Ubuntu Look

“Intrepid Ibex”, distributed as Ubuntu 8.10, goes live today for distribution later this week, and the economic crunch certainly makes the Linux variant more compelling.

While there are plenty of skeptics doubting Ubuntu’s prospectsin business - except in a few big businesses with lots of Unix skills - going broke tends to make you examine your options a little harder.

Chris Kenyon, head of OEM services at Canonical, is attempting to get IT vendors to show that Ubuntu is compatible with their computers and to get them certified as supporting Ubuntu in specific configurations. The holy grail for any operating system distributor is to take the next step and have the operating system preconfigured and preloaded on machinery and sold through the direct and reseller channels of the major IT players.

Read more at The Register

Canonical, the commercial backer of the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system, is not yet turning a profit, but founder Mark Shuttleworth said Monday during a teleconference that he is prepared to bankroll the company for three to five more years.

“We continue to require investment and I continue to be careful with my pennies in making those investments, but I consider this a good proposition,” said the billionaire technologist. “Canonical is not cash-positive, but our offering is very attractive to those who want to pinch their pennies in the Linux space.”

The dismal economic climate could, in fact, is driving business, Shuttleworth added.

Read more at LinuxWorld

The update process in Ubuntu has …. well it has gotten out of control. There is no doubt that updates are a necessity for security patches and bug fixes…no argument there. However, Ubuntu seems to want to build the operating system as they go… having you download huge numbers of updates, often daily. Many users have complained bitterly about this as they do not have the bandwidth to justify the updates and they do not enjoy the experience being forced to update almost daily.

Read more at Begin Linux Blog