WildTangent
March 18th, 2006, 05:19 AM
Ubuntu is a relatively new distribution of Linux, if compared to old stalwarts like Mandrake and Fedora that have been around for ages. Billing itself as 'Linux for human beings', it's a free download that has gained a cult following for its ease of installation and ease of use. In less than 18 months since release it has become the most popular distro amongst bit-tech readers.
Ubuntu includes the latest Linux kernel, along with a customised Gnome desktop. It also includes some key applications to allow you to get started, including FireFox and OpenOffice. It has support for desktop themes and also includes some basic image editing tools.
If Windows died tomorrow, Ubuntu would probably be Pete's first port of call. It does everything that the vast majority of people need from an operating system and it costs absolutely nothing. It has lower system requirements than Windows and suffers less from viruses and malware due to the improved security functions of the software and the quick-to-fix open source community.
Traditionally, most people are put off by the difficulty of configuring a Linux installation. Thankfully, Ubuntu works perfectly well for the vast majority of people just by installing it with all the default settings. And, because it's based on the general Linux kernel, you can grab standard Linux device drivers from companies like ATI and NVIDIA if the hardware you have in your machine doesn't happen to be supported by default.
http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2006/03/17/free_alternatives_to_piracy/1.html
It's a cool article, some good suggestions there.
-Wild
Ubuntu includes the latest Linux kernel, along with a customised Gnome desktop. It also includes some key applications to allow you to get started, including FireFox and OpenOffice. It has support for desktop themes and also includes some basic image editing tools.
If Windows died tomorrow, Ubuntu would probably be Pete's first port of call. It does everything that the vast majority of people need from an operating system and it costs absolutely nothing. It has lower system requirements than Windows and suffers less from viruses and malware due to the improved security functions of the software and the quick-to-fix open source community.
Traditionally, most people are put off by the difficulty of configuring a Linux installation. Thankfully, Ubuntu works perfectly well for the vast majority of people just by installing it with all the default settings. And, because it's based on the general Linux kernel, you can grab standard Linux device drivers from companies like ATI and NVIDIA if the hardware you have in your machine doesn't happen to be supported by default.
http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2006/03/17/free_alternatives_to_piracy/1.html
It's a cool article, some good suggestions there.
-Wild