
Ubuntu is released every six months, with long-term support (LTS) releases every two years. Ubuntu's default desktop changed back from the in-house Unity to GNOME after nearly 6.5 years in 2017 upon the release of version 17.10. Ubuntu is a popular operating system for cloud computing, with support for OpenStack.

All of the editions can run on a computer alone, or in a virtual machine. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions: Desktop, Server, and Core for Internet of things devices and robots. Ubuntu ( / ʊ ˈ b ʊ n t uː/ ( listen) uu- BUUN-too) is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software.

Free software + some proprietary device drivers
