Ubuntu—Linux for Everyman presented by Grant Root
Tuesday, May 30 at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio No charge.    Please bring a friend.    Guests welcome. Please join us Tuesday night, May 30, 2006 for this free presentation in Room 101 Fawcett Hall, Wright State University. We'll begin at 7:30 p.m. Bring a friend. Please note that we're meeting at Fawcett Hall Room 101, Wright State University tonight! by Bob Kwater, Editor The DataBus

Ubuntu is Free Software, and available to you free of charge. It's also Free in the sense of giving you rights of Software Freedom, but you probably knew that already! Unlike many of the other commercial distributions in the free and open source world (Libranet, Lindows, Xandros, Red Hat) the Ubuntu team really does believe that Free software should be free of software licensing charges.

Ubuntu is a free, open source operating system that starts with the breadth of Debian and adds regular releases (every six months), a clear focus on the user and usability (it should "Just Work", TM) and a commitment to security updates with 18 months of support for every release. Ubuntu ships with the latest Gnome release as well as a selection of server and desktop software that makes for a comfortable desktop experience off a single installation CD.

What makes Ubuntu special? Why do people choose Ubuntu as their favorite OS for work and play?

The Ubuntu team releases a fresh Ubuntu every six months. It includes the latest kernel, X, Gnome and other key applications, and is supported with security updates for 18 months. You can download the CD and burn it yourself or have us ship you a CD.

To download: Visit the download page www.ubuntu.com/download

To order a pressed CD: Fill in your shipping address in Shipit - the Ubuntu CD Distribution System at https://shipit.ubuntu.com/ They won't give or sell your information to anyone or use it for anything other than sending you these CDs. If you are part of a library or other community system, you are welcome to request CDs for that group, such as a LUG or school.

Ubuntu doesn't have a pretty graphical installer; it has a FAST and EASY installer. OK, there are still a couple of places where you need to know what you are doing, but the defaults will work for most people. They have kept the distribution installation CD set down to one single CD, everything else is available online if you need it. On a typical computer, the Ubuntu installation should be done in less than 25 minutes.

The installer may not be GUI, but you only ever need to use it once, because they support ongoing upgrades via the network, from version to version. You never need to reinstall the operating system, just upgrade from each released version to the next when you want to.

When you finish your Ubuntu installation your system is immediately usable. You have a full set of business productivity applications, internet applications, drawing and graphics applications, and games. That one CD gives you a very good desktop environment out of the box, with many applications for business, home and personal computer users installed by default. There are thousands of additional pieces of software that are just a few clicks away, but they've done the hard work to get the basics in place easily and effectively.

Ubuntu includes a full range of desktop and server applications. When you install Ubuntu you have software for most computing needs, from complex programming to business presentations and databases.

Ubuntu is a complete desktop operating system and application set. It includes everything you need to gain computer literacy skills, and to become proficient in the use of computers for home, business and professional purposes. Ubuntu is an excellent platform for education; there are no limits to the amount that students can learn about their software.

When you install Ubuntu, you get business software that handles word processing to create letters and documents, spreadsheet software for business analysis and calculation, and presentation software that allows you to get your point across clearly in a business meeting. This software, called OpenOffice, is compatible with Microsoft Office, so you can easily exchange documents with friends and colleagues who use Windows and Microsoft Office.

Ubuntu also includes a world class internet browser (Firefox) which is fast and secure, and which has many features to improve your web surfing experience. For example, tabbed browsing lets you open many web pages in the same window and switch quickly between them, and popup blocking means that you determine which sites are allowed to create new popup windows and adverts. Ubuntu has an excellent email and calendar application (Evolution) which sets the pace in the email world in terms of searching and organizing your mail.

On the Ubuntu installation disk you will find specialized software for databases, web serving, email hosting and DNS name serving, internet cacheing and directory services. Ubuntu also includes Samba for Windows file sharing, FTP server software for large file repositories and NTP for network time services. Ubuntu can be installed in a minimal server configuration optimized for datacenter servers that will not be used as desktop machines.

The complete Ubuntu software repository is enormous. About 1,000 pieces of software are installed by default, out of the basic fully supported software list of 1,300 packages. In addition to that, there are more than 16,000 packages which are available to you immediately, and more software is available from third parties. You can read about the complete Ubuntu software repository and its structure here.

All are welcome. The meetings start at 7:30 p.m. Guests are always welcome. Directions are here.

Parking

WSU has agreed to issue temporary parking permits for the DMA Meetings. These permits cost two dollars each and are good for the entire Quarter [if you purchased a permit in the Fall, you'll need to spend $2 for another temporary permit.] In other words, two bucks gets you a parking pass for all meetings in April, May, and June. The alternative is to take a chance and park illegally.

• For the April meeting, write "DMA" prominently on an ordinary 8½ X 11" sheet of paper. Stick it in your windshield wiper.
• When you get to the meeting, fill out an application at the desk outside of Room 101 in Fawcett Hall when you pick up your raffle ticket. Pay your $2 at that time. We'll have hang tags for you.
• You cannot get the permit if you are a WSU student, faculty, or staff member! You should have your own parking pass. All applications will be checked against the WSU student and employee data base.

Although parking regulations are not enforced as stringently after 5:00 P.M., there is some enforcement. Two dollars is cheap insurance.

After the meeting, we'll enjoy pizza and conversation at the CiCi's Pizza in Beavercreek, behind Chili's and next to OfficeMax on the southeast corner of the intersection of North Fairfield and New Germany Trebein roads. See this map for approximate location. The Beavercreek CiCi's number is 427-2433.

Bob Kwater, Editor
The DataBus
editor@dma.org

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