ubuntu

Yes, Ubuntu has become the poster child for Linux these days, and no wonder--it's the most popular distro by far, garnering more than 2,200 hits per day on the Distrowatch site alone, compared with some 1,400 for Fedora, the No. 2 contender.

Ubuntu is actually a relatively late arrival on the Linux scene, having been announced in just 2004, but it's more than made up for that shorter history. Founded by South African millionaire Mark Shuttleworth, Canonical--the company behind Ubuntu--for many years shipped Ubuntu CDs to interested users for free, thus speeding its market penetration.

Ubuntu is based on Debian (see below) and includes well-known apps such as Firefox and OpenOffice.org. It has a predictable, six-month release schedule, with occasional Long Term Support (LTS) versions that are supported with security updates for three to five years.

Ubuntu is also notable for its ease of use and its inclusion of a migration assistant for Windows users and support for the latest technologies. Version 10.10 of Ubuntu--also known as Maverick Meerkat--will include a multitouch and gesture stack. The final iteration of that version is due out next month.

It's also worth understanding that Ubuntu is available in various remixes and spin-off sub-distros targeted at specific niches, such as Kubuntu, Xubuntu and Lubuntu. Most of these differ primarily by offering a desktop environment other than Ubuntu's standard GNOME.