant to import users' settings. It is only useful for Windows users; it is not meant for permanent Ubuntu installations and it also incurs a slight performance loss.
Remastering
See also: List of remastering software
Various programs (such asremastersys and Reconstructor) exist to produce customisedremasters of the Ubuntu Live CD.
Package classification and support
Ubuntu divides all software into four domains to reflect differences in licensing and the degree of support available.[39] All unsupported applications receive updates from community members, but not fromCanonical.
| free software | non-free software | |
|---|---|---|
| supported | Main | Restricted |
| unsupported | Universe | Multiverse |
Free software includes only software that has met the Ubuntu licensing requirements,[40] which roughly correspond to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Exceptions, however, includefirmware and fonts, in the Main category, because although they are not allowed to be modified, their distribution is otherwise unencumbered.[41]
Non-free software is usually unsupported (Multiverse), but some exceptions (Restricted) are made for important non-free software. Supported non-free software includes device drivers that can be used to run Ubuntu on some current hardware, such as binary-onlygraphics card drivers. The level of support in the Restricted category is more limited than that of Main, because the developers may not have access to the source code. It is intended that Main and Restricted should contain all software needed for a general-use Linux system. Alternative programs for the same tasks and programs for specialized applications are placed in the Universe and Multiverse categories.
In addition to the above, in which the software does not receive new features after an initial release,Ubuntu Backports is an officially recognized project to backportnewer software from later versions of Ubuntu.[42] The repository is not comprehensive; it consists primarily of user-requested packages, which are approved if they meet quality guidelines. Backports receives no support at all from Canonical, and is entirely community-maintained.
The -updates repository provides updates to stable releases of Ubuntu and are generally installed through update-manager. Each release is given its own -updates repository (e.g. intrepid-updates). The repository is supported byCanonical for packages in main and restricted, and by the community for packages in universe and multiverse. All updates to the repository must meet certain requirements and go through the -proposed repository before being made available to the public.[43]Updates will continue to be available until the end of life for the release.
In addition to the -updates repository, the unstable -proposedrepository contains uploads which must be confirmed before being copied into -updates. All updates must go through this process to ensure that the patch does truly fix the bug and there is no risk ofregression.[44] Updates in -proposed are confirmed by either Canonical or members of the community.
Availability of third-party software
Ubuntu has a certification system for third party software.[45] Some third-party software that does not limit distribution is included in Ubuntu's multiverse component. The package ubuntu-restricted-extrasadditionally contains software that may be legally restricted, including support forMP3 and DVD playback,Microsoft TrueType core fonts,Sun's Java runtime environment,Adobe's Flash Player plugin, many common audio/video codecs, and unrar, an unarchiver for filescompressed in the RAR file format.
Additionally, several third party application suites are available for purchase through the Canonical web-based store, including software for DVD playback and media codecs.
Releases
| Version | Code name | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| 4.10 | Warty Warthog | 2004-10-20 |
| 5.04 | Hoary Hedgehog | 2005-04-08 |
| 5.10 | Breezy Badger | 2005-10-13 |
| 6.06 LTS | Dapper Drake | 2006-06-01 |
| 6.10 | Edgy Eft | 2006-10-26 |
| 7.04 | Feisty Fawn | 2007-04-19 |
| 7.10 | Gutsy Gibbon | 2007-10-18 |
| 8.04 LTS | Hardy Heron | 2008-04-24 |
| 8.10 | Intrepid Ibex | 2008-10-30 |
| 9.04 | Jaunty Jackalope | 2009-04-23[46] |
| 9.10 | Karmic Koala[47] | 2009-10-29[48] |
| 10.04 LTS | Lucid Lynx[49] | 2010-04-29[50] |
Main article: List of Ubuntu releases
There are two Ubuntu releases per year, using the year and month of the release as the version number. The first Ubuntu release, for example, was Ubuntu 4.10 and was released on October 20, 2004.[51]Version numbers for future versions are provisional; if the release is delayed the version number changes accordingly.
Ubuntu releases are also given code names, using an adjective and an animal with the same first letter (e.g., "Dapper Drake" and "IntrepidIbex"). With the exception of the first three releases, code names are in alphabetical order, allowing a quick determination of which release is newer. Commonly, Ubuntu releases are referred to using only the adjective portion of the code name.[52]
Releases are timed to be approximately one month after GNOME releases (which in turn are about one month after releases ofX.org). Consequently, every Ubuntu release comes with an updated version of both GNOME and X. Selected releases (such as6.06 Dapper Drake and 8.04 Hardy Heron) have been labeled as Long Term Support (LTS) versions, indicating that they are supported (with updates) for three years on the desktop and five years on the server,[53] as compared to the 18-month support period for non-LTS releases.[54]
The current release is 9.10 Karmic Koala,[55] released on October 29, 2009. Some users have reported hardware-recognition and functionality issues on upgrading to this version from previous versions of Ubuntu.[56] However, statistics based on the main Ubuntu support forum shows that the number of problems with 9.10 is no worse than average.[57]
System requirements
The desktop version of Ubuntu currently supports the Intel x86,AMD64, and ARM[65] architectures. Some server releases also support theSPARC architecture.[66][67]Unofficial support is available for thePowerPC,[68] IA-64 (Itanium) andPlayStation 3 architectures.
