Everyone has to start somewhere. I started with a friend sliding a copy of Ubuntu across the table to me at a restaurant. It's not that easy for everyone to get a copy of Ubuntu. New computers with Ubuntu pre-installed are not very comon, and it is almost impossible to purchase a box set of Ubuntu in a store. After some thought ,talk with friends and using the IRC channel, I came up with some simple low cost or free ways to get Ubuntu.
How do you get a copy of Ubuntu?
1.There are no licensing problems, so no criminal justice agencies will knock on your door and accuse you of piracy if you ask a friend to loan you their copy. That is assuming you have a friend who uses Ubuntu.
2.If you don't have a friend who is using Ubuntu, then make friends with someone who is using Ubuntu. I joined Ubuntu Toronto, a Linux User Group where everyone uses Ubuntu. They meet at the linuxcaffe and if you ask around at a meeting someone will have a disc with them and you can borrow a copy of Dapper Drake, the recommended distro for the novice user . They will also tell you how to install Ubuntu on your computer. It costs nothing to join Ubuntu Toronto and there is a real benefit in hanging out with people who know a lot about Ubuntu.
3.You can go to the Ubuntu offical shipping site https://shipit.ubuntu.com/ and get them to mail you a copy. They will send you out a free copy of Dapper Drake, the 6.06 release of Ubuntu but delivery is up to ten weeks and there are no instruction . You can download instructions from their web site or you can go back to answer #2 join Ubuntu Toronto and attend one of their free seminars for the new Ubuntu user.
4.Ubuntu Toronto meets at the linuxcaffe at 326 Harbord St., Toronto. You can go there any day if you are in the area , buy a coffee, and ask them to burn you a copy of Ubuntu . The owner charges a nominal fee, burned CDs are $6 + tax ,burned DVDs are $9 + tax.
By the time you finish drinking the coffee you will have your Ubuntu disc in your hot little hand.
5.You can buy a copy from http://www.Distrowatch.com. or http://www.osdisc.com or http://www.linuxcd.org . They are reputable organizations and can sell you Ubuntu in CD or DVD form.
6.Buy a book or magazine. If you can find a book on Ubuntu at your local book seller you may find a copy of Ubuntu included in the price of the book. Unfortunately some of the books can be very expensive. On the other hand Linux Magazine(http://www.linux-magazine.com )frequently includes a free Linux distribution with the magazine. The August 2006 edition of Linux Magazine had Ubuntu 6.06 on a live boot DVD. The January 2007 edition of Linux Magazine has a DVD copy of Ubuntu 6.10. You may be able to sign the magazine out of the library and use the disc.
7.Download a copy of Ubuntu 6.06 from the web. http://www.ubuntu.com/products/GetUbuntu/download?action=show&redirect=d... If you don't have access to a Linux computer you should have no problem burning an iso image onto CD under Windows. All you need is the right tool. http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm This works for XP, but there are no doubt other tools if you have Windows 2000.

So to recap, I have described four ways to get Ubuntu that are free and three ways that will cost less than twenty dollars. It's never easy getting started on any project and changing operating systems on your computer can be an annoyance. Ubuntu offers a low cost way to experience a modern, dependable and trouble free operating system for your computer. Welcome to computers for people.

Kim King is a member of Ubuntu Toronto. This item was written with the assistance of Blaine Horrocks, David Patrick and Tony Yarusso.