20th October 2004
Canonical releases Ubuntu Linux

Linux was created in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, and proved popular with computer enthusiasts. However, Linux systems were somewhat difficult to install, set up, and maintain for the average computer user.

In 2004, South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth founded Canonical to create a free, easy-to-use operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux. They called the operating system Ubuntu. The name "Ubuntu" loosely translated from Zulu means "humanity," or "a person is a person only through other people". Ubuntu was intended to provide an up-to-date, stable operating system for the average user, with a strong focus on usability and ease of installation.

On 20th October 2004, Canonical launched the first official Ubuntu release. This was version 4.10, codenamed "Warty Warthog".

Ubuntu has been rated the most popular Linux distribution for the desktop, claiming approximately 30 percent of desktop Linux installations, according to the 2007 Desktop Linux Market survey.

Related information:

• Centre for Computing History: Linus Torvalds
• Ubuntu: The story of Ubuntu

Images:

• Ubuntu 4.10
  Credit: Ubuntu. Images remain the copyright of the original copyright holder. Used under fair use policy for educational purposes only.

Related Items in the Collection:

Linus Torvalds releases Linux

Ubuntu 7.04