Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, 4th Edition

Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, 4th Edition

by Rickford Grant, Phil Bull
Released July 2010
Publisher(s): No Starch Press
ISBN: 9781593272579

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Book description

The new edition of this best-selling guide to Ubuntu for beginners covers Ubuntu 10.04, Lucid Lynx. Grant tackles topics likely to be of interest to the average desktop user such as installing software; connecting to the Internet; working with flash drives, printers, and scanners; burning CDs and DVDs; playing audio and video; using iPods; customization; and even a bit of the command line. Based on reader feedback, this edition includes even more screenshots and visuals; more troubleshooting help; more specific tips and tricks; and a bit more technical stuff, in plain English of course.

Table of contents

  1. UBUNTU FOR NON-GEEKS
    1. PRAISE FOR UBUNTU FOR NON-GEEKS
    2. ABOUT THE AUTHORS
    3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    4. INTRODUCTION
      1. Version Compatibility
      2. Concept and Approach
      3. How to Use This Book
      4. About the Conventions Used in This Book
      5. About the Projects in This Book
    5. 1. BECOMING A PENGUINISTA
      1. What Is Linux?
      2. About the Penguin
      3. Why Should You Use Linux?
        1. Is It All Just About Money?
      4. But Is Linux Really Ready for the Desktop?
      5. What Is a Distribution?
      6. What Is Ubuntu?
      7. Why Ubuntu Then?
      8. Hardware Compatibility
        1. Diving In
        2. When Research Is Required
      9. Hardware Requirements
      10. Good News for 64-Bit Machine Users
      11. Mixed News for Mac Users
      12. Speaking Ubuntu
      13. Where Do I Go from Here?
    6. 2. WADING AND DIVING
      1. Going for a Dip
      2. Choices, Choices, Choices—Installation Options
        1. Going for a Swim—Installing Ubuntu Inside Windows (the Wubi Installer)
        2. Taking the Full Plunge—Installing Ubuntu Outside of Windows
        3. Getting Ready for Action
          1. Usernames and User Passwords
          2. Dual-Booters Take Note
        4. Doing the Deed
      3. How Can I Get Back into Windows?
      4. Oh No, My Computer Won't Boot!
    7. 3. A NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME
      1. Welcome to the GNOME Desktop
      2. The Top Panel
        1. The Left End
        2. The Right End
      3. The Bottom Panel
      4. Project 3A: Customizing the GNOME Panel
        1. 3A-1: Adding Utility Buttons to the Panel
        2. 3A-2: Adding Amusing Applets to the Panel
        3. 3A-3: Adding a Program Launcher to the Panel
          1. Method 1
        4. Method 2
          1. Method 3
        5. 3A-4: Changing Panel Launcher Icons
        6. 3A-5: Adding a Drawer to the Panel
        7. 3A-6: Adding Program Launchers to the Drawer
        8. 3A-7: Adding the Entire Contents of a Menu to the Panel
        9. 3A-8: Moving Things Around on the Panel
        10. More Panel Fun
      5. Project 3B: Manipulating Menus
        1. 3B-1: Changing Icons Within Menus
        2. 3B-2: Changing the Order of Icons Within Menus
      6. Virtual Desktops
      7. Wanda Revisited—GNOME Easter Eggs
      8. Shutting Down
    8. 4. MORE THAN WEBBED FEET
      1. How Do You Connect?
      2. Setting Up a Wired Connection
      3. Checking Your Connection
        1. Setting Up a Cable or Ethernet Connection for Providers Not Using DHCP
      4. Setting Up a Wireless Connection
        1. Hardware
        2. Activating Your Wireless Card
        3. Switching Off or Refreshing Your Wireless Connection
      5. Connecting with a DSL or ADSL Modem
      6. Setting Up a Dial-up Connection
        1. What to Do If Your Modem Isn't Compatible
      7. Mobile (3G) Broadband Connections
      8. I'm Connected . . . So Now What?
