Chapter #3: The Advantages of Open Source: Why Ubuntu Stands Out
In this chapter, we look at what open source really means, how Ubuntu licenses and organizes its software, and the practical benefits and honest trade-offs of running a free operating system.
In the previous chapter, we walked through the Wayland-only desktop, GNOME 50, the Linux 7.0 kernel, and the new security defaults that ship with Resolute Raccoon.
Many people install Ubuntu because it's free to download, but that's only a small part of the story. The real advantage of open source has nothing to do with price. This means you're using an operating system that no single company can lock, disable, or quietly change without the community knowing about it.
In this chapter, we'll move beyond Ubuntu's features and look at the open source model that makes them possible. Once you understand how open source works, many of Ubuntu's design choices will start to make sense, including why software is installed the way it is and why you never need a product key.