Matt Zimmerman, one of the lead developers of Ubuntu, has gotten the birthday present we've all been waiting for (and he's sharing)! Ubuntu Breezy Badger (5.10) was released today, October 13, 2005.
If you have been fighting the urge to try out linux, I completely understand. I even agreed with you. Until now.
After trying out various linux distrobutions, I finally got my hands on an Ubuntu 5.04 CD. After installing the operating system, I was preparing myself for the difficult task of getting things to work. Strangely enough, my laptop's touch-pad, wide screen, and sound card all worked without any work on my part!
I was able to put in a little more effort and get the wide screen to look even better, and I did have to install proprietary (but free) drivers from my wireless card's manufacturer, but in the end, I had to install 2 pieces of hardware to have a fully functioning laptop!
Ubuntu Breezy Badger comes out of the box with a better installer, a nicer startup screen, and openoffice.org (OOo) 2.0 Beta 2. This version of OOo saves files using the OpenDocument format mentioned in my previous articles. The only problem is, what happens when the final version is released? This is linux, how do I uninstall this, and reinstall the new version?
Simple.
My Ubuntu Updates icon will appear telling me I need to install updates. I simply click the icon, type in my administrator's password (don't want the kids installing software and messing up the system like they do on windows, do we?) and let it download and install any software it needs to.
Picture Windows Update on steroids, but without the annoying bubble popping up every ten minutes. Instead of just upgrading the operating system itself, it also upgrades any software you have installed from the Ubuntu servers. This includes graphics editing software, accounting/financial software, 3d rendering applications, and even web server software.
Installing new software isn't any harder.
If I wanted to start making graphics for my website, all I have to do is open up Ubuntu's "Add Remove Programs" (Synaptic Package Manager) and browse the graphic applications section until I find a program I want to use. I then click the checkbox next to it and press "Apply". This will download and install the program, and add it to my Start Menu.
That's right, I didn't have to type any commands, I didn't have to download any files and save them to my desktop first, everything is automatic, and has worked for me every time.
If you choose to give Ubuntu a try, feel free to download it from one of their mirrors, or purchase it from LinuxOnCD.net. You can also head over to Ubuntu's CD Distribution site and get some official CDs FREE! (Shipping times are usually a bit longer when going through Ubuntu's site, but the CD's are worth the wait! And that's coming from the owner of LinuxOnCD.net!)
So in conclusion, Happy birthday Matt, and congradulations Ubuntu on another great version of your distro!
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