Ubuntu

**Ubuntu** is a free operating system that uses the Linux kernel. It is named after the word "ubuntu", which is a Zulu word meaning "humanity to others". It is pronounced "oo-boon-too".

Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux distributions. It is based on the Debian Linux computer operating system. Ubuntu can be used on all types of personal computers (and even devices such as robots) including in Windows 10. Ubuntu is downloaded as a DVD's ISO image, which is free to download from the Ubuntu website. It can be installed or tested by running the DVD.

A new release of Ubuntu is released every six months. The long-term support releases are one type of these, and they are released every two years. Due to their longer periods of update support, most users prefer to install those releases. The latest long-term support release is Ubuntu 24.04 ("Noble Numbat"), which is supported until 2029.

Started in 2004, Ubuntu has been developed by Canonical Ltd., a company owned by Mark Shuttleworth, a South African entrepreneur.

## Packages and software support

Ubuntu splits all software into four different categories to show differences in licensing and the amount of support available. They are:

||free software|non-free software|
| --- | --- | --- |
|**supported**|Main|Restricted|
|**unsupported**|Universe|Multiverse|

Free software here includes only software that meets the Ubuntu licensing requirements, which almost are the same as the Debian Free Software Guidelines. There is one difference for the Main category, however it has firmware and fonts which cannot be changed, but are included if Ubuntu will not work right.

Non-free software is usually unsupported (Multiverse), but some exceptions (Restricted) are given for very important non-free software. Supported non-free software include device drivers that are needed to run Ubuntu on current hardware. The level of support in the Restricted category is less than that of Main, since the developers may not be able to get to the source code. It is wanted that Main and Restricted should contain all the software needed for a general-use Linux system.

Besides the official repositories is _Ubuntu Backports_, which is an officially known project to backport newer software from later releases of Ubuntu. The repository is not comprehensive (meaning that it has parts missing from it); it is mostly made up of user-requested packages, which are accepted if they meet quality guidelines.

## Releases

Two new releases of Ubuntu are released each year, normally in April and October.

The number of the Ubuntu release is 'X.YY', with 'X' being the year of release (minus 2000) and 'Y' being the month of release. For example, Ubuntu 4.10 was released in October (the tenth month of the year), 2004. The name of the release (for example, Breezy Badger) is an adjective (a describing word) followed by the name of an animal.
|Version|Release date|Name|More information|
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|4.10|20 October 2004|Warty Warthog|First release|
|5.04|8 April 2005|Hoary Hedgehog|First "Kubuntu" created|
|5.10|13 October 2005|Breezy Badger|First "Edubuntu"|
|6.06|1 June 2006|Dapper Drake|LTS-release, First "Xubuntu" created|
|6.06.1|August 2006|Dapper Drake Point One|LTS-release, 1st update|
|6.06.2|January 2008|Dapper Drake Point Two|LTS-release, 2nd update|
|6.10|26 October 2006|Edgy Eft|experimental version|
|7.04|19 April 2007|Feisty Fawn||
|7.10|18 October 2007|Gutsy Gibbon|First "Gobuntu" created|
|8.04|24 April 2008|Hardy Heron|LTS-release|
|8.04.1|June 2008|Hardy Heron Point One|LTS-release, 1st update|
|8.10|27 October 2008|Intrepid Ibex||
|9.04|23 April 2009|Jaunty Jackalope||
|9.10|29 October 2009|Karmic Koala||
|10.04|29 April 2010|Lucid Lynx|LTS-release, first "Lubuntu" created|
|10.10|10 October 2010|Maverick Meerkat||
|11.04|28 April 2011|Natty Narwhal||
|11.10|13 October 2011|Oneiric Ocelot||
|12.04|26 April 2012|Precise Pangolin|LTS-release|
|12.10|18 October 2012|Quantal Quetzel||
|13.04|25 April 2013|Raring Ringtail||
|13.10|17 October 2013|Saucy Salamander|Server release|
|14.04|17 April 2014|Trusty Tahr|LTS-release|
|14.10|20 October 2014|Utopic Unicorn||
|15.04|23 April 2015|Vivid Vervet||
|15.10|22 October 2015|Wily Werewolf||
|16.04|21 April 2016|Xenial Xerus|LTS-release|
|16.10|13 October 2016|Yakkety Yak||
|17.04|13 April 2017|Zesty Zapus||
|17.10|19 October 2017|Artful Aardvark||
|18.04|26 April 2018|Bionic Beaver|LTS-release|
|18.10|18 October 2018|Cosmic Cuttlefish||
|19.04|18 April 2019|Disco Dingo||
|19.10|17 October 2019|Eoan Ermine||
|20.04|23 April 2020|Focal Fossa|LTS-release|
|20.10|22 October 2020|Groovy Gorilla||
|21.04|22 April 2021|Hirsute Hippo||
|21.10|14 October 2021|Impish Indri||
|22.04|21 April 2022|Jammy Jellyfish|LTS-release|
|22.10|20 October 2022|Kinetic Kudu||
|23.04|20 April 2023|Lunar Lobster||
|23.10|12 October 2023|Mantic Minotaur||
|24.04|25 April 2024|Noble Numbat|LTS-release|
|24.10|10 October 2024|Oracular Oriole||
|25.04|17 April 2025|Plucky Puffin||
|25.10|9 October 2025|Questing Quokka||

