A preview of a new Linux distribution inspired by South African international open source software evangelist, Mark Shuttleworth, is available on the Internet.
According to the Web site, the Ubuntu distribution takes its name from the African word meaning "humanity to others", capturing the spirit of open source philosophy, which principally dictates that software should be available free of charge.
The first release of Ubuntu, or the 4.10 "Warty Warthog" preview release, is available for download from Canonical, the company founded under Shuttleworth`s leadership to sponsor and develop Ubuntu as a community project.
Ubuntu is a Debian-based distribution comprising over 1 000 pieces of software, including the Linux kernel version 2.6, the Gnome desktop version 2.8, and every standard desktop application.
Jane Silber, Canonical principal member, says Ubuntu`s focus is on usability and providing a solid and comprehensive desktop system that is easy to install. "We aim to deliver a regular, stable and security-supported snapshot of the best of the open source world."
Canonical plans to achieve this aim by releasing new, stable versions every six months and maintaining a team of full-time contributors who are active Debian developers. "These are some of the qualities that will differentiate Ubuntu from other Debian-derived distributions, and bring a level of predictability and usability that`s new and exciting in the Debian world," says Silber.
Silber says Shuttleworth chose Debian as the base for Ubuntu because of its integrated package management, the large number of free software applications available, and the relatively large community of Debian developers.
Canonical is facilitating free technical support for Ubuntu from the community through mailing lists and chat rooms. Paid technical support is available from Canonical either directly or through partnerships with local service providers.
The official first release of Ubuntu will include fixes from the community arising from the preview period and is scheduled for October 2004.
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