Table of Contents
Introduction 1
What Is Linux?
................................................................................2
What Is Ubuntu?
.....................................................................3
Roots of Ubuntu
......................................................................3
Licensing
................................................................................4
Why Use Linux?
..............................................................................4
Who This Book Is For
.......................................................................6
What This Book Contains
.................................................................6
Conventions Used in This Book
.........................................................8
Part I Installation and Configuration 11
1 Introducing Ubuntu 13
What Is Ubuntu?
...........................................................................15
Inside Ubuntu
.......................................................................15
Features of the Ubuntu Install
..................................................17
Ubuntu File System Features
.....................................................18
Ubuntu for Business
.......................................................................19
Ubuntu in Your Home
....................................................................20
64-Bit Ubuntu
...............................................................................21
Ubuntu on the PPC Platform
...........................................................21
Ubuntu on Multi-Core Machines
......................................................22
Getting the Most from Ubuntu and Linux Documentation
...................22
Ubuntu Developers and Documentation
............................................24
Reference
......................................................................................24
2 Preparing to Install Ubuntu 25
Planning Your Ubuntu Deployment
..................................................26
Business Considerations
..........................................................26
System Considerations
............................................................27
User Considerations
................................................................28
A Predeployment Planning Checklist
.........................................29
Planning the Installation
.........................................................30
Hardware Requirements
..................................................................30
Meeting the Minimum Ubuntu Hardware Requirements
...............31
Using Legacy Hardware
...........................................................31
Planning for Hard Drive Storage for Your Ubuntu
Installation
..........................................................................32
Checking Hardware Compatibility
............................................32
Preparing for Potential Hardware Problems
.................................34
Preparing and Using a Hardware Inventory
.................................37
Preparing for the Install Process
........................................................40
Preparing to Install from a CD-ROM
..........................................41
Partitioning Before and During Installation
........................................42
Choosing a Partitioning Scheme
...............................................43
Hosting Parts of the Linux File System on Separate Partitions
........44
Reference
......................................................................................45
3 Installing Ubuntu 47
Before You Begin the Installation
......................................................47
Research Your Hardware Specifications
.......................................48
Installation Options
................................................................48
Planning Partition Strategies
....................................................48
The Boot Loader
.....................................................................49
Installing from CD or DVD
......................................................49
Step-by-Step Installation
..................................................................50
Starting the Install
..................................................................50
First Update
...........................................................................57
Shutting Down
..............................................................................59
Reference
......................................................................................59
4 Post-Installation Configuration 61
Troubleshooting Post-Installation Configuration Problems
....................62
The
sudo command........................................................................63
First Update
..................................................................................63
Configuring Software Repositories
.....................................................66
Installing Graphics Drivers
..............................................................67
Changing Ubuntu’s Look and Feel
....................................................68
Changing the Desktop Background
...........................................69
Changing Colors
....................................................................69
Modifying System Fonts
..........................................................70
Preferred Behaviors
.........................................................................71
Preferred Applications
.............................................................71
Removable Drives and Media
...................................................72
Ubuntu Unleashed
vi
Input Devices ................................................................................73
Keyboard Shortcuts
.................................................................73
Keyboard Layout
....................................................................73
Mouse
..................................................................................75
Detecting and Configuring a Modem
................................................75
Configuring a Serial-Port Modem
..............................................75
Configuring WinModems for Laptops
........................................76
Configuring Power Management in Ubuntu
.......................................77
Resetting the Date and Time
............................................................77
Using the
date Command .......................................................78
Using the
hwclock Command...................................................78
Changing the Time and Date
...................................................79
Managing PCMCIA
.........................................................................79
Using PCMCIA
.......................................................................80
Controlling PCMCIA Service
....................................................81
Configuring and Using CD, DVD, and CD-RW Drives
..........................82
Checking Drive Assignment
.....................................................82
Configuring Wireless Networks
.........................................................83
Configuring Firestarter
....................................................................85
Reference
......................................................................................85
5 First Steps with Ubuntu 87
Working with the Linux File System
..................................................88
Viewing the Linux File System
..................................................89
Use Essential Commands from the
/bin and /sbin Directories.......91
Store the Booted Kernel and View Stored Devices in the
/boot
