What is Ubuntu – An Introduction Guide

We all know that Linux has hundreds of different distributions and variations which are most commonly called distros. A few examples are: Kali linux, Slax, Manjaro OS, Fedora linux, Arch Linux, Debian, Bodhi, peppermint, Redhat and thousands more! In this article, we will learn what is ubuntu and more about it. Let’s start!!!

What is Ubuntu?

Ubuntu is one distro of Linux. Each Distro is tuned or specially modified to handle different unique tasks, like Manjaro is for gaming and Kali is for more advanced users who are into professional network security.

Ubuntu on the other hand is made for a really specific task but it is a simple version of linux which focuses more on the GUI than the terminal. Ubuntu acts as the gateway to Linux for most users. It is not very technical and is simple enough for beginners to use and advanced enough for pros to code in.

Let us take a look into Ubuntu in slightly more depth.

History of Ubuntu

The word ubuntu is derived from a word in the African Zulu language which means “humanity to others”. Ubuntu also means “I am what I am because of who we all are”. I think it is one of the best name philosophies for the best linux distro in the world.

Ubuntu is based on another linux distro called Debian Linux (named that way because 2 people called Debra and Ian created it). A South African tech head, Mark Shuttleworth had a vision of creating a simple user friendly operating system. That is when he took the open source code of the Debian Linux and worked on it to make it more human friendly, which he named Ubuntu.

Mark later went on to find the company ‘Canonical’ to distribute the user-friendly version of Debian: Ubuntu. The rest is history, and today Ubuntu runs in over a billion devices around the globe.

Features of Ubuntu

Since Ubuntu is Debian-based, where Debian is in turn based on the linux Kernel, it retains all the superior and dominant features of Linux. Other than the features of Linux, it has been modified to have its own unique features. Some features of Ubuntu are:

1. Open Source

Ubuntu, just like every single distro of Linux, is open source, which means that the source code is available for everyone for free, so that people interested can modify it and later distribute the same.

2. Performance

Even though Ubuntu is not the most powerful distro of Linux, it is still powerful enough to handle a lot of heavy tasks.

3. Customization

Ubuntu used the GNOME desktop environment, which is one of the best interfaces offered on Linux based operating systems. It is simple, beautiful and elegant. Most importantly you can customize it to your will as it already comes with many pre installed themes, and if at all you need more, feel free to download from the internet.

4. Free to use

Here free means 2 things. One is cost, as you don’t have to pay for anything to use Ubuntu, as mentioned earlier, you can even access the source code for free. The second is freedom, you have absolute control of everything in Ubuntu, like the software updates, distribution of source codes, installing packages, and so many more.

5. Flexibility

Ubuntu is very flexible, it makes for a perfect operating system which can run on both a toaster and a supercomputer!

6. Terminal

Ubuntu retains the heart and soul of Linux – the command line or the terminal, where everything is all about efficiency and productivity. With a simple 1 line command you can do wonders in the terminal !

7. Security

Once you install Ubuntu or any other Linux distro, you have no need to install an antivirus to protect your OS from virus or malware! Ubuntu asks for user permission in the form of a password before executing or running an application.

8. Stability

Ubuntu is very stable, it rarely hangs up or slows down, which makes it ideal for programmers when combined with the performance Ubuntu provides.

9. Multitasking

Since ubuntu is stable and has high performance, it can cope with multiple users and multiple apps running at the same time. This helps a lot in workflow.

10. Efficient software updates

This, according to many window users, is one of the greatest features of Linux. You can choose which update you want to install and when.

Apart from the obvious features of Linux, Ubuntu also has a few distinguishable features like:

1. It supports the office suitcase named LibreOffice.

2. Ubuntu desktop supports all the applications that run on operating systems like windows and mac. Some applications like firefox already come pre-installed and you can download apps like chrome, and VLC from the app store.

3. It also has an in-built email software called thunderbird, which lets you access email on different platforms like G-mail, Hotmail, etc.

4. Ubuntu also comes with a smart search facility which makes the process of finding content a lot easier.

Release Cycle of Ubuntu

Ubuntu is based on Debian Linux, but the desktop is based on the GNOME environment which helps Ubuntu to be very customizable. Every 6 months, Canonical releases a new version of Ubuntu along with an LTS (long term support) version of the same. The latest release is 21.10. However, the previous version, 20.04 is still supported until 2025.

