Operating Systems » Ubuntu Linux

Analysis: Why Linux is a desktop flop

It's free, easier to use than ever, IT staffers know it and love it, and it has fewer viruses and Trojans than Windows.

By Maria Korolov | 30 April, 2012 21:28

Tags: Android, Configuration / maintenance, consumer electronics, Data Center, desktop, desktop pcs, Gartner, hardware systems, IDC, Linux, open source, operating systems, smartphones, software

20 popular Ubuntu Linux apps you may want to try

As Ubuntu Linux continues to grow in popularity, most discussions of it tend to focus on the basics of the operating system itself, including especially details about its desktop environment and user interface.

By Katherine Noyes | 10 February, 2012 07:01

Tags: Linux, non-Windows, open source, operating systems, software, ubuntu, unix

Ubuntu Linux Satanic Edition (666.9) review

Getting ready to review a Linux distribution is usually pretty straightforward. After some background research into the distribution's history, you download the latest ISO and beseech the head of IT to lend you a netbook or scrounge up some moth-infested, aging desktop PC.

By Rohan Pearce | 10 May, 2011 15:30

Tags: Linux, open source, ubuntu

For an old or slow PC, try Puppy Linux 5.2

There's no doubt Canonical's popular Ubuntu Linux distribution gets the majority of attention in the Linux world these days, but there are myriad others equally worthy of consideration.

By Katherine Noyes | 12 January, 2011 08:58

Tags: canonical, Linux, non-Windows, open source, operating systems, software, unix

Ubuntu Server: Lean, mean, cloud-making machine

Ubuntu Server is a fast, free, no-frills Linux distribution that fills a niche between utilitarian Debian and the GUI-driven and, some would argue, over-featured Novell SUSE and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

By Tom Henderson and Brendan Allen | 02 June, 2009 08:12

Tags: canonical, Linux, linux distribution, ubuntu

Switching my dad to Linux -- part two

As mentioned in my last posting, I'm not a very good Linux evangelist. I don't try and convert family and friends to Linux. Therefore, as surprising as it sounds, putting Ubuntu on my dad's new laptop--as I did a week ago--was the first time I've ever directly converted another individual to Linux.

By Keir Thomas | 15 May, 2009 23:31

Tags: Linux, ubuntu

Ubuntu 9.04 beta: quick look

So far there have been six alpha releases of the forthcoming Ubuntu 9.04, due for final release next month, and late yesterday the one and only beta release was made available for download. From this point forward there's a release candidate in mid-April, before the final release is made on the 23rd.

By Keir Thomas | 28 March, 2009 12:03

Tags: Linux, ubuntu

Living free with Linux: Round 2

Last month, in "Living free with Linux: 2 weeks without Windows," I wrote about what life was like for a longtime Windows user trying to live with Linux. One of the main drawbacks: The difficulties I encountered when installing or updating software.

By Preston Gralla | 12 March, 2009 09:45

Tags: Linux

Desktop Linux: Ready for the mainstream

It's been a decade since Linux proponents first argued their OS was ready for mainstream adoption. Yet for all intents and purposes, Linux remains nonexistent on "regular" people's desks. Sure, developers and other tech experts use Linux, but that's about it.

By Galen Gruman | 03 March, 2009 09:06

Tags: Linux

The Windows-versus-Linux server face-off

Linux certainly has established itself as a prominent server OS these days, pushing Unix into the background. But the open source OS shares the stage with commercial software giant Microsoft, which remains a dominant player with Windows Server.

By Paul Krill | 26 February, 2009 09:26

Tags: Linux, windows server 2008

More specialty Linuxes to the rescue

The day of the mold-your-own OS has come, and Linux is the clay.

By Rick Grehan | 25 February, 2009 08:19

Tags: Linux

Living free with Linux: 2 weeks without Windows

It's one of those perennial age-old battles that can never be resolved. Coke or Pepsi? Chocolate or vanilla? Linux or Windows?

By Preston Gralla | 22 January, 2009 08:33

Tags: Linux

Linux 2.6.28's five best features

While you were likely to be opening up Christmas presents, Linus Torvalds was giving Linux users around the world a special present: the release of the next major Linux kernel: Linux 2.6.28.

By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols | 13 January, 2009 09:49

Tags: Linux

Replacing high-end Unix with enterprise Linux? Not so fast.

Migrating from high-end Unix-based systems to commodity x86/Linux platforms has been a popular idea for the last few years, at least in theory. But it turns out that not everyone thinks going full-on with Linux is the best solution -- at least not yet.

By Robert L. Mitchell | 25 November, 2008 08:43

Tags: Linux, unix

Making desktop Linux work for business

Today's IT managers face tough choices. PCs that run fine today have an uncertain upgrade path, now that Microsoft has chosen to discontinue Windows XP. Upgrade costs associated with Vista, coupled with the ever-escalating cost of application licenses, make switching to desktop Linux an increasingly attractive option.

Desktop Linux face-off: Ubuntu 8.04 vs. Fedora 9

Over the past decade, Linux has emerged from a herd of obscure and nerdy operating systems to warrant a place in even the most technologically unsophisticated business environments. And in the past three years, a few distributions have made stupendous leaps in performance and usability, winning the affection of millions of mainstream desktop users.

A practical guide to Ubuntu Linux

With all the people out there willing to offer help on Linux, getting started should be pretty easy. But with many options in introductory books and easy-to-install distributions, choosing a place to start can be the hard part.