What is Ubuntu?

Ubuntu is a Gnu/Linux operating system. It is built by an organized community that finds pride in it's software. Ubuntu is distributed free of charge to anyone and everyone who would like to try the operating system via ShipIt, a shipping program designed to send users CD's at request to try and distribute Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is rooted in Debian Linux, and aims to provide a completely free of cost and free of restrictions operating system for desktop and server use, for both general users and advanced users alike.

The Philosophy Behind Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an African term that means "Towards Humanity". In that spirit, Ubuntu adopted the GPL license. This means that users of the software have been granted specific "Freedoms", including (but not limited to):

• The freedom to use the software in any way the user deems fit
• The freedom to modify the source code of the program to fit their specific needs
• The freedom to redistribute their changes back to the community
• The freedom to redistribute copies to help your neighbor

On top of the GPL license, Ubuntu has issued it's own "Ubuntu Manifesto", which states that Ubuntu will always be free of charge, and that there will be no cost version of Ubuntu. To support Ubuntu, Canonical sells commercial support for the Ubuntu operating system for businesses who adopt Ubuntu.

What Is The Ubuntu Ohio Local Community Team?

The Ubuntu Ohio Local Community Team (or Ohio LoCo for short) is a team of volunteers in the state of Ohio who provide support for Ubuntu, as well as distribute, market, and install Ubuntu.

How Can This Benefit Libraries?

We believe libraries could be a vital place to help spread Ubuntu and other Free software. Libraries have been a vital part to communities for a long time, and we believe that by adopting Ubuntu as an item to distribute, Libraries will have more to offer their community. However, we also believe there is a way to help bring more of the community to the library.

Training In The Libraries

One of the teams in the Ohio LoCo team is the Education Team. The Education Team aims to train users in all manners of Free software. We believe that libraries may offer a wonderful location to host these workshops. This will allow libraries to not only begin to distribute, but also extend as a place of knowledge and learning. The Education Team has been putting together workshop materials for Ohio LoCo members to use to conduct these workshops at no cost to the community or to the libraries. The workshops would include training for Ubuntu, and other Free (GPL) software that is included with Ubuntu, so users can get the most out of their system for no cost!

How Can This Benefit The Local Community?

The communities of Ohio can benefit greatly from Ubuntu in a variety of ways. The first way is that it gives users software with no restrictions on how it's used, how many times it can be used, on how many computers it can be used, etc. that has become common with software. This leads to an encouraged legal and fair use of software.

Another way it can benefit Ohio is providing large amounts of stable software at no cost. Linux is well known for having available applications, with no cost, that is easy to install and use. Examples of free software include office suites, CD/DVD tools, Web Browsers, Instant Messengers, Email Clients, Music Players, Audio / Video Editors, Games, Education Software, Photo Management Software, Desktop Publishing Software, Photo Editing Tools, Calendars, Dictionaries, Software Development Tools, and more, all for free and all completely legal.