Ubuntu: Linux for human beings

Ubuntu 5.10

It’s been six long months. But Ubuntu is back, and better than ever.

Ubu-what?

Ubuntu is a free Linux-based operating system for your Intel, AMD, or PPC computer. If you want a Linux system that Just Works, or if you’re tired of Windows or OS X and feeling adventurous, give Ubuntu a spin. We think you’ll be impressed.

Standing on the shoulders of … gnomes

Ubuntu builds on the latest GNOME 2.12 operating environment. Despite the silly name, GNOME provides elegant and powerful software for everything from instant messaging to image viewing, from system configuration to Solitaire.

The best of Free Software

Ubuntu includes the best applications the Free Software world has to offer. Firefox for Web browsing.Evolution for e-mail, contacts, calendars, and to-do lists. Gimp for image editing. And the new OpenOffice.org 2.0 for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.

You know when people say “And there’s much, much more”? Well with Ubuntu, it’s actually true. You can choose from hundreds of software packages in the Ubuntu software catalogue, and download and install them with the click of a button. And it’s all completely free.

Customize to your heart’s content

Want a personal look and feel for your desktop? Choose from dozens of included screensavers. Mix and match themes for the look of windows and buttons. Get more themes from art.ubuntu.com and art.gnome.org. And customize your Applications menu with the new Menu Editor.

Automatic Updates

Software updates are automatically announced with a small red icon. Ubuntu will display, review and install them easily, ensuring your software is up to date and secure.

PDFs just got faster

Ubuntu now loads your PDF, PostScript, and DjVu documents faster. Search text, select and copy it, view thumbnails and two-page views, all in a speedy and uncluttered interface.

Introducing OpenOffice.org 2

Create, edit and save word processor documents with Writer, spreadsheets with Calc and presentations with Impress. Easily share files with your friends who have MS Office or Staroffice. Create PDFs with a single click. OpenOffice.org 2 now includes simple and easy database creation with Base.

Watch movies on your desktop or in your browser

Enjoy movies and video clips with the Totem media player, built on the powerful GStreamer multimedia framework. Watch trailers and videos from inside Firefox with the new Totem plugin.

Burn audio CDs with Serpentine

Just drag your ogg, mp3 or other audio files and then click to burn them. See the artist and track name. Don't guess when the disc is full, just look.

Manage your personal information

Control your name, password and other personal information from one location. Simply launch About Me from System-->Preferences

Bring old machines to life

Using Linux Terminal Server Project on Ubuntu, bring those old machines back as thin clients for your office or school.

Use your camera, portable media player or USB drive

Just plug it in and import your pictures, move files or load up some tunes. And hey, no extra software to install!

Your system, your way, easier

Sometimes you need to tweak, so enjoy a few new ways such as starting and stop services with a single click. Or seeing all your harddrives and controlling the boot order.

Coming to a language near you

T’agrada utilitzar el programari en la teua llengua pròpia? Our thoughts exactly. That’s why Ubuntu is available in over 40 languages, from Arabic to Xhosa. (And if you want to contribute to the Ubuntu effort, you can even help out with the translations.)

So what’s the catch?

There is none. Ubuntu will always be free of charge. Releases are scheduled every six months. And if you don’t want to upgrade, security updates are provided for each version for 18 months after its release.

If you're still not sure, try out the Ubuntu LiveCD and test Ubuntu without changing anything on your computer. Even if you decide to stay with Windows, the LiveCD also includes Windows versions of OpenOffice.org, Firefox, and Thunderbird,so you can get a taste of what Free Software is about.