Please don't use this tag just because your system is running Ubuntu. Use it **only** if your question is somehow specific to Ubuntu only. Note that https://askubuntu.com is specifically dedicated to Ubuntu questions.
Philosophy
The goal of the Ubuntu project is to provide a free computer environment, centered on a Linux distribution and complemented by online services.
Releases
The core of the Ubuntu distribution contains a Gnome-based desktop environment which is tightly integrated to the system, in particular providing a GUI for hardware management and system administration. The supported core also includes other desktop environments such as KDE, although their integration is managed by side projects such as Kubuntu.
Ubuntu includes a small amount of non-free software such as drivers. Ubuntu offers a large amount of packages directly taken from Debian's unstable distribution, in the form of the universe repository.
There is a release of Ubuntu every six months. One in four is a long-term support (LTS) release.
Derivatives
Side projects of Ubuntu include:
- Edubuntu: for use in teaching.
- Kubuntu: managing the integration of KDE into Ubuntu.
- Mythbuntu: for media centers.
- Ubuntu Studio: for multimedia production.
- Xubuntu: managing the integration of Xfce into Ubuntu.
- Lubuntu: managing the integration of LXDE into Ubuntu, focusing on speed and energy efficiency.
Documentation
- Official documentation
- Community documentation
- Bug reports
- Available packages
- Third-party package repositories
- Manual pages (e.g. man(1) in 16.04)
- Support sources
Common tasks
- Install a package:
apt-get install package-name - Apply updates:
apt-get update; apt-get upgrade
