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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, and Ubuntu Server.
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
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
Appendix A: Welcome to the Command Line 393
Starting Up the Terminal 393
Getting Started 394
Building Pipelines 395
Running Commands as the Superuser 396
Finding Help 397
Moving Around the Filesystem 397
Manipulating Files and Folders 398
System Information Commands 399
Searching and Editing Text Files 400
Dealing with Users and Groups 401
Getting Help on the Command Line 402
Searching for Man Files 403
Using Wildcards 403
Executing Multiple Commands 404
Moving to More Advanced Uses of the Command Line 404
Appendix B: Ubuntu Equivalents to Windows Programs 407
On the Ubuntu Desktop 407
Additional Applications 409
Index 411