How to do everyting UBUNTU

How to Do

Everything

Ubuntu

®


About the Author
Jeffrey Orloff is the director of technology and one of the founding members of
Safewave, LLC, where he oversees the IT department and security for the iLAND5.com
network for kids. Through his work with Safewave and the iLAND5.com project, he is
actively involved with the Safewave Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that helps
promote online safety for kids.
Jeffrey also has spent over 13 years working with educational technology as a
classroom teacher, a technology coordinator with the School District of Palm Beach
County, a network administrator for Survivors Charter School, a post-secondary IT
instructor for courses including IT security, Windows Server, and GNU/Linux, and
as part of an educational software development team.

About the Technical Editor
Since 1995, and under the cover of darkness, Bill Bruns has been a technical editor,
working on more than 125 books relating to operating systems, the Internet, web
servers, HTML, and Office applications. In his day job, he is the webmaster for the
Student Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (www.siucstudentcenter.org).
He is also involved with several other not-for-profit organizations as a stalwart volunteer,
always being asked to undertake the challenge of webmaster. Over the years, he’s
managed all sorts of servers and workstations, and been pleased with the performance
of Linux and Ubuntu. Bill holds bachelor’s degrees in Telecommunications and English

Literature from Indiana University and a Masters of Public Administration from New
York University.

Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. Click here for terms of use.


How to Do

Everything

Ubuntu

®

Jeffrey T. Orloff

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DOI: 10.1036/0071549366


This book is dedicated to my wife, Jackie, and my two children, Priscilla and Jeffrey.
Thank you for the sacrifices you made while I was working on this book. You are what
motivates me in everything I do.


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Contents at a Glance
PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

Meet Ubuntu
1
Ubunt-Who? Get to Know Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
Exploring the Ubuntu Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3
Make It Personal—Fine-Tune the Look of Ubuntu to Your Taste . . . . . . .

3
17
33

Manage Ubuntu
4
Housekeeping: Update and Maintain Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Installing Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Beyond the Basics: Install Extra Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
Time to Upgrade: Installing New Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8
Keep It Safe—Securing Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

53
65
75
85
93

Open the Door to OpenOffice
9
The Write Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 Spread It Out with Calc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11 I’m Impressed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 All Your Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 Drawn to Open Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

111
125
139
149
163

Reach Out
14 Share and Share Alike—Networking Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 Can We Talk? Communications and the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16 Master of Your Domain—Web Design Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17 Playing Nice with Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

175

189
203
215

Having Fun with Ubuntu
18 Fun and Games—Play Games with Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
19 Play that Funky Music—Making the Most of Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
20 Get Smart! Using Educational Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

vii


viii

Contents at a Glance

PART VI

Advanced Ubuntu
21 Coming Out of Your Shell—A Guide
22

to GNU/Linux Shell Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
The Emacs Text Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

A

Install Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

For more information about this title, click here

Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix

PART I

Meet Ubuntu

CHAPTER 1

Ubunt-Who? Get to Know Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Ubuntu Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GNU, Linux, and the Free Software Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The History of GNU/Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I Think, Therefore I Promise… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ubuntu’s Release Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Ubuntu Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Help and Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ubuntu Emerges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welcome to the GNU/Linux Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 2

Exploring the Ubuntu Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Get a Copy of Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Download Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Burn Your Ubuntu Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Request an Ubuntu CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Buy Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Run Ubuntu from a Live CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Start It Up! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A First Look at the Ubuntu Desktop Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Top Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Main Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Bottom of the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finishing Up with the Live CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3
3
4
6
8
9
10
12
12
13
13
14
16

17

17
18
20
21
22
23
24
26
27
29
29
31

ix


x

Contents
CHAPTER 3

Make It Personal—Fine-Tune the Look
of Ubuntu to Your Taste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Change the Desktop Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing New Wallpaper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The GNOME Art Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change a Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Install a New Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Place Icons on Your Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Setting a New Screensaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change the Login Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Accessibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Desktop Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART II

33
33
36
39
41
43
44
45
46
47
47
47
48
48
48
49

Manage Ubuntu

CHAPTER 4

Housekeeping: Update and Maintain Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Updates for Security’s Sake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Updates for a Better World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Update Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
fsck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleaning Partial Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Residual Config Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Orphaned Packages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Folders and Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 5

