Thursday, July 31, 2008

O P E R A

# Get Opera to open faster
If you've been using Opera for a while, you might start to notice it doesn't launch quite as quickly as it used to. No, that doesn't mean the honeymoon is over and Opera doesn't care about impressing you anymore. Far from it: the likely cause is that Opera has been keeping track of all the sites you've been visiting, so it can be ready with a handy History list should you choose to revisit any of them. Unfortunately, this can add precious (and noticeable) seconds to Opera's otherwise speedy launch time. To cut down on the lag, go to Tools, then Preferences, then Advanced, then History, and change visited addresses to something lower. (You can also just clear your History here for a temporary fix.)

# Tweak your preferences to speed up load times
Opera can be almost embarrassingly helpful at times--that's just the kind of browser it is. But you can streamline your preferences to keep this sort of hand-holding to a minimum, especially when it comes to settings that sometimes take up more time than they save. Go under Preferences, then Network, then Server name completion. If you uncheck Try name completion and Look for local network machine, Opera will stop cycling your CPU, trying to guess what you're typing in the address bar. Otherwise, when you type in a word--such as, say, BoingBoing--your CPU will waste time looking for a bookmark named BoingBoing, a local network named BoingBoing, and any number of prefix- and suffix-added variations. (This lag, of course, is especially noticeable on slower connections.)

# Browse on the big screen
One of Opera's coolest features is Opera Show, which basically lets you turn Opera into a presentation tool--and a lightweight substitute for bloated applications such as PowerPoint. An unintended use of this full-screen viewing mode is viewing big, sprawling Web pages without the clutter of Opera's toolbars and window dressing. Just hit F11 (or go to the View menu and select Full Screen), and voila! All the clutter disappears. You can still move around, too: just use the arrow keys or the mouse wheel to scroll. When you're done with Full Screen, hit F11 again to toggle it off. (Of course, Opera Show is also great for presentations, its intended purpose, for a variety of reasons.)


gambar + downlad

How to use Ad-Aware

One of the most popular spyware-combat tools on the market is the free Ad-Aware, but don't let its cute baby-blue interface and price tag fool you: It's a powerful program capable of dealing with many of the newest, most serious threats. Here are a few basic steps for using the program effectively.

Step 1: Stay up to date

Like most antispyware utilities, Ad-Aware works by comparing your PC's contents with a database of known malware. Spyware manufacturers are always trying to stay one step ahead of the programs designed to foil them by routinely unleashing new nasties on the Web. However, antispyware developers are just as savvy, and they regularly update their databases with the newest spyware definitions. Before you scan your PC for problems, you should make sure your copy of Ad-Aware is equipped with the most up-to-date database. From the main interface, you can click the globe icon in the upper-right corner, or you can simply click the link that says "Check for updates now". You'll have to connect to the publisher's server and hit OK a couple of times, but the process goes quickly.

You can also configure Ad-Aware to regularly prompt you to update its spyware definitions. To do so, click the gear-shape button at the top of the main window. The General Settings tab contains a Definitions section, where you can enter the maximum number of days that should pass before the program asks you to update it. We'd suggest updating your spyware definitions every couple of days--it's better to be safe than sorry.

Step 2: Start the spyware scan

Ad-Aware offers two main scanning options: a quicker smart scan and a more thorough full-system scan. If you've never used the program before or suspect your PC is jam-packed with malevolent software, you should opt for the deep-scan mode. Click the Scan Now button on the program's left side, mark the box that reads "Perform full system scan", then hit the Next icon. The scanning process will probably take a while--especially if you keep a lot of files on your computer--so you might want to step away for a breath of fresh air. The next time you use the program, you can safely go with the faster smart scan option, which is still very effective.

Step 3: Remove the intruders

Once Ad-Aware has finished scanning your computer for spyware, a summary screen appears, which shows you the amount and type of threats the program detected. Ad-Aware categorizes its findings as either critical or negligible; clearly, you should focus your attention on the Critical Objects tab. There, you'll see what kinds of nefarious modules and Registry keys Ad-Aware found on your machine. The app will tell you the names of all the malicious components and what kinds of spyware they are, as well as show you the physical location of each threat on your PC. If you right-click the check box next to any entry on the list, a rather lengthy menu will pop up. Scroll about halfway down and choose the option "Select all objects". Click the Next icon, then hit OK in the pop-up box. The amount of time it takes Ad-Aware to complete the removal process depends on how much malware is on your machine, but the app will notify you when it has finished cleaning out your computer.

Step 4: Optimize scan times

As noted above, Ad-Aware's scan times can be quite lengthy if you have a large hard drive with many files. However, you can take a couple of steps to make future scans more efficient. The program searches for cookies and categorizes them as Critical Objects, even though they don't pose a real threat to your security. You can decrease scan times by configuring the program to ignore cookies. From the Scanning Results screen, find the cookies (near the bottom of the list) and mark the check boxes next to their names. Right-click one of the selected cookies, then scroll down the context menu and choose Add Selected to Ignore List. The next time you scan your machine, Ad-Aware won't include those cookies in its results.

Similarly, you can have the program ignore certain drives on your computer, such as your CD or floppy drive. When selecting a scan mode, check the radio button labeled "Use custom scanning options", then click the Customize link. Under the Drives, Folders & Files heading, click the link next to the Windows folder icon labeled "Select drives & folders to scan". From there, you can choose which drives to scan or ignore by simply checking and unchecking boxes.

