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Ubuntu Operating System  


Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux. It is named after the South African ethical ideology Ubuntu ("humanity towards others") and is distributed as free software. Ubuntu provides an up-to-date, stable operating system for the average user, with a strong focus on usability and ease-of-installation. Ubuntu has been selected by readers of desktoplinux.com as the most popular Linux distribution for the desktop, claiming approximately 30% of Linux desktop installations in both 2006 and 2007.



Ubuntu is composed of multiple software packages typically distributed under either a free software or an open source license. The main license used is the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) which, along with the GNU Lesser General Public License (GNU LGPL), explicitly declare that users are free to run, copy, distribute, study, change, develop and improve the software. Ubuntu is sponsored by the UK based company Canonical Ltd., owned by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth. By keeping Ubuntu free and open source, Canonical is able to utilize the talents of community developers in Ubuntu's constituent components. (Instead of selling Ubuntu for profit, Canonical creates revenue by selling technical support and from creating several services tied to Ubuntu.)


Canonical endorses and provides support for four additional Ubuntu-derived operating systems: Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, and Ubuntu JeOS.


Canonical releases new versions of Ubuntu every six months and supports Ubuntu for eighteen months by providing security fixes, patches to critical bugs and minor updates to programs. LTS (Long Term Support) versions, which are released every two years, are supported for three years on the desktop and five years for servers. The current version of Ubuntu, 9.04, was released on April 23, 2009, and the upcoming version, Karmic Koala, is planned to be released on October 29, 2009.


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