Wipe a hard drive completely

More than half the computers donated to the Salvation Army and Goodwill still have the users' personal information on them. I suppose PCs at yard sales are just as bad. A criminal who obtains your used hard drive may find enough information to steal your identity and ruin your credit.

Deleting files or moving them to the trash doesn't really get rid of the data. It just removes the filenames from the file system. The data are still on the hard drive until something writes over it. Writing zeroes over the entire usable surface is enough. The FBI might be able to dismantle your drive and read the platters with special equipment, but it can't be done with software alone.

All Unix systems, including Linux, come with a very old, standard utility program called dd, for "disk dump." dd will copy data from any file or device to any other file or device. On Linux, there is a device name for the "master" (first) drive on the first "IDE" channel: /dev/hda. There is also a thing called /dev/zero. Any program can read data out of /dev/zero all day, and all it ever gets is an endless string of zeroes. So, guess what, use dd to copy a big pile of zeroes onto /dev/hda and the drive will be wiped clean.

Now you're saying but I never use Unix, Unix is for geeks who can't get a date, and I sure don't want to install an operating system just to wipe a drive, right? Well your old hard drive doesn't care if you're a geek. Nor do the criminals who want your data. And these days you can use Linux without installing anything. So here's the step by step:

Go to http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/download.html and choose a nearby download site, and download the file dsl-3.1.iso (or whatever version it's up to) from the "current" directory. This 50MB file took six minutes on my ADSL line. That's faster than driving to the store and buying a commercial disk wipe program.

Burn this CD image onto a CD with your favorite CD burning program. I picked Durn Small Linux because it fits on a business card CD, but you can put it on a regular CD if you like. I burn CDs with K3B (from www.K3B.org) but you might use Nero.

Insert the CD in the computer to be wiped, and boot (or reboot) the computer off the CD. There is a Durn Small Linux "splash screen" with a boot prompt boot: in the lower left. Type dsl 2 and hit Enter. Durn Small Linux takes a little while to scan your computer and figure out how to run there. It prints a bunch of chatty messages about a bunch of modules it can't find. Ignore all of that. The boot sequence ends with a command prompt root@tty1[/]# and a blinking cursor. That 2 you typed means never mind your fancy graphical hoo-ha, I just want a command prompt. So that's what it did. Try it without the 2 some other time.

Are you sure the first drive on the first IDE channel is the one you want to wipe? This operation is not reversible! Very carefully type the command

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda

and hit Enter. In English, that's disk dump, with input file /dev/zero and output file /dev/hda. There are no spaces around the slashes or the equal signs. The dd program will run until it hits the end of the hard drive. Your drive light will be on, solid. At the end it will tell you how many 1KB blocks of zeroes it wrote. You may now unplug the computer and donate the cleaned drive to charity.

Your drive is empty. Even its partition table is gone. You can create a new one with the cfdisk command. It's rather self-explanatory, especially if you have used Microsoft's fdisk before.

This trick works for standard USB flash drives, too. The first flash drive is /dev/sda. It should be recognized automatically when you plug it in.

The second ("slave") drive on the first IDE channel is /dev/hdb. You can wipe it, too.

This is not an installation. Durn Small Linux runs in RAM, and when you shut off the computer, it's gone. If your computer can't boot off a CD, or you can't create a bootable CD, you can do this disk wipe with a floppy disk and the tiny little eensy weensy Linux system known as Toms Root That Boots from http://www.toms.net/rb/. I chose Durn Small Linux because who uses floppies anymore? (And would you believe CNET's software wouldn't let me use the Bad Word in the name of that operating system? Sheesh!)

Label the CD and put it in your PC repair tool box, or give it to a friend who works on PCs.

The dd program that comes with Linux is from the Free Software Foundation, http://www.fsf.org.

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

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

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 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), 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), 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), 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), 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), 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), 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), 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), 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 (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:

• AbiWord and Gnumeric replace OpenOffice.org as the default office programs
• Kazehakase replaces Mozilla Firefox as the default Web browser
• Claws Mail replaces Evolution as the default e-mail client

External links

• Official website
• Fluxbuntu page on Launchpad

Fluxbuntu

Fluxbuntu Login Window

Fluxbuntu using Abiword

Fluxbuntu

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

Kubuntu

Kubuntu is an official derivative of the Ubuntu Linux distribution using the KDEGNOME. It is part of the Ubuntu project and uses the same underlying system. Kubuntu and Ubuntu can work alongside each other by installing the ubuntu-desktop and kubuntu-desktop packages. Every package in Kubuntu shares the same repositories as Ubuntu. Kubuntu CDs can be ordered through the Shipit service. It is released regularly and predictably graphical environment instead of

