Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a distribution of Linux that was started in 2004. Unlike many other Linux distributions, Ubuntu is designed for use as a desktop OS and currently owns the 3rd largest market share on OSes.

The Ubuntu system is built on Debian in infrastructure.

Version history
Ubuntu is versioned differently to other software, with a main version indicating year of release and subversion indicating month, so if it was released in September 2007 it is version 7.09 and in December 2013 it is version 13.12. The first version was 4.10 (October 2004).

Ubuntu versions are named after various different animals, similar to how versions of Debian are named after various Toy Story characters. Here is a list:


 * 4.10 - Warty Warthog (released on 2004-10-20, support ended on 2006-04-30)
 * 5.04 - Hoary Hedgehog (released on 2005-04-08, support ended on 2006-10-31)
 * 5.10 - Breezy Badger (released on 2005-10-13, support ended on 2007-04-13)
 * 6.06 (LTS) - Dapper Drake (released on 2006-06-01, support ended on 2009-07-14 for desktop and 2011-06-01 for servers.)
 * 6.10 - Edgy Eft (released on 2006-10-26, support ended on 2008-04-25)
 * 7.04 - Feisty Fawn (released on 2007-04-19, support ended on 2008-10-19)
 * 7.10 - Gutsy Gibbon (released on 2007-10-18, support ended on 2009-04-18)
 * 8.04 (LTS) - Hardy Heron (released on 2008-04-24, support ended on 2011-05-12 for desktop and 2013-05-09)
 * 8.10 - Intrepid Ibex (released on 2008-10-30, support ended on 2010-04-30)
 * 9.04 - Jaunty Jackalope (released on 2009-04-23, support ended on 2010-10-23)
 * 9.10 - Karmic Koala (released on 2009-10-29, support ended on 2011-04-30)
 * 10.04 (LTS) - Lucid Lynx (released on 2010-04-29, support ended on 2013-05-09 for desktop and 2015-04-30)
 * 10.10 - Maverick Meerkat (released on 2010-10-10, support ended on 2012-04-10)
 * 11.04 - Natty Narwhal (released on 2011-04-28, support ended on 2012-10-28)
 * 11.10 - Oneiric Ocelot (released on 2011-10-13, support ended on 2013-05-09)
 * 12.04 (LTS) - Precise Pangolin (released on 2012-04-26, support ended on 2017-04-28)
 * 12.10 - Quantal Quetzal (released on 2012-10-18, support ended on 2014-05-16)
 * 13.04 - Raring Ringtail (released on 2013-04-25, support ended on 2014-01-27)
 * 13.10 - Saucy Salamander (released on 2013-10-17, support ended on 2014-07-17)
 * 14.04 (LTS) - Trusty Tahr (released on 2014-04-17, support will end in April 2019)
 * 14.10 - Utopic Unicorn (released on 2014-10-23, support ended on 2015-07-23)
 * 15.04 - Vivid Vervet (released on 2015-04-23, support ended on 2016-02-04)
 * 15.10 - Wily Werewolf (released on 2015-10-22, support ended on 2016-07-28)
 * 16.04 (LTS) - Xenial Xerus (released on 2016-04-21, support will end in April 2021)
 * 16.10 - Yakkety Yak (released on 2016-10-20, support ended on 2017-07-20)
 * 17.04 - Zesty Zapus (released on 2017-04-13, support ended on 2018-01-13)
 * 17.10 - Artful Aardvark (released on 2017-10-19, support ended on 2018-07-19)
 * 18.04 - Bionic Beaver (released on 2018-04-26, support will end in April 2023)
 * 18.10 - Cosmic Cuttlefish (released on 2018-10-18, support will end in July 2019)