Ubuntu tops on desktop, but not servers

Jason Brooks, who directs eWEEK's labs, has posted a story mostly about the improvements in the latest release of Ubuntu, version 8.10, also known as "Intrepid Ibex." Brooks really likes the distribution on the desktop -- no surprise, since he's used Ubuntu himself for many years.

However, Brooks finds the latest Ubuntu release to be falling behind popular Linux server distributions, including RHEL and SUSE, especially in terms of security features.

Brooks writes:

The latest version of Canonical's Linux distribution, Ubuntu 8.10, still outshines the Linux desktop offerings from Red Hat and Novell, and is the best open-source alternative to Microsoft and Apple operating systems. However, both Red Hat's Enterprise Linux and Novell's SUSE distributions are ahead of Ubuntu 8.10 in the server space.

Canonical's Ubuntu 8.10, the latest version of the popular Linux-based operating system for desktops and servers, hit the Internet in early November bearing a modest assortment of updates to the open-source software components that compose it.

Based on my tests of Ubuntu 8.10?hich is more fancifully known as the Intrepid Ibex? maintain that Ubuntu is, without question, the best Linux distribution available for desktops, and the ablest open-source rival to the more broadly used desktop operating systems from Microsoft and Apple.

That's because, while most Linux distributions come with the same software components, Ubuntu distinguishes itself with its attention to usability, its large selection of ready-to-install software packages, and its large community of users and contributors.

To continue reading Brooks' review, click the link featured below.

Ubuntu Remains Best Linux Distribution for Desktops