The Free Ubuntu Linux Distribution
WHO WE ALL ARE
Linux comes in many packages – from no-charge distributions to expensive enterprise offerings. Ubuntu Linux is somewhere in between – a free Debian derivative with support options for the enterprise.
Debian [1] has a reputation for reliability despite the fact that it is not backed by a company but is a community effort. Economic concerns prohibit a rapid release policy; on the contrary, the latest stable version of Debian mostly lacks state-of-the-art software. Of course you can climb onto the testing branch, but you are on your own with it, and don’t expect security updates. In contrast to this, companies that release commercial distributions promise regular updates and support. Canonical [2], with its Debian derivate Ubuntu Linux [3], tries to find the golden mean. Each release of this distribution is based on a snapshot of Debian Sarge, which is still in testing. The Ubuntu team adds a modern desktop and a useful default configuration, and they give you security updates if vulnerabilities appear
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.