    9. 5. SLIPPING AND SLIDING
      1. Firefox: Your Internet Browser
        1. Controlling Browser Window Clutter with Tabs
        2. Keeping Up-to-Date with Live Bookmarks
        3. Pop-up Manager
        4. Multimedia Plug-Ins
          1. Flash
          2. Silverlight
          3. Java
      2. Project 5: Installing Firefox Extensions
        1. 5-1: Downloading and Installing the ScribeFire Extension
        2. 5-2: Setting Up the ScribeFire Extension
      3. Email with Evolution
      4. An Email Alternative: Thunderbird
      5. Chatting with Your Friends via Empathy
        1. Starting a Chat
        2. Telling People When You Don't Want to Chat
      6. Microblogging—Twitter and Friends
      7. Other Internet Applications
    10. 6. ROUNDING OUT THE BIRD
      1. Project 6A: Installing Applications via the Ubuntu Software Center
        1. 6A-1: Selecting Applications for Installation
        2. 6A-2: Searching for Applications
        3. 6A-3: Uninstalling Applications
      2. Performing System Upgrades via Update Manager
        1. How Often Should You Install Updates?
        2. If an Update Ruins Your Day . . . or System
      3. Adding Extra Software Repositories
        1. APT-URL: Installing from Websites
      4. Project 6B: Installing Software from a PPA: OpenSonic
      5. Project 6C: Installing DEB Packages Not Available via the Ubuntu Repositories: Skype
    11. 7. A TIDY NEST
      1. Nautilus: Your File Manager
        1. The Side Pane
        2. Now You See It; Now You Don't
      2. File Handling in Nautilus
        1. Creating, Naming, and Renaming Folders
        2. Moving Files and Folders
        3. Copying Files and Folders
      3. Navigating in Nautilus
        1. Browsing with Breadcrumbs in Nautilus
        2. Spelling It Out—Typing File Paths in Nautilus
        3. Bookmarks Within Nautilus
      4. Understanding the Linux Filesystem
      5. What's in All Those Other Folders?
      6. Using Nautilus as a Network Browser
        1. Using Nautilus as an FTP Client
        2. File and Folder Permissions Within Nautilus
          1. Changing File and Folder Permissions in Nautilus
          2. Keeping Your Home Folder Private
      7. Reading Data CDs and DVDs
      8. Burning Data CDs and DVDs
        1. Dealing with CD-RWs
        2. Burning ISO Images to Disc
        3. Creating Your Own ISO Images
        4. Burning Multisession CDs
        5. Burning Subsequent Sessions
        6. Duplicating CDs and DVDs
      9. USB Storage Devices
      10. Working with Bluetooth Devices
        1. Pairing Devices
        2. Sending Files by Bluetooth
        3. Receiving Files by Bluetooth
      11. Backing Up Your Files
      12. Recovering from a Backup
      13. Removing Unwanted Files
      14. Project 7: Creating and Extracting Compressed Files
    12. 8. DRESSING UP THE BIRD
      1. Project 8A: Creating a New User Account
        1. 8A-1: Creating the Account
        2. 8A-2: Logging In to Your New Account
      2. Project 8B: Customizing Your Desktop Environment
        1. 8B-1: Adding Emblems to Folders
        2. 8B-2: Setting Window Backgrounds (and Emblems Again)
        3. 8B-3: Dolling Up the Side Pane (and Emblems Yet Again)
        4. 8B-4: Changing the Desktop Background
          1. Installing Additional Wallpapers
          2. Wallpaper from Internet to Desktop—Quick and Easy
        5. 8B-5: Hiding the Bottom Panel
        6. 8B-6: Downloading and Installing the Art Manager (GNOME Art)
        7. 8B-7: Changing Window Borders, Controls, and Icon Sets
        8. 8B-8: Installing Additional Window Borders, Controls, and Icons
          1. Getting and Installing the Files You'll Need
          2. Finishing Touches
        9. 8B-9: Changing the Order of the Window Buttons
        10. 8B-10: Placing Home and Trash Icons on the Desktop
        11. 8B-11: Stretching Desktop Icons
        12. 8B-12: Doing It All Again!
