The Quick Start Guide to Ubuntu (Linux!)

Ubuntu is one of the best pieces of Computer Software available on the internet today.

And while Ubuntu is an operating system, it is so much more. It's a philosophy and a movement which drives a spectacular group of individuals to create and contribute

Best of all – it’s free, easy, beautiful and secure! With each new release it keeps getting better and better! Come discover why so many people are discovering Ubuntu and making the switch!

In this article we'll talk about what Ubuntu is, where it came from, how you can get started with it right away, and how you can keep learning more and more to become the creative computing master you want to be!

The answer to the question “What is Ubuntu?” can be somewhat complicated, so we’re going to break this down into two answers - a simple and a complex answer.

For most computer users, a simple answer is enough:

The simple answer is Ubuntu is an Operating System (OS) much like Windows (XP, Vista, 7) or Mac OS (Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, etc). Ubuntu controls and runs all the programs on your computer, such as Word Processors, Internet Browsers, Image Manipulation Programs, Music Players, and much more. In that sense, it’s easy to think of Ubuntu as a correlative of Windows or Mac, as it does much the same thing.

The major difference is that Ubuntu is completely free for everyone on the planet. That’s right, you don’t need to pay a dime to use Ubuntu – you only need the physical hardware to run it on.

Why is it free? Because there are very intelligent people out there, computer programmers and computer scientists who believe in their heart of hearts that free computing is a right just like free speech. They share their work with the world and anyone is free to modify the code of the program to suit their needs.

This kind of sharing is called “Open Source,” meaning the source code to the programs is available to everyone. Ubuntu is an open source operating system, which runs a ton of great open source software. In fact, you probably already use open source software and don’t even know it! Ever hear of Firefox? Firefox is an open source web browser started by people who were sick of Internet Explorer’s security flaws and lack of functionality, so they built their own and share it with the world for free!

You see, Internet Explorer is owned by Microsoft and is considered “Closed Source” software. (There is a lot of closed source software out there, but Internet Explorer is a prime example). If you wanted to see the code running in Internet Explorer, you couldn’t without violating copyright and patent laws. Closed source software often leads to an abundance of viruses and malware adapting faster than the small group of hired programmers can keep up with. This is why Internet Explorer is considered today to be one of the least secure browsers you can use, while the open source nature of Firefox allows anyone, any programmer anywhere in the world to come in and fix bugs, leading it to be considered one of the safest and most secure browsers available today. The same goes for Safari on the Mac, which is based on the open source project WebKit. Open source is everywhere and runs on nearly every website you can think of!

Open source Linux is so powerful and secure, Google runs its entire server network on it. Same with Yahoo! IBM has poured billions in to open source projects! In fact, it's estimated that open source software runs 90-95% of the entire Internet. The reason is because it's flexible, powerful, and open. If you want to be safe, secure, and stable, Open Source is the way to go!

Okay, that’s the simple answer – on to the complex answer now!

The complex requires a bit more explanation. Ubuntu is a branch of Linux, specifically derived from Debian Linux. Linux is an Open Source operating system devised by Linus Torvalds, and programmer, in 1993, as a side project. He gave his code away for free online and said that it was free for anyone to modify. His goal was to create an efficient, Unix-like system that would be free for all. News spread and pretty soon schools, universities, and computer programmers around the world started helping him develop Linux into the powerful O.S. it is today!

Unix, it should be said, is the Granddaddy of all computing. Invented decades ago in Bell Labs, it is a pioneer OS that still remains in use today - in fact, Mac OS is based on a particular kind of Unix. In that sense Mac OS and Linux are like first cousins.

Since the Linux Souce Code is free for anyone to take and change, different Linux “tribes” have sprung up over the years. In fact, there have been hundreds of these tribes, each with their own “flavor” of Linux - and this is a good thing! These tribes build their Linux Distributions (aka Distros) to suit their needs – some folks want to work exclusively with music, so they create a distro packaged with a ton of audio software, others need to program so they package theirs with programming software – the variations are endless and add to the richness of the linux software ecosystem. Arch, Gentoo, Red Hat, Sabayon, DSL, and more - all these different Linux distros and their communities make for an amazing array of choices.

Ubuntu Linux is a relatively recent branch that's guided by the leadership of Internet Billionaire Entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, and Ubuntu's supporting company, Canonical. It takes the stability of Linux, the ease of Debian, and wraps it all into one very (and increasingly) user-friendly system. It used to be hard to install Linux and install programs. These days, Ubuntu has been tailored to do the heavy lifting, and installation is a breeze.

In fact, user friendliness is at the core of the Ubuntu Experience - Ubuntu is "Linux for Human Beings." Once you start using Ubuntu, I guarantee, it will be hard to go back to older, more archaic systems like Windows and Mac (yes, Mac is archaic!). So what are our next steps?

In fact, user friendliness is at the core of the Ubuntu Experience - Ubuntu is "Linux for Human Beings." Ubuntu itself is a South African word meaning "humanity towards others." Once you start using Ubuntu, I guarantee, it will be hard to go back to older, more archaic systems like Windows and Mac (yes, Mac is archaic!). So why should you be using Ubuntu?

Security -

Ubuntu is one of the most secure OS's available today. Not only does it have a security system developed by the N.S.A (remember how I said Open Source lets everyone contribute? Well, Everyone happens to include the N.S.A.) but it has one of the best systems for updating and controlling all aspects of the computer. Similarly, there are next to no viruses in the wild for Linux. Updates are released nearly every day, with major Distro Upgrades every 6 months. Does your OS do that?

Ease -

Ubuntu has taken leaps and bounds to creating one of the most user friendly systems available and only improves with each iteration. The newest version of Ubuntu includes a social desktop function which integrates into a slew of online services like Twitter, Gmail, Facebook, and more!

Beauty -

Ubuntu has some of the most cutting edge design, but can be customized any way you like. Numerous themes are available for free, and if you don't like them, you can even build your own.

Power -

Ubuntu comes with tons of amazing, free software built right in. No shuffling install discs, no scrambling for activation codes. It's all there and it all works. Need more? Just stop over to the software center and download for free!

Simplicity -

Ubuntu is elegant in it's design and function. The input of thousands of professionals around the globe make for one of the most flexible systems ever designed.

Learning -

When you use Ubuntu, a computer will no longer be a mysterious machine that works its magic behind closed doors. The entire world of computing will open up to you! You will be in total control, and that is thrilling.

Community -

Ubuntu has the strongest, friendliest most knowledgeable communities in the world. Have a question? Just ask someone online and you'll get an answer!

Okay, so you understand Ubuntu, the Ubuntu philosophy, and what's possible and what opportunities are out there, waiting for you to seize them.

What's next? How about we get started Installing Ubuntu with my Step by Step Guide to Installing Ubuntu!

ANOTHER GREAT GUIDE FROM ARTIFEX!

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