Ubuntu

Presentation

Ubuntu is a distribution based on Debian and intended to propose a convivial and ergonomic system which will remain free and free including for the companies. Initially conceived for all the desktop machines (fixed or portable), Ubuntu proposes now a version waiter and as from October 2007 a version for mobile device.

Its name comes from an old word Bantou (language of Africa), ubuntu , meaning “Humanity with the others” or “I am what I am thanks to what we all are”.

Distribution

Ubuntu marks its graphic and sound identity by a brown and orange appearance (in opposition to the blue traditional ones) and of briefs sounds of African musical instruments which point out its roots.

Ubuntu is proposed by defect in the form of a LiveCD called desktop (office). A restarting makes it possible to use Ubuntu directly and to install it. Without corrupting the system used, this version makes it possible to test the compatibility of a computer without modifying it (inter alia the good performance of the pilots of peripherals); or to test one (new) version. A version alternate (alternate) does not allow starting live but includes advanced procedures of installation, closer to Debian. Before Ubuntu 6.06, the live version did not allow the installation. The version DVD allows the two modes.

After the installation, the graphic Environnement GNOME is the interface of the system. For the users who prefer the graphic environment KDE, there exists an official project of Ubuntu which proposes the support of KDE: Kubuntu. It is possible to install several graphic environments and to have thus Ubuntu, Kubuntu or Xubuntu within the same installation.

Technique

The Ubuntu distributions are always stable alternatives of the advanced version of Debian (SID). The general architecture (of which the system of packages APT) is thus that of the Debian distribution.

The principal difference is that general user-friendliness (procedure of installation, choice of software per defect…) is done sometimes out of the very strict ethical framework of Debian. On the other hand, the following stable versions of Debian integrate or adapt some of advanced installation for Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is available officially for architectures X86 (Intel and compatible), AMD64 and Sparc and available not officially for PowerPC (stop of the support with version 6.10), IA-64 (Intel Itanium) and Playstation 3.

History

The project is initiated in 2004 by the South-African Mark Shuttleworth, old Debian developer, and sponsored billionaire by its company Canonical Ltd, created especially for Ubuntu. Before its exit for the general public, the very secret project had like code name No-name-yet , “not yet of name”. He announces a new version every six months and some 2 years development cycles (details in Versions).

In 2005, one year after its creation, Ubuntu is a reference in the experts mediums.

In 2006, Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (of code name “Dapper Drake”) is the first version resulting from a 2 years development cycle. The installor Ubiquity appears on LiveCD, and equips the unit since then of LiveCD. Canonical makes from the agreements with Sun Microsystems.

In 2007, the version Ubuntu 7.04 inaugurates the effects 3D of the office (decontaminated by defect) and repatriation, via an graphical interface, file “My Documents”, funds of screens, favorites Internet, contacts (e-mail and Instant messaging) since an old operating system. In France, the National Assembly is equipped with Ubuntu computer. Intel signs a contract with Canonical to develop a mobile platform: Mobile Ubuntu

May 1st, 2007 in data processing, Dell announces to want to sell portables and computers with préinstallé Ubuntu, and on May 24th, 2007 in data processing these computers are available to the sale in the United States. They also announce that the customers will be able to profit from the support of Ubuntu while passing by Dell, support carried out by Canonical. August 8th, 2007 in data processing, these computers are also available in Great Britain, Germany and France.

Organization of the project

The Ubuntu project is pressed on a sovereign international community and of developers and users, who works out the distribution by selecting the packages software, by carrying out updates of safety and by providing tools of customer support.

The development of the project is organized around a gate not distributed set up by Canonical Ltd: Launchpad. This gate includes the following tools, allowing the development of Ubuntu:

the Bazaar project, allowing the developers to organize the development of packages (kind of CVS).
the bug tracker Malone, allowing the management of the reports/ratios of bug coming directly from the users.
the Answers project, which makes it possible to the users to raise their questions and to carry out requests for support near the team of support of Ubuntu and other contributors.
the bountie tracker, allowing to add or take part in the donation of premiums (in USD) in the developers n the other hand of new functionalities in Ubuntu.
the project Rosetta, which makes it possible to the users to translate the whole of the packages that comprises Ubuntu directly since the site of Launchpad.
the Blueprint project, which indicates the various objectives to be reached for the next version of Ubuntu.

Launchpad also comprises a great number of Wiki making it possible the various groups of contributors to organize itself.

Components

Ubuntu divides all the software into 4 sections, called “components” or “deposits”, by classifying them by licenses and level of support user available. By defect, a selection of packages of hand (principal) will be installed to meet the basic needs for the majority of the users.

hand (principal): packages under license considered as free, and for which the support of Canonical is available.
restricted (restricted): a whole of pilot and Firmware S whose license is not regarded as free.
universe (Universe): a great choice of free software (Community development without the intervention of Canonical).
multiverse (Multivers): a whole of nonfree software (not supported by Canonical).

However there exist other secondary components:

security : Update of safety measures.
updates : Corrections of bug important.
backport : last updates resulting from the version under development.
commercial : applications carried out by companies partners to Canonical.
mediubuntu : for “Multi-media, Entertainment & Distractions In Ubuntu”, in the past PLF which includes/understands legal in France but litigious packages in other countries.