      3. Font Feathered Frenzy: Changing Your Fonts
      4. Project 8C: Installing TrueType Fonts
        1. 8C-1: Getting the Font Files
        2. 8C-2: Installing Fonts Locally
        3. 8C-3: Installing TrueType Fonts Globally
      5. Project 8D: Changing Your Login Screen
        1. 8D-1: Beautifying the Login Screen
        2. 8D-2: Adding a Picture to Your User Account
        3. 8D-3: Logging In Automatically
      6. Choosing a Screensaver
      7. Taking Screenshots
      8. Customizing Visual Effects
    13. 9. SIMPLE KITTEN WAYS
      1. Meet the Terminal
      2. Some Goofy Yet Useful Fun with the Command Terminal
      3. Nontoxic Commands
        1. $ whoami
        2. $ finger
          1. What Is a Shell?
          2. What Is a Plan?
        3. $ pwd
        4. $ df
        5. $ ls
        6. $ calendar
        7. $ exit
      4. Commands with Some Teeth
        1. $ mkdir
        2. $ mv
        3. $ cd
        4. $ cp
        5. $ rm
        6. $ rmdir
        7. $ chmod
        8. $ sudo
        9. $ locate
        10. $ apt-get
        11. $ aptitude
      5. A Couple of Other Biters You'll Be Using Soon
        1. $ ln
        2. $ tar
          1. Compressing and Extracting Compressed Single Files
      6. Project 9A: Creating a Plan
      7. Project 9B: More Command Practice with pyWings
        1. 9B-1: Getting Ready for pyWings (Installing Tkinter)
