20 years of Ubuntu is just the beginning
The story of Ubuntu is a story written by many hands. This page is a tribute to our community, partners and Canonical staff who have all given a piece of themselves to making this open source project thrive. Thank you to all of you.
Above all, it's a celebration of what Ubuntu has achieved so far, and an invitation to collaborate with us in delivering an even faster pace of innovation in the future.
Milestones that shaped us
How did a small, community maintained distro grow to become the no.1 Linux OS for developers, running on millions of servers and devices around the world?
We did it by staying true to our mission, but there were a lot of turns on the road that led us here. Let's start with the history of Ubuntu.
2004
The first version of Ubuntu is released
The first Ubuntu Developer Summit takes place in Mataró, Spain
2005
The first Ubuntu LoCos (Local Communities) are founded in Portugal, Italy, France, Japan
Ubuntu ShipIt begins - a mailing program of free Ubuntu CDs to anyone who requested them
Release of the first official Ubuntu Flavour, Kubuntu 5.04
Ubuntu wins multiple awards for "favourite Linux distribution"
2006
Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake) becomes the first Long Term Support release
2008
The first Ubuntu Cloud images are released as Beta
Wubi is released, allowing Windows users to safely dual-boot Ubuntu within existing Windows partitions
2011
Ubuntu ShipIt comes to an end, with releases moving to download
Ubuntu adopts OpenStack as its core cloud fabric
2012
Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) becomes the first LTS to include 5 years of desktop support
2013
64 bit becomes the recommended download
2014
Ubuntu turns 10 years old and Utopic Unicorn (14.10) is released
2015
Ubuntu MATE, a community developed flavour, becomes an official Ubuntu flavour
2016
The first release of Ubuntu Core, a dedicated deployment OS for devices
Snap packages are introduced to Ubuntu, attracting well-known ISVs to the platform
2017
Ubuntu arrives on WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
2019
19.10 chosen as best Ubuntu release of the decade by OMG! Ubuntu
2022
Canonical unveils a new Ubuntu logo
2023
Ubuntu Pro is launched, expanding Canonical's commitment to the Universe repository and open source applications
2024
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) is released
Legacy support takes the Ubuntu LTS commitment to 12 years
Ubuntu's 20th anniversary and Oracular Oriole release
Hear from people who were there at the beginning
Canonical attracts a diverse team of experts united by one mission: to amplify the impact of open source. Many of the original contributors and team members behind Ubuntu are still around, including our Founder and CEO.
So what was it that attracted them to get involved in a project like Ubuntu?
What was your
first Ubuntu experience?
It's not just Canonical and Ubuntu contributors that have been there from the start. Our community and our users all have their own tales about how they discovered Ubuntu.
From hobbyists and enthusiasts to enterprises and innovators, we spoke to different users to hear their tales.
Where were you when you discovered Ubuntu? Join the conversation!
Share your memories with us at @ubuntu on X, Ubuntu on Facebook, Canonical on LinkedIn or on our community discourse. Tag us and use the hashtag #Ubuntu20years
Scroll down to see what other community members have been sharing.
This is a very old photo of part of my collection. My old collection is still there but in 🇱🇰, so I can't take a new photo. :)
I want to thank you for sending bulk quantities for £0, even outside Europe at a time when we had no fast Internet. I learned Linux thanks to #Ubuntu.
I still remember the day I bought my first laptop & eventually installed Ubuntu on it. Fast forward a few years later, and now Linux is an essential part of my daily life — at work, at home, on personal projects, both in the cloud and on self-hosted hardware. Kudos Ubuntu!
Can't believe it's been 20 years, Ubuntu.
Ubuntu was my first introduction to Linux and open source software. That's probably a common story as Ubuntu is considered one of the most user friendly distributions.
I was feeling a bit nostalgic today and decided to install Ubuntu Warty Warthog 4.10. What a walk down memory lane! I still can't believe #Ubuntu turns 20 this year.
Wow, 20 years ago Canonical sprung into life...and it completely changed my own life.
