Ubuntu ( ) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed primarily of free and open-source software. Developed by the British company Canonical and a community of contributors under a meritocratic governance model, Ubuntu is released in multiple official editions: Desktop, Server, and Core for IoT and robotic devices.
Ubuntu is published on a six-month release cycle, with long-term support (LTS) versions issued every two years. Canonical provides security updates and support until each release reaches its designated end-of-life (EOL), with optional extended support available through the Ubuntu Pro and Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) services.
Ubuntu can be installed directly on hardware or run within a virtual machine. It is widely used for cloud computing, with integration support for platforms such as OpenStack. It is also one of the most popular Linux distributions for general desktop use, supported by extensive online communities such as Ask Ubuntu, and has spawned numerous community-maintained variants.
The name "Ubuntu" comes from the Nguni philosophy of , which translates roughly as "humanity to others" or "I am what I am because of who we all are".
History
In April 2004, Mark Shuttleworth invited a dozen Debian developers to his London flat, where they brainstormed and laid out the distinguishing features of what would become Ubuntu. Shuttleworth chose the "Ubuntu" name for his South African roots and to emphasize community. To fund the project, Shuttleworth created Canonical Ltd. to employ the developers using his fortune from selling Thawte to Verisign. For the first year, the company had no physical offices and employees used online platforms to coordinate, fostering transparency. The group set a six-month deadline and decided only to announce Ubuntu during its first release October 2004: "Warty Warthog".
On 8 July 2005, Shuttleworth and Canonical launched the newly-created Ubuntu Foundation and provided initial funding of US$10 million. The purpose of the foundation is to ensure the support and development for all future versions of Ubuntu. Mark Shuttleworth described the foundation's goal as to ensure the continuity of the Ubuntu project.
On 12 March 2009, Ubuntu announced developer support for third-party cloud management platforms, such as those used at Amazon EC2.
In 2011, Ubuntu's default desktop was changed from GNOME 2 to the in-house Unity instead of GNOME 3.
In 2014, Canonical announced Snappy Ubuntu Core, an immutable OS designed for use in embedded systems, along with its new package manager named "Snappy" derived from the Ubuntu Phone project. By the release of Ubuntu 16.04, the package management system was renamed "Snap" and supported desktop apps, becoming an alternative to Flatpak.
After nearly 6.5 years, the default desktop was changed back to GNOME 3 in 2017, upon the release of version 17.10. Ubuntu, since version 16.04.5, requires a 2 GB or larger installation medium. The last release of Ubuntu available on a minimal CD was 18.04. 32-bit x86 processors were supported up to Ubuntu 18.04. It was decided to support "legacy software", i.e. select 32-bit i386 packages, for Ubuntu 19.10 (since out of support) and 20.04 LTS.
In 2022, Ubuntu consolidated its extended security maintenance and hardening services into the Ubuntu Pro subscriptions, including LivePatch, a feature that allows devices to perform select security updates without reboots, available free-of-charge for personal use on up to five machines.
In June 2023, Canonical announced Ubuntu Core Desktop, an immutable desktop OS, completely made of snap packages like Ubuntu Core and slated for release along Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Its release was indefinitely delayed, as the vision for major advantages had not yet been fully realized.
After a rise in the popularity of cryptocurrency scam packages, the Snap Store started requiring manual approval for new applications in March 2024.
On 9 August 2024, Ubuntu announced a change in policy to always use the latest upstream version of the Linux kernel at the time of each Ubuntu release, even if the kernel code has not seen a stable release and is still in release candidate status.
Support for the X11 windowing system was dropped in favour of the alternative Wayland with Ubuntu version 25.10 in 2025, which shipped with GNOME 49 which had made the change.
Features Ubuntu is built on Debian's architecture and infrastructure, and comprises Linux server, desktop, and discontinued phone and tablet operating system versions. As of version 24.10, a default installation of Ubuntu contains a minimal selection of software, namely a web browser (Firefox), and basic GNOME utilities (including the desktop). Many additional software packages are accessible from the built-in Ubuntu Software (previously Ubuntu Software Center), as well as any other APT-based package management tools. Many additional software packages that are no longer installed by default, such as Evolution, GIMP, Pidgin, and Synaptic, are still accessible in the repositories and installable by the main tool or by any other APT-based package management tool. Cross-distribution snap packages and Flatpaks are also available, that both allow installing software, such as some of Microsoft's software, in most of the major Linux operating systems (such as any currently supported Ubuntu version and in Fedora). The default file manager is GNOME Files, formerly called Nautilus.
All of the application software installed by default is free software. In addition, Ubuntu redistributes some hardware drivers that are available only in binary format, but such packages are clearly marked in the restricted component.
