About the Book
Barnes & Noble Special Edition Includes a Bonus DVD
Ubuntu is a complete, free operating system that emphasizes community, support, and ease of use without compromising speed, power, or flexibility. It’s Linux for human beings—designed for everyone from computer novices to experts. Ubuntu 9.04 is the latest release—more powerful, more flexible, and friendlier than ever. The Official Ubuntu Book, Fourth Edition, will get you up and running quickly.
Written by expert, leading Ubuntu community members, this book covers all you need to know to make the most of Ubuntu 9.04, whether you’re a home user, small business user, server administrator, or programmer. The authors cover Ubuntu 9.04 from start to finish: installation, configuration, desktop productivity, games, management, support, and much more. Among the many topics covered in this edition: Edubuntu, Kubuntu, Ubuntu Server, and a new chapter on the Ubuntu Netbook Remix special to this Barnes & Noble Special Edition.
The Official Ubuntu Book, Fourth Edition, covers standard desktop applications, from word processing, spreadsheets, Web browsing, e-mail, instant messaging, music, video, and games to software development, databases, and server applications. In addition, you will
Learn how to customize Ubuntu for home, small business, school, government, and enterprise environments
Learn how to quickly update Ubuntu to accommodate new versions and new applications
Find up-to-the-minute troubleshooting advice from Ubuntu users worldwide
Learn Ubuntu Server installation and administration, including LVM and RAID implementation
Learn, install, and use Ubuntu optimized specifically for Netbooks, the cool new portable small computers
The DVD includes the complete Ubuntu Linux operating system for installation on PC platforms, preconfigured with an outstanding desktop environment for both home and business computing. It can be used to install other complete variants of Ubuntu including, Kubuntu (with the KDE environment), Ubuntu Server, and Edubuntu (for use in schools).
This Barnes & Noble Special Edition also includes a bonus DVD with Ubuntu Netbook Remix, for use on the new and popular ultralight portable computers like the Asus Eee PC and the Dell Mini.
Table of Contents:
Foreword to the First Edition xxv
Preface xxxi
Acknowledgments xxxiii
About the Authors xxxv
Introduction xxxvii
Chapter 1: Introducing Ubuntu 1
A Wild Ride 2
Free Software, Open Source, and GNU/Linux 3
A Brief History of Ubuntu 7
What Is Ubuntu? 12
Ubuntu Promises and Goals 18
Canonical and the Ubuntu Foundation 25
Ubuntu Subprojects, Derivatives, and Spin-offs 30
Summary 31
Chapter 2: Installing Ubuntu 33
Choosing Your Ubuntu Version 34
Getting Ubuntu 36
Installing from the Desktop CD 38
Installing from the Alternate Install CD 47
Installing from a USB Key 55
Summary 55
Chapter 3: Using Ubuntu on the Desktop 57
Taking Your Desktop for a Ride 59
Using Your Applications 68
The Ubuntu File Chooser and Bookmarks 102
Ubuntu in Your Language 103
Customizing Ubuntu’s Look and Feel 104
Managing Your Files 106
Ubuntu and Multimedia 112
Summary 117
Chapter 4: Advanced Usage and Managing Ubuntu 119
Adding and Removing Programs and Packages 120
Keeping Your Computer Updated 126
Moving to the Next Ubuntu Release 128
Using and Abusing Devices and Media 130
Configuring a Printer in Ubuntu 132
Graphically Accessing Remote Files 137
The Terminal 138
Backup Strategies 139
Working with Windows 140
Summary 143
Chapter 5: The Ubuntu Server 145
What Is Ubuntu Server? 146
Installing Ubuntu Server 148
Ubuntu Package Management 160
Ubuntu Server Security 171
Advanced Topics 178
Summary 182
Chapter 6: Support and Typical Problems 185
The System 186
Applications 201
Multimedia 205
Networking 211
Hardware 215
System Administration 223
Other 234
Summary 241
Chapter 7: The Ubuntu Community 243
Venues 245
Teams, Processes, and Community Governance 260
Getting Involved 268
Summary 271
Chapter 8: Using Kubuntu 273
Introduction to Kubuntu 274
Installing Kubuntu 277
Navigating in Kubuntu 282
Customizing Kubuntu 285
System Administration 287
Managing Files with Kubuntu 298
Common Applications 303
Finding Help and Giving Back to the Community 316
Summary 317
Chapter 9: Using Edubuntu 319
Introduction to Edubuntu 320
Installing Edubuntu as an Add-on 322
Applications 323