While I didn't join in 2004, I came along a few years later...Canonical captured the interest of the early British open source community with @ubuntu .
At the time I was a journalist, writing for Linux Format, Linux Magazine, Linux User & Developer and others, I was building a community in the UK called Linux UK...and I spent my days helping companies move to open source at OpenAdvantage (a small government-funded consultancy.)
Can you believe Ubuntu has been around for 20 years!? I remember it changing the game when it first released, and it has been one of my go to distributions (for desktop and later server) ever since, even when it's not my daily driver.
Releases that stick out for me: 6.06 | 12.04 | 20.04
Almost 20 years ago, when very few people were using Linux for their desktops, I received this free CD package in my mail, and was delighted with the promise of freedom and possibilities that only Open Source and Free software can offer.
Today, I am still using Ubuntu as my daily driver (with a little distribution browsing over the years ), and every day I get more and more satisfaction from it - look and feel, functionality and community support are something that no other free Operating System provides. Congratulations on the 24.04 version to Ubuntu and Canonical
20 years of Ubuntu: Canonical celebrates with upcoming 24.10 - and it's outstanding as usual
#Linux #Ubuntu #Desktop #Canonical
When I was in my early teens my friend Nate gave me an Ubuntu Linux install disc.
I dual booted that bad boy alongside windows xp on the family Desktop. It didn't have drivers for our modem preinstalled so I had to build them from source, manually grabbing one dependency at a time.
Found this old photo of Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (or 6.10? Can't remember) CD-ROM. The image is very blurry because I took it on an old feature phone. I started using Ubuntu around version 5.x and it was really exciting for me to receive the CD-ROM via air mail. It's amazing that I've been in the Linux world for more than 20 years already!
20 years of Ubuntu , the OS that we all love ❤️
Relive your best Ubuntu memories
Download your favourite wallpaper
Ubuntu mascots and wallpapers have become an iconic feature of every release. We're bringing the Ubuntu zoo together to give you all of our wallpapers.
Download our poster for all the mascots, all in one place
We got quite nostalgic designing this poster! It brings together all of our mascots, from Warty Warthog and Oracular Oriole. Print it, put it up and enjoy the Ubuntu animal kingdom!
Make your mark in our wallpaper competition
Oracular Oriole is our latest release. We recently conducted a wallpaper competition to allow our community to design the wallpaper that our millions of users will see every time they open their laptops. Read about the latest competition and keep your eyes peeled for the next one!
See who's behind our previous wallpapers
No separating the art from the artist – all credit to our amazing community! Check out the voting and submissions from our previous releases:
Amplifying Ubuntu's impact with our partners
We couldn't keep Ubuntu at the forefront of the latest technology without the support of our partners.
What is it about Ubuntu that our partners value? Our partners have helped us take Ubuntu across industries, and from desktops to automotive devices.
We invited our partners to send their recorded anniversary wishes to celebrate 20 years of Ubuntu. We've put them together in a blog that charts the history of our partnerships.
Birthday wishes from our partners
"As we celebrate Canonical's 20th anniversary, our collaboration is a testament to the enduring value you bring to the open-source community. Partnering with Canonical enables us to integrate secure, optimised Ubuntu OS into our SoC solutions, enhancing our offerings for the AI and IoT markets."
Leendert van Doorn
Senior Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm
"We are happy to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ubuntu and Canonical. Our realisation is that our clients are putting more and more trust in Ubuntu: it is a reliable platform for them. And their guarantees of security and support will drive innovation for many years. As a leading industrial IPC provider, we will continue to provide hardware support for Ubuntu-based offerings."
Jarry Chang
DFI Product Centre General Manager, DFI Inc.
"We are thrilled to commemorate 20 years of Canonical. Advantech offers over 100 Ubuntu-ready solutions for global IoT intelligence in various sectors. Our customers trust Canonical's unwavering commitment to security and support, together we look forward to fostering innovation for many years to come."
