About Open Source

Ubuntu is a Linux-based open source operating system. The term 'open source' can be defined as a set of principles and practices that promotes access to the design and production of goods and knowledge. Open source is generally applied to the source code of software and is available to users with relaxed or no intellectual property restrictions. This enables users to distribute, create and modify software content, either individually to meet their specific requirement or collaboratively to improve the software. Both open source and Linux have transitioned through various phases to reach their present form.

The idea behind openly distributed source code is to encourage the voluntary, collaborative development of software. Users continuously enhance the software, fix bugs, develop new features and share it with others.

As a result of collaborative software development which involves a large number of programmers, users receive software that is often better in quality and performance than proprietary alternatives. Users are encouraged to customize the software to their own personal requirements, which in itself is a huge step away from the 'one size fits all' philosophy.

Open source projects call on the talents of many people with skills other than programming. Many projects involve artists, musicians, user-interface designers and documentation authors to create a complete product.

Free As In Beer Vs. Free As In Speech

While most Open Source software is free of charge (free as in beer) the term free software refers to the core principles of freedom in use of software (free as in speech). The core freedoms of free software, as outlined by the Free Software Foundation are:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
• The freedom to study how the program works and adapt it to your needs.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others.
• The freedom to improve the program and release your improvements to the public, so that everyone benefits.

Free Software Movement, Open Source and Linux

There is often confusion between open source, free software and Linux. While all three are inter-linked, there are distinct differences which are made clearer when looking at their evolution.

The Free Software Movement

In the 1960s, it was typical for software to be distributed freely by companies such as IBM and shared amongst users. Software was then considered an enabler for the hardware, around which the business model of these corporations was built. Software was provided with source code that could be improved and modified; this was therefore the very early seeds of open source software. However, as hardware became cheaper and profit margins eroded in the 1970s, manufacturers looked to software to provide additional revenue streams.

In September 1983, Richard Matthew Stallman, former programmer at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab launched the GNU project to create a free UNIX-like operating system (OS). He was concerned with growth in proprietary software and users' inability to access and modify programs on their computers. Developer constraint, as opposed to freedom was prevalent. With the launch of the GNU project, Stallman started the Free Software Movement and in October 1985, set up the Free Software Foundation.

Stallman pioneered the definition and characteristics of open source software and the concept of copyleft. He is the main author of several copyleft licenses, including the GNU General Public License (GPL), which is the most widely used free software license.

By 1991, a number of GNU tools, including the powerful GNU compiler collection (GCC), had been created. However, a free kernel was not yet available to build a free OS that would use these tools.

The Open Source Movement and Linux

The difference between free software and open source can be defined as the difference between a social movement (free software) and a development methodology (open source). Linux refers to the kernel, or the backbones of the open source architecture.

In August 1991, Linus Benedict Torvalds, a Finnish second-year student of computer science at the University of Helsinki, started working on Minix. Minix is a UNIX-like OS built with open source code that Prof. Andrew S. Tanenbaum created with the intention to teach his students the internal processes of an OS.

Linux was initially designed to be a Minix-like operating system that Linus Torvalds could use on his home computer. By mid-September, Torvalds released the first Linux kernel version 0.01. In 1994, Linux kernel version 1.0 was released under the GNU GPL. The free kernel and GNU tools provided a fertile environment for enthusiasts. By staying close to its UNIX roots, Linux provided a Command Line Interface (CLI) first; the adaptation of the X Window System made a graphical user interface (GUI) available at a later stage.

Linux is not owned by any individual or company, not even Linus Torvalds who started Linux. However, Torvalds is heavily involved in the main kernel development process and owns the trademark, Linux.

Linux open source code:

• Is available and accessible to everyone
• Can be customized according to an individual's requirements and the platforms used
• Can be freely redistributed in its current or a modified form

Initially, Linux was a very technical, hard-core, open source programming tool. Thousands of developers contributed to its evolution as it became more user friendly. This has resulted in the launch of hundreds of commercial and non-commercial distribution versions, designed for everyday application use which are now available.

In 1998, Jon "maddog" Hall, Larry Augustin, Eric S. Raymond, Bruce Perens et al formally launched the Open Source Movement. They promoted open source software exclusively on the basis of technical excellence.

The open source movement and the dot.com boom of the late 1990s coincided, resulting in the popularity of Linux and the evolution of many open source-friendly companies such as Corel (Corel Linux), Sun Microsystems (OpenOffice.org) and IBM (OpenAFS). In the early 21st century when the dot.com crash was at its peak, open source was in a prime position as a viable alternative to expensive proprietary software. Its momentum has strengthened since with the availability of many easy-to-use applications.

