You can get advice and help on using Ubuntu from the Ubuntu community, or buy professional support from Canonical and a range of local companies.

Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system containing the very best free and open source software applications you need to work and play. With Ubuntu you can surf the web, read email, create documents, presentations and spreadsheets, edit images and more.

Ubuntu is community developed. You can interact with the Ubuntu community including developers, translators and technical support activists through our mailing lists and IRC channels: There are several mailing lists that you can join. Some of these receive very high traffic so you may prefer to use a web forum.

If you answered yes to any or all of the above, then we would like to invite you to join the Canonical Partner Programme. If you don't think that you can honestly answer yes to these questions, then we'd suggest that you look at the Canonical Marketplace which is specially designed for individuals and businesses that are beginning their support of customers running Ubuntu, providing solutions or hardware using Ubuntu as their foundation.

We support Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Long Term Support). This is the 'enterprise' version of Ubuntu and is officially supported by Canonical, the commercial arm of Ubuntu (this version will be supported by them for the next 3 - 5 years). When the next release candidate of "LTS" is available we will support it; the next candidate is likely 18 - 24 months out. There are newer versions of Ubuntu (eg 6.10) available in their community but we do not support or test against them.

There are several different versions of Ubuntu, some with a different desktop and others for a specific market. Here is some information about them. Kubuntu is an official derivative of Ubuntu using the KDE environment instead of GNOME. It is part of the Ubuntu project and uses the same underlying system. It is an exciting distribution that showcases the full potential of the KDE desktop. Kubuntu shares the same repositories as Ubuntu, and relies on the same underlying architecture.

Ubuntu Server Edition is a version of Ubuntu specifically designed for servers and as such includes the bare minimum you need to get your server up and running. Find our more about Ubuntu Server Edition.

There are a number of international user resources available for Ubuntu. Please check the Local languages page.

Ubuntu has a fast and easy graphical installer right on the Desktop CD, which is also a Live CD. On a typical computer, the Ubuntu installation should take less than 25 minutes.

Yes. Ubuntu includes a nice, easy text installer, a one click LAMP install option and specialised software for databases, web serving, email hosting and DNS name serving, internet caching 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 optimised for data centre servers that will not be used as desktop machines.

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.

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.

We fully support upgrades from one release to the next. However, we do not support upgrades that skip a release. Thus we support upgrades from 5.10 to 6.06, but not from 5.04 to 6.06 unless you first upgrade to 5.10. Note: that this does not necessarily extend to certain situations involving unsupported software, such as packages in the Universe repository, or software which you obtained from a third-party source.

If you are looking to gain basic computer literacy, Ubuntu includes applications that cover every area of computer use from the straightforward (typing, word processing) to the specialist (graphic design and desktop publishing). It is also an excellent platform for students studying information technology and computer science, as it includes all the tools you need to become a world-class software developer.

Ubuntu Village will be the service and recreational hub of the WSSD, as well as serving as the overflow area for Sandton Convention Center. It will be the central point for participants at all parallel events to the WSSD and enable the governments, organizations and stakeholders to interact on common ground. It will house various cultural, educational and entertainment attractions, including:

Run wubi, answer the few questions, reboot and select "Ubuntu" from the boot menu, go grab a coffee and when you are back Ubuntu will be ready for you.

Most flavors, including Ubuntu (default, with GNOME), Kubuntu (with KDE), Xubuntu (with XFCE for older computers), Edubuntu (good for schools and younger users) and UbuntuStudio (for multimedia workstations). Contact us if you would like your own flavor to be available for installation via Wubi.

Work on the changeover will begin immediately. The next versions of both Freespire (ver. 2.x) and Linspire (ver. 6.x) will be based on Ubuntu. Yes, Freespire 2.0 was originally slated to be finished Q1 2007, but will shift slightly to Q2 of 2007 to allow the necessary time to complete this transition and to follow the official release of Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn) in April.

Beginning with Ubuntu 7.04 in April, CNR will be available to Ubuntu users from within Ubuntu. (An Ubuntu CNR plugin will also be available from www.CNR.com soon after the final release of Ubuntu 7.04 this April.) Beginning with Ubuntu 7.04, Ubuntu users will be able to use CNR to access commercial programs and proprietary drivers with one click of the mouse.