new to linux based O.S. -- difference between Ubuntu gutsy, hardy, intrepid, jaunty
 

What is the difference? I can see in system, about ubuntu, that the 8.10 I downloaded is listed as the 'intrepid ibex.'

Intrepid is Ubunut 8.10, Hardy is 8.04.
Go with Hardy, as the others are old and support for 8.10 ends soon.

linus72,

Sorry to contradict you, but Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) is supported for another year until April 2010.

Full details here under “Releases”:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu#Releases

A Beta version of Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) is out now with the final release due on 23rd April 2009.

A year is pretty soon-I just wish 9.04 would hurry up!

so there aren't any characteristics different between them, it's just that different releases have different names?

The newer versions of Ubuntu (or any distro) will have a newer kernel, xorg, gcc, and programs that run on them. Ubuntu 8.04 is a LTS (long term support) version. This means that it will be supported with security updates untill April 2011. The programs will only get security updates though. If you want the latest and greatest versions of those programs, then go with the newest version of Ubuntu. The non-LTS versions of Ubutnu (eg, 8.10) are supported for 18 months.
Ubuntu 9.04 will be out in 24 days. Ubuntu releases new versions every 6 months.

. . . on the desktop, as a server it is supposed to be (security) supported until April 2013.

An important distinction -- security patches vs. new versions, i.e. backports: When Warren Woodford decided to base MEPIS 6 on Ubuntu Dapper Drake 6.06 LTS (the 1st 'buntu LTS) repositories, many of his users, who didn't understand the distinction, were disappointed when there were no backports of newer versions of packages like OpenOffice.org.