Wal-Mart Stocks Ubuntu Linux

It’s another small step for Linux on the desktop, and another great leap for Ubuntu — one of the fastest-growing flavors of Linux. Retail giant Wal-Mart is now offering Ubuntu-based PCs from Everex. The $200 system signals growing interest in Windows alternatives among mainstream consumers. Next up, watch for Ubuntu to land on some niche small business servers.

No, The VAR Guy isn’t suggesting that Linux will kick Windows off millions of desktops. But Ubuntu’s continued momentum is undeniable. The operating system, overseen by Canonical, received a major upgrade last month. And Dell continues to ship Ubuntu on selected systems. (In fact, The VAR Guy owns one of the systems.) Now, Everex has further customized Ubuntu as part of the company’s gPC. You can find more details over at PCWorld.

So, what does Ubuntu mean for solutions providers? It’s an increasingly popular option in K-12 schools and universities because of its cost and reliability advantages over Windows. And The VAR Guy is watching Ubuntu closely on small business servers. Canonical plans to gradually push Ubuntu in the server direction over the next few months.