Ubuntu is a free Linux operating system and is one of the most popular Linux distributions. It is marketed as an operating system that is easy to pick up and usable for the every-day user. New versions of Ubuntu are released about every six months, with a host of new features and capabilities that did not exist in the previous versions.
History
Ubuntu began in 2004 as a sub-release of the popular Debian operating system. It was based off of Debian so a new version of Ubuntu could be released every six months instead of having to re-code the entire project. Ubuntu's logo has not changed since the first release of the product in 2004.
Features
Ubuntu aims to be one of the easiest Linux operating systems available and focuses on usability instead of performance. Ubuntu comes with lots of pre-installed software such as OpenOffice.org, games, photo editors, and many other utilities to make the switch to Linux easy. Ubuntu also features the ability to run off of a Live CD, which allows the user to test the operating system before ever installing it on their computer.
Bare Minimum requirements
300 MHz x86 processor
64 MB of system memory RAM
At least 4 GB of disk space (for full installation and swap space)
VGA graphics card capable of 640x480 resolution
CD-ROM drive or network card
Recommended minimum requirements
- 700 MHz x86 processor
- 384MB of RAM
- 8GB of hard drive space
- Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution
- Sound card
- A network connection
References
Fast Facts
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First release
2004
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Current stable release
9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope)
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Current LTS release
8.04 (Hardy Heron)
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IRC server
irc://irc.freenode.net/ubuntu
