System Architect at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
LPS distribution is a great feature as is the reliability and user friendly stability
Pros and Cons
  • "There is value in the long-time supported distribution LPS."
  • "The encryption of the partition regarding software systems could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I use this product on my desktop, it's a basic system for developing applications. Our company is based in the Czech Republic. I'm a systems architect and customer of Ubuntu. 

What is most valuable?

There is value in the long-time supported LPS distribution and there is an updated version that has recently become available. 

What needs improvement?

I'd like to see some improvement with the installer in terms of the encryption of the partition regarding software systems. I also had an issue with the swap file when I implemented and that took some time to deploy. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for 10 years. 

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March 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward and doesn't take much time. I had one issue with the encryption of the application and that took additional time. We have around eight users in the company and we carried out the integration ourselves. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm using the non-supported version which is free. 

What other advice do I have?

I highly recommend this product and rate it 10 out of 10. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Owner and business consultant at networks srl
Real User
Fast, free, and supports containers and all kinds of libraries
Pros and Cons
  • "It is fast and easy to install. It also supports containers and all kinds of libraries. I can do almost everything with it."
  • "It can be improved in terms of user-friendliness for inexperienced users. It also has a lot of scope for improvement in terms of deployment. It is kind of hard for inexperienced users, and the learning curve is very steep. There is not really good documentation for new professionals. Even we are using network servers to install it."

What is our primary use case?

I am using it for quite a lot of things. I teach at a university where we use it for radiation protection computations. On the networking side, I use it for both workstations and firewalls. I always use its latest version.

What is most valuable?

It is fast and easy to install. It also supports containers and all kinds of libraries. I can do almost everything with it. 

What needs improvement?

It can be improved in terms of user-friendliness for inexperienced users. It also has a lot of scope for improvement in terms of deployment. It is kind of hard for inexperienced users, and the learning curve is very steep. There is not really good documentation for new professionals. Even we are using network servers to install it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for 12 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

If it is administered properly, it is stable. If there are administration issues, they are kind of hard to resolve for inexperienced users.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable in terms of server cluster infrastructure, but the main issue with scalability is the hardware.

We have five to ten users in the enterprise. We also use it for every student. In terms of our plans to increase its usage, I don't know what the future brings because I see that Microsoft has also started to use Linux infrastructure.

How are customer service and technical support?

I am not using the Enterprise support for Ubuntu. I am kind of used to it, and I know how to compile kernels and modules. It is no issue at all.

How was the initial setup?

I started with BSD. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to install Ubuntu Linux.

What about the implementation team?

I installed it myself.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't need to pay for the license.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution based on the application. For a firewall, I would go for a dedicated device. For a desktop, it is okay to use.

I would rate Ubuntu Linux a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Ubuntu Linux
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Ubuntu Linux. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Founder at Element Flux
Real User
Provides flexibility and freedom to do whatever you need to do and is highly stable and resilient
Pros and Cons
  • "There is a lot of freedom and flexibility to install it really quickly. It is just very powerful in the sense that it doesn't take up as many resources to run as some of the other operating systems. It is open source, so it is free. There is no licensing fee. There is flexibility and freedom to do whatever you need to do. If you are familiar with the command line, you can jump on the command line and configure almost any part of the operating system that you want. If you are not comfortable with the command line, the graphical user interface has really improved ever since I started using Linux back in high school. It is really very simple to manage your settings and other things. You can also try out multiple desktop environments. As a matter of fact, on one of my laptops, I have installed five different desktop environments, and I can switch between them. If you don't like one, you can easily just install another one with a few commands, and you have got a whole new desktop right there, whereas, in Microsoft Windows or a Mac, you are just stuck with whatever they give you, and you have to wait until they sell you something else."
  • "Like most Linux systems, they can just keep increasing support in Ubuntu for hardware systems. They can increase the number of drivers so that Ubuntu can work on more hardware. They have been improving greatly, but they can definitely keep doing that."

What is our primary use case?

I use it for everything. I literally use it for any activity that I would do on a computer. I use it for writing code, browsing the web, shopping, and streaming videos and music. I also use it for graphics editing and testing.

How has it helped my organization?

