Operating System
Introduction
Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx) is my recommended operating system (as well as my recommended GNU/Linux distribution). Ubuntu will provide an end user with a free, robust, stable, secure, full featured, easy to use, and up-to-date modern operating system.
If you are not familiar with computers in general, or if you are coming from a Microsoft or Apple background, there will be a learning curve, but the general usage of the system is much the same (and often much easier and more user friendly).
Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx) will serve just about anyone admirably. It is a Long Term Support release, which provides a number of benefits over the standard releases (such as Enterprise level stability and three years worth of free, all inclusive updates) .
If you are not sure if Ubuntu (or GNU/Linux in general) is right for you see my “A Case for Ubuntu and GNU/Linux.”
Resources
If you’re still with me, and wanting to give Ubuntu a try, then the resources below might be of some help. These resources are designed to be accessible by most anyone. Whether you’re new to Ubuntu, or whether you have some experience but might not be fully aware of all that is readily available to you, you should find some useful links below.
Below is the main information for the Ubuntu operating system, below that can be found supplemental information that is relevant to both Ubuntu and, often, GNU/Linux in general. Below the main and supplemental information I provide a link to some alternatives in case Ubuntu just doesn’t work for you.
Main
Below, the Overview section provides information as to why switching to Ubuntu might be a good decision for you. From there I’ve listed Support information for finding help if you do indeed decide to make the switch (or if you already have). After that I’ve provided some training and certification information. And, just before the Supplemental information, there is a Download section with links and information on getting a copy of Ubuntu to install.
Overview
If you’re new to, or just learning about, Ubuntu read through these in order. Even if you’re more experienced consider hitting up at least the documentation.
Support
If you come to needing some help start with the Search Help link and then, if that doesn’t meet your needs, decide which other link is most convenient for you and go from there.
No matter where you go start by searching or browsing. In all likelihood someone has already asked, solved or answered your question. All you need to do is find out where!
- Search Help
- Chat with someone live on IRC (see here for how to get connected).
- Browse, search, and ask the forums.
- Join the ubuntu-users mailing list (very high usage expect a ton of emails if you sign up).
- Ask questions and get answers
- Find a local Linux User’s Group
- Search on or ask Startpage.com
- Search on or ask Ask.com
- Purchase a reasonably priced 1 or 3 year support contract from Ubuntu.
Training
If you’ve decided to pursue Ubuntu, but would like a more structured (and likely faster) learning experience try the link below.
Certification
If you want more training as well as documentation regarding your skills, or if you want to move forward professionally with Ubuntu become an:
- Ubuntu Certified Professional or if you’re more customer facing maybe:
- Supporting Ubuntu
Download
I recommend downloading using a distributed network instead of directly from Ubuntu. This provides a number of advantages such as increased download speed, error correction, and reduced load on the Ubuntu servers. You will however need a BitTorrent client to download this way.
If you are using the Opera Web browser you already have an integrated BitTorrent client so just click on the links below and start downloading. If you’re using Firefox you can try the FireTorrent add on for similar ease of use.
There are two main desktop versions of Ubuntu. One is 64 bit and the other 32 bit. I recommend the 64 bit version if your computer supports it. If you do not know, you can still try it as it simply will not install if your system does not support it!
If the BitTorrent route will not work for you I have also provided a link to the direct download page for Ubuntu 10.04.
Supplemental
If you want more information regarding Ubuntu, or GNU/Linux in general, from news to performance, to history and philosophy, see below.
News
There are a ton of news outlets for Ubuntu and GNU/Linux, but these are pretty noise free and very informative.
Podcasts
If you don’t have time to sit and read about Ubuntu or GNU/Linux listening to a podcast might be right up your alley.
Media
For an educational leisure time watch:
- Revolution OS (watch it now here). It’s a bit dated, but really interesting for the history and philosophy of GNU/Linux.
- or Patent Absurdity — “How software patents broke the system”.
Philosophy
Ubuntu and GNU/Linux build on a rich philosophical background that is continuing to be argued (for the common good). Get an idea of its basis and the supporting organizations with the links below.
Performance
I recommend running a 64 bit operating system whenever possible and using the Gnome or XFCE desktop environments based, partially, off of these benchmarks.
- Power and RAM usage of the top four Desktop Environments (DE’s).
- 32 versus 64 bit benchmarks.
- Additional Benchmarks
Shop
If you want to show your Ubuntu and GNU/Linux love grab some stickers or some other goodies.
Statistics
If you want to let the world (and the world wide web) know that there’s another Ubuntu or GNU/Linux user see the sites below.
Alternatives
If Ubuntu just isn’t for you but you’re still wanting to give GNU/Linux a go there are several awesome alternatives that I can suggest. Be ware though, these are just brief synopses, on the standard installs, from my perspective. For more specific information I suggest visiting the Wikipedia entry for each (linked below) and then their respective home pages (usually linked from the Wikipedia entry).
I have started with distributions that are the most like Ubuntu and have moved on from there.