5 tips for sorting e-mail

A quick way to store e-mail you need to keep is to drag-and-drop an Outlook e-mail message onto the desktop or any folder.


It’s best to sort your e-mail into at least a few different folders, to have some form of organization. If you make them subfolders of your Inbox, you can search through all your messages all at once.


If you’re worried about forgetting to read messages that are automatically filed in folders, remember that Outlook 2003 folders that contain unread mail have a little bolded number after them in brackets such as (3) to indicate the number of messages in the folder that you haven’t read. It’s pretty easy to track so you will probably find this is sufficient an indicator that you won’t forget to check the folders.


Can you have replies sent to a subfolder? Yes. You can write a rule to have messages sent to various folders upon receipt or on sending the message--whichever option suits you. Click on the Tools tab and select Rules and Alerts.


How Rules are applied to incoming e-mail in Outlook 2000 and 2007: If more than one rule applies to an incoming e-mail, the ruled placed in first place takes precedence, or both rules are applied.

How to use Ad-Aware

One of the most popular spyware-combat tools on the market is the free Ad-Aware, but don't let its cute baby-blue interface and price tag fool you: It's a powerful program capable of dealing with many of the newest, most serious threats. Here are a few basic steps for using the program effectively.

Step 1: Stay up to date

Like most antispyware utilities, Ad-Aware works by comparing your PC's contents with a database of known malware. Spyware manufacturers are always trying to stay one step ahead of the programs designed to foil them by routinely unleashing new nasties on the Web. However, antispyware developers are just as savvy, and they regularly update their databases with the newest spyware definitions. Before you scan your PC for problems, you should make sure your copy of Ad-Aware is equipped with the most up-to-date database. From the main interface, you can click the globe icon in the upper-right corner, or you can simply click the link that says "Check for updates now". You'll have to connect to the publisher's server and hit OK a couple of times, but the process goes quickly.

You can also configure Ad-Aware to regularly prompt you to update its spyware definitions. To do so, click the gear-shape button at the top of the main window. The General Settings tab contains a Definitions section, where you can enter the maximum number of days that should pass before the program asks you to update it. We'd suggest updating your spyware definitions every couple of days--it's better to be safe than sorry.

Step 2: Start the spyware scan

Ad-Aware offers two main scanning options: a quicker smart scan and a more thorough full-system scan. If you've never used the program before or suspect your PC is jam-packed with malevolent software, you should opt for the deep-scan mode. Click the Scan Now button on the program's left side, mark the box that reads "Perform full system scan", then hit the Next icon. The scanning process will probably take a while--especially if you keep a lot of files on your computer--so you might want to step away for a breath of fresh air. The next time you use the program, you can safely go with the faster smart scan option, which is still very effective.

Step 3: Remove the intruders

Once Ad-Aware has finished scanning your computer for spyware, a summary screen appears, which shows you the amount and type of threats the program detected. Ad-Aware categorizes its findings as either critical or negligible; clearly, you should focus your attention on the Critical Objects tab. There, you'll see what kinds of nefarious modules and Registry keys Ad-Aware found on your machine. The app will tell you the names of all the malicious components and what kinds of spyware they are, as well as show you the physical location of each threat on your PC. If you right-click the check box next to any entry on the list, a rather lengthy menu will pop up. Scroll about halfway down and choose the option "Select all objects". Click the Next icon, then hit OK in the pop-up box. The amount of time it takes Ad-Aware to complete the removal process depends on how much malware is on your machine, but the app will notify you when it has finished cleaning out your computer.

Step 4: Optimize scan times

As noted above, Ad-Aware's scan times can be quite lengthy if you have a large hard drive with many files. However, you can take a couple of steps to make future scans more efficient. The program searches for cookies and categorizes them as Critical Objects, even though they don't pose a real threat to your security. You can decrease scan times by configuring the program to ignore cookies. From the Scanning Results screen, find the cookies (near the bottom of the list) and mark the check boxes next to their names. Right-click one of the selected cookies, then scroll down the context menu and choose Add Selected to Ignore List. The next time you scan your machine, Ad-Aware won't include those cookies in its results.

Similarly, you can have the program ignore certain drives on your computer, such as your CD or floppy drive. When selecting a scan mode, check the radio button labeled "Use custom scanning options", then click the Customize link. Under the Drives, Folders & Files heading, click the link next to the Windows folder icon labeled "Select drives & folders to scan". From there, you can choose which drives to scan or ignore by simply checking and unchecking boxes.

Optimize your spam filter settings

SPAM OVERLOAD

A common complaint: "What did I do to deserve this? Spammers dump a daily dose of filth in my Inbox, and my colleagues are starting to wonder about me. I've turned on Outlook's spam filter and set it to High, yet the junk just keeps coming. Make it stop!"

As much as Outlook's spam filter has improved in the latest version, plenty of junk mail still slips through the cracks. And if you're using an older version of Outlook, your daily spam delivery can easily outnumber the legitimate messages you get.

Here are some tips and utilities that will keep the flood of junk from cluttering your mailboxes.

1. Tweak your spam settings.
If you're getting deluged with spam, make sure Outlook's junk filter (in version 2003) is set to High. From the Tools menu, select Options, click the Junk E-mail button, and make sure the High radio button is selected. If you want hard-core spam protection, select Safe Lists Only, which will block all messages except those sent from addresses you put in the Safe Senders list (also known as a whitelist). It's an extreme measure that will probably block many legitimate messages, but you'll never get spam again. Also, be sure you have the latest SP1 update of Outlook 2003; its spam filter is improved over the initial version's.

