FIGURE 1.7 You can find or add other options under the Other Software,
Updates, and Additional Drivers tabs.
OPEN SOURCE VERSUS PROPRIETARY
You might hear some arguments about using proprietary drivers or other
software in Ubuntu. Some people feel that the use of such drivers goes
against what open source stands for because the program code used for the
drivers or software cannot be viewed and modified by the wider
community but only by the original developers or company that owns it.
There is also a strong argument that users should have to undergo the least
amount of work for a fully functional system.
Ubuntu takes a middle-of-the-road stand on this and leaves it up to the user
to decide. Open source software is installed by default, but options are
given to allow proprietary software to be installed easily.When you are happy with your selections, switch to the Updates tab to
configure Ubuntu’s behavior when updates are available (see Figure 1.8). By
default, both the important security updates and recommended updates are
checked to ensure that you have the latest bug fixes and patches. You can also
choose to receive proposed updates and backports (software that is released
for a newer version of Ubuntu but reprogrammed to be compatible with the
current release), but we recommend this only if you are happy to carry out
testing for the community because any updated software from these
repositories can adversely affect your system.