Ubuntu for Non-Geeks: A Pain-Free, Get-Things-Done Guide

Table of Contents

PRAISE FOR UBUNTU FOR NON-GEEKS; Dedication; ABOUT THE AUTHORS; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; INTRODUCTION; Version Compatibility; Concept and Approach; How to Use This Book; About the Conventions Used in This Book; About the Projects in This Book; Chapter 1: BECOMING A PENGUINISTA; 1.1 What Is Linux?; 1.2 About the Penguin; 1.3 Why Should You Use Linux?; 1.4 But Is Linux Really Ready for the Desktop?; 1.5 What Is a Distribution?; 1.6 What Is Ubuntu?; 1.7 Why Ubuntu Then?; 1.8 Hardware Compatibility; 1.9 Hardware Requirements; 1.10 Good News for 64-Bit Machine Users; 1.11 Mixed News for Mac Users; 1.12 Speaking Ubuntu; 1.13 Where Do I Go from Here?; Chapter 2: WADING AND DIVING; 2.1 Going for a Dip; 2.2 Choices, Choices, Choices—Installation Options; 2.3 How Can I Get Back into Windows?; 2.4 Oh No, My Computer Won't Boot!; Chapter 3: A NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME; 3.1 Welcome to the GNOME Desktop; 3.2 The Top Panel; 3.3 The Bottom Panel; 3.4 Project 3A: Customizing the GNOME Panel; 3.5 Project 3B: Manipulating Menus; 3.6 Virtual Desktops; 3.7 Wanda Revisited—GNOME Easter Eggs; 3.8 Shutting Down; Chapter 4: MORE THAN WEBBED FEET; 4.1 How Do You Connect?; 4.2 Setting Up a Wired Connection; 4.3 Checking Your Connection; 4.4 Setting Up a Wireless Connection; 4.5 Connecting with a DSL or ADSL Modem; 4.6 Setting Up a Dial-up Connection; 4.7 Mobile (3G) Broadband Connections; 4.8 I'm Connected . . . So Now What?; Chapter 5: SLIPPING AND SLIDING; 5.1 Firefox: Your Internet Browser; 5.2 Project 5: Installing Firefox Extensions; 5.3 Email with Evolution; 5.4 An Email Alternative: Thunderbird; 5.5 Chatting with Your Friends via Empathy; 5.6 Microblogging—Twitter and Friends; 5.7 Other Internet Applications; Chapter 6: ROUNDING OUT THE BIRD; 6.1 Project 6A: Installing Applications via the Ubuntu Software Center; 6.2 Performing System Upgrades via Update Manager; 6.3 Adding Extra Software Repositories; 6.4 Project 6B: Installing Software from a PPA: OpenSonic; 6.5 Project 6C: Installing DEB Packages Not Available via the Ubuntu Repositories: Skype; Chapter 7: A TIDY NEST; 7.1 Nautilus: Your File Manager; 7.2 File Handling in Nautilus; 7.3 Navigating in Nautilus; 7.4 Understanding the Linux Filesystem; 7.5 What's in All Those Other Folders?; 7.6 Using Nautilus as a Network Browser; 7.7 Reading Data CDs and DVDs; 7.8 Burning Data CDs and DVDs; 7.9 USB Storage Devices; 7.10 Working with Bluetooth Devices; 7.11 Backing Up Your Files; 7.12 Recovering from a Backup; 7.13 Removing Unwanted Files; 7.14 Project 7: Creating and Extracting Compressed Files; Chapter 8: DRESSING UP THE BIRD; 8.1 Project 8A: Creating a New User Account; 8.2 Project 8B: Customizing Your Desktop Environment; 8.3 Font Feathered Frenzy: Changing Your Fonts; 8.4 Project 8C: Installing TrueType Fonts; 8.5 Project 8D: Changing Your Login Screen; 8.6 Choosing a Screensaver; 8.7 Taking Screenshots; 8.8 Customizing Visual Effects; Chapter 9: SIMPLE KITTEN WAYS; 9.1 Meet the Terminal; 9.2 Some Goofy Yet Useful Fun with the Command Terminal; 9.3 Nontoxic Commands; 9.4 Commands with Some Teeth; 9.5 A Couple of Other Biters You'll Be Using Soon; 9.6 Project 9A: Creating a Plan; 9.7 Project 9B: More Command Practice with pyWings; 9.8 Project 9C: Command Practice Review with Briscola; 9.9 Project 9D: Compiling and Installing Programs from Source: Xmahjongg; 9.10 Customizing the Terminal; 9.11 Tabbed Shell Sessions in the Terminal; Chapter 10: GUTENBIRD; 10.1 Printers; 10.2 Scanners; Chapter 11: POLYGLOT PENGUINS; 11.1 Read-Only Language Support; 11.2 Typing Nonstandard Characters; 11.3 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Input; 11.4 Project 11: Setting Up Asian-Language Support; 11.5 Setting Up IBus to Automatically Start Up When You Log In; 11.6 Viewing Your System in Another Language; Chapter 12: PENGUINS AT WORK; 12.1 OpenOffice.org; 12.2 Word Processing Done Lightly with AbiWord; 12.3 Some Other Cool Productivity Apps; Chapter 13: BRUSH-WIELDING PENGUINS; 13.1 Project 13A: Importing Images from Digital Cameras; 13.2 Project 13B: Working with Digital Images in F-Spot Photo Manager; 13.3 Getting Arty with the GIMP; 13.4 Phatch Photo Batch Processor; 