Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution developed and supported by Canonical Ltd., which is headed by Mark Shuttleworth. It is based on Debian and uses its package management system (.deb files, dpkg, apt-get). The first release was 4.10, released on October 20th, 2004, and was initially marketed as "Linux for Human Beings". Its release cycle is a version (usually) every six months, with Long Term Support (LTS) releases occuring every fourth release starting with 6.06 LTS.

The main Ubuntu distribution switched from the GNOME 2 environment to the Unity environment starting from 11.04. The Unity environment was a graphical shell on top of GNOME 3, and was originally developed for the netbook edition of Ubuntu 10.10. Various controversies surround this environment, among those are a bug-ridden, rocky start, unpopular design decisions, and privacy concerns (Opt-out Amazon search in the 12.10 release). Not to mention, starting around 2013, work began on a "reboot" of Unity, dubbed Unity 8. As a result, development focus shifted there, and the default shell, Unity 7, was kept in maintenance mode consisting of small feature additions and bug fixes.

The stagnation of Unity, as well as the cancellation of Mir display server led to Unity's retirement in 2017, with Ubuntu switching to the GNOME Shell environment from 17.10. Unity 8 was picked up by UBports (along with the Ubuntu Touch operating system project, which was cancelled the same year)

These entries are served in png format for still images. You can click the images to view the full sized image, or a gif of the splash screen.

Not every splash screen will be shown here, only the ones deemed significant enough.

Version	Splash
Ubuntu 4.10 "Warty Warthog", October 2004 Startup sound by Nathaniel McCallum: Shutdown sound by Nathaniel McCallum: These sounds are licensed CC BY-SA 2.0. © Canonical 2004. Used until Ubuntu 6.10.	Initial CD screen GDM login screen Gnome desktop splash screen
Ubuntu 5.04 "Hoary Hedgehog", April 2005	Initial CD screen GDM login screen Gnome desktop splash screen
Ubuntu 5.10 "Breezy Badger", October 2005	Initial CD screen Bootscreen, using usplash. (click for animation) GDM login is identical to previous version Gnome desktop splash screen
Ubuntu 6.06 LTS "Dapper Drake", June 2006	Initial CD screen Bootscreen (click for animation) GDM login screen Gnome desktop splash screen
Ubuntu 6.10 "Edgy Eft", October 2006 September 2006 development version Startup sound by Peter Savage: Shutdown sound by Peter Savage: October 2006 released version Startup sound by Peter Savage: Shutdown sound by Peter Savage: These sounds are licensed CC BY-SA 2.0?. © Canonical 2006. The released sounds were used until Ubuntu 12.04, where it is disabled by default. It was not heard on a newly installed system since 9.10, where the sound is muted by default.	CD screen is identical to previous version Bootscreen (click for animation) GDM login screen Gnome desktop splash screen
Ubuntu 7.04 "Feisty Fawn", April 2007	Initial CD screen Bootscreen (click for animation) GDM login screen Gnome desktop splash screen
Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon", October 2007	Initial CD screen. The OEM install option is made available. Bootscreen is the same as before. On the live CD, this 640x480 version is the one displayed. (click for animation) Login screen is identical to previous version At this point, the custom Gnome desktop splash was removed and turned off by default.
Ubuntu 8.04 LTS "Hardy Heron", April 2008	Initial CD screen. It opens with a language selection box. Bootscreen is identical to previous version GDM login screen
Ubuntu 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex", October 2008	GDM login screen. Everything else is identical to the previous version.
Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope", April 2009	Initial CD screen is identical to previous version Bootscreen (click for animation) GDM login screen.
Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala", October 2009	Initial CD screen is identical to previous version Bootscreen (click for animation) Another bootscreen (this time powered by Xsplash) leading up to the GDM login screen. (click for animation)
Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx", April 2010	This accessibility screen only shows up on the live CD. Hitting any key on this screen will take you to the initial CD screen as seen in the previous release, with the newer Ubuntu logo. This bootscreen is still used today. Bootscreen, now powered by Plymouth. (click for animation) This bootscreen is still used today. GDM login screen.
Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot", October 2011	Bootscreen is the same as before, except a text-mode bootscreen is available for compatibility (like on live CDs). This bootscreen is still used today. LightDM login screen. This is used with different backgrounds until Ubuntu 17.10.
Ubuntu 17.10 "Artful Aardvark", October 2017	GDM login screen. Bootscreens stay pretty much the same as in 10.04 up.
Ubuntu 19.04 "Disco Dingo", April 2019 Startup sound: © Canonical 2018. Used starting with Ubuntu 18.10, although not heard by default.	GDM login screen, now using the Yaru Communitheme.