2. Shore up Outlook's spam filter.
If Outlook's junk-mail filter isn't doing the trick, call for reinforcements. Antispam add-ons such as Outlook Spam Filter, InBoxer, and MailFrontier Desktop use advanced Bayesian filters that analyze your legitimate e-mail and learn the types of messages you send and receive, making the junk mail easier to catch.

3. Try a challenge/response service.
Spam usually comes from an automated e-mail server, not a person (and if there are any spammers out there lovingly crafting each junk message by hand, we'd rather not meet them). Challenge/response e-mail services (such as MailBlocks, which is compatible with Outlook) target spam by checking to see if there's a real person behind an incoming message. If anyone who's not in your e-mail address whitelist sends you a message, the service automatically sends a reply that asks the sender to click a link, to enter a series of numbers, or to do some other task that proves there's an actual person sending the message. If the sender passes the test, the message goes in your Inbox. The only problem with challenge/response services is that they might block automated messages that you want, such as newsletters and autoreplies for lost passwords.

4. Use disposable passwords.
How many times have you blithely sent your e-mail address over a Web form? Too many to count? Unfortunately, spammers love grabbing e-mail addresses from online forms--and from Web pages, for that matter. Instead of handing over your real e-mail address when you're online, try using disposable addresses. E-mail services such as Yahoo Mail, Spamex and E-mailias let you create temporary e-mail aliases that you can use in Web forms. If you get a sudden influx of spam from one of the aliases, just turn off the alias and get a new one.

Save bandwidth when using Morpheus

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks thrive because thousands of users allow each other to access files (or portions of files) on their hard disks -- the essence of a "file-swapping" network. However this feature provides open access to your hard disk, and can leave you vulnerable to attack by hackers. Unfortunately Morpheus does not allow you to completely disable the uploading feature. So the next best thing you can do is keep your shared folder empty. To do this:

1) Launch Morpheus and download a file.
2) In Windows Explorer, navigate to your shared folder -- typically it is located here:

C:\Documents and Settings\your_account_name\My Documents\Morpheus Shared

3) In your 'My Documents' folder, create another folder called 'Morpheus Archive'
4) Go into your 'Morpheus Shared' folder and move your newly acquired file to the 'Morpheus Archive' folder. NOTE: Don't leave a copy of the file in the shared folder -- make sure it's completely empty.
5) Do this after every file you download (or at least after every series of files).

Keeping your Shared Folder empty means no one will ever be downloading a file from you. Although this goes against the spirit of peer-to-peer communities, it helps safeguard your drive from hackers looking for a way into your computer. Plus, if other users can't download files from your computer, less bandwidth is consumed which allows your file downloads to finish faster.

Optimize windows xp security center settings

A STORY OF SECURITY CENTER

Microsoft beats the drum harder for SP2's new Security Center than for any other slice of the update, touting it as proof that the new-and-improved Windows XP is a lot more secure, thank you, than earlier editions.

Security Center, which you can reach from the Control Panel or from the new icon plopped into the Taskbar's system tray, is a bare-bones dashboard that shows the status of three things, Automatic Update, firewall protection, and antivirus defense, and warns you when, for instance, your virus definitions aren't up-to-date or the firewall has been turned off.

The Center isn't a new idea, although Microsoft may want you to think so. Frankly, similar displays have been around for ages. Worse, the new Center might not actually even detect your antivirus software or firewall (assuming you have them in place), which could lull you into a false sense of security (pun intended). And worse yet, its firewall, although better than no firewall, isn't up-to-snuff.


These tips will make Security Center slicker :

1. Make Security Center recognize your own security software.
Although Microsoft made an effort to coordinate Security Center with third-party antivirus and firewall software, SP2 may not sniff out yours without an update.
For instance, although the Security Center should know if you have Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2004 installed on your PC, it probably can't determine that program's status--whether its virus definitions have been updated, for instance. You need to upgrade to AntiVirus 2005 or run Norton AntiVirus's own LiveUpdate to download a fix. (A fix was available via LiveUpdate for a short time in early September but was removed; it should be back up by the time you read this.) Symantec has planned corrections for older 2002 and 2003 editions of Norton AntiVirus, but it hasn't announced dates yet.

Not using Symantec's products? Check with the maker of your antivirus and firewall packages by heading to its Web site and searching for "SP2." You should locate any important SP2 compatibility updates this way.

2. Use a different firewall.
You can silence Security Center's nagging alerts with a single click.

SP2 automatically turns on the new Windows Firewall by default, a big improvement since Windows has long hidden its firewall; you may not even have known that your old copy of XP came with one. But we don't think the firewall's adequate, primarily because it blocks only inbound traffic, not outbound, too. This oversight makes it possible for a worm or virus that arrives, say, by e-mail, to infect your machine, drop in a Trojan horse or another backdoor, then use your PC as a spam-spewing engine, all without Windows Firewall giving you as much as a howdy-do. Other firewalls will let you know of any unauthorized outbound Net traffic and block it.

Download ZoneAlarm 5.1, a free firewall that watches for both inbound and outbound threats. (Security Center recognizes only version 5.1, so if you're using an earlier ZoneAlarm version, please update it.) ZoneAlarm automatically disables Windows Firewall when it installs, so you're not needlessly running two firewalls.

