Ubuntu: Humanity Towards Others

Elijah Lofgren

Dr. Antlitz

ENGL 1013-3

December 9, 2006

October 20, 2004, marked the launch of a new computer operating system called Ubuntu. Ubuntu is different from most commercial operating systems. “Ubuntu is a complete, free operating system that emphasizes community support and ease of use while refusing to compromise on speed, power, and flexibility” (“Bookpool”). Ubuntu is an ancient African word for "humanity towards others", and Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of Ubuntu, thinks it is “a perfect name for an open source community project” (Shuttleworth).

Open source means that all the software can be freely modified. This allows programmers to take the original computer code that was used to create a program and change the program to fit their needs. A well known example of an open source program is Mozilla Firefox which Ubuntu includes as the default web browser. Not only is Ubuntu available free of charge, it gives its users the freedoms that accompany open source software. “It is those freedoms that enable the Ubuntu community to grow, sharing its collective experience and expertise to improve Ubuntu and make it suitable for use in new countries and new industries” (“Philosophy”).

Ubuntu is one of many Linux distributions. Linux is a free operating system that was originally created by Linus Torvalds. “Apart from the fact that it's freely distributed, Linux's functionality, adaptability and robustness, has made it the main alternative for proprietary Unix and Microsoft operating systems” (“What is Linux”). A Linux distribution is simply a set of programs that are packaged to work smoothly together. The open source and freely adaptable nature of Linux has allowed many different distributions of Linux to be created.

Despite being a relatively new Linux distribution, Ubuntu has become quite popular. “Since its launch in October 2004, Ubuntu has become one of the most highly regarded Linux distributions, with millions of users around the world” (“Ubuntu Wins Most”). Ubuntu was voted the most popular Linux desktop in DesktopLinux.com's 2006 Desktop Linux Market survey (Vaughan-Nichols). In addition, “Ubuntu was awarded a PC World 2006 World Class Award, identifying it as one of PC World's ‘100 Best Products of the Year’” (“Ubuntu Wins 2006”).

From its very beginning the creators of Ubuntu have striven to make it easy for people to install and use. Ubuntu’s slogan: “Linux for Human Beings” reflects its focus on usability. “The Ubuntu developers and community have gone to great lengths to produce an easy-to-use, functional, and flexible operating system for doing, browsing, and creating all kinds of interesting things” (“Bookpool”). Ubuntu’s strong commitment to ease of use has not gone unnoticed. Recently, Ubuntu was awarded 'Most User-Friendly Linux Distribution' at the Linux New Media Awards (“Ubuntu Wins Most”).

The software quality alone is not the primary reason for Ubuntu’s success. Many users are inspired to share in the spirit of “humanity towards others” by answering questions and writing documentation. Wikis, web pages that anyone can edit, allow people to collaborate on writing documentation. An example of collaborative documentation is the “Unofficial Ubuntu Starter Guide” which is a wiki page containing instructions on how to accomplish hundreds of tasks using Ubuntu. The large community of helpful users is what has made Ubuntu one of the premier Linux distributions.

Ubuntu’s regular and predictable schedule of two new releases each year stands in stark contrast to the long delays surrounding the next release of Microsoft Windows. This “release early, release often” mentality allows Ubuntu’s users to easily gain access to new features and innovations produced by open source programmers around the world (Raymond).

The popularity and adaptability of Ubuntu has caused it to spawn many derivatives. Because the source code is available to everyone, Ubuntu can be easily modified for specific purposes. There are four official derivatives of Ubuntu: Kubuntu, Edubuntu, Xubuntu, and Ubuntu Server Edition. Kubuntu was the first Ubuntu derived distribution and includes a different default set of programs (“FAQ”). Edubuntu is a version of Ubuntu that is specifically designed for educational use. Xubuntu uses smaller, faster programs and was created especially for slower computers. The Ubuntu Server Edition is “bringing to server deployments the ease of use that made Ubuntu famous on the desktop” (“Ubuntu on the server”).

In addition to the official derivatives, there are many unofficial ones as well. Ubuntu Christian Edition seeks “to bring the power and security of Ubuntu to Christians.” It includes a Bible study program and parental controls installed by default (“About Ubuntu Christian Edition”). There were rumors that Google was going to be releasing their own operating system, Goobuntu, to compete with Microsoft Windows. Google’s open source program manager, Chris DiBona, set the record straight by saying, “Goobuntu is our internal desktop distribution. It's awesome, but we're not going to be releasing it” (“Developing”).

The use of Ubuntu spans across many aspects of society. In addition to derivatives created for religious and business reasons, there are also derivatives created for language and educational reasons. Many localized versions of Ubuntu such as Guadalinex, a Spanish version, and Arabian Linux are developed for a specific country or language. In addition, the Education, Culture and Sports Department of the Canary Island Local Government developed mEDUXa for educational purposes and plans to deploy it in 1,100 state schools nationwide (“mEDUXa”).

