[زهراء المغرب]

Introduction
Linux has come a long way in a short time. Computing itself is still relatively young by any
standard; if the era of modern computing started with the invention of the microchip, it’s
still less than 50 years old. But Linux is a youngster compared even to this; it has been
around for only 16 of those years.
In that brief time span, a student’s personal project has grown to where it now runs
many computers throughout the world. It has rampaged through the computing industry,
providing an alternative to commercial solutions such as those offered by Microsoft, and
toppling long-held beliefs about the way things should be done. This is all by virtue of the
fact that Linux is simply better than every other choice out there. Many argue that it’s more
secure and faster than other operating systems. But here’s the kicker—Linux is free of
charge. Yes, that’s right. It doesn’t have to cost a penny. It is one of the computing industry’s
best-kept secrets.
I was bitten by the Linux bug in the mid-1990s. I was introduced to it by a friend who
sold it to me as a kind of alternative to DOS. At that time, I typed a few commands at the
prompt and was greeted by error messages. I must admit that I was put off. But shortly
afterwards, I revisited Linux and quickly became hooked.
Yet getting used to Linux wasn’t easy. I read as many books as I could, but they weren’t
very helpful to me. They were usually overly complicated or simply irrelevant. To start off,
I didn’t want to know how to create a program that could parse text files. I just wanted
to know how to copy and delete files. I didn’t want to set up a web server. I just wanted to
know how to play my MP3 tracks and browse the Web.
This book is my answer to the need for a fundamental, authoritative, and down-to-earth
guide to Linux, done in the context of one of the most popular flavors of Linux in existence
today. It’s a book that is desperately needed in our modern world, especially as Linux
becomes more and more popular and enters homes and workplaces.
Beginning Ubuntu Linux, Second Edition purely and simply focuses on what you need
to know to use Linux. It’s concise and to the point, aiming to re-create under Linux all the
stuff you used to do under Windows, or even Apple Macintosh. But don’t think that this
means Beginning Ubuntu Linux, Second Edition cuts corners. Wherever justified, this
book spends time examining the topics you need to know in order to gain a complete and
comprehensive understanding. For example, you’ll find a hefty chapter looking at the
command-line prompt—arguably the heart of Linux and the element that gives Linux
most of its power. There’s also an entire chapter discussing (and illustrating) how to initially
install Ubuntu on your computer. Beginning Ubuntu Linux, Second Edition really is a
complete guide.


About Ubuntu
Linux applies an alternative philosophy to computing that revolves around the sharing of
not only software but also knowledge. To use Linux is to become part of a huge global
community of people who have caught on to a phenomenon that is changing the world.
Ubuntu (www.ubuntulinux.org) is the natural continuation of these goals. It’s a project
founded by entrepreneur businessman Mark Shuttleworth with the intention of bringing
a freely available, high-quality operating system to the world. To this end, Shuttleworth
invested $10 million of his own money to guarantee that this will be the case for many
years to come.
The fundamental concept is that Ubuntu is available for use by anyone in the world, no
matter who they are or where they are. As such, many different languages are supported,
and the operating system can also be accessed by those with disabilities, such as partial
sight or hearing. Ubuntu might just as easily be found on a Wall Street banker’s laptop as
on a battered, old computer in a Brazilian favela.
Ubuntu is built around one of the most established versions of Linux: Debian (www.
debian.org). The Debian Project was started back in 1993, shortly after the very first version
of the Linux software was released, and has become one of the pioneering varieties of Linux.
Ubuntu and Debian Linux both share common goals and are closely allied, but Ubuntu
focuses largely on the desktop. It provides a powerful office suite by default, for example,
as well as some excellent pieces of Internet software.
It’s also very easy to use. Ubuntu works straight out of the box. As soon as it’s installed,
you should be ready to start using it without any further work. In addition, tasks such as
updating your software are as easy under Ubuntu as they are under Windows.
Above all, however, Ubuntu is designed to be shared. You can take the DVD-ROM
included with this book and install Ubuntu on as many computers as you want. You can
also copy it as many times as you want and give those copies to your friends. I’m serious!
This isn’t some kind of trick either—Ubuntu isn’t a trial version that will quit running in a
month. You will never find yourself having to pay a fee further down the line, even if you
want to install additional software. Ubuntu will always be free of charge.
What You’ll Find in This Book
Beginning Ubuntu Linux, Second Edition is split into seven parts, each of which contains
chapters about a certain aspect of Ubuntu use. These parts can be read in sequence, or
you can dip in and out of them at will. Whenever a technical term is mentioned, a reference
is made to the chapter where that term is explained.
Part 1 examines the history and philosophy behind the Linux operating system. I aim
to answer many of the common questions about Linux. Such knowledge is considered to be
as important, if not more so, than understanding the technical details on how Linux works.
But while these chapters should be read sooner rather than later, they don’t contain any
technical information that you absolutely require to get started with Ubuntu.
Part 2 covers installing Ubuntu on your computer. An illustrated guide is provided, and
all installation choices are explained in depth. Additionally, you’ll find a problem-solving
chapter to help, just in case anything goes wrong.
Part 3 focuses on getting started with Ubuntu. It covers setting up the Linux system so
that it’s ready to use. One chapter is dedicated to setting up common hardware devices,
such as printers and modems, and another explains how you can secure your system.
Other chapters in this part explore the desktop, explaining what you need to know to begin
using Ubuntu on a daily basis.
In Part 4, we take a look at how the underlying technology behind Linux functions. You’re
introduced to the command-line prompt, and you learn how the file system works. It’s in
these chapters that you’ll really master controlling Linux!
Part 5 covers multimedia functions available for Ubuntu users, which let you watch
movies and play back music. We also take a look at the image-editing software built into
Ubuntu.
Part 6 moves on to explain how typical office tasks can be accomplished under Ubuntu.
We investigate OpenOffice.org, the complete office suite built into Ubuntu. After an introduction
to OpenOffice.org, separate chapters explore its word processor, spreadsheet,
database, and presentation package. You also learn how to use the Evolution e-mail and
personal information manager program.
Part 7 carries on from Part 4 and takes an even more in-depth look at the underlying
technology behind Ubuntu. This time, the emphasis is on giving you the skills you need to
keep your system running smoothly. You learn how to install software, manage users, optimize
your system, back up essential data, schedule tasks, and access computers remotely.
Finally, Part 8 contains four appendixes. The first is a glossary of Linux terms used not
only in this book but also in the Linux and Unix worlds. The second appendix is a quick
reference to commands typically used at the command-line prompt under Linux. The third
appendix explains how to get further help when using Ubuntu, and the fourth explains
how to use the DVD-ROM and the differences between the various versions of Ubuntu.
What’s New in the Second Edition
This second edition of Beginning Ubuntu Linux has been thoroughly updated and revised
to take into account improvements introduced with the 6.10 release of Ubuntu (code-named
Edgy Eft). The previous edition covered the 5.10 release, and the changes introduced with
the 6.10 release, though often subtle, make a dramatic difference in the Ubuntu experience.
In many cases in this second edition, I’ve attempted to make the book more robust by
adding extra content. Chapter 9, which examines how to make your Ubuntu setup secure,
now includes a section that looks at installing an antivirus program, for example. Chapter 28,
covering software management, now includes a section that looks at managing software





