Ubuntu is officially 5 years old today. Five years! Can you believe that?

Ubuntu 4.10 Warty Warthog was released on the 20th October 2004.

Since then Ubuntu has hopped, skipped and jumped a hell of a long way. We have graphical installers, a graphical boot screen, WUBI, netbook remixes, easy installation of graphic drivers, a modern sound system in PulseAudio – all things that weren’t included in Ubuntu until various later releases!

I first hopped aboard the Ubuntu wagon during Gutsy, but i am aware of the awesome legacy that each successive release has helped to build, so let’s get all dreamy-eyed and nostalgic and take a quick look back at the releases so far…

Ubuntu 4.10 Warty Warthog – 20th October 2004

4.10_warty

Notes: –

  • The first release of Ubuntu
  • First distro to be released using Gnome 2.8
  • Firefox 0.9 default browser.
  • Gaim was default IM client

Ubuntu 5.04 Hoary Hedgehog – 8th April 2005

5.04_hoaryNotes: –

  • Introduced Update Manager
  • Suspend, hibernate and standby included
  • Firefox 1.0 default browser
  • First release using XORG

Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) 12th October 2005

5.10_breezyNotes: –

  • First release using graphical Bootloader ‘Usplash’
  • Add/remove introduced
  • Firefox 1.0 default browser

Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Dapper Drake – 1st June 2006

6.06_dapperNotes: –

  • First Long Term Support release
  • Merged LiveCD and Install CD into one
  • GUI for installation
  • Introduction of the orange humanlooks theme
  • GDebi introduced for GUI installation of .debs
  • Firefox 1.5

Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft – 26 October 2006

6.10_edgyNotes: –

  • Newly refreshed “human” theme
  • Tomboy and F-Spot apps included by default
  • Firefox 2.0

Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn – 19th April 2007

7.04_feistyNotes: –

  • Introduced the Migration assistant for new users
  • Assisted codec installation
  • Simplifed install of Graphics Drivers
  • Firefox 2.0 default Browser

Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon – 18th October 2007

7.10_gutsyNotes: –

  • AppArmor security introduced
  • Desktop search & Ubufox Firefox add-on added
  • Compiz enabled by default
  • Fast user switching
  • Firefox 2.0

 

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Hardy Heron – 24th April 2008

8.04_hardyNotes: –

  • Second long-term release.
  • news apps included: brasero, tracker & transmission
  • First release to use PulseAudio by default
  • First release supporting WUBI
  • Firefox 3.0 Beta default browser

 

Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex – 30th October 2008

8.10_intrepidNotes: –

  • New apps: LiveUSB creator & fast-user-switch-applet
  • Introduces guest account feature
  • Firefox 3.0 default browser

 

Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope – 23 April 2009

9.04_jauntyNotes: –

  • Brings new Usplash and login screen
  • Introduces NotifyOSD notifications
  • Includes several community-themes by default
  • Firefox 3.0 default browser
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