Ultima Linux 8.4

Ultima Linux is a fast, powerful, and above all convenient computer operating system, available for Intel and AMD-based personal computers. It emphasizes a “common sense” approach to development, and eases common system administration tasks through a largely set-it-and-forget-it mentality. Although first intended as a lightweight, techie-oriented desktop system when development began in November 2004, Ultima has since evolved into a highly stable distribution supporting both desktop and server capabilities, and enjoys much of its popularity as an alternative to proprietary products such as Microsoft Windows.

Ultima Linux is built around the incomparable K Desktop Environment (KDE), and includes many popular applications such as Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird; the OpenOffice.org comprehensive suite; the GIMP image editor; MPlayer and Xine media players; and many more besides. It borrows Slackware’s .tgz package format, and can be extended with additional software from a public repository, or various third-party sites such as LinuxPackages.net.

Ultima Linux runs on x86-based personal computers, with versions available for both 32-bit and 64-bit processors. This includes virtually every desktop, laptop, and server computer on the market today, and also certain “special” types of systems such as the ASUS Eee PC. It supports most popular hardware devices, including ATI and NVIDIA graphics cards; portable media players such as the Apple iPod; many wired and wireless networking adapters; and numerous printer and scanner models.

Ultima Linux is developed and maintained by Martin Ultima, along with an active user community centered on the Ultima Linux Support Forums. Development is kept as open as possible: All current work (including complete source code) is available on a public FTP site, and periodic beta releases are provided for public consumption to allow further development and user feedback.