As such, what started off as an idea became a passion to revolutionize a patent and license intense industry. With a significantly cheaper return on investment and enhanced usability features, Linux is now rooted as a viable option for enterprises and home users.

About Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a community-developed, Linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need - including a Web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging and much more.

The Ubuntu Promise

• Ubuntu will always be free of charge, including enterprise releases and security updates.
• Ubuntu comes with full commercial support from Canonical and hundreds of companies around the world.
• Ubuntu includes the best translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free software community has to offer.
• Ubuntu CDs contain only free software applications; Ubuntu encourages you to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.

Ubuntu Derivatives

Ubuntu is also available in several editions such as Ubuntu, Edubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu. Edubuntu is Ubuntu customized for the school environment. Kubuntu is an official derivative of Ubuntu based on the work of the K Desktop project (KDE). KDE is a powerful graphical desktop environment, combining ease of use and contemporary functionality. Xubuntu is intended for users with less-powerful computers or those who seek a highly efficient desktop environment on faster systems.

Ubuntu Development and the Community

Ubuntu is a joint collaboration project comprised of Ubuntu community members all around the world. Since its inception in 2004, thousands of contributors have joined the Ubuntu community. These users contribute towards Ubuntu development through writing code, advocacy, artwork, translations, testing and documentation (to name just a few). The development process of Ubuntu is open and transparent to all, whether you are a novice Ubuntu user or an experienced Ubuntu developer - everyone is welcome to get involved with and improve Ubuntu. Canonical also employs developers to contribute to Ubuntu.

Ubuntu and Microsoft Windows: Key Differences

Open source differs from the proprietary software model in that it:

• Encourages customization and variation as opposed to a one size fits many approach.
• Relies on a 'services attached' business model rather than per license and seat basis.
• Believes that the benefits of collaboration and multi-developer contribution outweigh those of controlled project work of smaller, paid developer teams.

Key Attributes

Attribute	Ubuntu	Microsoft Windows
Costs	Free of licensing charges	Charges per user license and/or for a fixed term
Versions Released	Same version and features for home and professional users Six-monthly fully supported free release	Separate Professional and Home editions Less frequent and less visible release schedule
Security	Locked administrative user root Rarely targeted by malware and viruses	Enables easy access to administrative user Regularly targeted by malware and viruses
Customization	Easy to design and personalize Can run different flavors of Ubuntu in parallel	Standard OS with limited options to personalize Paid for additional applications
Data Storage	Easy to upgrade and downgrade User data stored in home directory Easy to migrate and replicate user data and configuration to another computer	User data saved in multiple locations Difficult to backup and migrate to another computer

Looking at each element outlined in the table in greater detail:

Associated Costs: The Microsoft Windows OS is proprietary and the overall price increases with added functionality and applications. The associated price is sometimes a factor of using third party applications and not just a Microsoft decision. With Ubuntu new release versions and applications are free.

New version releases: There is only one released version of Ubuntu and therefore features available to home and professional users are the same. The Home and Professional editions of Microsoft Windows are not the same. For example, Microsoft Windows Professional editions have more security features than Home editions.

Ubuntu's 6 month release cycle also makes it very easy for users to have access to all the latest applications. An upgrade from one release to the next is free and fully supported. Microsoft scheduled releases are less frequent and less visible to the public.

Security aspects: Ubuntu is rarely targeted by malware and viruses. The administrative user root is locked by default in Ubuntu and only certain tasks are run with administrative privileges. Microsoft Windows provides an environment where people can access administrative user directly.

Customization: As you will discover throughout this course, Ubuntu is yours to design and personalize. You can have different flavors of Ubuntu running parallel; for example, you can install the Kubuntu (KDE) desktop together with Ubuntu (GNOME) and then select the desktop environment you want to use. More than 17,000 packages are available and easily accessible through the Internet. As a result, you are not stuck with using one version because it was the first you installed.

Microsoft Windows is a standard OS with some options for customization. While many applications are available, most are proprietary software which incur a license fee.

Data Storage: User data is often located in multiple locations in Microsoft Windows, which can make backing up and migrating from one computer to another tricky. Ubuntu saves your user information in one place - the home directory. This makes the migration of data from an old computer to a new one easy, as well as keeping user specific backup data separate.