        2. 9B-2: Getting pyWings
        3. 9B-3: Creating a LocalApps Folder for pyWings
        4. 9B-4: Extracting the pyWings Tarball
        5. 9B-5: Moving the pyWings Folder to Your LocalApps Folder
        6. 9B-6: Running pyWings
        7. 9B-7: Creating a Launchable Link for pyWings
        8. 9B-8: Running pyWings Again
        9. 9B-9: Adding Emblems to Your LocalApps Folder
      8. Project 9C: Command Practice Review with Briscola
        1. 9C-1: Getting Briscola
        2. 9C-2: Extracting the Briscola Tarball and Renaming the Briscola Folder
        3. 9C-3: Preparing the Briscola Script
        4. 9C-4: Moving the Briscola Folder to a Global Location
        5. 9C-5: Creating a Launchable Link for Briscola
        6. Can You Do the Same Thing with pyWings?
        7. Playing Briscola
          1. Want to Know More?
      9. Project 9D: Compiling and Installing Programs from Source: Xmahjongg
        1. So, What Is Source?
        2. The Basics
        3. 9D-1: Installing the Tools You Need
        4. 9D-2: Downloading and Extracting the Xmahjongg File
        5. 9D-3: Running configure and make for Xmahjongg
        6. 9D-4: Installing and Running Xmahjongg
        7. 9D-5: Cleaning Up and/or Uninstalling Xmahjongg
      10. Customizing the Terminal
      11. Tabbed Shell Sessions in the Terminal
    14. 10. GUTENBIRD
      1. Printers
        1. Confirming That Your Printer Is Supported
        2. Getting Ubuntu to Automatically Recognize and Set Up Your Printer
        3. Manually Configuring Printers
        4. Setting Up Printers Connected Over a Network
        5. For the Driverless Among You
          1. Checking the Connections
          2. Trying Your Windows Drivers
          3. Using Third-Party Drivers
          4. Trial and Error
        6. Printing Details
          1. Printing in OpenOffice.org
          2. Printing to PDF
          3. Canceling a Print Job
          4. Checking Ink Levels and Other Printer Maintenance Tasks
      2. Scanners
        1. Scanning, No Questions Asked, with Simple Scan
        2. Not-So-Simple Scanning with XSane
        3. Unrecognized Scanners
        4. Why Are My Scanned Images So Big?
        5. Which Resolution Should I Use When Scanning?
    15. 11. POLYGLOT PENGUINS
      1. Read-Only Language Support
      2. Typing Nonstandard Characters
        1. Using the Compose Key Option
        2. Adding Keyboard Layouts
      3. Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Input
        1. Chinese
        2. Japanese
        3. Korean
      4. Project 11: Setting Up Asian-Language Support
        1. 11-1: Selecting Input Method Modules
        2. 11-2: Typing Asian Languages with IBus
      5. Setting Up IBus to Automatically Start Up When You Log In
      6. Viewing Your System in Another Language
    16. 12. PENGUINS AT WORK
      1. OpenOffice.org
        1. OpenOffice.org Applications
          1. Writer
          2. Calc
          3. Impress
          4. Draw
        2. Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org File Compatibility
        3. OpenOffice.org Features
        4. Getting to Know the Buttons
          1. Export to PDF
          2. Hyperlink
          3. Navigator
          4. Gallery
          5. Styles and Formatting
      2. Word Processing Done Lightly with AbiWord
      3. Some Other Cool Productivity Apps
        1. Sticky Notes
        2. Tomboy
        3. GnuCash
        4. Scribus
    17. 13. BRUSH-WIELDING PENGUINS
      1. Project 13A: Importing Images from Digital Cameras
        1. 13A-1: Importing Images from Camera to Computer Somewhat Automatically via F-Spot