Name

"Kubuntu", pronounced /kùbúntú/ (koo-BOON-too), means "towards humanity" in Bemban (derived from "ubuntu" - "humanity"). The K at the beginning represents the K Desktop Environment, which Kubuntu runs. By coincidence, Kubuntu also means "friendly spirit" in Mizo, and "free" (as in 'free of charge') in Kirundi

Differences from Ubuntu

A regular installation of Ubuntu will have the GNOME desktop, GNOME applications (e.g. Evolution) and GNOME/GTK+ admin tools (e.g. Synaptic Package Manager). A regular installation of Kubuntu has the KDE desktop, KDE applications (e.g. Kontact) and KDE/Qt admin tools (e.g. Adept Manager). In addition, Kubuntu is more likely to use packages from the KDE/Qt project rather than GTK+ toolkit-based applications. However, these are simply the default packages. For example, one may install Ubuntu and then add KDE, or even install the Kubuntu 'metapackage'. Therefore, one need not be restricted to one set of applications, but can mix and match by preference. There is a slight disadvantage to doing so, namely the increased diskspace and memory requirements of running both Qt and GTK.

Kubuntu 8.04 CDs

Kubuntu uses a familiar boot from CD screen however.

Kubuntu 8.04 with KDE 3.

Releases

Kubuntu follows the same naming/versioning system as Ubuntu, with each release having a code name, and a version number based on the year and month of release. Canonical provides support and security updates for most Kubuntu versions for 18 months after release.^[4] Both Desktop CDs and Alternative (installation) CDs for x86 and AMD64 platforms are available.

Kubuntu is available both with KDE 3.5 and KDE 4.

Kubuntu 8.04 with KDE 4
Company / developer	Canonical Ltd. and community contributors
OS family	Linux
Working state	Current
Source model	Open source
Latest stable release	8.04 (Hardy Heron)/ April 24, 2008
Kernel type	Monolithic kernel
Default user interface	KDE
License	Various
Website	www.kubuntu.org

Edubuntu

Edubuntu, also known as Ubuntu Education Edition, is a member of the Ubuntu family of Linux distributions designed for use in classrooms and schools.

Edubuntu has been developed in collaboration with teachers and technologists in multiple countries. Edubuntu is built on top of the Ubuntu base, and incorporates the LTSP thin client architecture, as well as education-specific applications, aimed at the 6-18 years age group. Its also useful for homeschooled children.

Features

Included with Edubuntu is the Linux Terminal Server Project, a large number of educational applications including GCompris, KDE Edutainment Suite, and Schooltool Calendar. The first Edubuntu release coincided with the release of Ubuntu 5.10, which was codenamed Breezy Badger on 2005-10-13. Edubuntu CDs can be ordered for free through the Shipit service.

Edubuntu's default GUI is GNOME, but starting with release 7.10, KDE is also available as Edubuntu KDE.

Project goals

The primary goal of Edubuntu is to enable an educator with limited technical knowledge and skills to set up a computer lab or an on-line learning environment in an hour or less and then effectively administer that environment.

The principal design goals of Edubuntu are centralized management of configuration, users and processes, together with facilities for working collaboratively in a classroom setting. Equally important is the gathering together of the best available free software and digital materials for education.

It also aims to allow resource-poor environments to maximize their available (older) equipment.

Ubuntu Education Edition

With the 8.04 Hardy Heron release of Edubuntu it was given the name of Ubuntu Education Edition and is simply an add-on to a standard Ubuntu installation. This was done to erase the problem of having some of the most useful software on the Edubuntu Add-On CD. The Ubuntu Education Edition CD includes all of the applications and packages on the Edubuntu & Edubuntu Add-On CDs at the expense of not being a Live CD.

Edubuntu 8.04 running GNOME
Company / developer	Canonical Ltd. and community contributors
OS family	Ubuntu
Working state	Current
Source model	Free software
Latest stable release	8.04 (Hardy Heron)/ April 24, 2008 (2008-04-24); 94 days ago
Kernel type	Monolithic kernel (Linux)
Default user interface	GNOME
License	Various (free with some restricted components)
Website	edubuntu.org

Linus Torvalds

Linus Benedict Torvalds (lahir 28 Desember 1969 di Helsinki, Finlandia) adalah rekayasawan perangkat lunak Finlandia yang dikenal sebagai perintis pengembangan kernel Linux. Ia sekarang bertindak sebagai koordinator proyek tersebut.

Linux terinsipirasi oleh Minix (suatu sistem operasi yang dikembangkan oleh Andrew S. Tanenbaum) untuk mengembangkan suatu sistem operasi mirip-Unix (Unix-like) yang dapat dijalankan pada suatu PC. Linux sekarang dapat dijalankan pada berbagai arsitektur lain.