Edubuntu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Edubuntu

Edubuntu 24.04 Desktop
Company / developer	Canonical Ltd. and community contributors
OS family	Linux (Unix-like)
Working state	Current
Source model	Open source
Initial release	2005; 20 years ago (2005)
Latest stable release	24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) / 25 April 2024; 14 months ago (2024-04-25)
Kernel type	Monolithic Linux kernel
Default user interface	GNOME
License	Mainly GPL and various others (free with some restricted components)

Edubuntu, which used to be called Ubuntu Education Edition, is a special version of the Ubuntu operating system. It's made especially for computers in classrooms, schools, homes, and community centers.

Edubuntu is created by people from many countries, including teachers and tech experts. It's built on the regular Ubuntu system. It also includes something called LTSP, which helps many computers share one main computer. Edubuntu comes with many apps for learning and is designed for students aged 6 to 18. It was made to be easy to install and keep running smoothly.

What Edubuntu Can Do

Edubuntu comes with the Linux Terminal Server Project, which lets many computers (called "thin clients") connect to one powerful server. This means schools can use older, less powerful computers for students.

It also includes many helpful programs for learning, such as:

• GCompris: A collection of fun educational games and activities for younger kids.
• KDE Education Suite: A group of learning programs for different subjects like math, science, and languages.
• Sabayon Profile Manager: Helps manage user settings on computers.
• Pessulus Lockdown Editor: Allows teachers to control what students can do on the computers.
• Edubuntu Menueditor: Helps customize the menus on the computers.
• LibreOffice: A free office suite, similar to Microsoft Office, with programs for writing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Gnome Nanny: Helps parents or teachers manage computer use.
• iTALC: Lets teachers see and control student computers in a classroom.

In the past, you could get Edubuntu CDs for free. Now, you can only download it as a DVD format file.

Since version 23.04, Edubuntu uses GNOME as its main GUI. A GUI is how you see and interact with the computer using pictures and icons. Before that, from versions 12.04 to 14.04, it used Unity. You could also get a version called Edubuntu KDE, which used the KDE interface.

Why Edubuntu Was Created

The main goal of Edubuntu was to help teachers, even those who aren't computer experts, set up a computer lab or an online learning environment. They wanted it to be quick and easy, taking an hour or less. After setting it up, teachers could easily manage the computers.

Some key ideas behind Edubuntu's design were:

• Centralized management: Making it easy to control settings, user accounts, and programs from one main computer.
• Working together: Providing tools that help students and teachers collaborate in a classroom.
• Best free software: Gathering the best free software and learning materials available. Free software means you can use it, change it, and share it freely.

The creators wanted to make a system that had all the best free educational software. They also wanted it to be easy to install and keep updated. Another goal was to help schools or homes with less money use their older computers more effectively.

Edubuntu Versions

The very first Edubuntu version came out on October 13, 2005. It was released at the same time as Ubuntu 5.10, which was nicknamed Breezy Badger.

Later, with the 8.04 Hardy Heron release, Edubuntu was renamed Ubuntu Education Edition. It changed from being a full system you could install to an add-on for a regular Ubuntu installation. However, from version 9.10 onwards, Edubuntu became a full system DVD again. You can also install Edubuntu by choosing "edubuntu" packages from the official Ubuntu software stores. This works for Ubuntu and Kubuntu systems.

After version 14.04, Edubuntu decided to only release LTS versions. LTS means "Long-Term Support," which means these versions get updates and support for a longer time, usually five years. Edubuntu skipped the 16.04 LTS update because they didn't have enough people helping with the project. It was then stopped for several years. But in April 2023, Edubuntu returned as an official version of Ubuntu!

See also

In Spanish: Edubuntu para niños

• List of Ubuntu-based distributions
• Comparison of Linux distributions
• UberStudent – An educational Linux system based on Xubuntu
• Sugar-on-a-Stick – An educational Linux system based on Fedora

Images for kids

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  Edubuntu 7.04 package