Installing Peripherals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What Are Peripheral Devices? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Peripherals and the Early Days of GNU/Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where Can I Get Those Wonderful Toys? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finding Ubuntu Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Peripheral Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 6

Beyond the Basics: Install Extra Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Preinstalled Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing Using the Add/Remove Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Main Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Restricted Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Universe Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Multiverse Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

53
53
54
55
59
60
60
61
61
61

65
65
66
67
67
71

75
75
77
77
77
77

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Contents

xi

The Synaptic Package Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Ubuntu Disc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Software from the Outside World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

80
81
81

CHAPTER 7

Time to Upgrade: Installing New Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Selecting Appropriate Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opening the Computer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where Do I Plug This Thing In? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CD, DVD, and Hard Disk Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Card Slots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 8

Keep It Safe—Securing Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Best Practices in Computer Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Terms to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Firestarter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Antivirus Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing ClamTk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Updating the Signature File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scanning the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Backup and Restore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Restoring Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART III

85
85
87
88
88
89

93
93
94
95
100
101
101
102
103
106

Open the Door to OpenOffice

CHAPTER 9

The Write Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

What Is OpenOffice.org? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Features in OpenOffice.org’s Writer Not Found
in Microsoft Word for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a New Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Formatting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inserting a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Opening a Microsoft Word File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Saving Your Work and Sharing with Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parting Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 10

112
112
113
114
116
119
122
123
124

Spread It Out with Calc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Starting a New Spreadsheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Spreadsheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Formatting Cells and Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Font and Font Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Borders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Change the Size of a Row or Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

126
126
127
128
128
129
129
129
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xii

Contents
Calculating and Sorting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Numbers in a Row or Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calculating Averages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Arithmetic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sorting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Working with Excel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 11

I’m Impressed

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Starting a New Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Slides Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Tasks Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Drawing Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inserting a Graphic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Transitions Between Slides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Animation to Text and Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Export Your Presentation to Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for Effective Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 12

149
152
156
158
159

Drawn to Open Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Drawing Simple Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Formatting a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gradients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Line Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Saving a Screenshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART IV

139
142
142
143
144
144
145
146
146
146

All Your Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Opening a New Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Create a Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Query . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 13

130
131
131
131
132
134
136

163
166
166
167
167
168
169
170

Reach Out

CHAPTER 14

Share and Share Alike—Networking Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Networking Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Configuring Ethernet Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gateway Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

176
178
180
180
180
180


Contents
DNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Learning to Samba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Samba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Accessing a Windows Shared Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Network Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 15

204
204
205
208
209
210
210
212
213

Playing Nice with Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

Dual Booting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Virtual Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing a Virtualization Software Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fine Wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing and Running Programs with Wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Wine Is Not Genuine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Closing Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART V

190
191
195
201

Master of Your Domain—Web Design Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Finding a Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your Domain Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Web Development Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inserting an Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making Use of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing the Font . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linking to a Page Within Your Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Publishing Your Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Advanced Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 17

180
181
182
183
184
186

Can We Talk? Communications and the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Viewing Web Pages with Firefox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Customizing Firefox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Evolution Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Instant Messaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 16

xiii

215
217
218
223
224
225
227
227

Having Fun with Ubuntu

CHAPTER 18

Fun and Games—Play Games with Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Games for Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Multiplayer Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing New Games from the Repositories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Playing Games Designed for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cedega . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Games with Cedega . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GNU/Linux Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Third-Party Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Playing Online Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

232
233
235
236
237
240
242
243
244


xiv

Contents
CHAPTER 19

Play that Funky Music—Making the Most of Multimedia . . . . . 245

Rip Music from a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Playing Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Playing Music from a CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Playing Music from the Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Buy Music Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Listening to Podcasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Listening to Internet Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing a New Music Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Watching Videos with Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View and Edit Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recording Sound and Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Get Your iPod to Work in Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding Folders and Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copying Files to Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 20

Get Smart! Using Educational Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

Finding Educational Software in the Repositories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GCompris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Celestia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
KTouch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View Your Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
GConjugate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finding Educational Software on the Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SchoolForge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Linux4Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Free Software Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Methods of Delivering Educational Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It’s Educational… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PART VI

