Ubuntu vs Linux
Linux is a family of Unix-like operating systems. All the members in this family include a Linux kernel. Ubuntu is a variation of one of the Linux distributions called Debian. Ubuntu is intended for personal computers and not for large servers. Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution with 12 million users running it on their desktops. That is roughly half of the Linux desktop market share.
What is Linux?
Linux belongs to the Unix-like operating systems. Linux operating systems use the Linux kernel. Linux can be used with various types of systems such as personal computers, mobile phones, laptops, notebooks, networking devices, console-based games, mainframes and supercomputers. In fact, Linux is the most popular operating system used in servers, and it is said that Linux is used as the operating system in the world’s top 10 fastest supercomputers. Linux is a free and open source product developed by the open source community. Linux is licensed under GNU General Public License. Therefore, anybody can modify and redistribute the underlying source code, under the same license. Debian, Fedora and openSUSE are some of the popular Linux distributions, which include the Linux kernel. Linux distributions that are intended for desktop usually come with Graphical User interfaces such as X Widows System, GNOME or KDE environment. Server versions of Linux distribution usually come with Apache HTTP server and OpenSSH. Free software applications like Mozilla Firefox browser, OpenOffice.org, and GIMP are some of the commonly used applications in Linux.
What is Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is a Debain GNU/Linux based Operating System. The word Ubuntu means “humanity towards others” according to an African philosophy. It is intended for personal computers, but it provides a server version as well. By using the released year and month as the version number, Ubuntu releases two versions every year. Usually, Ubuntu releases are timed so that, they are released after a month from the latest release of GNOME, and two months after the latest release of X.Org, meaning that, all Ubuntu releases will include newer versions of GNOME and X. Long Term Support (LTS) is a release which comes out as the fourth release in the 2nd quarter of even numbered years. LTS releases include updates for 3 years for the desktop version and 5 years for the server version. The company named Canonical provides paid technical support for Ubuntu as well. Ubuntu 11.04, which was released on 28 April 2011, is the most recent non-LTS releases. Non-LTS releases are supported for a year and are usually supported until at least the next LTS release.
What is the difference between Ubuntu and Linux?
Main difference between Ubuntu and Linux is that Linux is a family of free and open source Unix-like operating systems, while Ubuntu is a single Linux distribution. Linux represents a range of operating systems suitable for many types of machines from personal computers to supercomputers, while Ubuntu is intended for only personal computers. Although Ubuntu is offered entirely free of charge, Canonical makes revenues through technical support.