Ubuntu 6.06 Linux Distro

According to distrowatch, Ubuntu 6.06 is the most popular Linux distribution

today. While writing this article, Ubuntu is running with a download of 2845 and

is leading SUSE (the second most popular distro) by 879 downloads. This time, we

have reviewed both the commercial versions of SUSE Enterprise Linux (elsewhere

in the magazine) and Ubuntu. In this article, we will discuss what we found and

will also try to understand why is Ubuntu on the top of the Linux popularity

chart.

Installation



Ubuntu is basically a debian-based distribution and uses .deb based packages.
The installation is completely text-based, but the good thing about the

installer is the less number of options it asks you for. When you insert the

installation CD and boot the machine, you will notice it has just two primary

installation options — Server and Desktop. The difference is that Desktop is a

full installation (without any server applications) while Server is a minimal

installation with low GUI support. Basically, the server consists of basic

applications such as a File and Print (Samba), Web Server (Apache), DNS Server

(Bind), etc., which are not installed on the Desktop version.

Whereas, in case of the Desktop installation, you will find all those games,

media players, etc. and of course, the rich desktop which was absent in the

Server version. But what I would recommend is to use this distro for Enterprise

workstation and that too only there, where you need just a basic set of

applications. This distro is not a wise choice for deploying as an Enterprise

Server. The reason is it lacks development platforms and compilers, which can

make it very difficult to compile and run new or customized apps. But still, if

you want you can download .deb files from the net and install them on top of it

to customize your needs.

You need to answer about a dozen questions during installation, but all of

them ask details like Host name, type of network, etc. However, it didn't even

ask for a package selection and does a standard full installation on every

machine. The only place where you can get stuck is where it asks for

partitioning. But if your machine doesn't have any other partition or at least

has some un-partitioned space free, then the Automatic partitioning works

perfectly and doesn't need any user intervention.

So overall, in spite of a text-based installation, we would give it good

marks for lesser number of questions it asks, which is a boon for new uusers.

Also note that just because it does a full installation on every machine, don't

assume it will eat up your whole hard disk. It's a small distro that comes on

just one CD and has selected necessary applications. That could be one of the

reasons for Ubuntu being so popular.

First look



After installation, when the machine reboots into the OS, the first thing you
will notice is a very clean desktop with no icons. Even the trash icon lies on

the task bar instead of the desktop. The only icon you will see on the desktop

is either the CD or any removable media (only if present). After clicking on the

Applications Menu (the start Menu), you will see the standard menu system such

as Accessories, Games, Internet, Graphics, office, etc. But, on opening, you

will notice a number of applications in them. Ubuntu has done a great job on

reducing the number of apps in the distro and tried its level best to keep just

one application of its kind. That drastically reduces the confusion of app sele

tion for newbies and makes it a user-friendly distro.

Just next to the Applications Menu, you will notice the Places menu, which is

essentially the list of all drives (local and network). The other noticeable

thing is the Shutdown button, which hangs from the top task bar, just next to

the clock. That makes it easier to lock or shutdown the system when you are in a

hurry. Also the plug and play feature of the desktop is pretty good. It easily

detected my pen drives and USB-based wireless keyboard and mouse in just one

shot and worked without any problem.

No root



One more interesting feature you find in Ubuntu is the absence of the root user
by default. After the first login screen comes, if you try to login with the

root user, by default it will not allow you. Even if you try logging in from a

shell or a virtual console as root, it would still not allow you. Even the su

command won't work. This makes Ubuntu much securer than other distros, in

which a new user can log in as root and mess up with the system. But, as you

cannot log in with root, Ubuntu people are kind enough to have made available

some of the common commands like ifconfig and iwconfig and some configuration

commands, even for the normal user. But while running the dhclient command to

get a dynamic IP to our wifi card, it showed an error “Permission Denied”.

To overcome, there was only one way out - to use the sudo command. So

remember, if you are an Ubuntu user and are not able to run some command because

of the non-availability of the root login, the “sudo” is your only chance.

Connectivity options



As per the connectivity, the OS is pretty much like any other Linux
distribution. It can easily connect with ADS network using Samba 3. The network

connection wizard is also quite easy to use. All you have to do is to click on

the Network icon on your upper task bar and then go to the Support tab and click

the “Configure” button. This will open up new windows, from where you can

configure all your wired (LAN), wireless and modem/dial-up networks.

Service and support



The support for Ubuntu comes in two types. One is the standard Linux style, in
which you get all the free information about the OS from Ubuntu's

site/knowledgebase and other sites. And the second is the commercial way. A

company called Canonical, which is the biggest sponsor of Ubuntu, provides the

commercial support. The company offers different schemes, which vary from

Desktop Level Support to Enterprise Support and can annually cost you from $250

to $1200 USD, depending upon the type of scheme you choose. You can get more

details about the support



plans from http://www.ubuntu.com /support/paid.

Bottom Line: If you are not familiar with Linux but still want to

shift to it completely, Ubuntu is your best bet. It can be a good first step if

you want to give your users a taste of Linux at the desktop.