Flavors of Ubuntu:

Just as Linux comes in different distros which are made to handle specific tasks, Ubuntu also comes with a couple of different flavors, some of these are:

1. Kubuntu

Kubuntu is an Ubuntu flavor that uses the KDE plasma interface for the desktop, unlike Ubuntu which uses the GNOME environment. Apart from the look and feel of the interface everything else is exactly the same.

2. Lubuntu

Lubuntu is another flavor of Ubuntu that is slightly stripped down so that it is lighter than Ubuntu which makes it less resource hungry and more energy-efficient. The latest version of Lubuntu uses the LXQt desktop interface.

3. Ubuntu kylin

It is a flavor of ubuntu that aims toward the Chinese market and consumers.

4. Ubuntu studio

This flavor of Ubuntu provides an open-source application for multimedia creation like audio, video, and graphic design and editing.

5. Xubuntu

Xubuntu is very similar to Lubuntu, which is intended to be used on devices with low performance and for users who seek a highly efficient desktop interface on faster systems. There are very few differences between Xubuntu and Lubuntu such as, Xubuntu uses XFCE desktop environment whereas Lubuntu uses the LXQt desktop environments. Also, since Lubuntu is more heavily stripped down when compared to Xubuntu, it can run on very mediocre hardware, and Lubuntu has slightly less features than Xubuntu.

6. Linux Mint

Mint is a version of Ubuntu that has a better GUI. Its desktop interface is better than GNOME (which is used in Ubuntu). Mint also comes with more pre-installed applications, which Ubuntu does not get (but you can always install these applications from the app store.) Mint’s software is also lighter, sleeker and faster.

7. Ubuntu Budgie

This flavor of Ubuntu uses the Budgie desktop environment unlike Gnome, KDE or LXQt. Budgie gives more priority to GUI as it is more simple and elegant to use.

Ubuntu Ecosystems

Ubuntu runs on different ecosystems for different uses like day-to-day tasks of editing files, watching videos to hosting servers that handle databases and websites.

Let us look into the 4 ecosystems Unbuntu is available on :

1. Ubuntu desktop

This is the standard Ubuntu you can download from the internet. It is a whole Ubuntu desktop operating system that helps us run applications and do daily tasks like media consumption, editing, gaming, writing, etc.

2. Ubuntu server

Ubuntu servers focused more for hosting applications like web servers and databases. This operating system has support for cloud platforms like AWS and Microsoft Azure.

3. Ubuntu core

Ubuntu core is a more focused operational system for the operation of technology related to internet of things (IOT) like autonomous cars, embedded systems, robots, etc. It gives high priority to security as any malware or virus will corrupt the entire chain of IOT.

4. Ubuntu cloud

Ubuntu cloud is for users to create their own public or private cloud infrastructure. In fact, Ubuntu builds enhanced and certified servers for companies like Amazon, Oracle, IBM cloud and many more.

Ubuntu GNOME shell

As mentioned earlier, different flavors of Ubuntu have different desktop interfaces, like Lubuntu has LXQt, Kubuntu runs KDE, etc. However the most common one on most Ubuntu and Linux variations is the GNOME interface. First off, GNOME is the abbreviation for GNU Network Object Model Environment.

The GNOME shell is the interface which helps in better GUI (Graphic User Interface). It provides many basic functions like switching between different application windows, having an app drawer, presence of widgets and shortcuts. etc.

The reason why most Linux Distros use the GNOME interface is that it is simple, elegant and beautiful to use.

History of versions of Ubuntu

On October 20th of 2004 Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical and a few members of the Debian team released the very first version of Ubuntu: 4.10. The codename for it was“Warty Warthog”.

2 versions later and 1 year later, Canonical released the 6.06LTS version of Ubuntu, nicknamed “Dapper Drake ” on the first of June 2006. The significance of this version is that it was the first LTS (Long term Support) release. The support for version 6.06LTS lasted for 4 years (until the 14th of June 2009), whereas support for 4.10 was for only 6 months.

The quirky way how Canonical names Ubuntu’s version is by taking the year and month separated by a ‘.’ For example the latest version Ubuntu 21.10, code-named “Impish Indri” was released in October of 2021 (1oth month). The version 22.04LTS, codenamed the “Jammy jellyfish” will be released in April of 2022.

As of now (2022) there have been 36 versions of Ubuntu.

Summary

This is all about what is ubuntu, its history, ecosystems etc. As is the reason for its creation, it still continues to be one of the best operating systems in the world which is user friendly, yet can be technical when wanted. The GNOME interface allows the GUI to be simple and elegant. The heart of Linux: the Kernel, is still shared with Ubuntu, which makes the terminal one hell of a lean, mean, coding machine.