Linux and Ubuntu Alternative to Microsoft Windows OS SYS-ED Training CETi

Linux and Ubuntu - State of the Software

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Linux and Ubuntu
Operating Systems

Alternative to Microsoft Windows
Desktop Operating Systems

Open Source Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an open source Linux desktop operating system; it is available free or at minimal cost. Since creating Ubuntu in 2005, Canonical has pursued a different strategy with the Linux operating system than Red Hat and Novell/The Attachmate Group which have concentrated their efforts in servicing data centers. Ubuntu has emerged as the fastest growing desktop version of the Linux operating system. Industry research firms estimate that 11 percent of American businesses have systems based on Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 12.04: Precise Pangolin

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS: Long Term Support is the 16th release of the Ubuntu operating system. The distribution is scheduled for April 2012. Software bundled with Precise Pangolin includes: LibreOffice 3.4.4, Firefox 9.0 and Thunderbird 9.0. The prevailing opinion is that it will provide incremental improvements and be a stable operating system. This Ubuntu release no longer fits on a single CD, requiring a DVD or USB drive instead. Ubuntu 12.04 supports both the cloud guest and cloud infrastructure, across ARM and x86 architectures. Canonical also is extending Ubuntu to serve as a viable operating system for mobile computing devices.

The 3.2.0-2.5 Ubuntu kernel is based on the latest mainline v3.2-rc3 kernel. In order to economize on maintenance, the kernel utilized with Ubuntu server on the AMD64 processer has been consolidated into a single code base. IPv6 private extensions are turned on by default. This builds upon the IPV6 support provided in Ubuntu 11.10: SLAAC - stateless autoconfiguration, stateless DHCPv6 and stateful DHCPv6.

Ubuntu has a graphical interface similar to Microsoft Windows and a web browser, e-mail program, instant-messaging software and a suite of programs for creating documents, spreadsheets and presentations. In general, Linux variants will not be able to run all the applications created for Microsoft Windows. Ubuntu, and other versions of Linux, can be challenging to use. Canonical's strategy has been to address the issues that have prevented Linux workstations from gaining wide acceptance in a mainstream market. Canonical adds features to Ubuntu that capitalize on the latest advances from developers and component makers like Intel. Historically, updates to the Linux operating system have a tendency to result in problems, causing something as basic as a computer’s display or sound system to malfunction. Advocates of open source software believe that a mainstream Linux-desktop can serve as a viable alternative to MS Windows and the Apple’s Macintosh operating system.

Ubuntu - Featureset

The Ubuntu featureset includes:

Feature	Description
filesystem level	Ubuntu installs itself on Ext4 by default.
	The default boot manager is now GRUB2.
	The new boot manager offers several extended features; it can start the Linux kernel from Ext4, LVM, and RAID partitions.
kernel versions	There is a KMS: Kernel-based mode setting.
	The kernel now performs the task of switching between graphics modes with Intel and Radeon graphic processing units.
	Suspend to disk and suspend to RAM work more reliably because the kernel reinitializes the graphics hardware after waking up.
	The system boot time has been both refined and accelerated; without graphics reinitialization there is no longer any flickering when starting the X Server.
	On systems with Intel graphics, the boot screen has been cosmetically improved as part of the load and startup of the desktop.
	The kernel version 2.6.31 provided improved support on WiFi and network processors.
	The UNR: Ubuntu Netbook Remix works reliably on a range of netbook computers.
HAL: Hardware Abstraction Layer	Replacements and upgrades have been made to the interface between desktop, system and hardware.
	Udev is used for hardware detection, providing hardware information, and the creation of events. This is useful when adding a flash drive or switching from main to battery power.
	Mass storage integration and power management are handled by DeviceKit-disk and DeviceKit-power.
	PolicyKit manages access privilege management.
installation options	There is an option for setting up an encrypted home directory.
installation options	The eCryptfs technology is used to provide this capability; it is a stackable, encrypted file system placed on top of the home directory.
hardware	Improvements have been made for handling multiple monitors.
applications	Computer Janitor has been included in Ubuntu. It is used for finding and removing software packages and providing suggestions for configuration changes.
	Evolution provides integrated mail, address book and calendar functionality to users of the GNOME desktop. It supports Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders (.PST files): E-mail, contacts, appointments, tasks and journal entries. Evolution has added support for the Microsoft Exchange’s MAPI protocol, which makes it easier to integrate with Exchange servers.
	The Nautilus file manager provides Brasero as the default disc burning utility.

Reality in the Market

Several of the largest Ubuntu customers are outside the United States. Organizations which have made an investment in Ubuntu include:

Google’s 20,000 employees, which use a modified version of Ubuntu.
Spain, school systems have installed 195,000 Ubuntu desktops.
France, the National Assembly and the Gendarmerie Nationale, the military police force have installed Ubuntu 80,000 desktops.
Macedonia, the education department has installed 180,000 copies of Ubuntu.

Computer hardware manufacturers have placed Linux on more than 10 percent of the workstations they sell as servers. Dell has started to sell PCs and desktops with Ubuntu Linux software.

IBM has made Ubuntu the basis of a software package that offers a cost effective alternative to Microsoft desktop operating systems and Office. ICSW: IBM Client for Smart Work on Ubuntu is an optimized workspace with collaboration in context embedded business processes based on a Service Oriented Architecture. ICSW includes Lotus Symphony, Lotus Notes/iNotes, LotusLive software components and the ability to have virtual Linux desktops using VERDE from Virtual Bridges. Unified communications, social, and portal software can be added.

Dell has started to sell PCs and desktops with Ubuntu Linux software.

Ubuntu Server Edition is now certified by Canonical for use on HP ProLiant servers, including the latest HP ProLiant G6 servers.

Ubuntu and Cloud Computing

In order to compete with alternative desktop operating systems which integrate with the cloud computing model, Canonical provides the Ubuntu One service. The Ubuntu One offers 2GB of free Internet storage; it can be used for synchronizing data across multiple Ubuntu installations, making files available to other users, and backing up data.

Ubuntu 9.04 Server Edition also provides the ability to experiment with cloud computing. Open source Eucalyptus software can be used for deploying servers in a private cloud which matches the Amazon EC2 API. Virtual machines can be dynamically created and multiple clusters can be configured into a single cloud. EBS: Elastic Block Storage and S3 storage manager can also be utilized in the prototype private cloud.