Ubuntu

Ubuntu
	Ubuntu 25.04 "Plucky Puffin"
Developer	Canonical Ltd.
OS family	Linux (Unix-like)
Working state	Current
Source model	Open-source
Initial release	Ubuntu 4.10 / 20 October 2004
Latest release	Regular: 25.04 / 17 April 2025 ; LTS: 24.04.2 LTS / 20 February 2025
Repository	code.launchpad.net/ubuntu ;
Marketing target	Cloud computing, personal computers, servers, supercomputers, IoT
Available in	More than 55 languages by LoCos
Update method	Software Updater, Ubuntu Software, apt
Package manager	GNOME Software, dpkg (APT), Snap – graphical front-end: Snap Store
Platforms	x86-64; ARM64; RISC-V (RVA20 profile); ppc64le (POWER8 and later); s390x; 32-bit support: IA-32 for up to Ubuntu 18.04 and in Ubuntu Core, and ARMhf (ARMv7 + VFPv3-D16) in ubuntu-core-22-pi;
Kernel type	Monolithic (Linux kernel)
Userland	GNU
Default; user interface	GNOME
License	Free software + some proprietary device drivers, excluding trademarks
Official website	ubuntu.com

Ubuntu (/ʊˈbʊntuː/ ^ⓘ uu-BUUN-too) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed primarily of free and open-source software. Developed by the British company Canonical and a community of contributors under a meritocratic governance model, Ubuntu is released in multiple official editions: Desktop, Server, and Core for IoT and robotic devices.

Ubuntu is published on a six-month release cycle, with long-term support (LTS) versions issued every two years. Canonical provides security updates and support until each release reaches its designated end-of-life (EOL), with optional extended support available through the Ubuntu Pro and Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM) services. As of June 2025, the latest stable release is 25.04 ("Plucky Puffin"), and the current LTS release is 24.04 ("Noble Numbat").

Ubuntu can be installed directly on hardware or run within a virtual machine. It is widely used for cloud computing, with integration support for platforms such as OpenStack. It is also one of the most popular Linux distributions for general desktop use, supported by extensive online communities such as Ask Ubuntu, and has spawned numerous community-maintained variants.

The name "Ubuntu" comes from the Nguni philosophy of ubuntu, which translates roughly as "humanity to others" or "I am what I am because of who we all are".