Using Edubuntu in LTSP Mode 330
Managing Your LTSP Server 345
Managing Your Edubuntu Clients 352
Controlling and Managing the Users’ Desktops 355
Troubleshooting LTSP 358
Finding Help and Giving Back to the Community 361
Summary 363
Chapter 10: Ubuntu-Related Projects 365
Officially Supported Derivatives 366
Recognized Derivatives 368
Other Distributions 370
Launchpad 372
Bazaar 379
Summary 379
Chapter 11: Introducing the Ubuntu Forums 381
What Are the Ubuntu Forums? 382
A Brief History of the Ubuntu Forums 382
How May I Participate? 383
Questions, Locations, Conversations, and Activities 388
Key People in the Forums 389
Fun Stuff 390
The Foundation of the Ubuntu Forums 391
Summary 391
Chapter 12: Mobile and Netbook Remix 393
Installing on a Netbook 394
Using the Launcher 396
Window Listing 396
Maximized Windows 397
Desktop Switcher 398
New Applications 399
Virtual Desktops or Workspaces 403
Summary 404
Appendix A: Welcome to the Command Line 405
Starting Up the Terminal 405
Getting Started 406
Building Pipelines 407
Running Commands as the Superuser 408
Finding Help 409
Moving Around the Filesystem 409
Manipulating Files and Folders 410
System Information Commands 411
Searching and Editing Text Files 412
Dealing with Users and Groups 413
Getting Help on the Command Line 414
Searching for Man Files 415
Using Wildcards 415
Executing Multiple Commands 416
Moving to More Advanced Uses of the Command Line 416
Appendix B: Ubuntu Equivalents to Windows Programs 419
On the Ubuntu Desktop 419
Additional Applications 421
Index 423
About the Author :
Benjamin Mako Hill is a Seattle native working out of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Mako is a long-time free software developer and advocate. He was part of the founding Ubuntu team, one of the first employees of Canonical, Ltd., and coauthor of The Official Ubuntu Server Book. In addition to some technical work, his charge at Canonical was to help grow the Ubuntu development and user community during the project’s first year. Mako is currently a fellow at the MIT Center for Future Civic Media, and a researcher and Ph.D. Candidate at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Mako has continued his involvement with Ubuntu as a member of the Community Council governance board, through development work, and through projects such as this book.
Matthew Helmke is an active member of the Ubuntu Linux community as an Administrator and Forum Council member for the Ubuntu Forums (http://www.ubuntuforums.org) and coauthored the most recent editions of The Official Ubuntu Book. Matthew first used Unix in 1987 while studying Lisp on a Vax at the university. He has run a business using only free software, has consulted, and is currently working on a master's degree in Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona while working as the senior technical writer for iPlant Collaborative, a project creating software to help biologists do genetic research.
Corey Burger lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and is a long-term user and contributor to Ubuntu. A member of the Ubuntu Canada and the Community Council, he has been involved with Ubuntu since its first release. Corey is currently a geography student and has most recently worked for a Canadian Linux company. He also contributes to OpenStreetMap and works to promote Ubuntu on Vancouver Island. Corey speaks regularly about Ubuntu, OpenStreetMap, and open source to a wide variety of audiences.
Review :
Linux Journal Readers’ Choice Awards 2008 Favorite Linux Book, Honorable Mention. (linuxjournal.com)
“. . . this is an item of choice for any serious Ubuntu collection or software designer’s library.”
—Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review
“. . . this one (Ubuntu Linux book) is at the head of the pack for getting started with your penguin experience. . . .”
—Tom Duff
“Benjamin Mako Hill et al. have produced an excellent book that speaks to everyone who uses or is considering using Ubuntu.”
—James Pyles, reviewer, “The Linux Tutorial”
“Well written in an easy-to-follow format. Full of information for folks new to Linux or just new to Ubuntu. Even nontechnical users would find this a very helpful resource.”
—Ben Gerber, Arsgeek.com
“I’d recommend picking it up if you are running Ubuntu.”
—Tony Lawrence, owner of aplawrence.com