Versions

A stable version of Ubuntu is placed at the disposal every six months, following the example distributions like Mandriva Linux to the version 2005 or Fedora Core, and contrary to Debian. Each version has a code name and a number. The classification of the versions of Ubuntu is chronological (contrary to ordinal classification many other distributions: 1.0,1.1,1.2; 2.0,2.1; 3.0…) : the first number corresponds to the unit of the years (5 for 2005, 6 for 2006…) and the second corresponds to the month of the publication of the stable version (04 for April and 10 for October).

The stable versions of Ubuntu are synchronized with the development of the environment of office GNOME. This last has a 6 months development cycle, and a stable version of GNOME is published in each September and March. Ubuntu is published in stable version approximately a month after the exit of the new branch of GNOME, that is to say in October and April. Exceptionally, a 6 weeks deadline was added to the development cycle of The Dapper Drake . In front of leaving in April 2006 in an original manner, this version was pushed back at June 1st, 2006, with an aim of stabilizing to the maximum this version (it is the first with being officially proposed in company) and of adding the support of the languages to it in complex matters (in particular Eastern languages).

Although officially the various versions of the distribution are distinguished only by their number of version, during the development, each version is identified by an English code name made of an adjective and a noun of animal (two words having the same initial letter). Thus, in practice the advanced users and the developers use readily code name, even simply the adjective to indicate such or such version. For example, version 5.10, having for code name The Breezy Badger , is usually indicated by the nickname Breezy . Starting from the version 6.06 The Dapper Drake , first version LTS, the initial letters of the names of versions respect the alphabetical order and their chronological position ( D is the 4ère letter of the alphabet as Dapper is the 4ère version of Ubuntu and so on).

History of the versions

Shipit

Shipit makes it possible to send version 7.10 of Ubuntu on CD to the people not having line with high banc. The carriage costs are dealt with by Canonical Ltd. Since these expenses do not vary enormously according to the number of ordered CD/DVD, it is possible to order several in only one order of them in order to distribute the additional copies around oneself. It is also possible of panacher the sendings (for example, a version x86-64 bits and three versions x86-32 bits).

Site '' Shipit ''

Development, Connects unstable

In the future, a permanently unstable version will be born under the name of code Grumpy Groundhog (the marmot of America grognonne). Its sources will come directly from the last versions of the applications included in Ubuntu.

Dependant projects

Several projects are derived from Ubuntu. Ubuntu including by defect the environment GNOME, of the projects appeared to make it possible to install other graphic environments. In the same way, other versions are satisfied to add additional software with an aim of being appropriate for a particular use. These projects are not distributions derived from Ubuntu, because they share exactly the same base, the same software, same deposits APT, same code name and the same development cycle.

Logo of the official distributions: ;

Linspire, a commercial alternative of Ubuntu which consists mainly of the addition of nonfree programs for compatibility with certain software of the trade of which plays;
Linux Mint, an alternative close to anglophone Ubuntu which includes owing to lack of many elements owners or not-free for DVD, MP3, divX, win32 and plugins (Java, Flash, Realplayer).

Punt forms alternatives

Certain alternatives are planned for different material architectures, but of the important software recastings can result from this.

The initial version (Ubuntu Desktop) is intended for the desktop machine, portables and waiters. Officially supported architectures are:

x86 , the basic system (as a PC compatible processor of the x86 type has);
AMD-64 , the version optimized for AMD 64 bits and EM64T (equivalent for the Intel processors);
SPARC for the Sun waiters (with processor SPARC).

Other architectures are supported by independent communities:

PPC (for processor of the Power PC type) maintained by the community, support given up by Canonical;
IA-64 for INTEL Itanium 64 bits;
PlayStation 3 for the console Sony PlayStation 3.

Ubuntu Mobile is a version in project for mobile devices (PDA, smartphone and others).

Local alternatives

Local alternatives which are adapted to a place or a particular language exist. The principal ones are:

Lemix, a Moroccan distribution of the Mohammadia School of Engineers de Rabat;
Alinex, a Portuguese distribution of the University of Evora.

Other dependant projects

Project WUBI seeks to facilitate the transition since Windows. It makes it possible to install and of désinstaller Ubuntu (or its official alternatives) like a software for Microsoft Windows.

There exist software which facilitates the installation of codecs vidéos and of pilots who cannot be integrated in the official distribution:

EasyUbuntu and EasyKubuntu ( easy Ubuntu );
Ubuntu RTU.
Automatix.

The project Freeduc-sup, directed towards the universities, proposes packages for Kubuntu (in the past a variation of LiveCD Freeduc-Cd).

See too

Debian : base of Ubuntu
Catégorie distribution derived from Ubuntu
Full Circle an on-line magazine on Ubuntu

External bonds

ubuntu.com, the official site

Platform '' Shipit ''

Ubuntu-fr.org, community of the French-speaking users
FAQ of Shuttleworth Mark on Framasoft
Fullcircle, the magazine Ubuntu

Books

Simple like Ubuntu , delivers under free free and downloadable License, including/understanding the CD-ROM of installation (version 7.10).

Ubuntu, the Linux distribution easy to install .

Ubuntu Linux , delivers with CD-ROM.

effective Ubuntu , delivers.

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