systems, and memory handling.
Ubuntu includes a Linux kernel that can use multiple processors, which
allows you to use Ubuntu in more advanced computing environments with
greater demands on CPU power. This kernel can support at least 16 CPUs; in
reality, however, small business servers typically use only dual- or quad-CPU
workstations or servers. However, Ubuntu can run Linux on more powerful
hardware.
Ubuntu automatically supports your multiple-CPU Intel-based motherboard,
and you can take advantage of the benefits of symmetric multiprocessors
(SMPs) for software development and other operations. The Linux kernels
included with Ubuntu can use system RAM up to 64GB, allow individual file
sizes in excess of 2GB, and host the demands of—theoretically—billions of
users.
Businesses that depend on high-availability, large-scale systems can also be
served by Ubuntu, along with the specialist commercial support on offer from
hundreds of support partners across the world.
Ubuntu can be used in many of these environments by customers with widely
disparate computing needs. Some of the applications for Ubuntu include
desktop support; small file, print, or mail servers; intranet web servers; and
security firewalls deployed at strategic points inside and outside company
LANs.
Debian itself is also available for multiple architectures and is developed for
and complied on about a dozen different architectures, from x86 to ARM and
MIPS.
Small business owners can earn great rewards by stepping off the software
licensing and upgrade treadmill and adopting a Linux-based solution. A
business using Ubuntu not only avoids the need for licensing accounting and
the threat of software audits but also has viable alternatives to many types of
commercial productivity software, often for free.
Using Ubuntu in a small business setting makes a lot of sense for other
reasons, too, such as not having to invest in cutting-edge hardware to set up a
productive shop. Ubuntu easily supports older, or legacy, hardware, and
savings are compounded over time by avoiding unnecessary hardware
upgrades. Additional savings will be realized because OS software and
upgrades are free. New versions of applications can be downloaded and
installed at little or no cost, and office suite software is free.
Ubuntu is easy to install on a network and plays well with others, meaning it
works well in a mixed-computing situation with other operating systems such