| New book explains Ubuntu to non-geeks |
Aug. 02, 2006
 Open source teacher Rickford Grant, author of "Linux Made Easy," has written a new volume to help non-technical users get started with Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu Linux for Non-Geeks is characterized as "a pain-free, project-based, get-things-done guidebook," by its publisher, No Starch Press.
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Ubuntu has rocketed to the top of the charts in popularity, but despite great strides in usability, Ubuntu is still Linux and therefore not quite as easy to get up and running as some other operating systems, Grant writes. Thus, new users need help getting started, the author contends.
Ubuntu Linux For Non-Geeks is a hands-on, project-based, take-it-slow guidebook intended for those interested in -- but nervous about -- entering the world of Linux, according to the publisher. Grant uses immersion-learning techniques favored by language courses and step-by-step projects built upon earlier tutorial concepts, helping readers absorb and apply what they've learned, the publisher adds.
The book comes with a DVD that contains the live CD, the install CD, and the complete set of supported packages for Ubuntu, including Kubuntu.
Ubuntu Linux For Non-Geeks covers all the topics likely to be of interest to an average desktop user. Readers learn to:- Download and install free applications, games, and utilities
- Connect to the Internet and wireless networks
- Configure your hardware, including printers, scanners, and removable storage devices
- Watch DVDs, listen to music, and even sync your iPod
- Tackle more advanced tasks, such as converting RPMs to DEB files, compiling software from source, and handling software based on Java, Python and Tcl/Tk
The book is organized into 18 chapters:Chapter 1: Becoming a Penguinista: Welcome to the World of Linux
Chapter 2: Wading and Diving: Running and (if you like) Installing Ubuntu
Chapter 3: A New Place to Call Home: Getting to Know the Desktop
Chapter 4: More than Webbed Feet: The Internet Linux Style
Chapter 5: Rounding Out the Bird: Downloading, Installing, and Updating Programs the Easy Way
Chapter 6: A Tidy Nest: File and Disk Handling in Ubuntu
Chapter 7: Dressing Up the Bird: Customizing the Look and Feel of Your System
Chapter 8: Simple Kitten Ways: Getting to Know the Linux Terminal and Command Line
Chapter 9: Dining on Tarballs, Binaries, Java, and Even RPMs: Yet Other Ways to Install Programs
Chapter 10: Gutenbird: Setting Up and Using Your Printer and Scanner
Chapter 11: Font Feathered Frenzy: Fonts
Chapter 12: Polyglot Penguins: Linux Speaks Your Language
Chapter 13: Penguins Back at Work: Getting Down to Business in Linux
Chapter 14: Brush-Wielding Penguins: Linux Does Art
Chapter 15: Tux Rocks: Music a la Linux
Chapter 16: Pluggin' in the Penguin: Ubuntu and Your iPod
Chapter 17: Couch Penguins: Video and DVD Playback in Ubuntu
Chapter 18: Defending the Nest: Security
Appendix A: Ubuntu Desktop CDs for AMD64 and PowerPC Users
Appendix B: Checking the Integrity of Downloaded ISOs
Appendix C: Resources You can download a sample chapter -- Chapter 7: Dressing Up the Bird: Customizing the Look and Feel of Your System -- here (pdf file).
Summary:Title -- Ubuntu Linux for Non-Geeks
Author -- Rickford Grant
Publisher -- Prentice Hall
Publication date -- August, 2006
Pages -- 360, w/CD
Price -- $34.95
ISBN -- 1-59327-118-2 The book can be purchased online from O'Reilly.com, or from No Starch Press.
For other interesting desktop-oriented Linux books, see our desktop Linux book list:
The Desktop Linux Book Roundup
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