DistroWatch.com currently has Ubuntu ranked on top based on its page hit
rankings statistics, though this is not the most accurate method for gauging
popularity. It measures the number of times a specific distro's page is accessed
on the DistroWatch site and can potentially be
"stuffed" by
supporters.
With its sights on enterprise adoption, Ubuntu is aware that stable
predictable releases are essential for enterprise adoption of any distribution.
Hoary Hedgehog comes just six months after version 4.10, also known as Warty
Warthog.
"The 5.04 release is significant in that it demonstrates our commitment to a
six-month release cycle," Ubuntu CTO Matt Zimmerman told internetnews.com.
"There are definitely enterprises which we have been watching to see if we kept
our schedule, and I think they'll be pleased to see that we have," Zimmerman
said.
Ubuntu 5.04 improves upon its predecessor, with system performance, package
management, hardware support and installation improvements. Hoary Hedgehog's
Synaptic package manager includes update-manager and upgrade-notifier, which
allow users to more easily upgrade their Ubuntu installations.
The Linux 2.6.10 kernel, Firefox 1.0.2, Apache webserver 2.0.53, evolution
2.2.1.1, openoffice.org 1.1.3 and samba 3.0.10 are on a list of the latest open
source applications included in 5.04.
As opposed to many other Linux distros that give users the choice between a
GNOME or KDE desktop operating environment, the core 5.04 release only offers
the latest version of
GNOME 2.10.
However, Ubuntu today also released Kubuntu 5.04, which is a KDE 3.4 version of
Ubuntu.
Red Monk Analyst Stephen O'Grady believes that there are at least four key
reasons for the popularity of Ubuntu. He cites Ubuntu's Debian heritage, the
fact that it takes advantage of bleeding-edge packages, its- ease of
installation and its core Free and Open Source Software values.
"Debian is one of the longer running and better regarded distros out there,
and, more often than not, when you hear of server-side applications running a
non-commercial distro, it's Debian," O'Grady told internetnews.com. "One
of Debian's principle drawbacks, particularly apparent on the desktop, is that
it's not exactly bleeding edge."
Given the popularity of Ubuntu, some have argued that Debian itself no longer
really matters, which is a claim Ubuntu's CTO disputes.
"Debian absolutely matters. Ubuntu would not have been created without Debian,
and our relationship with Debian continues to be of great importance to us,"
Zimmerman said.
But despite the fact that Debian matters, Zimmerman is not concerned that
Ubuntu's popularity will wane once Sarge is finally released. It has been under
development for some time and release dates continue
to be pushed
back.
"While it's true that part of the appeal of Ubuntu is the availability of
more recent stable releases, there is a great deal more to like," Zimmerman
explained. "And I think that its popularity will continue to grow through the
Sarge release and beyond."
But Ian Murdoch, Debian's founding father, does not believe Ubuntu's
popularity bodes well for Debian-based distros.
"If anything, Ubuntu's popularity is a net negative for Debian," Murdoch told
internetnews.com. "It's diverged so far from Sarge that packages built
for Ubuntu often don't work on Sarge. And given the momentum behind Ubuntu, more
and more packages are being built like this. The result is a potential
compatibility nightmare."
Murdoch argues that if Ubuntu were truly compatible with Debian, all of the
energy going into it could be directed at Sarge and toward getting it released,
which is what would really benefit the Debian developer ecosystem as a whole.
"I understand what the Ubuntu folks are trying to do, and they're doing lots
of good work that will eventually find its way into Debian," Murdoch said. "But
what we really need right now as a community is for Sarge to be released.
"In that respect, Ubuntu's popularity is more harmful than helpful."
