The newest version of Ubuntu, an open-source Linux operating system, comes out in just a week. The beta has been out for a while. I don’t know if I can wait. Since I don’t have to pay the folks at Canonical for this awesome piece of software, I figured that the least I can do is help promote it.

About Ubuntu
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ubuntu, it is an open-source operating system. It’s free. It’s also designed with usability in mind. Their slogan is – “Linux for Human Beings”. It’s a great, free alternative to Microsoft or Apple. And there are many benefits to it being open-source.

The first version launched in October 2004, but it is already an amazingly stable and powerful Linux distribution. That’s one of the benefits of open-source software. Anyone can help debug it and help improve it’s stability. The rapid improvement is also why I think there is a misconception that Linux is some fringe, unstable thing that only computer geeks can use. Linux has quickly evolved into a stable, competitive operating system.

About Open-Source Software
Any software you use starts out as source code. Proprietary companies want to keep this source closed so that no one else can open the hood and see what’s running under. There are a lot of benefits to running open-source software. I’ve written a lot about it on this blog, so I won’t repeat myself. Here the link to my open source category.

Switching to Linux
This is very good article. It outlines 25 reasons to consider switching to Linux.