computer science

System76

System76 is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand System76 rather than just read about it. In short: System76, Inc. is an American computer manufacturer based in Denver, Colorado, that sells notebook computers, desktop computers, and servers. The company utilizes free and open-source software, and offers a choice of Ubuntu or their own Ubuntu-based Linux distribution Pop!_OS as preinstalled operating systems.

Key takeaways

System76 belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect System76 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of System76 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

System76, Inc. is an American computer manufacturer based in Denver, Colorado, that sells notebook computers, desktop computers, and servers. The company utilizes free and open-source software, and offers a choice of Ubuntu or their own Ubuntu-based Linux distribution Pop!_OS as preinstalled operating systems.

History System76 was founded by Carl Richell and Erik Fetzer. In 2003, Fetzer registered the domain system76.com to sell computers with Linux operating systems preinstalled, but the idea was not pursued until two years later. The number 76 in the company name is a reference to 1776, the year the American Revolution took place. Richell explained that the company hoped to spark an "open source revolution", giving consumers a choice to not use proprietary software. In mid-2005, the founders considered which Linux distribution to offer, with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, openSUSE, Yoper and other distributions evaluated. Ubuntu was initially dismissed, but Richell and Fetzer changed their mind quickly after a re-evaluation. Richell liked Canonical's business model of completely free software, backed by commercial support when needed. The first computers sold by System76 shipped with Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy Badger preinstalled. In response to Canonical switching to the GNOME desktop from the Unity interface for future releases of Ubuntu in May 2017, System76 announced a new shell called Pop. The company announced in June 2017 that it would be creating its own Linux distribution based on Ubuntu called Pop!_OS. System76 began manufacturing their Thelio line of desktops in 2018 at a factory in Denver, Colorado. The company moved into a 24,000-square-foot warehouse.

Products

System76's products include the Thelio series of desktops, the Meerkat mini computer, several laptops, and several rack mount servers. The computers are shipped with Pop! OS, the company's in-house Linux distribution. System76's computer models are named after various African animals. In May 2021, the company released the Launch series of mechanical keyboards, which feature the open source QMK firmware and built-in USB hubs. System76's firmware partly disables the Intel Management Engine; the Intel Management Engine is proprietary firmware which runs an operating system in post-2008 Intel chipsets. On 4 April 2023, System76's CEO and founder Carl Richell announced System76's first in-house designed laptop, code-named "Virgo".

Pop!_OS

Pop!_OS is a Linux distribution developed by System76 based on Ubuntu. It is intended for use by "developers, makers, and computer science professionals." Pop!_OS provides full disk encryption by default as well as streamlined window management, workspaces, and keyboard shortcuts for navigation. Pop!_OS comes preinstalled on System76 devices, and can also be downloaded and installed on most computers.

COSMIC desktop environment

COSMIC is a desktop environment for Pop!_OS. Originally intended for the Pop!_OS distribution, it is now available as a standalone desktop environment.

Community relations The company has sponsored the Ubuntu Developer Summit, Southern California Linux Expo, and other Open Source/Linux events and conferences. Their official support forums are hosted by Canonical Ltd., the primary developer of Ubuntu. System76 is an active member in the Colorado Ubuntu Community, serving as the corporate sponsor for Ubuntu LoCo events and release parties in downtown Denver.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with System76

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what System76 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to System76 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about System76 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of System76

In research: System76 appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses System76 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: System76 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Companies based in Denver, Computer companies of the United States, Computer hardware companies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for System76 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study System76 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what System76 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain System76 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is System76 in simple terms?

Why does System76 matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study System76?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on System76.