Ubuntu is a community developed, free and popular Linux distribution for desktops, laptops, and servers, forked from Debian and sponsored by Mark Shuttleworth. The name of the distribution comes from the African concept of ubuntu which may be rendered roughly as "humanity toward others", "we are people because of other people", or "I am who I am because of who we all are", though other meanings have been suggested.
There are various subprojects of Ubuntu namely kubuntu, edubuntu, xubuntu, gobuntu, Mythbuntu. Ubuntu is a free GPL software. Ubuntu developers promises that Ubuntu will always be free of charge, including enterprise releases and security updates and includes the very best translations and accessibility infrastructure. Ubuntu is available in many languages. GNOME 2.28—the default desktop environment of Ubuntu 9.10—offers support for 46 languages.
Ubuntu believes in free software, free in terms of open source, like the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Though it contains some binary firmware and selected fonts so long as their "redistribution is unencumbered". The most recent version of Ubuntu comes installed with the a wide range of software including: the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, the Internet browser Firefox, the instant messenger Pidgin (formerly known as Gaim), the BitTorrent client Transmission and the raster graphics editor GIMP. Several lightweight card and puzzle games are pre-installed, including Sudoku and Chess. Ubuntu has all networking ports closed by default for added security, although some people choose to run a firewall in order to monitor incoming and outgoing connections.
How to install?
Ubuntu can be installed from Ubuntu CD, or from network installation. You can also install it on a USB drive, or within Windows partition itself without affecting any other contents on hard drive. Wubi is the preferred way to install Ubuntu on Windows partition without any risk of accidentally deleting your existing programs and files on your hard disk. You can always move your existing Linux installation to a dedicated partition.Wubi is the preferred, fast and safe way to try out Ubuntu.
Wubi
Wubi is an officially supported Ubuntu installer for Windows users that can bring you to the Linux world with a single click. Wubi allows you to install and uninstall Ubuntu as any other Windows application, in a simple and safe way. Wubi does not install Ubuntu directly to its own partition, and it cannot use free hard disk space to install the OS. Ubuntu is installed within a file in the Windows file system (c:\ubuntu\disks\root.disk) which is seen by Linux as a real hard disk. It is not a virtual machine, but rather, it creates a stand-alone installation within a loopmounted device, also known as a disk image. It also adds an entry to the Windows boot menu which allows you to select and run Linux from the boot menu.
You need to run the wubi installer and enter whatever password you want for your new Ubuntu installation. It will automatically download the ISO/CD file, or you can alternatively download the ISO manually and put it in the same folder as the installer is, and it will automatically detect the ISO file, so you don't need to burn any ISO file.
The performance is identical to a standard installation, except for hard-disk access which is slightly slower than an installation to a dedicated partition. If your hard disk is very fragmented the performance will degenerate. Hibernation is not supported under Wubi, moreover Wubi filesystem is more vulnerable to hard-reboots (turning off the power) and power outages than a normal filesystem, so try to avoid unplugging the power. An Ubuntu installation to a dedicated partition provides a filesystem that is more robust and can better tolerate such events.
Reboot the machine, and log into Ubuntu using the same credentials as given to wubi installer.
How do I uninstall it?
You uninstall it as any other applications. In Windows go to the control panel and select "Add or Remove Programs", then select Wubi/Ubuntu and uninstall it. You can also use the uninstaller that you find in the installation folder.
Video Tutorial
