Browsing English (Australia) translation

84.

\marginnote{For information on Ubuntu Server Edition, and how you can use it in your company, visit \url{http://www.ubuntu.com/business/server/overview}.} While large organizations often find it useful to pay for support services, Shuttleworth has promised that the Ubuntu desktop system will always be free. As of 2012, Ubuntu is installed on an estimated 2\% of the world's computers. This equates to tens of millions of users worldwide, and is growing each year. As there is no compulsory registration, the percentage of Ubuntu users should be treated as an estimate.

85.

Ubuntu!history of|)

86.

What is Linux?

87.

Linux|(

88.

Ubuntu is built on the foundation of Linux, which is a member of the \Index{Unix} family. \Index{Unix} is one of the oldest types of operating systems and has provided reliability and security in professional applications for almost half a century. Many servers around the world that store data for popular websites (such as YouTube and Google) run some variant of a \Index{Unix} system. The Linux \Index{kernel} is best described as the core, or almost the brain, of the operating system.

89.

The Linux \Index{kernel} is the controller of the operating system; it is responsible for allocating memory and processor time. It can also be thought of as the program which manages any and all applications on the computer itself.

90.

\marginnote{While modern graphical \glspl{desktop environment} have generally replaced early command-line interfaces, the command line can still be a quick and efficient way of performing many tasks. See \chaplink{ch:advanced-topics} for more information, and \chaplink{ch:the-ubuntu-desktop} to learn more about \gls{GNOME} and other desktop environments.} Linux was designed from the ground up with security and hardware compatibility in mind, and is currently one of the most popular \Index{Unix}-based operating systems. One of the benefits of Linux is that it is incredibly flexible and can be configured to run on almost any device\dash from the smallest micro-computers and cellphones to larger super-computers. \Index{Unix} was entirely command line-based until graphical user interfaces (\glspl{GUI}) began to emerge in the early 1990s.

91.

These early \acronym{GUI}s were difficult to configure, clunky, and generally only used by seasoned computer programmers. In the past decade, however, graphical user interfaces have come a long way in terms of usability, reliability, and appearance. Ubuntu is just one of many different Linux \emph{distributions}, \marginnote{To learn more about Linux distributions, see \chaplink{ch:learning-more}.} and uses one of the more popular graphical desktop environments called \acronym{GNOME}.

92.

Linux|)

93.

Is Ubuntu right for you?