Current long-term support (LTS) releases are supported for five years, and are released every two years. Since the release of Ubuntu 6.06, every fourth release receives long-term support. Long-term support includes updates for new hardware, security patches, and updates to the 'Ubuntu stack' (cloud computing infrastructure). The first LTS releases were supported for three years on the desktop and five years on the server; since Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, desktop support for LTS releases was increased to five years as well. LTS releases get regular point releases with support for new hardware and integration of all the updates published in that series to date.
Ubuntu packages are based on Debian's unstable branch (Sid), which are synchronized with Debian for new Ubuntu releases. Both distributions use Debian's package management tools (e.g. APT and GNOME Software) and deb format of packages. Debian and Ubuntu packages are not necessarily binary compatible with each other, however, some packages may need to be rebuilt from source to be used in Ubuntu. Many Ubuntu developers are also maintainers of key packages within Debian. Ubuntu cooperates with Debian by pushing changes back to Debian, although there has been criticism that this does not happen often enough. Ian Murdock, the founder of Debian, had expressed concern about Ubuntu packages potentially diverging too far from Debian to remain compatible. Before release, packages are imported from Debian unstable continuously and merged with Ubuntu-specific modifications. At some point during the release process, the Debian Import Freeze is implemented. This prevents the automatic import of packages from Debian without an explicit request from a developer. In combination with other freezes, this helps packagers ensure that frozen features interoperate well together.
All official Ubuntu packages are available from hundreds of mirrors worldwide. As of 30 March 2025, there were a total of 617 Ubuntu mirrors operating.
Security
Ubuntu aims to be secure by default. User programs run with low privileges and cannot corrupt the operating system or other users' files. For increased security, the sudo tool is used to assign temporary privileges for performing administrative tasks, which allows the root account to remain locked and helps prevent inexperienced users from inadvertently making catastrophic system changes or opening security holes. Polkit is also being widely implemented into the desktop.
Most network ports are closed by default to prevent hacking. A built-in firewall, Uncomplicated Firewall, allows end-users who install network servers to control access. A GUI is available to configure it. Ubuntu compiles its packages using GCC features such as PIE and buffer overflow protection to harden its software. These extra features greatly increase security at the performance expense of 0.01% in 64-bit.
Ubuntu also supports full disk encryption, as well as encryption of the home and private directories.
Installation
The system requirements vary among Ubuntu products. For the Ubuntu desktop release 26.04 LTS, a PC with at least a 2 GHz dual-core processor, 6 GB of RAM and 25 GB of free disk space is recommended, up from the 4 GB of RAM recommended for releases since 18.04 LTS. Ubuntu Server 26.04 LTS can run on as little as 1.5 GB of RAM and 4 GB of storage, depending on the use case. For less powerful computers, there are other Ubuntu distributions such as Lubuntu and Xubuntu. Ubuntu also supports the ARM architecture. It is also available on Power ISA, while older PowerPC architecture was at one point unofficially supported, and now newer Power ISA CPUs (POWER8) are supported. The x86-64 ("AMD64") architecture is also officially supported.
Live images are the typical way for users to assess and subsequently install Ubuntu. These can be downloaded as a disk image (.iso) and subsequently burnt to a DVD or USB flash drive and then booted. Other methods include running the live version via Ventoy, UNetbootin, Universal USB Installer, or Startup Disk Creator (a pre-installed tool on Ubuntu, available on machines already running the OS) directly from a USB drive (making, respectively, a live DVD or live USB medium). Running Ubuntu in this way is slower than running it from a hard drive, but does not alter the computer unless specifically instructed by the user. If the user chooses to boot the live image rather than execute an installer at boot time, there is still the option to then use the Ubuntu Desktop Installer once booted into the live environment. The Ubuntu Desktop Installer replaced the former Ubiquity installer since Ubuntu 23.04. Disk images of all current and past versions are available for download at the Ubuntu web site.
Additionally, USB flash drive installations can be used to boot Ubuntu and Kubuntu in a way that allows permanent saving of user settings and portability of the USB-installed system between physical machines (however, the computers' BIOS must support booting from USB). In newer versions of Ubuntu, the Ubuntu Live USB creator can be used to install Ubuntu on a USB drive (with or without a live CD or DVD). Creating a bootable USB drive with persistence is as simple as dragging a slider to determine how much space to reserve for persistence; for this, Ubuntu employs casper.
Package classification and support
Ubuntu divides most software into four domains to reflect differences in licensing and the degree of support available. Some unsupported applications receive updates from community members known as "Masters of the Universe" (MOTU). Before January 2023, community supported free software in Universe repository received no updates at all from Canonical Ltd. Since 26 January 2023, customers of the Ubuntu Pro subscription service—which is free for personal use—can get Canonical-supported updates also for packages in Universe repository.
Free software Non-free software Officially supported by Canonical Main Restricted Community supported/Third party Universe Multiverse