13.5 gpaint; 13.6 Inkscape; 13.7 Project 13C: Installing Picasa; 13.8 A Few Other Graphics Apps to Consider; Chapter 14: TUX ROCKS; 14.1 Audio File Formats; 14.2 Project 14A: Installing MP3 Support for Audio Apps; 14.3 Rhythmbox—Your Audio Player; 14.4 Project 14B: Listening to Streaming Media with Rhythmbox; 14.5 Creating Audio CDs; 14.6 Project 14C: Listening to RealMedia Streams with RealPlayer; 14.7 Other Cool Audio Apps; Chapter 15: PLUGGIN' IN THE PENGUIN; 15.1 Knowing Your Limits; 15.2 Mounting and Ejecting Your iPod or iPhone; 15.3 (Not) Auto-updating Your iPod or iPhone; 15.4 Working with Android-Based Phones; 15.5 Working with Other Digital Media Players and Cell Phones; 15.6 Managing Your Audio Device's Audio Files with Rhythmbox; 15.7 Problems Writing to Your iPod; 15.8 Working with Photos on Your Digital Device; 15.9 Converting Audio File Formats; 15.10 Playing Locked AAC (M4P) Files; 15.11 Linux on Your iPod?; 15.12 Working with . . . Your iPad?; Chapter 16: COUCH PENGUINS; 16.1 DVDs; 16.2 Project 16A: Installing Support for Encrypted DVDs; 16.3 Totem Movie Player; 16.4 An Alternative to Totem: VLC Media Player; 16.5 Editing Digital Video with PiTiVi; 16.6 Project 16B: Capturing Digital Video with Kino; 16.7 Other Video Apps; Chapter 17: FEATHERED FLIPPERS; 17.1 Project 17A: Expanding Your Game Collection via the Ubuntu Software Center; 17.2 3D Games; 17.3 Project 17B: Installing a Java-Based Game: Schnapsen; 17.4 Online Gaming; 17.5 Searching for More Games; Chapter 18: PENGUINS AT THE GATES; 18.1 Project 18A: Accessing Files on Your Windows Partition (for Dual-Booters); 18.2 Accessing a Linux Partition While Running Windows; 18.3 Project 18B: Installing Microsoft Windows Core Fonts; 18.4 Dual-Booting: Changing the Boot Order and Timeout; 18.5 Linux Equivalents to Your Windows Applications; 18.6 Project 18C: Running Windows Programs; 18.7 Installing Windows Inside Ubuntu; 18.8 Sharing Files with Windows Users on Your Network; Chapter 19: DEFENDING THE NEST; 19.1 Does My System Need Protection?; 19.2 The First Line of Defense; 19.3 Software Firewalls; 19.4 ClamAV: Antivirus Software, Linux Style; 19.5 Project 19A: Virus Scanning with avast!; 19.6 Project 19B: Encrypting Your Files; 19.7 Project 19C: Shredding Documents Digitally; Chapter 20: A COLONY OF PENGUINS; 20.1 Take Me to Your SABDFL; 20.2 Launchpad: Your Passport to the Ubuntu Community; 20.3 Bugs, Bugs, Glorious Bugs; 20.4 Sharing Ideas on How to Improve Ubuntu; 20.5 The Ubuntu Forums; 20.6 Chatting on IRC; 20.7 Keeping Up with the News; 20.8 LoCos and LUGs; 20.9 Stickers and Other Goodies; 20.10 Getting Involved; Chapter 21: WOUNDED WINGS; 21.1 I Can't Get Ubuntu Installed; 21.2 Something Goes Wrong Before Ubuntu Finishes Booting; 21.3 Sound and Video Problems; 21.4 Internet and Network Connection Problems; 21.5 Problems with the Display and Graphics Cards; 21.6 Hard Disks and Storage Problems; 21.7 Software Installation Problems; 21.8 Common Problems with Applications; 21.9 My Computer Is Running Slowly; 21.10 Lost Files; 21.11 Where Can I Go to Get More Help?; INSTALLING UBUNTU FROM A USB FLASH DRIVE; Preparing the Installer Files; Creating a Bootable Installer Disk; Booting from the USB Disk; UBUNTU DESKTOP CDS FOR AMD64, OPTERON, OR INTEL CORE 2 USERS; Downloading and Burning Ubuntu Desktop CD ISOs to CD; Ordering an Install Disc from Ubuntu; Ordering an Install Disc from Other Online Sources; MANUALLY PARTITIONING YOUR HARD DISK; Creating and Deleting Partitions; Editing Existing Partitions; Varieties of Partitions; Example Partition Layouts; Finishing Up; RESOURCES; Forums; Linux Reference; Blogs; Hardware Compatibility Issues; Wireless Connections; Free Downloads; News and Information; Magazines; Books; Ubuntu CDs; COLOPHON; UPDATES; ABOUT THE CD;

Rickford Grant is the author of Linux for Non-Geeks and Linux Made Easy. He has been a computer operating system maniac for more than 20 years, from his early days with an Atari XL600 to his current Linux machines.

Phil Bull is an author of the official Ubuntu documentation, and a member of the GNOME documentation project. He started helping people with computers in his early teens, and has been an open-source contributor since 2005. Phil currently spends his time studying astrophysics in sunny Manchester, UK.