Ubuntu Server: A General Overview

Ubuntu is a free, open-source operating system based on Linux, developed and maintained by a company called Canonical. It was created by a group of Debian developers led by Mark Shuttleworth formed Canonical, Ltd. in 2005. They also created the Ubuntu Foundation to provide support and development of Ubuntu. They currently release upgrades on a 6-month schedule.

Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning ‘humanity to others.’

Ubuntu Server is a version of the Ubuntu operating system designed specifically for servers, which are computers that host and manage resources or services used by other devices. It is optimized for performance and reliability, providing developers and IT professionals with a lightweight, secure, and flexible environment to run applications and services. It’s built on Linux, an open-source operating system known for its stability and efficiency, which makes Ubuntu Server a popular choice among web developers and businesses worldwide.

For website developers creating web applications, Ubuntu Server is essential because it provides a robust platform for hosting websites, databases, and services. It includes support for popular web technologies like Apache, Nginx, MySQL, and PHP (often bundled together as the LAMP or LEMP stack), which are commonly used to power dynamic websites and applications. Ubuntu Server’s compatibility with cloud services and virtualization platforms also makes it a top choice for deploying scalable, high-performance applications, whether on a private server or in a cloud environment like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.

Noble Numbat Ubuntu Release

The current release is version 24.04.1 LTS, nicknamed Noble Numbat. LTS stands for Long Term Support and provides five years of free security and maintenance updates, which can be extended to 10 years with Ubuntu Pro.

The 24.04.1 release notes include upgrades and support for the following components of Ubuntu Server:

• NGINX v1.24
  • OpenSSL 3.0 compatibility
  • TLSv1.3 protocol enabled by default
• PHP v8.3.6
• Apache2 v2.4.58
  • HTTP/2 support
• PostgreSQL v16.2
• Django v4.2.11
• Docker v24.0.7 – container application development
• exim4 v4.97 – mail transport agent
• HAProxy v2.8.5 – load balancing
• Clamav anti-virus toolkit updates
• High Availability and Clustering
  • Pacemaker v2.1.6
  • OpenStack 2024.1 (Caracal) release
  • Ceph updates for compatibility with the 19.2.0 (Squid) release

File Systems supported by Ubuntu

Ubuntu Server supports various file systems (FS). The recommended system you should use depends on your storage needs. The man page for the 18.04 version includes the following list: ext, ext2, ext3, ext4, hpfs, iso9660, JFS, minix, msdos, ncpfs nfs, ntfs, proc, Reiserfs, smb, sysv, umsdos, vfat, XFS, xiafs, and ZFS.

Package Management for Ubuntu

There are a couple of package management tools available to you in Ubuntu. One is dpkg and the other is APT. Dpkg can be used to install, remove and build packages, but it can’t automatically download and install these packages or the package dependencies. It’s best used for locally installed packages. APT is another command-line tool that you can use to install or upgrade packages in your Ubuntu installation. The APT system can also be accessed using Aptitude. Aptitude is a text-based menu-driven system of APT. It is not as flexible or powerful as the command-line version, but it provides a quick and easy way to install, remove or upgrade packages. For more detailed information on each of these options check out the man pages (man dpkg or man apt in a terminal console).

Init System for Ubuntu

The INIT system or process is the first process that is executed when starting up Linux or Unix-based operating system. Ubuntu has been using Systemd since version 14. Previous to that the init system in use was Upstart.

Other Ubuntu Install Options and Architectures

Ubuntu Server supports server provisioning using MAAS (Metal as a Service). This option allows you to deal with servers as a whole instead of as individual systems. This allows for the construction of data centers and networks while providing for support for multiple operating systems such as CentOS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Windows. There is also support for OpenStack and different server architectures like ARM, POWER, and IBM Z.

If you need expert help with your Ubuntu installation, check out:

• Ask Ubuntu
• IRC-based support
• Ubuntu Forums

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