246
249
250
250
252
253
255
255
255
259
259
261
262
263
264
266
269
270
271
271
272
273

273
273
273
274
274
275

Advanced Ubuntu

CHAPTER 21

Coming Out of Your Shell—A Guide
to GNU/Linux Shell Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

Navigating the Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Ubuntu Directory Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Making Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copying and Moving Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
System Administrator Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding a New User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Directory and File Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Searching from the Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Find . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Finding Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Controlling Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

282
284
286
287

288
288
289
291
292
292
293


Contents
CHAPTER 22

The Emacs Text Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

Installing Emacs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Important Emacs Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Emacs Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windows and Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Moving Around the Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating a New Emac File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Open a File to Edit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reading the Gnus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emacs for E-Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

APPENDIX

298

298
298
299
299
300
300
301
301
302
304
306

Install Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

Clean Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dual Booting with Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installation Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installation Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Desktop Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Username . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Index

xv

308
316
317

317
317
317
318
318

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321


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Acknowledgments
When I began writing this book, I quickly found out that there is more to writing a
book than just, “writing the book.” There are many people involved in the process
who I would like to take a moment to thank.
I need to start with Neil Salkind, who brought me into this project. Neil, thank
you for being such a good mentor and advocate from the very beginning. To my two
contacts at McGraw-Hill Professional, Roger Stewart and Carly Stapleton—I can’t
thank you enough for being so patient and coaching me through this process. I would
also like to thank my editorial supervisor, Janet Walden, and my project manager from
ITC, Aparna Shukla, for their work in bringing everything together in the production
process so well. You guys have been an outstanding help.
Bill Bruns, my technical editor, I really appreciate the time you put into making
sure all of my directions were clear and that everything worked the same way I
explained it. One last thing, Bill—Go, White Sox! I would also like to thank my copy
editor, Jan Jue, who made sure that everything flowed nice and smooth throughout
the book.
To my family and friends who supported me and encouraged me through this
entire process, I can’t thank you enough. Mom and Dad, thank you for your support

throughout the years and for reading every piece of material that I put in front of you.
To my brothers, Todd and Ryan, thanks for being there whenever I needed anything.
Finally I need to thank my wife, Jackie, and my two children, Priscilla and Jeffrey.
Jackie, I appreciate all of the time you spent doing all of the extras so I could focus on
writing. Your patience has been outstanding. Priscilla and Jeffrey, you guys have been
so understanding and helpful. Yes, Jeffrey, the book is done!

xvii
Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies. Click here for terms of use.


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Introduction
Why do people choose to use GNU/Linux? Some choose this because they are making
a statement that once you buy or own something, it should be yours to do with what
you want. Some want to take their computing skills up a notch and learn something
completely new. Others use GNU/Linux because of simple economics since most
GNU/Linux distributions don’t cost anything! Whatever your reason for choosing to
learn how to use GNU/Linux, choosing the Ubuntu distribution is one of the wisest
decisions you can make.

How Is Ubuntu Different
from Other Distributions?
If you are reading this book, you may have a good idea as to how Ubuntu differs from
a distribution like Red Hat or SUSE Linux. For those who don’t, I will explain. In the
open source world, community is king. Most of the support, updates, manuals, and
tutorials come from the community that stands behind the project. Ubuntu understood
this from the beginning, coining the name from a South African word meaning

“humanity towards others.” The community as a whole adopts this premise when
dealing with any sort of issue that may arise. While other GNU/Linux communities
may seem intimidating, Ubuntu’s is extremely welcoming because it is the new user
who is so important to bringing Ubuntu forward.
This attitude toward welcoming the new user is evident when you install the
Ubuntu operating system. Right from the get-go, you are made to feel at ease, as
installation is only a few mouse clicks away, compared with some of the heavily textbased installations of other distributions. While many GNU/Linux distributions are
made for power, stability, and security, Ubuntu was made for the user’s comfort—
without losing the power, stability, and security.

xix
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xx

Introduction

What You Can Expect to Learn
Throughout this book, I walk you through many of the basic tasks you will need to
learn to truly move from novice to power user. It is helpful to have a copy of Ubuntu
running on a computer for you to follow along, since you learn much more easily by
doing than by simply reading. I have also taken care to repeat directions to certain
tasks throughout the various chapters. By doing so, I hope that you are able to quickly
reference them when the time comes.
Keep in mind that if you have little or no experience with GNU/Linux, you may
make mistakes here and there. That’s okay. Take a deep breath and try until you get it
right. Remember, if you ever feel completely stuck, there is a community of millions
ready to lend you a hand, just ask!