_LTS indicates Long Term Support._

Very old processors (i.e., 32-bit Intel i386) have been supported up to Ubuntu 18.04, but users "will not be allowed to upgrade to Ubuntu 18.10 as dropping support for that architecture is being evaluated".

## Variants

Ubuntu is available in many variants because there are several options for which desktop environment to use, and they can offer different user experiences.

The official sister distributions which are fully supported by Canonical are:

- Ubuntu Kylin, an official derivative aimed at the Chinese market
- Kubuntu, a desktop distribution using KDE rather than GNOME
- Ubuntu Server Edition, which is mainly used on servers to provide services. This version only comes with a command line interface, but a graphical user interface can be installed.
- Xubuntu, a "lightweight" distribution based on the Xfce desktop environment instead of GNOME, designed to run better on low-specification computers
- Lubuntu, a desktop using the LXQT desktop environment
- Ubuntu Budgie, a desktop using the Budgie desktop environment
- Ubuntu MATE, a desktop using the MATE desktop environment
- Ubuntu Studio, a multimedia-creation form of Ubuntu
- Edubuntu, a distribution designed for classrooms
- Ubuntu Cinnamon, a desktop using the Cinnamon desktop environment
- Ubuntu Unity, a desktop using the Unity desktop environment

## Related pages

- GNU/Linux
- Debian
- GNOME
- List of Linux distributions
- Intel

## Other websites

- Kubuntu – Ubuntu with KDE
- Edubuntu – Ubuntu for children to learn with
- Xubuntu – Ubuntu with Xfce
- Ubuntu Guide (unofficial)  – help manual, tips, FAQ, and software guide
- Run Ubuntu online

## Infobox (os)

- **name**: Ubuntu
- **logo**: Ubuntu-logo-2022.svg
- **screenshot**: Ubuntu 25.10 default desktop - English.png
- **caption**: Ubuntu 25.10 "Questing Quokka"
- **developer**: Canonical (company), Canonical Ltd.
- **family**: Linux
- **working state**: Current
- **source model**: Open-source software, Open-source, some proprietary software, proprietary device driver, drivers
- **released**: Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog) /
- **latest release version**: Ubuntu 25.10 LTS (Questing Quokka)
- **marketing target**: Cloud computing, Internet of things, IoT, personal computers, Server (computing), servers
- **language**: More than 55 languages <small>by #Local communities (LoCos), LoCos</small>
- **updatemodel**: Software Updater
- **package manager**: GNOME Software, APT (Debian), APT, dpkg, Snappy (package manager), Snappy, flatpak
- **supported platforms**: IA-32, x86-64, ARM architecture, ARM and more (i.e. at least all traditional computers/devices)
- **kernel type**: Monolithic kernel, Monolithic
- **userland**: GNU Core Utilities, GNU
- **ui**: GNOME
- **license**: Free software