Ubuntu is a Linux distribution that is based on Debian
GNU/Linux.
It is sponsored by Canonical Ltd which employs the core Ubuntu
developers and earns revenue from offering support and consulting
services.
Ubuntu is a relatively recent distribution, with its initial release (a
temporary fork of Debian)
being made in October 2004. It
primarily uses free software limiting the amount of proprietory
software included. Unlike Debian it does not include many
duplicates for each type of software, preferring to select a
best-of-breed package for each genre. This in turn
has
meant that there are a number of different official variants available,
e.g. Kubuntu
which uses KDE instead of GNOME as the standard desktop
environment.
This distribution is often recommended as a good starting point for
beginners, not overwhelming newbies with a huge choice of software,
having a strong package tool (apt - same as debian) making
installation/deinstallation of software relatively straightforward,
combined with strong multilingual support.
Ubuntu 8.04 Key
Facts
Developer:
Canonical
Ltd
(Private commercial company)
Price:
Distribution
is
available for download free of charge; support and consulting services
available at commercial rates
