Ubuntu

Ubuntu (IPA: [uːˈbuːntuː] in English,[ùbúntú] in Zulu) is a Linux distribution for desktops, laptops, and servers. It has consistently been rated among the most popular of the many GNU/Linux distributions. Ubuntu's goals include providing an up-to-date yet stable operating system for the average user and having a strong focus on usability and ease of installation. It is a derivative of Debian GNU/Linux. Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd, owned by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth. The name of the distribution comes from the southern African concept of ubuntu which may be rendered roughly as "humanity toward others", "we are people because of other people", or "I am who I am because of who we all are", though other meanings have been suggested.This Linux distribution is named Ubuntu as it is expected to bring the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world. Ubuntu is free software and users can share it among each other.

Kubuntu and Xubuntu are official subprojects of the Ubuntu project, aiming to bring the KDE and Xfce desktop environments, respectively, to the Ubuntu core (Ubuntu uses GNOME for its desktop environment). Edubuntu is an official subproject designed for school environments, and should be equally suitable for children to use at home. Gobuntu is an official subproject that is aimed at adhering strictly to the Free Software Foundation's Four Freedoms.The newest official subproject is JeOS. Ubuntu JeOS (pronounced "Juice") is a concept for what an operating system should look like in the context of a virtual appliance.

Ubuntu releases new versions every six months, and supports those releases for 18 months with daily security fixes and patches to critical bugs. The most recent version, Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon), was released on 18 October 2007. There are also Long Term Support (LTS) releases, which have three years support for the desktop version and five years for the server version. The most recent major LTS version, Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake), was released on June 1, 2006. The first update, Ubuntu 6.06.1, was released on August 10, 2006, while the second, 6.06.2, was released on January 21, 2008.The next major LTS version will be 8.04 (Hardy Heron), scheduled for release in April 2008. Following this, Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) is planned for release in October 2008.