It has definitely improved the way I do things. There are so many people who are paying for products that they could use for free. In addition, there are bugs and issues that I hear about from other companies. With this solution, you can reduce the amount you spend in general on technology. Because Linux runs really well, your tech issues are also minimal, and you have to spend less on tech support. 

What is most valuable?

There is a lot of freedom and flexibility to install it really quickly. It is just very powerful in the sense that it doesn't take up as many resources to run as some of the other operating systems. It is open source, so it is free. There is no licensing fee. 

There is flexibility and freedom to do whatever you need to do. If you are familiar with the command line, you can jump on the command line and configure almost any part of the operating system that you want. If you are not comfortable with the command line, the graphical user interface has really improved ever since I started using Linux back in high school. It is really very simple to manage your settings and other things.

You can also try out multiple desktop environments. As a matter of fact, on one of my laptops, I have installed five different desktop environments, and I can switch between them. If you don't like one, you can easily just install another one with a few commands, and you have got a whole new desktop right there, whereas, in Microsoft Windows or a Mac, you are just stuck with whatever they give you, and you have to wait until they sell you something else.

What needs improvement?

Like most Linux systems, they can just keep increasing support in Ubuntu for hardware systems. They can increase the number of drivers so that Ubuntu can work on more hardware. They have been improving greatly, but they can definitely keep doing that.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for at least four years. I use it every day.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It seems to be really stable for me. The cool thing is that it is a journaled system versus Windows in which a lot of things are written into memory. They've improved on this quite a bit. If your computer crashes in the middle of updates or something like that, you can still easily access and go back to maybe what it was before you tried the update. Another thing that is really cool is that you can upgrade an entire distribution version. You can upgrade from version 18.04 to 20.04.

A lot of web servers are probably running on some version of Linux, such as CentOS, and these web servers sometimes can go on for years without the need to be restarted. They are very resilient.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I am not really sure of a use case for scaling in Ubuntu. It is just an operating system. It is not like adding a server or something like that.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't used technical support at all. I have always used stack overflow.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I was using Windows. I switched to Ubuntu because I was getting more into programming and I wanted something flexible.

With Windows, everything is loaded into memory when the operating system is started. Linux is a journaled system, which means that you actually have all of that RAM available to process applications and run your applications rather than just running the operating system. There are various things that I like about Linux in that regard. If the computer crashes, I literally can recover the documents. I know that this is now happening in Windows systems, but I used to see that a lot more in Linux.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very straightforward. If you have it set up on a bootable USB drive, you just put it in the USB drive and then you can just watch for a few steps. You don't even have to be very tech-savvy in order to install it and set it up. It doesn't take a lot of know-how.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is open source, so it is free. There is no licensing fee.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution if you want a good resilient system, flexibility, and control over your operating system. You can upgrade without having to pay or even turning off the computer. You don't need to shut it down and install upgrades. You can literally upgrade to a newer distribution while using the computer for the most part.

I would rate Ubuntu Linux a nine out of ten because there is always room for growth. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
System Administrator and DevOps Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Open source, easy to set up, and easy to manage
Pros and Cons
  • "The feature that I have found the most valuable is that it is open source. It is also very easy to manage. We can manage it ourselves."
  • "It is an open-source tool, and it doesn't have any support. If there is an issue with the implementation of a feature, such as clustering, I am not sure how to resolve it and get support for it. The stability of the vendor packages also impacts the stability of this solution. When vendor packages are unstable, or any packages are broken, they also impact Ubuntu Linux. It is very hard to resolve an issue related to unstable vendor packages."

What is our primary use case?

We run our personal applications or non-mission-critical applications on Ubuntu Linux to cut the cost. 

What is most valuable?

The feature that I have found the most valuable is that it is open source. It is also very easy to manage. We can manage it ourselves.

What needs improvement?

It is an open-source tool, and it doesn't have any support. If there is an issue with the implementation of a feature, such as clustering, I am not sure how to resolve it and get support for it.

The stability of the vendor packages also impacts the stability of this solution. When vendor packages are unstable, or any packages are broken, they also impact Ubuntu Linux. It is very hard to resolve an issue related to unstable vendor packages.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Ubuntu Linux for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable. I didn't face any issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. We have big servers on it. 

