Canonical has ended a program in which it sent out delivered free Ubuntu CDs worldwide via a distributor.

"For Ubuntu 11.04 you will no longer be able to go to our website and apply for a free CD," said Gerry Carr, a Canonical blogger.

This is something they should've done a while ago. The intent was clean -- to push Ubuntu into the lives of millions of people, as Carr romanticizes. But the administrative cost was high, shipped CDs were few, and downloads topped CD shipments.

FreeOS at one time used to deliver Linux distro CDs over bicycle, car, foot. That was years ago, when the Internet was still in its formative years in India. Of course, that will still be possible as Ubuntu is free.

Carr also reminded users that if you want to try Ubuntu, you could do it in the cloud. The cloud version is a  quick way for users to test the OS prior to downloading new versions. Developers can use it as a sandbox to test applications.

Carr hopes the cloud trial version is a way to convert Windows users to full-time Ubuntu Linux users. Wishful thinking?