Desktop & Laptop[69] Server[69] Required Recommended Processor 300 MHz (x86) 700 MHz (x86) 300 MHz (x86) Memory 256 MB 384 MB* 64 MB Hard drivecapacity 574 MB[70] 700 MB[70] 500 MB Video card VGA @ 640×480 VGA @ 1024×768 VGA @ 640×480
* With compositing effects enabled
See also: List of Ubuntu-based Linux distributions
Several official and unofficial Ubuntu variants exist. These Ubuntu variants install a set of packages that differ from the original Ubuntu distribution.
Official variants store packages and updates in the same repositories as Ubuntu, so that the same software is available for each of them and is generally compatible between the official variants. The Ubuntu derivatives that are fully supported by Canonical are:[10]
- Kubuntu, a desktop distribution using KDE rather than GNOME.
- Edubuntu, a GNOME-based subproject and add-on for Ubuntu, designed for school environments and home users.[58]
- Ubuntu Server Edition.
- Ubuntu JeOS, "Just enough Operating System" for virtual appliances.[59][60]
The following are Canonical-sponsored derivatives:[61]
- Xubuntu, a "lightweight" distribution based on the Xfcedesktop environment instead of GNOME, designed to run better on low-specification computers.
- Ubuntu MID Edition, an Ubuntu edition that targets Mobile Internet Devices.[62]
- Ubuntu Netbook Remix,[63][64]designed for netbooks and other ultra-portables.
There are also many unofficial variants, unsponsored derivatives, and other localizations and customizations not controlled or guided byCanonical, which generally contain customizations that have been created for specific goals.
Development
TheUbuntu Developer Summit is a gathering of software developers which occurs prior to the release of a new public version of Ubuntu.
At the beginning of a new development cycle, Ubuntu developers from around the world gather to help shape and scope the next release of Ubuntu. The summit is open to the public, but it is not a conference, exhibition or other audience-oriented event. Rather, it is an opportunity for Ubuntu developers, who usually collaborate online, to work together in person on specific tasks.
Reception
In an August 2007 survey of 38,500 visitors on DesktopLinux.com, Ubuntu was the most popular distribution with 30.3% of respondents claiming to use it.[7]
In January 2009, the New York Times reported that Ubuntu had over ten million users and in June 2009 ZDNet reported, "Worldwide, there are 13 million active Ubuntu users with use growing faster than any other distribution."[71][72]
Ubuntu was awarded the Reader Award for best Linux distribution at the 2005 LinuxWorld Conference and Expo in London,[73] has been favorably reviewed in online and print publications,[74][75][76] and has won InfoWorld's 2007 Bossie Award for Best Open Source Client OS.[77]
Jamie Hyneman, co-host of the television series Mythbusters, has advocated Linux, specifically giving the example of Ubuntu, as an alternative to proprietary software, citing software bloat as a major hurdle in proprietary operating systems.[78][79]
Ubuntu has also received negative assessments. In early 2008 PC Worldcriticized the lack of an integrated desktop effects manager, although this did not prevent them from naming Ubuntu the "best all-around Linux distribution available today".[80]
The Ministry of Education and Science of Macedonia deployed more than 180,000 Ubuntu Linux based classroom desktops, and has encouraged every student in the country to use Ubuntu-powered computer workstations.[81]
The French police is in the process of installing Ubuntu on 90,000 workstations, demonstrating a 70% saving on the IT budget without having to reduce its capabilities.[82]
Vendor support
A number of vendors offer computers with Ubuntu pre-installed, including Dell,[83]Tesco,[84] OP3, Gliese IT,System76,[85] and the South African company Bravium Computers.[86] Dell and System76 customers are able to choose between 30-day, three-month, and yearly Ubuntu support plans through Canonical.[87] Dell computers (running Ubuntu 8.04 or 9.04) include extra support for ATI Video Graphics, Dell Wireless,Fingerprint Readers, HDMI, Bluetooth, DVD Playback (using LinDVD), andMP3/WMA/WMV.[88]
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