What is Ubuntu Linux

Hello students, welcome to Kwickprep. Can a computer run without Windows, legally and for free? Yes, it can. Today we will learn what Ubuntu Linux is, why schools use it, and what you see on its screen.

Before Ubuntu, we need one term. An operating system, or OS, is the main software on a computer. It manages the hardware, like the CPU, memory and printer. It lets you run other programs, such as a word processor or a browser. It gives you a screen to work with files and folders. Windows, macOS, Linux and Android are all operating systems.

Now, what is Linux? Linux is a family of operating systems built on the Linux kernel. The kernel is the core part of an operating system that talks directly to the hardware. Linus Torvalds, a student in Finland, started the Linux kernel in 1991. Linux is open source, which means its source code is free for anyone to see, change and share.

Ubuntu is one version of Linux, and such a version is called a distribution, or distro. A distribution packs the Linux kernel with ready-to-use programs, like an office suite and a browser. Ubuntu is made by a company called Canonical. It is free to download, use and share. The name Ubuntu comes from an African word meaning humanity towards others.

Ubuntu is called free and open source software. Free means you pay no licence fee, which saves schools a lot of money. Open source means the code is public, so programmers anywhere can improve it. A large community of users helps each other through online forums and regular updates.

Many schools and government offices in India use Ubuntu. There is no licence cost, even for a lab with many computers. It has fewer viruses and strong security, because users need a password to make system changes. It runs well even on older computers. And it comes with free programs for study and office work.

Every Ubuntu version has a number made from its release year and month. So twenty four point zero four came out in April 2024. Some versions are marked LTS, which means Long Term Support, with security updates for many years. Each version also has a fun code name, like Noble Numbat. Your school lab may use an older or newer version, and that is fine.

Let us look at the screen. After you log in, you see the desktop, the main screen where you work. On the left side is the dock, a bar of icons for your favourite apps. At the top is the top bar, showing the clock, network, sound and the power menu. At the bottom of the dock is the Show Applications button, which opens a grid of all installed apps.

Ubuntu comes with free apps for everyday tasks. For documents, it has LibreOffice Writer, which works like Microsoft Word. For spreadsheets, it has LibreOffice Calc, similar to Excel. For presentations, there is LibreOffice Impress, similar to PowerPoint. For the web, Firefox is the usual browser. And the Files app lets you manage files and folders.

Now, how Ubuntu keeps your files. Every user gets a home folder for their own files. Inside it are folders like Documents, Downloads, Music and Pictures. A path shows where a file lives, and Linux separates folder names with a forward slash. Also remember that names are case sensitive, so Notes with a capital N and notes are two different files.

Ubuntu also has the Terminal, a window where you type commands instead of clicking. You can open it quickly with Ctrl+Alt+T. For example, typing ls lists the files in the current folder. Typing pwd, short for print working directory, shows which folder you are in. You can do most daily work without the Terminal, but it is powerful to know.

Pause and think. Your friend saves a file named Marks dot odt, with a capital M. You search for marks dot odt, with a small m, in the same folder. Will Ubuntu find it? No, because Linux file names are case sensitive, so the two names are different.

When you finish, close Ubuntu the right way. First, save all your work. Then open the power menu at the top right corner. Choose Log Out to let another user sign in, or Power Off to shut the computer down. Never simply press the power switch, because unsaved work and files can be damaged.

Let us revise what we learned today. An operating system is software that manages the hardware and runs other programs. Linux is a free, open source family of operating systems built on the Linux kernel. Ubuntu is a free Linux distribution made by Canonical. Its desktop has a dock, a top bar and a Show Applications button. And it comes with LibreOffice, Firefox, Files and the Terminal, all for free.