PART

I

Meet Ubuntu

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1
Ubunt-Who?
Get to Know Ubuntu
HOW TO…
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Understand what Ubuntu is all about
Understand what “free” and open source software is
Understand the history of GNU/Linux
Understand the history of Ubuntu
Become a member of the Ubuntu community

B

efore we dive into Ubuntu, let’s take a moment to find out what Ubuntu is all about.
What do you know about Ubuntu, for starters? If you answered, “It has a funny
name,” then you are right on track. Ubuntu, which is pronounced “oo-BOON-too,” finds
its origins in the South African Bantu language.

The Ubuntu Philosophy
Ubuntu means simply humanity toward others. However, simple explanations can
sometimes leave people scratching their heads. To truly understand the philosophy of
Ubuntu, it might be wise to take a quote from Nelson Mandela where he describes the
concept of Ubuntu:
A traveller through our country would stop at a village, and he didn’t have to ask
for food or for water. Once he stops, the people give him food, entertain him.
That is one aspect of Ubuntu but Ubuntu has various aspects. Ubuntu does not
mean that people should not enrich themselves. The question, therefore, is: Are
you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to improve?

3
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4

Part I

Meet Ubuntu

So what does this philosophy have to do with computers? On the surface nothing,
but if you understand the fundamental concept behind Linux, GNU, and the free
software movement, it becomes clear that Ubuntu’s philosophy plays a big part in its

roots and its successes.
It has been said that numbers don’t lie. If that is the case, then Ubuntu is hands
down the most popular version of the Linux operating system available to computer
users worldwide. It is estimated at the time of this writing that there are over 8 million
computers running Ubuntu as their operating system. If that is not enough, consider the
fact that in both 2005, 2006, and 2007, Ubuntu was the number one Linux distribution
on the web site DistroWatch (www.distrowatch.com), and so far, it is the number one
Linux distribution in the year 2008 as well.

Note

A distribution is what Linux companies call their product. Ubuntu is a distribution
as are Red Hat, SUSE, Slackware, and other versions of Linux. It should not be
confused with the terms “version” or “release” that are used in the Windows or
Mac worlds.

Ubuntu has earned its fair share of awards as well, including:
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Ranked number 16 in PC World magazine’s 100 Best Products of 2007
Ranked number 27 in PC World magazine’s 100 Best Products of 2006
Editor’s Choice Award for Open Source, 2007 PC Welt Awards

Most User-Friendly Linux Distribution, 2006 Linux New Media Awards
Best Linux/Open Source Distribution, 2006 and 2005 UK Linux and Open
Source Awards
Voted “Most Popular Linux Distribution” by members of DesktopLinux.com in 2006
Best Community of the Year, Distribution of the Year, Best Newcomer to the
Community, 2006 Ars Technica Linux Awards
2005 TUX Magazine Readers’ Choice Award
2005 Linux Journal Readers’ Choice Award

As you read a bit further, the philosophy that drives Ubuntu and GNU/Linux will
be explained in greater detail. It will also become clearer how these driving beliefs
have made Ubuntu the top GNU/Linux distribution in the world.

GNU, Linux, and the Free
Software Movement
In 1983, a computer programmer from MIT by the name of Richard M. Stallman
grew skeptical of the commercial software packages that were selling for big bucks at
computer stores. Since this software was a commercial product, its source code was
often protected, and the alteration, or hacking, of the code was prohibited. A product
of the early days of computers when programmers shared software code with one
another, Stallman encouraged the use of what was known as free software, to give