Joe Chen
Director for Embedded IoT Group, Advantech
"ADLINK is thrilled to celebrate Canonical's 20 years of technological excellence. As a close partner, we have launched numerous embedded solutions supporting Ubuntu for its security and adaptability. We look forward to many more years of collaboration, and pioneering in the future!"
Alex Wang
Senior Product Manager of Computer on Module BU, ADLINK
"I am immensely proud to collaborate with Canonical. Our partnership thrives on a shared commitment to accelerating the adoption of industrial edge AIoT applications and delivering the best out-of-box experience for customers. Together, we are paving the way for a smarter and more connected future."
Kenny Chang
Vice President, ASRock Industrial
"Partnering with Canonical means secure, reliable solutions for our customers. Their exceptional support in sales, project management, and R&D helps us provide top-notch products and choices. We're excited about our future together!"
Leslie Yu
Deputy Division Director of Software Design Department, ASUS IoT
"I've been an open source evangelist for over 25 years. Beginning as an Ubuntu Advantage (now Ubuntu Pro) reseller in 2012, we have since moved into distribution to better serve the community. Congratulations Canonical on your 20-years of steadfast commitment to open source."
Robin Porter
Open Source Practice Leader, A24
"Our 20-year collaboration with Canonical has been invaluable in bringing the best AI development and deployment tools to the global developer community. This partnership provides a robust platform that enhances access to both enterprise and open source solutions, benefiting the broader AI community."
Chris Lamb
Vice President, Computing Platforms Software, NVIDIA
"We are very excited to take part in the 20-year birthday celebrations - you have some incredible achievements to look back on. You have played an instrumental role in enabling developers to land their software easily on Arm architectures and to take advantage of multi-architecture software deployment."
Andrew Wafaa
Senior Director and Fellow, Arm
"Congratulations on Ubuntu's 20th anniversary! I am honored to acknowledge our long-standing partnership with Canonical. Together, we have brought innovative solutions to our customers, addressing their unique needs through the power of open source. We look forward to many more years of continued success."
Dan Mroz
C4 Chief Cloud Strategists, Dell
"We're proud to be a longstanding collaborator with Canonical. Starting with Ubuntu certification on HPE platforms, we expanded to meet customer needs for open source clouds. As Canonical celebrates 20 years, we look forward to deepening our partnership to deliver cloud modernization and AI initiatives to customers."
Tam Vuong
Technology Partner Program Lead, HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)
"Congratulations to Canonical on your 20th anniversary. Since the launch of IBM LinuxONE in 2015, we've been thrilled to work closely with Canonical on Ubuntu Linux for the IBM Z architecture as a valued member of our open eco-system serving clients as diverse as banks to environmental organizations."
Matt Whitbourne
Director - Product Management - OS & Virtualization, IBM Z & IBM LinuxONE systems
"As a leader and respected supplier of Ubuntu, Canonical has expanded through their 20 year history to be a trusted open source provider across the expansive modern stack that makes up the cloud. This is where the partnership with Ampere thrives now and in the future. This combination of Cloud Native processing and Cloud Native OS plus stack curation and support offers a potent platform for scalable and efficient computing evolving to meet the needs of the cloud in the era of AI."
Sean Varley
Chief Evangelist, VP of Business Development, Ampere Computing
Shape the future with us
Taking place from 25-27 October in The Hague, the Netherlands, this summit is where we bring together experts, builders, tinkerers and engineers.
Join us to drive forward our collective mission to build the future with open source software.
Ubuntu is most of all a community. All of the software, artwork and documentation in Ubuntu has been created, tested, used and discussed openly by people around the world. Anyone who uses Ubuntu is part of this global community, and we invite you to help shape Ubuntu to better meet your needs. To make it yours!
We can't do what we do without the amazing people that work with us. If you're interested in starting your next chapter with us, take a look at our careers page.
With Everything LTS, we're breaking new ground and offering up to 12 years of long term support for any open source docker image. We're taking the security maintenance commitments we've made to Ubuntu to the wider world of open source.
That means CVE patching for upstream components in your entire open source dependency tree, whether you host your services on Ubuntu, RHEL, VMware or public cloud K8s.