Ubuntu Linux has been one of the most popular linux distributions for a long time. Now with the release of Ubuntu 8.10, available for download here, the Linux desktop has reached a level of integration that would surprise most anyone who has tried Linux in the past.
Having used linux since kernel 1.2.8, I have seen a lot of distributions come and go. Window managers, desktop environments, and toolkits have all evolved. But I did not expect for a linux distribution to become as good as Ubuntu this quickly.
Installation of Ubuntu is done through a livecd. A LiveCD starts up a working Ubuntu system that you can explore safely before deciding to install. Be warned that five minutes with the LiveCD will not capture just how much nicer the 8.10 release is than previous ones. Instead, having a LiveCD is most helpful for reading documentation in a web browser during installation and for handling system backup and recovery tasks in a comfortable GUI.
One thing missing from the installer right now is RAID10 installation. If you wish to install RAID10 (one of the safest and fastest raid levels, better than RAID5), see HOWTO: Install Ubuntu With Software RAID 10.
Once the system is up and running, it leaves a real impression. Ubuntu cuts out hours and hours of the administrative drudgery everyone who uses linux is used to doing.
Wireless worked out of the box with my ASUS 802.11g USB adapter. Up in the top right corner there's a network status icon - click it and a list of base stations drops down, ready to connect.
Package management has come a long way since the early days of Debian, on which Ubuntu is built. I remember being turned off to APT (the packaging tool) after a dist-upgrade rendered my system unbootable. These days, anytime updates to packages are available, a taskbar icon appears letting you know. Just click it and the update manager handles installation of new packages.
Handling of restricted video card drivers is also impressive. A taskbar icon appears letting you know that restricted drivers are available. Choose which NVIDIA-drivers you want and it will install them. Upon rebooting I had working OpenGL with pretty window manager effects. Using closed-source video drivers is a moral transgression, but critical for enhancing the experience of new adopters of Linux. These days it's better to use ATI for this reason - ATI has begun working with the open source community to provide open source drivers.
Burning CD's is easy, but I was really impressed when I double-clicked an ISO downloaded from firefox, and it offered to burn it right away. Little things like this are what makes me so impressed with this version of Ubuntu. Small things you wouldn't think about "just work" in a way you would never expect for Linux to do.
I would say that version 8.10 of Ubuntu has reached full ease-of-use parity with both Windows AND OS X. We are rapidly closing in on being the EASIEST of the mainstream OS's to use and configure as a desktop. That is light years away from where Linux was even a few years ago.
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