What is Ubuntu?

A community developed, open source operating system based on the Debian GNU (General Public License) / Linux distribution. Ubuntu incorporates all the features of a UNIX OS with an added customizable GUI (Graphical User Interface), which makes it popular across large organizations, research centers and universities. Ubuntu is primarily designed to be used on personal computers or PC.

Ubuntu was first released in 2004, sponsored by Canonical Ltd., a U.K. based enterprise that derive revenues by selling support and services to complement Ubuntu. This company releases a new version of Ubuntu in every six months and caters support in the form of patches and security releases for every 18 months. Ubuntu operating system incorporates many software packages, which are licensed under GNU. It allows users to copy, modify, and redistribute their own version of the program. Firefox and Libre Office are some software applications that come with Ubuntu.