3. Turn off the #&%$! alerts!
Despite the never-ending deluge of virus attacks, some of us did manage to keep our PCs protected before SP2--often with a more detailed dashboard display than Security Center offers. How? We used top-of-the-line at-home security products such as those from Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, Kaspersky or a host of other companies. And you can do the same. So how can we turn off Security Center's freakin' alerts? Here's how.
From the Start menu, choose Control Panel, then double-click Security Center.
Click "Change the way Security Center alerts me" in the Resources section on the left.
Clear the check boxes in the Alert Settings dialog marked Firewall and Virus Protection (also, Automatic Updates if you want to drop alerts for that). Click OK.

4. Make the Security Center disappear altogether. Obviously, this is a big deal; shut it down only if you're completely sure that you can maintain your own protection software.
From the Start menu, choose Run.
Type services.msc and hit Enter.
Scroll down until you see Security Center. Double-click it.
Set the Startup box to Disabled. Click OK.
The change takes effect after you reboot.

Firefox : Get Faster [with adds on]

Firefox: Get to frequently visited sites faster with the bookmarks toolbar

Most of us have a few sites we visit so frequently that just typing the URL or clicking around to find the bookmark can become an exercise in resentment. If your I, M, D, and B keys are starting to wear thin, use this one-click solution: drag the site's icon from the address bar to the bookmarks toolbar (which you might need to enable from the View menu). If the site's name is too long, right-click the button, select Properties, and cut the name down to something manageable. Next time you need to know that thing that one guy was in, you're one click away from the answer.

Or, you can add some plugins to your firefox by clicking this link. For Registered user, you have full access to use the plugins and it's dpend on your firefox version.

Backblaze: Possibly world's easiest online backup



[ Download ]

Backblaze will let users access files they've backed up from its Web site, but it is not designed for that. It's not a sharing or a syncing platform. And I'm not impressed by the restore services. Since the app doesn't back up your entire PC, you can't use it to do a bare-metal rebuild of a machine from backup. You can't even do a restore of all your data over the Web: You can get up to 1GB of data downloaded at a time (in Zip files--not exactly user-friendly), or 4.7GB on a DVD (for a fee), or, in a real catastrophe, up to 160GB on a USB hard drive sent by overnight mail to you (for more of a fee, but not a usurious one).

I just got the preview for Backblaze, yet another online backup service. Or to use the current vernacular, cloud storage. It's a nifty service in that it does but one thing: back up your PC (Macs coming). Setup is so easy my cat could do it: you grab the software, run it, enter in an ID and password, and you're done.

By default, Backblaze begins to backup your PC in idle times, grabbing everything on your disk except the contents of your system and program directories, and your temp files. There's no storage or bandwidth limit, and it will store files up to 4GB in size. Backblaze costs $5 a month--quite reasonable.

If you want to change the default backup directories or filter out files by type, you can do that in the control panel. You can also change the backup schedule so the app isn't constantly waiting for idle time to send data. The service, as simple as it is, also gets geek cred for giving users the option to set a private encryption key for their data; if you use this option, even Backblaze won't be able to recover files if you lose your password. On the other hand, Backblaze can't access open files, which means it won't back up your Outlook e-mail unless you remember to close the app. Mozy handles Outlook better.

If you want a highly configurable backup solution, there are plenty of competitive options (Mozy, for instance, or Carbonite, which I use). Backblaze is the backup app you recommend to your mom, or anyone else who should be backing up their computer but is either too scared of the technicalities or too lazy to do the work necessary to make sure the app grabs all the files it needs to.

The service is still in private beta, but you can get access to the trial (15 days free) at https://www.backblaze.com/webware

Torpark


[ Download ]

The Torpark browser is a modified version of Firefox that can run off of a USB drive and uses anonymous proxies and encryption to mask user behaviour. The browser has been developed by Hacktivisimo, a group of hackers, human rights workers, lawyers and artists.

The browser uses the Tor network of routers setup by the Electronic Frontier Foundation to anonymize web traffic.All you need to do is copy the files to your USB thumb drive. The browser will encrypt traffic between the computer and the Tor router network, this makes it difficult to spy on traffic and pinpoint who is doing what in terms of browsing behaviour.

The Tor netwok also regularly changes the users IP address which makes it even more difficult to track browsing sessions.On one hand this tool is a wonder for online security, however it has a darkside. One feature of the Torpark browser is that it can run directly off of a USB flash drive. This could cause headaches for some IT administrators who may be restricting employee’s browsing behaviour for intellection property issues , or acceptable use policies. Since the browser does not need to be installed on the system and can simply be run from a USB flash drive, it opens the door for a long list of potential endpoint security threats.

Metode Mempercepat Browser Firefox




Bagi pengguna Firefox yang ingin menambah kecepatan browser, metode-metode berikut ini bisa dicoba :


Metode 1:
Buka browser Mozilla Firefox.
Ketik 'about:config' pada address bar, lalu tekan enter.
Turunkan halaman sampai Anda menemukan kalimat 'browser.tabs.showSingleWindowsModePrefs', lalu double klik sehingga settingannya menjadi 'true'.
Turunkan lagi halaman Firefox sampai Anda menemukan baris berbunyi 'network.http.pipelining', lalu double klik sehingga settingannya juga menjadi 'true'.
Terakhir, turunkan lagi halaman Firefox dan carilah baris yang berbunyi 'network.http.pipelining.maxrequests', lalu double klik. Anda akan disuguhi sebuah window pop up. Ubahlah angka di pop up itu menjadi 60. Kemudian tekanlah 'Ok'.
Tutup Firefox lalu coba buka kembali. Jika tidak ada masalah, Firefox Anda akan terbuka 10-40 persen lebih cepat daripada sebelumnya dengan langkah-langkah seperti di atas.