Security is one of the reasons that people are switching to Ubuntu. The security of Ubuntu’s default setup is enhanced by the fact that most viruses and spyware are written to attack Windows and not Linux. “Viruses and spyware are, more or less, a non-issue. As such, the need for anti-virus and anti-spyware applications is largely negated” (“About Ubuntu”). Many new users of Ubuntu are relieved that they no longer have to worry about spyware or viruses.

Despite all the good things about Ubuntu, there are some downsides. A problem common to all versions of Linux is that most software is written to only work on Windows. For example, unless you buy special software, you cannot run Microsoft Office on Linux. Although many programs don’t work on Linux, the situation is slowly beginning to change. In May 2006, Google released a Linux version of Picasa, a photo management application. If more companies follow suit with their programs, “the end result could be broader availability of mainstream, proprietary, commercial software offerings for the Linux platform, which could potentially promote the popularization of the open source operating system” (Paul).

Obtaining a copy of Ubuntu can be done in two different ways. For people with slow Internet connections, free CDs can be ordered using Ubuntu’s ShipIt service. Not only are the CD’s free, even the shipping is free. Alternatively, Ubuntu can be downloaded from the Internet and burned to a CD. Trying out Ubuntu can be accomplished without installing anything onto the hard drive. This is possible because Ubuntu has been packaged as a live CD which allows it to run directly from the CD drive. Because of its unique packaging, trying Ubuntu is very simple. First, insert the Ubuntu CD into your computer’s CD drive. Next, reboot the PC; Ubuntu will be automatically loaded. If you’d like to install Ubuntu, you can simply click the “Install” icon on the desktop and you will be guided through a short installation process.

Unlike Windows, Ubuntu comes with a large number of programs installed by default. OpenOffice.org, a free alternative to Microsoft Office, is immediately available for use in creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Ubuntu’s large community plays an active part in documentation and support. One of the most popular means of getting help with Ubuntu is posting a question in the friendly Ubuntu forums. People are very helpful in answering even the most basic questions. Chat and email support are also available for those who have a preference for those methods of communication. If a company would prefer commercial support, they can buy paid support from Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu.

In addition to providing helpful support, the Ubuntu community provides excellent documentation. The Ubuntu wiki provides step by step instructions on installing and using software, system maintenance, and connecting and configuring hardware. For those who prefer printed documentation, “The Official Ubuntu Book” has been published. In contrast to most books, it includes over a dozen contributions from members of the Ubuntu community. “Ubuntu is by its very nature a community-driven, collaborative platform, and the development of this book has been inspired and driven by this process” (“Official”).

In the world of operating systems, Ubuntu’s future looks bright. A new release is due to be released in April 2007, dubbed “The Feisty Fawn”. The community spirit of Ubuntu continues to attract more users.

Although just over two years old, Ubuntu’s features, freedoms, and ease of use make it a top-notch operating system. Ubuntu has proved to be a solid base for many derivatives. As the software world moves towards open source, Ubuntu will likely continue to be a popular operating system.

Works Cited

“About Ubuntu Christian Edition.” Ubuntu Christian Edition. JB Enterprises. 29 Nov. 2006 .

“About Ubuntu.” Simply Ubuntu — because Linux isn’t just for nerds. 30 Nov. 2006 .

“Bookpool: The Official Ubuntu Book.” Bookpool 29 Nov. 2006 .

DiBona, Chris. “Developing a Linux Desktop would distract us.” Online posting. 31 Jan. 2006. 29 Nov. 2006 .

“FAQ.” Kubuntu. 11 Nov. 2006. Canonical Ltd. 29 Nov. 2006 .

“mEDUXa Project released” ContraPunto Digital. 2006. Gobierno de Canarias. 30 Nov. 2006 .

“The Official Ubuntu Book.” Prentice Hall. 11 Aug. 2006. Pearson Education. 30 Nov. 2006 .

Paul, Ryan. “Google officially releases Picasa for Linux.” Ars Technica. 26 May 2006. 30 Nov. 2006 < http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060526-6931.html>.

“Philosophy.” Ubuntu: Linux for human beings. Canonical Ltd. 29 Nov. 2006 .

Raymond, Eric. “Release Early, Release Often.” The Cathedral and the Bazaar. 11 Sep. 2000. 29 Nov. 2006. .

Shuttleworth, Mark. “Announcing Ubuntu 4.10 ‘The Warty Warthog Release’.” Online posting. 20 Oct. 2004. The ubuntu-announce Archives. 29 Nov. 2006 .

“Ubuntu on the Server.” Ubuntu: Linux for human beings. Canonical Ltd. 29 Nov. 2006 .

“Ubuntu wins 2006 World Class Award from PC World.” Ubuntu: Linux for human beings. 6 June 2006. Canonical Ltd. 29 Nov. 2006 .

“Ubuntu Wins Most User Friendly Linux Distribution Award” Ubuntu: Linux for human beings. 16 Nov. 2006. Canonical Ltd. 29 Nov. 2006. .

Vaughan-Nichols, Steven J. “Results from the 2006 Desktop Linux Survey.” DesktopLinux.com. 29 Aug. 2006. Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. 29 Nov. 2006 .

“What is Linux.” Linux Online. 28 Apr. 2006. 29 Nov. 2006 .