Installation Differences

Installation	Ubuntu	Microsoft Windows
OS Installation	Freely downloadable from the Internet or using a free CD Can be used directly from the live-CD	Purchase required OS must be installed on computer hard drive
Software Installation	Huge variety of applications available by default All freely downloadable from the Internet	Limited selection of software available by default Users can purchase and download some software online, others can only be manually installed

Looking at each element outlined in the table in greater detail:

OS Installation: Both Microsoft Windows and Ubuntu come as pre-installed OSs on computers. However, to install post-purchase, Ubuntu can be freely downloaded from the Internet or a free CD can be requested. Any Microsoft Windows version will need to be purchased.

Ubuntu comes in live-CD mode which means you can use the OS directly from the CD without installing it on a host computer. If you like what you see, install it. If you don't, pass it on to a friend. The live-CD option is also useful for system recovery.

The installation of Microsoft Windows and Ubuntu is easy and conducted by running the installation CD and booting the computer. Both installations vary in length according to how powerful your computer is, with an average install taking 20 - 30 minutes.

Software Installation: You can add software on Ubuntu by using the Add/Remove Applications and Synaptic Package Manager. The Add/Remove Applications allows you to search the entire directory of free applications recommended for Ubuntu and install the ones you want. In Microsoft Windows, each program supplies its own installation method. Microsoft Vista has a Digital Locker feature enables users to purchase software online and download it in a protected manner.

Application Based Differences

Applications	Ubuntu	Microsoft Windows
Web browsing and Email	Firefox Web browser by default Evolution e-mail client by default	Internet Explorer Web browser by default Outlook e-mail client by default
Word Processing and Multimedia	OpenOffice.org suite Includes Audio CD Extractor, Brasero,Rhythmbox, Movie Player and Sound Recorder	WordPad by default Includes Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 (WMP) and Microsoft Windows Media Center (WMC)
Image Editing and Picture Management	F-Spot photo manager Gimp for image editing	Picture Gallery application Paint

Looking at each element outlined in the table in greater detail:

Networking, Web browsing and E-mail: Network setup on both Ubuntu and Microsoft Windows is easy. Web browsing features are more or less the same on both OSs.

Mozilla Firefox is loaded as the default browser on Ubuntu, and Internet Explorer is the default browser on Vista. You can also install Firefox on Microsoft Windows.

Evolution is the default e-mail client on Ubuntu. It connects to POP accounts, conventional UNIX mailboxes and Exchange servers via Outlook Web Access. Evolution also has a built-in Personal Information Manager (PIM) and a calendaring and appointment system. The Microsoft Windows Mail application in Vista is a rewritten version of Outlook Express, with a stripped down calendar or appointment application, Microsoft Windows Calendar. An upgrade to Outlook is suggested if you use the calendar often or if you have a full PIM. Ubuntu users enjoy the out-of-the-box mail client setup facility.

Word Processing: The OpenOffice.org suite is installed on Ubuntu by default and provides many features of Microsoft Office. Vista comes with WordPad by default; the full version of Microsoft Word (or Office) for Microsoft Windows, is available at an additional cost.

Multimedia: Several multimedia programs are configured by default on Ubuntu, such as Audio CD Extractor, Brasero Disc Burning, Rhythmbox Music Player, Movie Player and Sound Recorder. Rhythmbox is the default application for playing audio CDs and organizing music and playlists. Rhythmbox is similar to Microsoft Windows Media Player. You can use Brasero to author audio CDs.

To play the mp3 format on Ubuntu, you need to install a codec pack. This is because Ubuntu is not distributed with mp3 codecs due to licensing restrictions. Playback of mp3 files is enabled by default on some versions of Microsoft Windows.

Vista has two multimedia programs, Windows Media Player 11 (WMP for short) and Windows Media Center (WMC for short). WMP is best for playing music, and WMC is useful if you are using the computer as your core entertainment system. WMP can contain a large music library. With the index search system of WMP, you can search music numbers by a particular artist or search for specific numbers.

Image Editing and Picture Management: With the Picture Gallery application of Microsoft Vista, you can upload thousands of images and add tags. You can also organize the images quickly and work on them easily because you can tag them with one click. F-Spot photo manager organizes your personal photos on Ubuntu. It integrates seamlessly with popular Web based image databases, such as Flickr and Picasa Web.

Ubuntu provides the GIMP for image editing which is a powerful Photoshop-like application. Microsoft Windows Vista provides 'Paint' for basic image editing.