Tony Yarusso's Blog

Earlier today the official release of Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Long Term Support; the 6.06 indicates release in June of 2006), codenamed "Dapper Drake", was announced.  This is the fourth release of Ubuntu, and the first "Long Term Supported" version (3 years for desktop usage, 5 years for server).  Ubuntu is a distribution of the increasingly popular GNU/Linux operating system, and has made a point of taking Linux out of the "geeks-only" realm and creating an easily usable system for anybody, as embodied by the slogan "Linux for human beings" used by the project.  Since it's creation it has quickly risen to the top of popularity lists and remained there.  It is a complete operating system for any number of purposes, both for servers and everyday desktop use, with the default desktop installation including commonly needed applications such as a web browser, e-mail client, and a complete office suite which is fully compatible with Microsoft Office and other document formats.  All of this is available competely free of charge, in keeping with the founding principles of the Ubuntu distribution (although professional support is available for purchase for corporate customers who need such things - the average user will find the free community support to be very good).  Many find the community to be one of the strongest aspects of using the Ubuntu operating system, as it is very active and provides wonderful support, documentation, and socialization opportunities.

Ubuntu can be downloaded from http://www.ubuntu.com/download, or for those with slower internet connections or CD-ROM burning capability, or those who prefer to get nicer-looking pressed discs, CDs can be ordered and shipped (also for free) from https://shipit.ubuntu.com/.  Some of the attractive points of a Linux operating system distribution such as this are that it is and will always be free, is much more stable and less prone to security holes, viruses, and spyware than Windows, is entirely customizable to fit your exact needs and preferences, and has huge quantities of software available to go with it (the Ubuntu repositories currently have over 18,000 packages), all easily accessible.  Ubuntu by default has the Gnome desktop environment, but in order to please everyone's visual tastes it is also available in a version with KDE (Kubuntu) and XFCE (Xubuntu), as well as a version specially tailored towards educational purposes with a special selection of software for school and child use called Edubuntu.

Since trying out a new operating system can be an intimidating prospect for some, it is always good to have a few resources available.  For general information about Ubuntu, take a look at the newly-revamped web site at http://www.ubuntu.com/, and desktop-installation-specific information through the Desktop > Information link on that page.  A general FAQ is provided by Mark Shuttleworth, the founder of the project and head of Canonical, Inc., the main provider of commercial support, on his wiki page at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MarkShuttleworth.  Some sample screenshots of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Edubuntu are available from http://shots.osdir.com/.  Additionally, you don't have to give up what you know and jump in headfirst if you don't want to.  You can use what's called a Live CD to boot up Ubuntu running entirely off a CD-ROM and running in your RAM to try it out without touching your existing Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X installation at all, which means that there's no risk of losing data or breaking the existing installation.  Live CDs are great for recovery purposes if you need to get files off a dead system too.  After that, you can even install Ubuntu without erasing your other operating system, and have them installed side by side in what's known as a "dual-boot" configuration, which allows you to simply choose which one to use when you start the computer, which is a great way for new Linux users to try it a little bit at a time or for people that want to use Linux but have something specific that they can only do in Windows.

For a local Twin Cities Ubuntu user contact to find out more, ask questions, get further information, or order free CDs, send an e-mail to ubuntu.mn@gmail.com. 

Also, see the original official announcement from http://www.ubuntu.com/news/606released.