        2. 13A-2: Transferring Images from Camera to Computer via Nautilus
      2. Project 13B: Working with Digital Images in F-Spot Photo Manager
        1. 13B-1: Exporting Images to Online Albums and Galleries
        2. 13B-2: Organizing Your Photo Collections with Tags
      3. Getting Arty with the GIMP
        1. Using the GIMP to Resize Images and Convert File Formats
        2. Learning More
      4. Phatch Photo Batch Processor
        1. Using Phatch
      5. gpaint
      6. Inkscape
      7. Project 13C: Installing Picasa
        1. 13C-1: Downloading and Installing the Picasa Package
        2. 13C-2: Running and Setting Up Picasa
      8. A Few Other Graphics Apps to Consider
        1. gThumb Image Viewer
        2. Blender
        3. QCad
        4. Tux Paint
    18. 14. TUX ROCKS
      1. Audio File Formats
      2. Project 14A: Installing MP3 Support for Audio Apps
      3. Rhythmbox—Your Audio Player
        1. Adding Songs and Albums to the Rhythmbox Library
        2. Ripping Audio CDs with Rhythmbox
        3. Browsing the Rhythmbox Library
        4. Creating Playlists in Rhythmbox
        5. Online Music Stores via Rhythmbox
        6. Other Cool Features in Rhythmbox
      4. Project 14B: Listening to Streaming Media with Rhythmbox
        1. 14B-1: Adding Radio Streams to Rhythmbox
        2. 14B-2: Adding Additional Radio Streams to Rhythmbox
      5. Creating Audio CDs
        1. Burning Audio CDs with Rhythmbox
        2. Burning Audio CDs with Brasero
      6. Project 14C: Listening to RealMedia Streams with RealPlayer
        1. 14C-1: Downloading and Installing RealPlayer
        2. 14C-2: Setting Up RealPlayer and Testing Your Installation
      7. Other Cool Audio Apps
        1. Alternative Players
        2. Streaming Music with Streamtuner
        3. EasyTAG and Audio Tag Tool
        4. LMMS
        5. Audacity
        6. MuseScore
    19. 15. PLUGGIN' IN THE PENGUIN
      1. Knowing Your Limits
      2. Mounting and Ejecting Your iPod or iPhone
      3. (Not) Auto-updating Your iPod or iPhone
      4. Working with Android-Based Phones
      5. Working with Other Digital Media Players and Cell Phones
      6. Managing Your Audio Device's Audio Files with Rhythmbox
        1. Copying Songs from Your Audio Device to Your Hard Disk
        2. Ejecting Your iPod or Other Digital Device from Within Rhythmbox
      7. Problems Writing to Your iPod
      8. Working with Photos on Your Digital Device
      9. Converting Audio File Formats
      10. Playing Locked AAC (M4P) Files
      11. Linux on Your iPod?
      12. Working with . . . Your iPad?
    20. 16. COUCH PENGUINS
      1. DVDs
      2. Project 16A: Installing Support for Encrypted DVDs
        1. Can I Play Foreign DVDs?
      3. Totem Movie Player
        1. Using Totem to Play DVDs, VCDs, and Other Multimedia Files
        2. Totem as an Audio Player?
        3. A Couple of Other Cool Totem Features
      4. An Alternative to Totem: VLC Media Player
      5. Editing Digital Video with PiTiVi
      6. Project 16B: Capturing Digital Video with Kino
        1. 16B-1: Installing Kino and Setting Up Your System
        2. 16B-2: Capturing and Editing Digital Video with Kino
      7. Other Video Apps
    21. 17. FEATHERED FLIPPERS
      1. Project 17A: Expanding Your Game Collection via the Ubuntu Software Center
        1. 17A-1: Installing Missing GNOME Games
        2. 17A-2: Installing Some Linux Classics: Frozen Bubble, Tux Racer, and Pingus
      2. 3D Games
        1. Checking for Hardware Acceleration
        2. Shooting Games
        3. Strategy Games
        4. Simulators
        5. Even More 3D Games—Beyond the Ubuntu Software Center
      3. Project 17B: Installing a Java-Based Game: Schnapsen
        1. 17B-1: Installing the Java Runtime Environment
        2. 17B-2: Getting and Extracting Schnapsen
        3. 17B-3: Running and Anglicizing Schnapsen
      4. Online Gaming
      5. Searching for More Games
    22. 18. PENGUINS AT THE GATES
      1. Project 18A: Accessing Files on Your Windows Partition (for Dual-Booters)
        1. 18A-1: Mounting Your Windows Partition
        2. 18A-2: Unmounting Your Windows Partition
      2. Accessing a Linux Partition While Running Windows
      3. Project 18B: Installing Microsoft Windows Core Fonts
      4. Dual-Booting: Changing the Boot Order and Timeout
      5. Linux Equivalents to Your Windows Applications
      6. Project 18C: Running Windows Programs
        1. 18C-1: Installing and Testing Wine
        2. 18C-2: Installing a Windows Application in Wine
        3. 18C-3: Getting Windows Apps to Work in Wine with PlayOnLinux
      7. Installing Windows Inside Ubuntu
      8. Sharing Files with Windows Users on Your Network
        1. Accessing Files Stored on a Windows Computer
        2. Making Your Files Accessible from a Windows Computer
    23. 19. DEFENDING THE NEST
      1. Does My System Need Protection?
      2. The First Line of Defense
      3. Software Firewalls
        1. Taking Control of Firestarter
        2. Confirming That Firestarter Runs Automatically
        3. Finding Out More
      4. ClamAV: Antivirus Software, Linux Style
      5. Project 19A: Virus Scanning with avast!
        1. 19A-1: Downloading the avast! DEB Package and License Key
        2. 19A-2: Running and Using avast!