Metode 2:
Langkah mujarab lain untuk meningkatkan kecepatan Firefox adalah dengan menggunakan add-on untuk Firefox bernama FasterFox. FasterFox ini membuat pemakaian bandwidth lebih efektif sehingga bisa mempercepat performa Firefox. Anda bisa mendownload FasterFox di alamat: http://fasterfox.mozdev.org.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Ubuntu

Ubuntu (IPA: [uːˈbuːntuː] in English, [ùɓúntú] in Zulu) is a computer operating system. It has consistently been rated among the most popular of the many Linux distributions. Ubuntu's goals include providing an up-to-date yet stable Linux distribution for the average user and having a strong focus on usability and ease of installation. Ubuntu is a derivative of Debian, another free operating system. Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd, which is owned by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth. The word ubuntu is Zulu for "humanity". This Linux distribution is named as such to bring the spirit of the philosophy to the software world. Ubuntu is free software and can be shared by any number of users.

Kubuntu and Xubuntu are official subprojects of the Ubuntu project, aiming to bring the KDE and Xfce desktop environments, respectively, to the Ubuntu core (by default Ubuntu uses GNOME for its desktop environment). Edubuntu is an official subproject designed for school environments and should be equally suitable for children to use at home. Gobuntu is an official subproject that is aimed at adhering strictly to the Free Software Foundation's Four Freedoms. Ubuntu JeOS (pronounced "Juice") is the newest official subproject. JeOS is a concept for what an operating system should look like in the context of a virtual appliance.

Ubuntu releases new versions every six months, and supports those releases for 18 months with daily security fixes and patches to critical bugs. LTS (Long Term Support) releases, which occur every two years, are supported for three years for desktops and five years for servers. The most recent version, Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron), was released on April 24, 2008, although an update, Ubuntu 8.04.1 LTS, was released on July 3, 2008. The next version will be 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) and is scheduled for release in October 2008.

History and development process

Ubuntu's first release was on October 20, 2004, as a temporary fork of the Debian project. This was done so that a new version of Ubuntu could be released every six months, resulting in a more frequently updated system. Ubuntu releases always include the most recent GNOME release, and are scheduled to be released about a month after GNOME. In contrast with previous general-purpose forks of Debian—such as MEPIS, Xandros, Linspire, Progeny and Libranet, many of which relied on proprietary and closed source add-ons as part of their business model—Ubuntu has stayed closer to Debian's philosophy and uses free (libre) software most of the time.

The Ubuntu logo and typography has remained the same since that first release. The hand-drawn, lowercase OpenType font used is called Ubuntu-Title and was created by Andy Fitzsimon.The font is distributed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) and use with logos derived from the Ubuntu logo is encouraged.The font is available as a package for Ubuntu.

Ubuntu packages have generally been based on packages from Debian's unstable branch: both distributions use Debian's deb package format and APT/Synaptic to manage installed packages, although Debian and Ubuntu packages are not necessarily binary compatible with each other. Ubuntu cooperates with Debian—to some extent pushing changes back to Debian, although there has been criticism concerning lack of occurrence. Many Ubuntu developers are also maintainers of key packages within Debian. However, Ian Murdock, the founder of Debian, criticized Ubuntu packages for incompatibilities with Debian, saying Ubuntu had diverged too far from Debian Sarge to remain compatible.

Ubuntu is currently funded by Canonical Ltd. On July 8, 2005, Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical Ltd announced the creation of the Ubuntu Foundation and provided an initial funding of US$10 million. The purpose of the foundation is to ensure the support and development for all future versions of Ubuntu. Mark Shuttleworth describes the foundation as an emergency fund in case Canonical's involvement ends.

Ubuntu 8.04, released on April 24, 2008, is the current Long Term Support (LTS) release. Canonical has released previous LTS versions separated by two years, and has committed to releasing the next LTS version in 2010, two years after 8.04.

Vendor support

A number of vendors offer computers with Ubuntu pre-installed. Dell and Tesco[25] have provided this option since 2007, while System 76 has done so since November 2005.[26] Dell and System76 customers are able to choose between 30-day, three-month, and yearly Ubuntu support plans through Canonical, Ubuntu's parent company. Dell has increased the availability of Ubuntu-driven computers by offering them for sale in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Spain, and Latin America. Selected Dell machines running Ubuntu 7.10 and 8.04 have proprietary, legal DVD playback capabilities using LinDVD. Dell computers running Ubuntu 8.04 include extra support for ATI Video Graphics, Dell Wireless, Fingerprint Readers, HDMI, Bluetooth and MP3/WMA/WMV

Features

A screenshot of Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, showing the Dawn of Ubuntu wallpaper
A screenshot of Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, showing the Dawn of Ubuntu wallpaper

Ubuntu focuses on usability, including the widespread use of the sudo tool for administrative tasks. The Ubiquity installer allows installing Ubuntu to the hard disk from within the Live CD environment without the need for restarting the computer prior to installation. Ubuntu also emphasizes accessibility and internationalization, to reach as many people as possible. Beginning with 5.04, UTF-8 became the default character encoding. The default appearance of the user interface in the current version is called Human and is characterized by shades of brown and orange.

