Operating System

What is Ubuntu? A Comprehensive Guide to the Popular Linux Distribution

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution based on Debian principles, which is developed by Canonical. Ubuntu is an operating system that is used for cloud computing. This server is available for free, and it is also used as a desktop operating system.

Ubuntu is an open-source OS which means you can make changes to its codes. Also, you can create as many as copies you want, or you can distribute any customization wherever you want.

In this article, we talk about Ubuntu, and answer your questions such as, what is Ubuntu used for? Why do people use Ubuntu? And so on. Stay with us in the continuation of this article to find out how.

What is Ubuntu?

Ubuntu Server was released on October 20, 2004, and since its release, we have seen the growth and development of this popular server among virtual users. It is a Linux-based server, and this massive project enables millions of people around the world to run machines designed by free and open-source software on different devices and use them for their convenience.

Almost all users of cyberspace have heard a lot about Ubuntu, but without a doubt, this powerful server is one of the most popular Linux distributions. Its popularity isn’t just limited to servers, but it is a good choice for Linux desktops. Ubuntu is easy to use and provides a good user experience. The best thing is that this server has already installed the necessary tools so that you can easily start working.

As I mentioned, Ubuntu is free and open-source software. Being free is not only about its costs but also about its freedom. You do not need to purchase a license to use it, and it is completely free. Thus, Ubuntu is free not only to download but also to use in any way you like.

What are the Ubuntu Releases?

Every operating system counts on a different approach to allocate version numbers and create code names.

Ubuntu’s version numbers:

New versions of Ubuntu are published every six months in April and October. Every Ubuntu version has a version number which is contained of publication’s year and month. For example, 17.10 was published in October of 2017.

Ubuntu’s code names:

Ubuntu’s code names have usually contained an adjective and an animal. version 17.10 of Ubuntu has a code name called Artful Aardvark.

What are the uses of Ubuntu?

1.      Privacy:

Ubuntu is a better option for security and privacy as compared to Windows. The best thing about Ubuntu is that you can obtain privacy and extra security without needing a third-party solution. By using this distribution, you can lower the hack risks and other attacks.

2.      User-friendly:

Working with Ubuntu is as easy as Windows OS. Some people think Ubuntu is produced only for programmers and developers. But the fact is that Ubuntu is an easy and beautiful desktop OS that is easy to use for any common computer user.

3.      Being free:

You do not need to cost any money to download and install Ubuntu. Simply, you can download it from the internet, or you can create an ISO bootable disk, and after that, you are ready to launch it. You can vivify any old and unused computer with Ubuntu.

Also, since Ubuntu is open-source software, you are free to make any changes to its codes.

4.      Home Automation

You can easily make a small home automation gadget by having a little knowledge about Linux and minicomputers like Raspberry Pi. You can easily enable your home’s systems and devices to run automatically by clicking, holding, or pressing.

5.      Free games

WINE is a compatible layer. It is the most popular program for running games and apps, that are based on Windows, on an OS that is based on Linux. Most distributed games are open-source, so you do not have to pay extra money to install them on your device.

6.      No need for Antivirus

The risk of infection by viruses or malware is too low in Ubuntu. So, you are free from paying an extra cost for antiviruses. Also, antivirus makes your PC slow and may make your system not work well and efficiently. Besides that, antiviruses occupy a large amount of space on your computer. So, with Ubuntu, you can get rid of these problems.

7.      PC and computer performance

System performance depends on the type of its use. Ubuntu boots faster than Windows, the chance of getting infected is less, and it presents a different free IDE. But if your purpose is gaming, Windows and MAC would be a better option.

8.      Work with hard drives’ partitions

You can divide the hard disk into partitions with Linux live CD and Gparted. You can also execute this feature when your system is getting a dual or triple boot. Else, the partition is useful in transferring to a solid drive or a more capacious drive. Besides that, you can easily wipe the data in Ubuntu.

9.      Accessibility

Ease of use is another great feature of Ubuntu. People can easily work with different CMS of PHP like Magneto, Laravel, WordPress, etc. Besides PHP, Java, Python, and Ruby are easy to implement. Users of Ubuntu experience a beautiful desktop design that is so easy and impressive to use.

10.  Free Applications

Ubuntu presents a lot of free apps. Here is a list of a few apps:

  • Skype: It is used for high-quality video calls and voice calls, and for sending instant messages.
  • Firefox: It is the best browser which is lighter than Chrome.
  • Spotify: It is perfect for listening to music and streaming songs for free. It also allows you to make albums and playlists of your favorite songs and music.
  • Atom: It is a text editor with the feature of managing different formats of the document.
  • Telegram: Telegram is a messenger that is synchronized with mobile to send messages faster and securely.
  • VLC: It is a media player which is fit with different formats of media files.
  • Slack: It is a good app for collaboration and teamwork.
  • Pycharm: This is an amazing IDE for coding and programming that contains all of the necessary tools for Python coding.

11.  Free upgrade

Ubuntu has free upgrades that are released every six months. These upgrades install automatically on your PC, but before that, it will ask the user for permission. While installing, you will not lose your data.

12.  Lightweight efficiency

Ubuntu works easily and smoothly on low-end devices. The default interface can execute with RAM that is less than 1 GB. Many of the Ubuntu desktop environments are lightweight. As an example, Lubuntu can execute on a system with 512 MB RAM.

Last words

Ubuntu is an open-source OS that is completely free and easy to download and install. Ubuntu’s different features made it more competitive than the other distributions. The number of changes in Ubuntu functions made it helpful for developers and common users.

Are you a fan of Ubuntu OS? Do you have experience working with Ubuntu?  If yes, How was it? If not, would you like to try it?

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