Interface

Ubuntu is a predominantly desktop-oriented Linux distribution, based on Debian GNU/Linux but with a stronger focus on usability, regular releases, and ease of installation. It is sponsored by Canonical Ltd, owned by South African billionaire entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth. The name of the distribution comes from the southern African concept of ubuntu which may be rendered roughly as "humanity toward others", "we are people because of other people", or "I am who I am because of whom we all are". Ubuntu aims to use only free software to provide an up-to-date yet stable operating system for the average user.

The main focus of Ubuntu is on usability, including the widespread use of the sudo tool for administrative tasks. The Ubiquity installer allows Ubuntu to be installed to the hard disk from within the Live CD environment without the need for restarting the computer prior to installation. Ubuntu furthermore emphasises accessibility and internationalization, to reach as many people as possible. As of version 5.04, UTF-8 is the default character encoding. The default appearance of the user interface in the current version is called Human and is characterised by shades of brown and orange.

Besides standard system tools and other small applications, Ubuntu comes installed with OpenOffice.org, Firefox as its browser, the Pidgin instant messenger (formerly known as Gaim), and the graphics editor GIMP. Several lightweight card and puzzle games are pre-installed, including Sudoku and Chess. By default, all ports are closed by the OS for security.

Ubuntu offers a fully featured set of applications that work straight from the standard install, but nonetheless fits on a single CD. The live CD allows users to see whether their hardware is compatible before installation to the hard disk. The live CD is then used to install Ubuntu. The most recent version, Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon), was released on October 18, 2007.