The most recent version of Ubuntu comes installed with a wide range of software including: the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, the internet browser Firefox, the instant messenger Pidgin (formerly known as Gaim), the BitTorrent client Transmission and the raster graphics editor GIMP. Several lightweight card, puzzle games, and board games are pre-installed including Sudoku and chess. Ubuntu has all networking ports closed by default for added security, although its firewall, which offers more fine-grained control of incoming and outgoing connections, is installed but not enabled. Ubuntu is available in many languages. GNOME 2.22—the default desktop environment of Ubuntu 8.04—offers support for 46 languages. There are numerous ways to install Ubuntu.

Alternate Installation

In addition to the Live CD, Ubuntu can be installed through alternate methods. One such method is the alternate install CD.

The alternate install CD is an alternative installation disk designed for specialist installations of Ubuntu by providing a text-based rather than graphical installation. The alternate install CD allows for the creation of pre-configured OEM systems, for the upgrading of older installations without network access, and for installation on systems with less than 320 MB of RAM. The alternate install CD also allows LVM and/or RAID partitioning to be set up, as well as the encryption of partitions using dm-crypt. The alternate install CD is not a Live CD.

Default login screen for Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron)'s server edition
Default login screen for Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron)'s server edition

Ubuntu can also be installed over a network via the network install CD. The network install CD installs Ubuntu directly from an Ubuntu mirror. Installation from a mirror ensures that installed packages are up-to-date. The network install CD contains only the kernel, to start up the installation. The installation is text-based.

The final alternate installation method is used to install Ubuntu Server. The server install CD contains all packages needed for installation without a network connection. The server installation of Ubuntu does not install a graphical user interface.

Package classification and support

Ubuntu 8.04 CD
Ubuntu 8.04 CD

Ubuntu divides all software into four domains to reflect differences in licensing and the degree of support available. They are as follows:

Free software here includes only that which meets the Ubuntu licensing requirements, which roughly correspond to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. There is one exception for the Main category, however — it contains firmware and fonts which are not allowed to be modified, but are included because their distribution is otherwise unencumbered.

Non-free software is usually unsupported (Multiverse), but some exceptions (Restricted) are made for very important non-free software. Supported non-free software includes device drivers that are necessary to run Ubuntu on current hardware, such as binary-only graphics card drivers. The level of support in the Restricted category is more limited than that of Main, since the developers may not have access to the source code. It is intended that Main and Restricted should contain all software needed for a general-use Linux system. Alternative programs for the same tasks and programs for specialized applications are placed in the Universe and Multiverse categories.

Besides the official repositories is Ubuntu Backports, which is an officially recognized project to backport newer software from later versions of Ubuntu. The repository is not comprehensive; it consists primarily of user-requested packages, which are approved if they meet quality guidelines.

Availability of proprietary software

See also: Linux distribution#Proprietary software and Medibuntu

Ubuntu has a certification system for third party software. Proprietary software certified with Ubuntu should work well in Ubuntu. However, many programs familiar to users of non-free operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, are incompatible and are not Ubuntu-certified. Some proprietary software that does not limit distribution is included in Ubuntu's multiverse component. The package ubuntu-restricted-extras additionally contains software that may be legally restricted, including support for MP3 and DVD playback, Microsoft TrueType core fonts, Sun's Java runtime environment, Adobe's Flash Player plugin, many common audio/video codecs, and unrar, an unarchiver for .rar files.

Releases

Each release has both a code name and a version number. The version number is based on the year and month of release. For example, the very first release of Ubuntu 4.10 was released on October 20, 2004. Consequently, version numbers for future versions are provisional; if the release is delayed until a different month to that planned, the version number changes accordingly. The first characters of release names form an alphabetical series. This makes it easier to determine which release is newer when comparing two. Exceptions are the first few releases that should have begun with A, B, C.

Releases are timed to be approximately one month after GNOME releases, which are in turn about one month after releases of X.org. Consequently, every Ubuntu release comes with a newer version of both GNOME and X. Release 6.06—and recently 8.04—have been labeled as a Long Term Support (LTS), to indicate support with updates for three years on the desktop and five years on the server, with paid technical support available from Canonical Ltd.

Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog)

Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog)
Ubuntu 4.10
(Warty Warthog)

Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog), released on 2004-10-20,[45] was Canonical's first release of Ubuntu Linux, building upon Debian GNU/Linux with plans for a new release every six months and eighteen months of support thereafter. Ubuntu 4.10's support ended on 2006-04-30. Ubuntu 4.10 was the first version of Ubuntu to offer ShipIt services, allowing users to order free install CDs. The desktop version included, among other desktop programs, Gaim 1.0, GIMP 2.0, GNOME 2.8, Mozilla Firefox 0.9, and OpenOffice.org 1.1. The server version shipped with MySQL 4.0, PHP 4.3, and Python 2.3. Ubuntu 4.10 used Linux 2.6.8 kernel with XFree86 4.3.

Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog)

Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog)
Ubuntu 5.04
(Hoary Hedgehog)

Ubuntu 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog), released on 2005-04-08,[33] was Canonical's second release of Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu 5.04's support ended on 2006-10-31. Ubuntu 5.04 added many new features including an update manager, upgrade notifier, readahead and grepmap, suspend, hibernate and standby support, dynamic frequency scaling for processors, ubuntu hardware database, Kickstart installation, and APT authentication. Ubuntu 5.04 allowed installation from USB devices. Ubuntu 5.04 used UTF-8 by default.

