Canonical announced a few hours ago the immediate availability of a new Linux kernel security update for the following Ubuntu distributions: 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake), 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron), 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex), 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) and 9.10 (Karmic Koala).

A security issue affects the following Ubuntu releases: Ubuntu 6.06 LTS, Ubuntu 7.10, Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. This advisory also applies to the corresponding versions of
Kubuntu, Edubuntu, and Xubuntu.

Out of all of the Ubuntu derivative distributions, the one that's received the least amount of attention really has been Edubuntu. With a slogan of "Linux for Young Human Beings", Edubuntu is a Linux distribution designed for students and use in school environments.

The Ubuntu team has announced the beta release of Ubuntu 7.10 and its variants, including Kubuntu, Edubuntu and Xubuntu. The final release of Ubuntu 7.10, dubbed "Gutsy Gibbon," will happen sometime next month.

Ubuntu Security team announced a major security alert to users of Ubuntu On February 5th .The security flaw is found in the kernel of the different versions of Ubuntu. This makes it vulnerable to the system, allowing the escalation of privileges and gain control of the system by an attacker.

While we regularly discuss Ubuntu, and to a lesser degree Kubuntu, there's also a version of Ubuntu tailor-made for the Xfce desktop environment. As most of you are aware, it's called Xubuntu, and after trying it out for the first time, I have to say that I find that it provides a better and more coherent experience than Ubuntu (let alone Kubuntu).

Well, the promised uber-review is finally here. With the release of Ubuntu 7.04 (aka "Feisty Fawn"), a new fork of Ubuntu, named "Ubuntu Studio", was released, to go along with Kubuntu ("LinuKs for KHumans", released with 5.04), Edubuntu ("Linux for Young Humans", 5.10), and Xubuntu ("Linux for Gamers and Humans with Old Hardware", 6.06 LTS).

Well, it's that time of year again. The time of year when the Ubuntu faithful crash servers everywhere trying to download the newest version of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu, or derivative (all at the same time). So instead of doing my usual column, I'm listing what's new in the latest release of Kubuntu and everything that it offers.

Everyone agrees that Ubuntu is making huge progress towards mainstream adoption. But what do we mean when we say "Ubuntu"? Don't we really mean *buntu, a collection of all Ubuntu versions? How do we explain this to the mainstream user? Will the names "Kubuntu", "Edubuntu" and "Xubuntu" make sense to a newcomer? Are they self-explanatory?