We have four to five people directly working on Ubuntu Linux. They are a part of the System Admin team.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used Kali Linux as well. If you want to go for an open-source solution, Ubuntu Linux is better. It is a bit better to use.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was pretty straightforward. It took about 20 minutes. 

What about the implementation team?

I implemented it myself. The deployment duration depends on the scenario. For small deployments, only one person is required.

What other advice do I have?

We have on-cloud and on-premises deployments. I am working on the core features, and I haven't faced any critical issues with it. We use it for our non-critical applications. We don't use it for any critical applications, such as financial applications, because we do not get any official support for it. For critical applications, Red Hat is a better option.

I would rate Ubuntu Linux a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
System Engineer at a non-profit with 201-500 employees
Real User
Provides a cheap, stable server for our DevOps team, using standards we can easily apply
Pros and Cons
  • "RTO with the use of templating support for VMware for fast deployment of recovery or new systems, with the least amount work needed on custom settings, within application installed from install repositories. Shorter overall time with the vetted packages. Normally install and go."
  • "Stability of our systems has only improved since moving from CentOS to Ubuntu LTS."

    How has it helped my organization?

    With Web services, many DevOps require different configurations that could cause problems with each project's needs. We are able to supply a cheap, stable server that can cover the DevOps team, using standards we can apply very easily.

    RTO with the use of templating support for VMware for fast deployment of recovery or new systems, with the least amount work needed on custom settings, within application installed from install repositories. Shorter overall time with the vetted packages. Normally install and go. Time from Dev to Prod has been reduced from months to weeks in most cases.

    What is most valuable?

    Each server has been installed to serve as a solution for a service needed. LAMP seems to be the most used package over all.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    One to three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Stability of our systems has only improved since moving from CentOS to Ubuntu LTS.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scale would normally be limited to the hardware. As with most Linux distros, HA packages for most apps are available in the repositories and many great support  forums with how-to's.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    With the great support forums available, I have not needed to contact support as of yet.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We still have a mix of servers and must support our legacy systems that range from Red Hat, CentOS, and FreeBSD. As time goes, on we require more stable services with updated security, and we replace them with Ubuntu LTS to unify our systems to a standard that is easy to support and deploy.

    How was the initial setup?

    With all the systems our network requires, this was one of easiest deployments thus far.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    Many other Linux distros were selected for testing, but Debian core was very stable. However, the Debian distro itself was very annoying, missing many basic packages, and had little to no support for template deployment in VMware vCenter 5.5 to current.

    What other advice do I have?

    We are a non-profit consumer with a small budget, hence the need for a stable, low-cost server to provide services to our users.

    While I would recommend Ubuntu LTS (stable v16.04.3 at time of this review) try other distros to see how long it takes to deploy, and how much tweaking it will take to implement your project. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Mahdi Bahmani - PeerSpot reviewer
    Mahdi BahmaniSolution Architect, IT Consultant at Merdasco - Rayan Merdas Data Prosseccing
    Top 10Real User

    Ubuntu is considered a good distribution for beginners. The operating system was intended primarily for personal computers (PCs) but it can also be used on servers.

    PeerSpot user
    Senior Developer at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
    Consultant
    The initial setup experience was the best of all other distributions.

    What is most valuable?

    I like it that Ubuntu is actually free and was one of the first with a decent hardware recognition during installation. It is still free, where some other distributions are no longer free and with a large and active community. A large community means that if you run into issues you have a place to find a solution or to help others.

    How has it helped my organization?

    I have used it professionally on some occasions but mainly to maintain the home network. Long Time Support has helped me to prevent regular updates on stable servers.

    What needs improvement?

    The Linux for desktop marketing could be improved but that is not only for Canonical/Ubuntu an issue.

    How could these areas be improved? All parties (commercial, idealogical and non-commercial (I.e. the rest)) together could be a force to rekon with. But I do not think that there is a way to let them join forces. So, it is down to smaller initiatives to make people aware of the alternatives to Windows. Also, the required buying of Windows on each PC does not help. I think this is not helpful for IT as a whole.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used Linux for over 20 years now and Ubuntu for over 10 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is rocksolid!

