Beginning Ubuntu Linux (eBook)

Keir Thomas is an award-winning author who has written several best-selling beginning-level Linux titles for Apress. A former computer magazine editor, he has been writing about computers, operating systems, and software for a decade. He has also edited many computing titles and works as a full-time author. He lives on the side of a mountain in England, and his hobbies include hiking and playing musical instruments.

Contents at a Glance 5
Contents 8
About the Authors 23
About the Technical Reviewers 24
Acknowledgments 25
Preface 26
Introduction 27
What You’ll Find in This Book 28
What’s New in the Third Edition 29
About the DVD-ROM Supplied with This Book 29
Conventions Used in This Book 30
Introducing the World of Linux 31
Welcome! 32
What Is Linux? 32
The Age of Linux 34
The Problems with Windows 35
The Benefits of Linux 37
Summary 40
A History and Politics Lesson 41
In the Beginning 41
The GNU Project 44
Proprietary Software and the GPL 45
GNU and Linux Together 46
Different Flavors of Linux 47
Linux Today 48
Modern Linux Development 48
Summary 49
The Realities of Running Linux 50
Learning to Use Linux 50
Who Uses Linux? 51
Getting Hold of Linux 52
Using Ubuntu 53
Summary 54
Installing Ubuntu 55
Preinstallation Steps 56
Understanding Partitioning 56
Freeing Up Space 58
Backing Up Your Data 62
Summary 66
Installing Ubuntu 67
An Overview of the Installation Process 67
Step-by-Step Guide 70
Summary 98
Solving Installation Problems 99
Preinstallation Problems 99
Installation Problems 103
Postinstallation Problems 105
Graphical Problems 108
Summary 117
The No-Nonsense Getting Started Guide 118
Booting Ubuntu for the First Time 119
Starting Up 119
Logging In 121
Exploring the Desktop 122
Running Programs 132
Working with Virtual Desktops 133
Using the Mouse 135
Cutting and Pasting Text 136
Summary 137
Getting Everything Up and Running 138
Ubuntu Hardware Support 138
How to Configure Ubuntu 142
Getting Online 145
Configuring Power-Saving Features 166
Using Power-Management Preferences 166
Adding a Printer 171
Using Digital Cameras, MP3 Players, and USB Memory Sticks 178
Configuring a Scanner 179
Installing 3D Drivers and Activating Desktop Visual Effects 181
Configuring Bluetooth 184
Configuring Sound Cards 189
Configuring E-Mail and Instant Messaging 190
Summary 194
How to Secure Your Computer 195
Windows Security vs. Linux Security 196
Root and Ordinary Users 197
Encryption 199
Common-Sense Security 216
Online Updates 217
Configuring the Ubuntu Firewall 220
Adding Virus Scanning to Ubuntu 227
Summary 232
Personalizing Ubuntu: Getting Everything Just Right 233
Changing the Look and Feel 233
Configuring Input Devices 253
Adding and Removing Desktop Items 266
Summary 276
Ubuntu Replacements for Windows Programs 277
Available Software 277
A Quick Start with Common Linux Programs 279
Summary 298
Managing Your Files 299
Understanding File System Concepts 299
Using Nautilus 303
Launching Files and Running Programs 309
Accessing Windows Files 311
Accessing Removable Storage Devices 318
Summary 320
The Shell and Beyond 321
Introducing the BASH Shell 322
What Is the BASH Shell? 322
Why Bother with the Shell? 324
When Should You Use the Shell? 326
Getting Started with the Shell 326
Working with Files 332
Summary 339
Understanding Linux Files and Users 340
Real Files and Virtual Files 340
Users and File Permissions 343
The File System Explained 352
Mounting 356
File Searches 361
File Size and Free Space 363
Summary 365
Working with Text Files 366
Viewing Text Files 366
Using a Command-Line Text Editor 369
Searching Through Files 377
Comparing Text Files 380
More Text Tools 381
Summary 383
Taking Control of the System 384
Viewing Processes 384
Controlling Processes 387
Controlling Jobs 392
Summary 394
Cool Shell Tricks 395
Using Autocompletion 395
Using Keyboard Shortcuts 397
Using the Command History 399
Piping and Directing Output 401
Summary 405
Multimedia 406
Digital Audio 407
Issues Surrounding Multimedia Playback 407
Playing Audio Files 409
Purchasing from Online Music Stores 415
Tuning In to Online Radio Stations 417
Listening to Podcasts 418
Listening to Audio CDs 420
Ripping Music from CDs 421
Creating Your Own CDs 425
Installing Skype 427
Summary 428
Movies and Multimedia 429
Installing Playback Software 429
Watching Movies 436
Watching DVDs 439
Watching TV 442
Summary 443
Digital Photos 444
Downloading and Cataloging Images 444
Image Editing Using GIMP 449
Summary 464
Office Tasks 465
Making the Move to OpenOffice.org 466
Office Similarities 466
OpenOffice.Org Key Features 467
File Compatibility 468
The Right Fonts 471
Summary 474
OpenOffice.org Overview 475
Introducing the Interface 475
Customizing the Interface 477
Using OpenOffice.org Core Functions 486
Summary 489
In Depth: Writer 490
Formatting Text 490
Spell-Checking 492
Inserting Pictures 494
Working with Tables 495
Mail Merging 497
Adding Headers and Footers 500
Summary 501
In Depth: Calc 502
Entering and Formatting Data 502
Deleting and Inserting Data and Cells 503
Working with Formulas 504
Sorting Data 506
Creating Charts 507
Using Filters 509
Summary 510
In Depth: Impress 511
Creating a Quick Presentation 511
Working in Impress 513
Animating Slides 514
Applying Fontwork 516
Using 3D Effects 517
Exporting a Presentation As a Flash File 519
Summary 520
In Depth: Base 521
Getting Started with Base 521
Creating a Database 524
Using the Database 529
Summary 530
In Depth: Evolution 531
Evolution Modes 531
Basic E-Mail Tasks 533
Advanced E-Mail Tasks 540
Contacts 545
Calendars 547
Memos and Tasks 550
Summary 551
Keeping Your System Running 552
Installing and Removing Software 553
Software Installation Basics 553
The Synaptic Package Manager in Depth 561
Package Management from the Command Prompt 566
Managing Software Repositories 573
Installing from Source 577
Summary 581
Managing Users 582
Understanding User and Group Accounts 582
Adding and Deleting Users and Groups 584
Adding and Changing Passwords 590
Summary 591
Optimizing Your System 592
Speeding Up Booting 592
Prelinking 600
Freeing Up Disk Space 603
Summary 605
Backing Up Data 606
What Data Should You Back Up? 606
Using Simple Backup 608
Making Backups from the Command Line 613
Summary 618
Scheduling Tasks 619
Scheduling with cron 619
Scheduling with anacron 622
Using at to Schedule One-Off Tasks 624
Summary 624
Accessing Computers Remotely 625
Using Secure Shell 625
Accessing GUI Applications Remotely 632
Connecting to Remote Windows Computers 635
Summary 638
Appendixes 639
Glossary of Linux Terms 640
Symbols 640
A 641
B 642
C 643
D 645
E 646
F 646
G 647
H 649
I 649
J 650
K 650
L 651
M 652
N 653
O 653
P 653
R 654
S 655
T 658
U 659
V 660
W 660
X 661
BASH Command Index 662
Getting Further Help 675
Read the Manual! 675
Getting Help Online 680
Exploring the DVD-ROM and Other Ubuntu Versions 684
Version Numbers, Code Names, and Support 684
Other Versions of Ubuntu 686
Creating Bootable CDs from ISO Images 693
Index 697