      6. Project 19B: Encrypting Your Files
        1. 19B-1: Creating an Encrypted File Folder
        2. 19B-2: Recovering Encrypted Files If Something Goes Wrong
      7. Project 19C: Shredding Documents Digitally
        1. 19C-1: Trying the shred Command
        2. 19C-2: Taking the shred Command Graphical in Nautilus
    24. 20. A COLONY OF PENGUINS
      1. Take Me to Your SABDFL
      2. Launchpad: Your Passport to the Ubuntu Community
      3. Bugs, Bugs, Glorious Bugs
        1. What Counts as a Bug?
        2. Reporting a Bug
        3. Has It Already Been Reported?
        4. A New Bug
        5. What Happens Now?
        6. When Will My Bug Be Fixed?
        7. Faster Fixes
      4. Sharing Ideas on How to Improve Ubuntu
      5. The Ubuntu Forums
        1. Replying to a Post
        2. Creating Your Own Thread
        3. What's All This Bean Business?
      6. Chatting on IRC
        1. Registering Your Nickname
        2. IRC Etiquette
        3. More Help with IRC
        4. An IRC Alternative: Mailing Lists
      7. Keeping Up with the News
      8. LoCos and LUGs
      9. Stickers and Other Goodies
      10. Getting Involved
    25. 21. WOUNDED WINGS
      1. I Can't Get Ubuntu Installed
        1. My Computer Won't Boot from the CD
        2. I Can't Get the Installer to Run
        3. The Installer Stops Partway Through
      2. Something Goes Wrong Before Ubuntu Finishes Booting
        1. I Get a GRUB Error
        2. I Get a Kernel Panic or the Computer Freezes
          1. Unplug Unnecessary Hardware
          2. Disable Restricted Drivers
          3. Check Your System Memory for Defects
          4. Use an Older Kernel
          5. Use Rescue Mode
          6. Reinstall Ubuntu
        3. Windows Won't Boot
      3. Sound and Video Problems
        1. Ubuntu Doesn't Play Any Sounds
        2. My Microphone Doesn't Work
        3. I Can't Play an Audio or Video File
      4. Internet and Network Connection Problems
        1. Finding the Cause of a Connection Problem
        2. Installing Drivers for Your Network/Wireless Card
        3. Check for Restricted Drivers
          1. Install Windows Drivers
        4. No Wireless Networks Are Found
        5. Other Users on My Computer Can't Connect
      5. Problems with the Display and Graphics Cards
        1. Games/Compiz Don't Work: Installing Accelerated Graphics Drivers
          1. ATI Cards
          2. nVidia Cards
        2. The Screen Looks Stretched or the Wrong Size
        3. The Screen Is Blank
      6. Hard Disks and Storage Problems
        1. My Disk Is Almost Full
        2. My Disk Is Completely Full
        3. I Can't Delete a File
      7. Software Installation Problems
        1. I Get an Error About Unauthenticated Packages
        2. I Get a dpkg Error
        3. I Have a Broken Update
      8. Common Problems with Applications
        1. Firefox Says It's Already Running
        2. A Program Always Crashes
        3. A Program Won't Start
      9. My Computer Is Running Slowly
      10. Lost Files
      11. Where Can I Go to Get More Help?
    26. A. INSTALLING UBUNTU FROM A USB FLASH DRIVE
      1. Preparing the Installer Files
      2. Creating a Bootable Installer Disk
      3. Booting from the USB Disk
    27. B. UBUNTU DESKTOP CDS FOR AMD64, OPTERON, OR INTEL CORE 2 USERS
      1. Downloading and Burning Ubuntu Desktop CD ISOs to CD
        1. Burning the ISO to CD in Windows
        2. Burning the ISO to CD in OS X
      2. Ordering an Install Disc from Ubuntu
      3. Ordering an Install Disc from Other Online Sources
    28. C. MANUALLY PARTITIONING YOUR HARD DISK
      1. Creating and Deleting Partitions
      2. Editing Existing Partitions
      3. Varieties of Partitions
        1. Root Partition
        2. Swap Partition
        3. Home Partition
        4. Windows Partition
        5. Shared Partition
      4. Example Partition Layouts
        1. Standard Ubuntu-Only Installation
        2. Ubuntu-Only with a Separate Home Partition
        3. Ubuntu and Windows with a Shared Partition
      5. Finishing Up
    29. D. RESOURCES
      1. Forums
      2. Linux Reference
      3. Blogs
      4. Hardware Compatibility Issues
      5. Wireless Connections
      6. Free Downloads
        1. Applications and Other Packages
        2. Free Fonts
      7. News and Information
      8. Magazines
      9. Books
      10. Ubuntu CDs
    30. About the Authors
    31. COLOPHON
    32. E. UPDATES
    33. F. ABOUT THE CD

Product information

  • Title: Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, 4th Edition
  • Author(s): Rickford Grant, Phil Bull
  • Release date: July 2010
  • Publisher(s): No Starch Press
  • ISBN: 9781593272579