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I did not run into scalability issues.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I used community support (and Google) for the issues I ran into and solved most within a short time.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I used other distributions, such as Slackware, Mandrake, Redhat, Debian and, of all of those, I like the way Ubuntu is setup the best.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup experience was the best of all other distributions and it was a smooth ride :)

    What other advice do I have?

    Go for it if you need al Linux based server. Just start downloading it and using it. It is free.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Senior Director IP led Services (PES) at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Command line focused, stable, and easy to install
    Pros and Cons
    • "The main feature of the solution is it has a command-line editor."
    • "I find the solution could be easier to use, more flexible, user-friendly, and have a better UI."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the solution in the company where I work as an operating system. Whenever you are doing some serious development, you deploy this solution on a Unix platform.

    What is most valuable?

    The main feature of the solution is it has a command-line editor.

    What needs improvement?

    I find the solution could be easier to use, more flexible, user-friendly, and have a better UI.

    In the future, I would like to see easier deployment.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for a couple of years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I have previously used Microsoft Windows and still do. I use this solution for personal use and when my work requires it.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is easy and only takes approximately 15 minutes, but the process could improve.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I am using the free version of the solution.

    What other advice do I have?

    I am going to continue using the solution and would recommend it to others.

    I rate Ubuntu Linux a nine out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Co-Founder- Operation & Digital technology transformation at Cloudtreez
    Real User
    Good interface and pretty stable but the initial setup can be difficult
    Pros and Cons
    • "They have provided a new interface, which is great."
    • "You need a lot of bandwidth during the initial setup in order to pull from the repository. Without good bandwidth, you'll get cut off and the implementation will fail."

    What is our primary use case?

    I primarily use it in my day to day work to test my products. There are a lot of open-source tools on the market, and I need this product to have something to deploy them on.

    What is most valuable?

    I prefer the new organization of Ubuntu. The repository is excellent.

    They have provided a new interface, which is great. 

    I don't need the UI so much as the CLI, however, both are excellent.

    What needs improvement?

    While for the most part, I am quite happy with the new developments on the solution, from my perspective (and as a user or a solutions architect), the product needs to keep on doing enhancements according to the needs sprouting out of recent developments in technology.

    There should be a CI/CD process for all software that it is on the market.

    Overall, the solution offers me exactly what I need. I'm not really missing any features.

    You need a lot of bandwidth during the initial setup in order to pull from the repository. Without good bandwidth, you'll get cut off and the implementation will fail.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for about four or five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability is good. Whatever I've needed to maintain, I've been able to on Unbuntu. It doesn't crash or freeze and it's not buggy. I find it to be reliable.

    That said, they do have to look at their security measures and maybe tighten those up a bit.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I'm not sure about the scalability of the solution. It may be how you use the solution and how you set it up.

    We're just a startup with a small team of maybe ten people. We aren't a big organization.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I'm familiar with many different options, including CentOS, Red Hat, and SUSE. I prefer Unbuntu out of all of these. However, it is a personal preference. Each has its own pros and cons.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is not very complex although I wouldn't exactly describe it as straightforward. You need to have the right people on it. Those that understand the industry will have an easier time. Otherwise, it might not connect to the correct server and will get disconnected, causing the implementation import to fail. 

    Countries that lack bandwidth need Unbuntu to offer a CAP server so they can pull off the repository and do updates and upgrades that won't fail if the bandwidth cuts.

    Therefore, it's not necessarily the installation itself that gives you trouble. Unbuntu needs to get closer to the countries in order to make it easier to pull from the repository easily.

    What other advice do I have?

    I highly recommend the solution. It's very popular among developers. It's worked quite well for us.

    Of course, solutions like Red Hat and CentOS also have good capabilities. For us, however, Unbuntu is the best.

    Overall, I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. It offers me basically everything I need and has worked well for our team.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Mukesh-Regmi - PeerSpot reviewer
    Mukesh-RegmiCo-Founder, at Cloud Innovation Pvt.Ltd "Cloudtreez"
    Real User

    Good and nice to use with ease and friendly GUI look.

    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Ubuntu Linux Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: March 2024
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Ubuntu Linux Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.