Top 10 things you like about Ubuntu

[OneSeventeen]

What are the top things you like about Ubuntu?

I am reviewing Ubuntu in my next podcast and want to know what the community says about the OS. I use it on a daily basis at home and work, but I want to know what everyone else thinks are the top features.

I would start the list with:

Easy to install free software
Easy to upgrade the system, rarely needing to restart
Reliable
Free


Can you think of anything else that would be good to tell non-linux users about Ubuntu?

[Shay Stephens]

It values my freedom
It works "out of the box" for most people
No DRM crippling schemes
No activation schemes
No trusted computing schemes
Geeks and non-geeks can use it with pleasure
Great community support
Regular updates
Live cd to try before you install
I decide if I want to use free/nonfree software (free as in freedom)

[Christmas]

- The community
- Free CDs (actually I love this one, I'm proud to have nice pressed Ubuntu and Kubuntu CDs
- It's free
- amaroK
- Graphics are awesome, at least compared to Windows
- The possibility to tweak it anyhow and to customize it in anyway, the themes, the icons, the KDE styles and borders, everything is free
- It is sponsored by Canonical, this makes an advantage over Debian, Slackware or other non-commercial distributions; the way it has captured the market was driven by a single rich person with great ideas (I mean there is a difference between doing or making something good, or doing it unprofessionally: from the way the forums are organised to the free CDs idea, everything seems to be done with style)
- 8, 9 and 10... let me think about them and post them later, I'll surely come with something up as I remember.

[Mishal]

Some of the things I like about Ubuntu is also common for all Linux distros. But anyway:

1. The spirit of Ubuntu: Humanity to others. It has a feel-good factor I cannot describe..
2. Wonderful community to support newbies and oldies alike
3. Has official versions for GNOME, KDE and XFCE unlike most other distros.
4. Excellent repos.
5. 6-month release cycle.
6. It ships to your doorstep for free! How cool is THAT!
7. Easily upgradable.
8. Does not include support for restricted formats like mp3 and others unlike some other Linux dstros. I LIKE THAT.
9. Live CD allows you try before you install.
10. Live CD and installation CD is all-in-one (starting from Dapper of course).

[christhemonkey]

At first it was mainly and entirely because:
-Its Free!

But as i have come to use it (and abuse it :p), i have relly started to appreciate:
-This community
-The ability to be able to do anything with my pc, instead of limited to, blah this and blah that.
-Its free :D

[bojzi]

1. The Community

I thought about several other distros, but nothing could bring me closer as a user than good support. Truely, these forums are a godsend.
2. Consistency

I got really fed up with Windows. Although I never had any antivirus program (can't be bothered to open every attachment i get :)) I hated the fact that after one or two months of using Windows, with all due respect, it would slow down more and more. I'm using Ubuntu for 2-3 months now and it's still ticking like a swiss clockwork. :)
3. Freshness Factor

I was just on the verdict of switching OS's. Was bored and fed up of XP and thought about Vista Beta (just for the heck of it). A friend of mine told me about Ubuntu and talked me into trying it. Gotta say, I love it! :)
4. Ease of Use

My very first contact with linux happened several years ago with Mandrake. I got it preinstalled. After trying to get anything down I was extremely annoyed... Where's my C:? Where's my Control Panel? WTF?
Ubuntu on the other side had me going in no time, even if I like to fiddle with the command line more, I love the fact that I can get much of the stuff done through GUI and the transfer to Ubuntu was pretty much painless.
5. Software

I mean, come on! Over 18000 packages? Do I need say anything more?
6. No Breakdowns

Not once did I see a sudden reboot, error screen or something like that. Not an unexpected one, though. The ones where I can't start Xorg because I fiddle every day with the OS are another story. :)
7. Upgrades

SP? WGA? WTF? :) No, really, updates are regular and I know that I'm running something stable, yet updated.
8. No drivers

I might just be lucky, but the moment I started up Ubuntu for the first time and heard sound I said: "This is it!" My Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 had some driver issues even in Windows (not to mention that you're practically helpless if you lose the original driver CD). Only driver I had to install was the ATI one and that worked after installing it in Synaptic.
9. 6 Months Release Cycle

Waiting for the new version of the OS for several years? Riiiiiight! :)
10. Look and Feel

I hated the Luna Windows theme from day 1! It's big and bloated; do I really need the Close, Minimize and Resize button the size of a wooly mammoth? Every time, right after installing Windows I'd change to the Windows Standard theme and search for a nicer one (everyone from the Windows community must know od KoL's theme's, they're beatiful). There's not such a selection in Ubuntu (Gnome) but they look better and feel nicer. Right now I'm using Gilouche (SLED's theme) and it's absolutely beatiful. Retro, easy, yet packs a punch with the very nice gradients.

That should be it. There are more things, but these are the most important ones for me. The "Free" thing is actually a big one, but it's just not in the Top 10. :)

[Christmas]

Another reason would be the graphical installation from the same CD that is used to try it.

And I was thinking about this one (which can also be applied to open source software), but I hope I won't make myself misunderstood: as I recently heard about FUD, think that actually FUD is for us what FUD is for MS users. Besides, as a Linux user closed-source software means you don't know what's in there, what exactly does to your computer, if it really what the software pretends to be. In Linux in general, not only Ubuntu, if you're a coder you just take the source and see what's in it. This is great, you can modify it, make it work the way you want it to work. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Microsoft or any other software company based on closed-source, but with Linux you can do whatever you like. There's is also the learning factor: no paid support but you have the possibility to learn much more as a developer in Linux than in other OSes.

[ericesque]

My top x reasons would be

*the community
*options (read freedom of choice)
*the challenge (problem solving/troubleshooting)
*learning
*the look and feel
*change of pace (hit a rut with windows)
*the geek factor

[MaximB]

well everyone already said most of the things but I must say one thing again
the community is GREAT !!!
I have never saw that much help and support anywere
I pose a thread and after 10 minutes already 5 ppl have answered !!!

[Kobalt]

The name
The logo
The website
I'm kidding... But seriously, what I like the most is the quality of the Distro, getting better and better every time.