Official Ubuntu Derivatives
Xubuntu, Kubuntu, and Lubuntu are all variants of Ubuntu with different default desktop environments and applications.
Kubuntu is a full sized alternative to Ubuntu whereas Xubuntu and Lubuntu are lighter weight (see the Performance section) alternatives to Ubuntu. They all have the same underlying system as Ubuntu and they can all be installed along side a standard Ubuntu system. You could even install them all on the same system and choose which desktop environment to use each time you login!
Apart from that there’s not much to say. The main reason to use these is if the default Gnome desktop environment of Ubuntu just doesn’t jive well with you or your system (or if you just want to explore a few of the alternatives!).
Linux Mint
Linux Mint is effectively an (unofficial) alternative version of Ubuntu. It is highly popular (second, I believe, only to Ubuntu itself) and actively maintained with regular bi-annual releases. It is fully compatible with anything that is meant for Ubuntu (it uses Ubuntu’s repositories). It is also arguably more user friendly, definitely more community orientated, and more fully featured out of the box.
The main drawbacks of Linux Mint are that the releases trail Ubuntu, the community can be a bit too demanding, the Linux Mint specific apps, while neat sounding on paper, may not make that big of difference (or any), and the distro may at times seem less polished than Ubuntu (since there are less people working on it, and less people testing it).
Linux Mint also doesn’t have a company backing it so it’s harder to get supplemental materials and training (though anything for Ubuntu is very much applicable to Linux Mint).
Debian
Debian was, and is, the basis for Ubuntu. Debian is arguably the example in community driven software. There is no company at the heart of Debian yet it has created the distribution with the most comprehensive software repositories and has provided the basis for the most popular distributions around.
Debian is released on a much slower pace of about one stable release every two to three years and has very stringent testing practices in place. The upside of this is that the releases are generally consider much more stable than the bi-annual Ubuntu releases (which are stable in their own right!) this makes it an ideal candidate for a rock solid server installation (though the Ubuntu LTS releases should not be dismissed here).
Debian is generally more lean and responsive than Ubuntu but can also require more work to get it setup for daily use. However, if you’re familiar with Ubuntu you should feel rather comfortable under Debian as the underlying system and configurations are much the same.
Debian has a huge breadth of software available for it (larger than any other GNU/Linux distribution) and to add to that sometimes Ubuntu targeted software will work under it.
Debian also has a much larger variety of supported platforms and desktop environments than Ubuntu and also has some very interesting flavors such as GNU/Herd or GNU/kFreeBSD.
The main drawback of Debian is also one of its strongest points, it’s slow release schedule and exhaustive software testing. While this grants a high level of stability (over the already very stable bi-annual distributions) it also means that the system and anything drawn from its repositories are not going to receive major updates (security and stability updates are regularly released) for, on average, two years. So, for example, unless you update Firefox through another means, you will be using version 3.5.x from now until Debian releases a new stable release in about two to three years.
Sidux
Sidux is the opposite end of the stable Debian releases, literally. The “Sid” in Sidux is taken from Debian’s unstable collection of software. Sidux rolls these software packages together with security and stability fixes to make a working, bleeding edge, system. Unlike the above distributions Sidux has no fixed release schedule as it is always releasing on what’s called a rolling release. This means, you get the most up to date software available all the time. Sidux is just as lean and sleek as Debian but with the most up-to-date packages it is often even faster and might even better support your hardware.
The big drawback of this rolling release is that you will regularly be subject to unknown bugs that might be in minimally or non-tested software. Sidux is also designed for someone who can follow directions, use the command line, and troubleshoot their own problems. Sidux will require a lot more time, understanding, and hands-on than the distributions above.
The good news is, if you have had some hands on with Debian, using Sidux wont hold too many surprises for you (but you will still want to read the documentation!).
Arch Linux
Arch Linux, like Sidux, is a rolling release distribution and, as such, it gets the benefits and detractions of such a system. But, unlike Sidux, Arch Linux is not based on Debian and Arch Linux does not install a fully functioning graphical desktop environment for you. Arch Linux was designed from the ground up with simplicity and end user control in mind. With Arch Linux the end user decides exactly what gets installed and how it gets configured on their system. An experienced Arch Linux user can get a full graphical system up and running in about the same time as it takes Ubuntu to install itself, but that system is going to be known to that end user inside and out.
Installing a system from the command line up may sound very daunting at first, but the documentation that surrounds Arch Linux is second to none. Also, as previously mentioned, Arch Linux is designed, from the ground up, to be setup this way and its developers have worked hard to make it as simple as possible to setup, configure, and administer the system from the command line.
Overall Arch Linux will take much more time to install, configure, and administer than any of the above systems (including Sidux) and there are no comparable distributions (like Ubuntu, and Debian for Sidux) to ease yourself into it. Arch Linux is its own system and has its own way of doing things.
However, even if you don’t plan to run Arch Linux as your main operating system, you may learn a lot about the underlying systems in GNU/Linux by simply doing a complete install.
More
If none of the above float your proverbial boat the links below might get you started in finding one that does:
