Ubuntu is the most popular desktop Linux distribution based on Debian.
Ubuntu was created by Canonical and first released in October 2004. It uses Debian as its upstream foundation while pursuing a more predictable release schedule, polished desktop experience, and commercial support. Those goals helped it become a widely recognized entry point for people moving from Windows or macOS to Linux.
Ubuntu releases arrive on a six-month schedule, with long-term support editions every two years. The standard desktop edition currently uses the GNOME desktop environment, while official flavours provide alternatives such as KDE Plasma, Xfce, and LXQt. Ubuntu’s package ecosystem is built around Debian’s APT and dpkg technologies, although Ubuntu also promotes its own Snap package format.
Ubuntu is sometimes confused with Debian because they share much of the same software infrastructure, but they are separate distributions. Linux Mint and Pop!_OS are popular Ubuntu-based systems, not direct Debian-based desktop distributions in the usual sense. Fedora and openSUSE belong to different Linux distribution families.