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\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.
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Ubuntu!history of|)
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Located in
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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.
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\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.
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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}.
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New users to Ubuntu may find that it takes some time to feel comfortable when trying a new operating system. You will no doubt notice many similarities to both Microsoft Windows and Mac \acronym{OS~X}, and some differences. Users coming from Mac \acronym{OS~X} are more likely to notice similarities due to the fact that both Mac \acronym{OS~X} and Ubuntu originated from \Index{Unix}. The Unity shell, which is the default in Ubuntu, is a completely new concept, which needs some exploring to get used to it. See \chaplink{ch:the-ubuntu-desktop} for more information about the Unity shell.
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Before you decide whether or not Ubuntu is right for you, we suggest giving yourself some time to grow accustomed to the way things are done in Ubuntu. You should expect to find that some things are different from what you are used to. We also suggest taking the following into account:
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That is, Ubuntu is developed, written, and maintained by the community. Because of this, support is probably not available at your local computer store. Fortunately, the Ubuntu community is here to help. There are many articles, guides, and manuals available, as well as users on various Internet forums and Internet Relay Chat (\acronym{IRC}) rooms that are willing to assist beginners. Additionally, near the end of this guide, we include a troubleshooting chapter: \chaplink{ch:troubleshooting}.
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[Many applications designed for Microsoft Windows or Mac \acronym{OS~X} will not run on Ubuntu.] For the vast majority of everyday computing tasks, you will find suitable alternative applications available in Ubuntu. However, many professional applications (such as the Adobe Creative Suite) are not developed to work with Ubuntu. If you rely on commercial software that is not compatible with Ubuntu, yet still want to give Ubuntu a try, you may want to consider \gls{dual-booting}. \marginnote{To learn more about \gls{dual-booting} (running Ubuntu side-by-side with another operating system), see \chaplink{ch:installation}.} Alternatively, some applications developed for Windows will work in Ubuntu with a program called \application{Wine}. For more information on Wine, go to \url{http://www.winehq.org}.
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[Many commercial games will not run on Ubuntu.] If you are a heavy gamer, then Ubuntu may not be for you. Game developers usually design games for the largest market. Since Ubuntu's market share is not as substantial as Microsoft's Windows or Apple's Mac \acronym{OS~X}, most game developers will not allocate resources towards making their games compatible with Linux. \marginnote{See \chaplink{ch:software-management} to learn more about \application{Ubuntu Software Center}.} If you just enjoy a game every now and then, there is active game development within the community, and many high quality games can be easily installed through the \application{Ubuntu Software Center}.
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Located in
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