and /dev Directories .............................................................92
Use and Edit Files in the
/etc Directory .....................................93
Protect the Contents of User Directories—
/home ..........................93
Use the Contents of the
/proc Directory to Interact with
the Kernel
...........................................................................94
Work with Shared Data in the
/usr Directory..............................95
Temporary File Storage in the
/tmp Directory ..............................96
Access Variable Data Files in the
/var Directory...........................96
Logging In to and Working with Linux
..............................................96
Text-Based Console Login
........................................................97
Working with Virtual Consoles
.................................................97
Using Simple Keyboard and Mouse Techniques in a Linux
Console Session
...................................................................98
Logging Out
..........................................................................99
Logging In and Out from a Remote Computer
............................99
Contents
vii
Changing Your User Information ....................................................101
Reading Documentation
................................................................103
Using man Pages
..................................................................103
Finding and Reading Software Packages Documentation
.............104
Using the Shell
............................................................................105
Using Environment Variables
..................................................106
Navigating and Searching with the Shell
...................................109
Managing Files with the Shell
.................................................110
Compressing and Decompressing Files Through the Shell
............111
Using the Text Editors
...................................................................112
Working with
vi...................................................................113
Working with
emacs ..............................................................114
Working with Permissions
.............................................................116
Assigning Permissions
...........................................................117
Directory Permissions
............................................................118
Understanding Set User ID and Set Group ID Permissions
............120
Working As Root
..........................................................................121
Creating Users
......................................................................122
Deleting Users
......................................................................123
Shutting Down the System
.....................................................124
Rebooting the System
............................................................125
Reference
....................................................................................126
6 The X Window System 127
Basic X Concepts
..........................................................................128
Using X11R7.2
.............................................................................129
Elements of the
xorg.conf File ...............................................130
Configuring X
......................................................................135
Starting X
...................................................................................136
Using a Display Manager
.......................................................137
Starting X from the Console by Using
startx............................139
Selecting and Using Window Managers
............................................140
The GNOME and KDE Desktop Environments
...................................141
GNOME: The GNU Network Object Model Environment
............141
KDE: The K Desktop Environment
...........................................142
Xfce: The Lightweight Alternative
...........................................144
Reference
....................................................................................144
7 Managing Software 145
Using Add/Remove Applications for Software Management
.................145
Using Synaptic for Software Management
.........................................146
Staying Up-to-Date
.......................................................................148
Ubuntu Unleashed
viii
Working on the Command Line .....................................................149
Day-to-Day Usage
.................................................................150
Finding Software
..................................................................153
Compiling Software from Source
.....................................................154
Reference
....................................................................................155
8 On the Internet: Surfing the Web, Writing Email, and Reading the News 157
Choosing a Web Browser
...............................................................157
Mozilla Firefox
.....................................................................158
Epiphany
............................................................................159
Konqueror
...........................................................................159
Choosing an Email Client
..............................................................160
Evolution
............................................................................161
Mozilla Thunderbird
.............................................................164
Balsa
...................................................................................165
KMail
.................................................................................165
The
mail Application ............................................................167
mutt ...................................................................................168
Other Mail Clients
................................................................170
An Overview of Network News
.......................................................170
Newsgroups
.........................................................................170
Selecting a Newsreader
..................................................................171
The
slrn News Client............................................................172
The Pan News Client
.............................................................173
The Thunderbird News Client
.................................................174
Internet Relay Chat
......................................................................174
Internet Messaging with GAIM
.......................................................176
Videoconferencing with Ekiga
........................................................177
Reference
....................................................................................178
9 Productivity Applications 179
Office Suites for Ubuntu
................................................................180
Working with OpenOffice.org
.................................................181
Working with OpenOffice.org Writer
.......................................184
Working with OpenOffice.org Calc
..........................................187
Working with GNOME Office
.................................................191
Working with KOffice
............................................................196
Productivity Applications Written for Microsoft Windows
...................199
Reference
....................................................................................200
Contents
ix
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