What is Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is an entirely open source operating system built around the Linux kernel. The Ubuntu community is built around the ideals enshrined in the Ubuntu Philosophy: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities,and that people should have the freedom to customize and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. For those reasons:
*Ubuntu will always be free of charge, and there is no extra fee for the "enterprise edition"
*Ubuntu includes the very best in translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free softwarecommunity has to offer, to make Ubuntu usable for as many people as possible.
* Ubuntu is released regularly and predictably; a new release is made every six months. You can use the current stable release or the current development release. Each release is supported for at least 18 months.
*Ubuntu is entirely committed to the principles of open source software development.You can improve it and
pass it on.
What is Linux?
The Linux kernel is the heart of the Ubuntu operating system. A kernel is an important part of any operating system, providing the communication bridge between hardware and software.Linux was brought to life in 1991 by a Finnish student named Linus Torvalds. At the time, it would run only on i386 systems,
and was essentially an independently-created clone of the UNIXkernel, intended to take advantage of the then-new i386 architecture.
Nowadays, thanks to a substantial amount of developmenteffort by people all around the world, Linux runs on virtuallyevery modern computer architecture.
The Linux kernel has gained an ideological importance as well as a technical one.There is an entire community of people who believe in the ideals of free software and spend their time helping to make open source technology as good as it can be.
People in this community gave rise to initiatives such asUbuntu, standards committees that shape the development of the Internet, organizations like the Mozilla Foundation, responsible for creating Mozilla Firefox, and countless other software projects from which you've almost certainly benefited in the past.
The spirit of open source, commonly attributed to Linux, is influencing software developers and users everywhere to drive communities with common goals.
Free Software
The Ubuntu project is entirely committed to the principles of free software development; people are encouraged to use free software.
"Free software" doesn't mean that you shouldn't have to pay for it (although Ubuntu is committed to being free of charge as well). It means that you should be able to use the software in any way you wish: the code that makes up free software is available for anyone to download, change, fix, and use in any way. Alongside ideological benefits, this freedom also has technical advantages: when programs are developed, the hard work of others can be used and built upon. With non-free software, this cannot happen and when programs are developed, they have to start from scratch. For this reason the development of free software is fast, efficient and exciting!
The Difference
There are many different operating systems based on Linux: Debian, SuSE, Gentoo, Red Hat, and Mandriva are examples.Ubuntu is yet another contender in whatis already a highly competitive world. So what makesUbuntu different?
Based on Debian, one of the most widely acclaimed,technologically advanced, and well-supported distributions, Ubuntuaims to create a distribution that provides an up-to-date and coherent Linux system for desktop andserver computing. Ubuntu includes a number of carefullyselected packages from the Debian distribution and retains its powerful package management system which
allows easy installation and clean removal of programs. Unlike mostdistributions that ship with a large amount of software that may or may not be of use, Ubuntu's list of packagesis reduced to a number of important applications of high quality.
By focusing on quality, Ubuntu produces a robust and feature-rich computing environment that is suitable foruse in both home and commerciale nvironments. The project takes the time required to focus on finer details and is able to release a version featuring the latest and greatest of today's software once every 6 months. Ubuntu is available in 32-bit and 64-bit flavors, and will run on most modern computers. It is also available for the Sun UltraSPARC and Amazon EC2 architectures.
Backing and Support
Ubuntu is maintained by a quickly growing community. The project is sponsored by Canonical Ltd., a holding company founded by Mark Shuttleworth. Canonicalemploys the core Ubuntu developers and offers support and consulting services for Ubuntu.Canonical Ltd. also sponsors a number of other Open Source software projects, about which more information can be found on the Canonical website.
Can i run Windows applications on Ubuntu??
Yes,you can Run any EXE file on Ubuntu by using "Wine" software.How I install Wine to Ubuntu?
Go to Applications>Ubuntu Software center>
Find "wine"> click "Install".
Now any Windows Applications works with your Ubuntu Operating System.
Find out more or Download at the Ubuntu website.
It works with your favourite apps:
