Ubuntu Muslim Edition 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon). That’s the operating system running on my machine right now. I just installed this version of Ubuntu couple weeks ago, right after I bought my notebook. But why Linux? Why Ubuntu? Why Muslim Edition? And why 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)?

Why?
First question. Why Linux? It has been common now, that Linux has become more powerful than it was, both technically and socially. Technically, because it is supported by millions of open source software developers around the globe. Socially, because many people migrated from the paid operating system they used to use, to the free one. If you could use something which is legally free, why should you choose the others which are not? In Linux installer CD/DVDs, there are many application softwares included in, such as office applications, Internet applications, games, and more. So you don’t have to do any extra effort to look for common applications to install.

The second question. Why Ubuntu? There was nothing special actually, why I chose Ubuntu. I just heard that it is one of Linux distros which is simply good in graphical appearances and easy to use. And then why Muslim Edition? I knew from a friend of mine through a discussion forum that Ubuntu had this kind of variant. He said that this variant had some applications made specially for muslims, such as Zekr (digital Quran), Minbar (prayer times), and Hijri Islamic calendar. Then I found that those applications are very very useful. Besides those applications, the desktop appearance of Ubuntu ME is customized with Islamic desktop background, sound, and theme.

And finally, why 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)? Just simple, I chose it because it was the latest version of Ubuntuemoticon. Ubuntu has a different way of naming its versions. The first release of Ubuntu was Ubuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog). Wondering why it began on version 4? Because Ubuntu version numbers do not represent the actual version numbers, but they actually represent their time of release. 4.10 means it was released on October 2004, 7.04 means it was released on April 2007, and so on. Ubuntu always uses funny animal names for the code names in each release. There are seven releases of Ubuntu so far. They are 4.10 (Warty Warthog), 5.04 (Hoary Hedgehog), 5.10 (Breezy Badger), 6.06 (Dapper Drake), 6.10 (Edgy Eft), 7.04 (Feisty Fawn), and the latest, 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon).

Migrating from Another Operating System
For Windows users, don’t hesitate migrating to Linux based operating system, especially Ubuntu. If you still need to use some Windows programs, you can use Wine (Windows Emulator). By using it, you may run Windows programs in Linux platforms. Or, you can use virtual machines such as VMWare to put a virtual computer, in which you may install any operating system you want –including Windows– inside your Linux system.

If you need assistance, don’t worry, you can join the community in various ways, such as mailing lists, discussion forums, or IRC chats. These are the internet websites you can visit emoticon:
www.ubuntu.com
www.ubuntume.com
www.ubuntu-id.org

Tags: computer, operating system, open source, linux, ubuntu, muslim, muslim edition, gutsy, gutsy gibbon