The desktop installation of Ubuntu 5.04 included, among other programs, Gaim 1.1, GIMP 2.2, GNOME 2.10, Mozilla Firefox 1.0, and OpenOffice.org 1.1. The server installation included MySQL 4.0, PHP 4.3, and Python 2.4. Ubuntu 5.04 used Linux 2.6.10 and X.Org 6.8.

Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)

Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)
Ubuntu 5.10
(Breezy Badger)

Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger), released on 2005-10-13,[53][54] was Canonical's third release of Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu 5.10's support ended on 2007-04-13.[55] Ubuntu 5.10 added several new features including a graphical bootloader (Usplash), an Add/Remove Applications tool, a menu editor (alacarte), an easy language selector, logical volume management support, full Hewlett-Packard printer support, OEM installer support, and Launchpad integration for bug reporting and software development.

The desktop installation of Ubuntu 5.10 included, among other programs, Gaim 1.5, GIMP 2.2, GNOME 2.12, Mozilla Firefox 1.0, and OpenOffice.org 1.9 (pre-2.0 release). The server installation included MySQL 4.1, PHP 5.0, and Python 2.4. Ubuntu 5.10 used Linux 2.6.12 and X.Org 6.8.

Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake)

Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake)
Ubuntu 6.06
(Dapper Drake)

Ubuntu 6.06 (Dapper Drake), released on 2006-06-01,[58][59] was Canonical's fourth release, and the first Long Term Support (LTS) release. Ubuntu 6.06's support will end in June 2009 for desktops and June 2011 for servers. Ubuntu 6.06 included several new features, including having the Live CD and Install CD merged onto one disc, a graphical installer on Live CD (Ubiquity), Usplash on shutdown as well as startup, a network manager for easy switching of multiple wired and wireless connections, Humanlooks theme implemented using Tango guidelines, based on Clearlooks and featuring orange colors instead of brown, and GDebi graphical installer for package files. Ubuntu 6.06 did not include a means to install from a USB device, but did for the first time allow installation directly onto removable USB devices.

The desktop installation of Ubuntu 6.06 included, among other programs, Gaim 1.5, GIMP 2.2, GNOME 2.14, Mozilla Firefox 1.5, and OpenOffice.org 2.0. The server installation included MySQL 5.0, PHP 5.1, and Python 2.4, as well as an option to install LAMP. Ubuntu 6.06 used Linux 2.6.15 and X.Org 7.0.

Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft)

Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft)
Ubuntu 6.10
(Edgy Eft)

Ubuntu 6.10 (Edgy Eft), released on 2006-10-26, was Canonical's fifth release of Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu 6.10's support ended on 2008-04-25. Ubuntu 6.10 added several new features including a heavily modified Human theme, Upstart init daemon, automated crash reports (Apport), Tomboy note taking application, and F-spot photo manager. EasyUbuntu, a third party program designed to make Ubuntu easier to use, was included in Ubuntu 6.10 as a meta-package.

The desktop installation of Ubuntu 6.10 included, among other programs, Gaim 2.0, GIMP 2.2, GNOME 2.16, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, and OpenOffice.org 2.0. The server installation included MySQL 5.0, PHP 5.1, and Python 2.4. Ubuntu 6.10 used Linux 2.6.17 and X.Org 7.1.

Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn)

Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn)
Ubuntu 7.04
(Feisty Fawn)

Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn), released on 2007-04-19, was Canonical's sixth release of Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu 7.04's support will end in October 2008. Ubuntu 7.04 included several new features, among them a migration assistant to help former Microsoft Windows users transition to Ubuntu, support for Kernel-based Virtual Machine, assisted codec and restricted drivers installation, Compiz desktop effects, support for Wi-Fi Protected Access, the addition of Sudoku and chess, a disk usage analyzer (baobab), GNOME Control Center, and Zeroconf support for many devices. Ubuntu 7.04 dropped support for PowerPC architecture.

The desktop installation of Ubuntu 7.04 included, among other programs, Gaim 2.0, GIMP 2.2, GNOME 2.18, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, and OpenOffice.org 2.2. The server installation included MySQL 5.0, PHP 5.2, and Python 2.5. Ubuntu 7.04 used Linux 2.6.20 and X.Org 7.2.

Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)

Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)
Ubuntu 7.10
(Gutsy Gibbon)

Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon), released on 2007-10-18, was Canonical's seventh release of Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu 7.10's support will end in April 2009. Ubuntu 7.10 included several new features, among them AppArmor security framework, fast desktop search, a firefox plug-in manager (Ubufox), a graphical configuration tool for X.org[73] full NTFS support (read/write) via NTFS-3G, and a revamped printing system with PDF printing by default. Compiz Fusion was enabled as default in Ubuntu 7.10 and Fast user switching was added.

The desktop installation of Ubuntu 7.10 included, among other programs, GIMP 2.4, GNOME 2.20, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, OpenOffice.org 2.3, and Pidgin 2.2. The server installation included MySQL 5.0, PHP 5.2, and Python 2.5. Ubuntu 7.10 used Linux 2.6.22 and X.Org 7.2.

Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron)

Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron)
Ubuntu 8.04
(Hardy Heron)

Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron), released on 2008-04-24, is Canonical's eighth and latest release of Ubuntu Linux. It is the second Long Term Support (LTS) release. Ubuntu 8.04's support will end in April 2011 for desktops and April 2013 for servers. Ubuntu 8.04 included several new features, among them Tracker desktop search integration, Brasero disk burner, Transmission BitTorrent client, Vinagre VNC client, system sound through PulseAudio[80], and Active Directory authentication and login using Likewise Open. In addition Ubuntu 8.04 included updates for better Tango compliance, various Compiz usability improvements, automatic grabbing and releasing of the mouse cursor when running on a VMware virtual machine, and an easier method to remove Ubuntu. Ubuntu 8.04 is the first version of Ubuntu to include the Wubi installer on the LiveCD that allows Ubuntu to be installed as a single file on a Windows hard drive without the need to repartition the disk.

The desktop installation of Ubuntu 8.04 included, among other programs, GIMP 2.4, GNOME 2.22, Mozilla Firefox 3.0 Beta 5, OpenOffice.org 2.4, and Pidgin 2.4. The server installation included MySQL 5.0, PHP 5.2, Python 2.5. Ubuntu 8.04 uses Linux 2.6.24 and X.Org 7.3.

Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)


Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 1 (Intrepid Ibex)
Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 1
(Intrepid Ibex)

Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex), to be released on 2008-10-30,will be Canonical's ninth release of Ubuntu. It will be supported until April 2010. Ubuntu 8.10 has several planned new features including a complete desktop redesign, improvements to mobile computing and desktop scalability, increased flexibility for Internet connectivity, OpenGL face browser for GDM, a GUI driven Live USB creator and an encrypted 'private' directory in each user's home directory.


Company / developer Canonical Ltd. / Ubuntu Foundation
OS family Linux, Unix-like
Working state Stable
Source model Free and open source software
Initial release October 20, 2004 (2004-10-20)
Latest stable release 8.04.1 (Hardy Heron)/ July 3, 2008 (2008-07-03); 24 days ago
Latest unstable release 8.10 Alpha 3 (Intrepid Ibex)/ 7-24-2008
Available language(s) Multilingual (more than 55)
Update method APT
Package manager dpkg (Debian GNU/Linux Package Manager)
Supported platforms i386, AMD64, IA-64, UltraSPARC[a], PowerPC ( PowerPC support to be dropped)[b]
Kernel type Monolithic (Linux)
Default user interface GNOME, KDE (see Kubuntu), XFCE (see Xubuntu)
License Various, primarily GPL and GFDL
Website www.ubuntu.com

Fluxbuntu

Fluxbuntu is a lightweight Linux distribution which uses the Fluxbox window manager and is based on Ubuntu, but is not an official fork. By contrast, Ubuntu uses the GNOME desktop environment, Kubuntu uses KDE, and Xubuntu uses Xfce, all of which are somewhat more demanding of computer memory and resources. Fluxbuntu is designed to be versatile, while minimizing the need of system resources.

Default packages

As well as using the Fluxbox window manager, Fluxbuntu excludes many applications and daemons from Ubuntu which makes it even more lightweight. It also replaces a large number of Ubuntu's default applications with lightweight alternatives:

External links
Fluxbuntu
Image:Fluxbuntu logo.png
OS family Linux
Working state Current
Source model Free and Open Source Software
Latest stable release 7.10 Release Candidate/ October 26, 2007
Supported platforms i386, AMD64, PowerPC
Kernel type Monolithic kernel
Default user interface Fluxbox GUI
License GNU General Public License and other licenses
Website fluxbuntu.org

Xubuntu


Xubuntu is an official derivative of the Ubuntu Linux distribution, using the Xfce desktop environment. Xubuntu is intended for users with less powerful computers or those who seek a highly efficient desktop environment on faster systems. It features mostly GTK+

History

Xubuntu was originally rumored to release alongside Breezy Badger (5.10) versions of the Ubuntu line, but an official release date was not decided upon, although the Xubuntu name was used for a metapackage (xubuntu-desktop) which would install an Xfce desktop. The first official Xubuntu release appeared on June 1, 2006, alongside the Ubuntu 6.06 line (including Kubuntu and Edubuntu) code named Dapper Drake. The current version is 8.04 (Hardy Heron).

A slightly customized version of Xubuntu is delivered with the Linutop. The main modifications are the inclusion of a kernel and an X.org driver that only supports the Linutop's Geode LX CPU and its built-in graphic chip.

eeeXubuntu is a variant of Xubuntu for the storage-constrained Asus Eee PC.

A minimal Xubuntu variant called "UserOS Ultra" was produced for Australia's PC User magazine.


Differences from Ubuntu

Ubuntu uses the GNOME Desktop Environment as well as GNOME applications. Xubuntu uses the Xfce desktop environment which uses fewer system resources and therefore works better with older computers. Xubuntu also features primarily GTK+ applications that are designed to use fewer resources than their GNOME counterparts. Xubuntu has access to the same default application repositories as Ubuntu and can run most of those applications with only minor differences in the user interface (as it has a different desktop environment).

Requirements

Xubuntu can be installed with one of 2 CDs, both requiring at least 1.5GB of hard drive space. Installing with the Desktop CD requires 192 MB of RAM, while the Alternate CD (which uses a text based installer), requires 64 MB of RAM, and also allows access to additional options for the installation. Once installed, Xubuntu can run with 192 MB RAM, but it is strongly recommended to have at least 256 MB RAM.

Company / developer Canonical Ltd./Ubuntu Foundation
OS family Linux
Working state Current
Source model free software / open source
Latest stable release 8.04 (Hardy Heron)/ April 24, 2008
Kernel type Monolithic kernel
Default user interface Xfce
License Various
Website www.xubuntu.org