Welcome!
If you’re an avid computer user, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of Linux. You
might have read about it, or perhaps you’ve seen TV ads that refer to it.
One of the odd things about Linux is that the more you learn about it, the more questions
you have. For instance, it’s generally thought that Linux is free of charge, but this
then raises the question of how, in our modern world, something like an entire computer
operating system can cost nothing. Who pays the programmers?
Over the following introductory chapters, I’m going to try to answer some of these
questions. In this chapter, I’ll explain what Linux is and its benefits compared to Windows.
What Is Linux?
There are two ways of looking at a PC. The first is to see it as a magical box, which lets you
do cool stuff like browse the Internet or play games. Seen in this way, it’s like a VCR—put
in a tape, press a button, and a picture appears on your TV. On your PC, you click the
Internet Explorer icon, type a web address, and a web site somehow appears. The astonishing
technical complexity behind these simple procedures isn’t important to most people.
The other way of looking at a PC is as a collection of components that are made by
various manufacturers. You might be familiar with this way of thinking if you’re ever tried
to upgrade your PC’s hardware. In that case, you’ll know that your PC consists of a CPU, a
hard disk, a graphics card, and so on. You can swap any of these out to put in newer and
better components that upgrade your PC’s performance or allow more data storage.
What almost no one realizes is that the operating system is just another component of
your PC. It, too, can be swapped out for a better replacement. Windows doesn’t come free
of charge, and Microsoft isn’t performing a public service by providing it. Around $50 to
$100 of the price you pay for a PC goes straight into Microsoft’s pocket. Bearing in mind
that hundreds of millions of PCs are made each year, it’s not hard to see why Microsoft is
one of the world’s richest corporations.
It would be difficult to question this state of affairs if Microsoft gave us our money’s
worth. But it often falls far short. Its products are full of serious security holes, which at
best inconvenience us and at worst make us lose data.


Microsoft became rich, and maintains its wealth, by a virtual monopoly over PC manufacturers.
While the intelligent computer buyer can choose between components to put
together a better PC—deciding between an AMD or Intel processor, for example—you
usually have little choice but to buy Windows with a new PC. Try it now. Phone your favorite
big-name computer retailer. Say that you want a PC but you don’t want Windows installed.
Then listen as the salesperson on the other end of the phone struggles to understand.
■Note Some PC manufacturers actually will sell you a PC without Windows installed on it. All you have to
do is ask, although you might need to speak to a senior salesperson to get through to someone who understands
your request. Smaller local companies, in particular, will be more than willing to sell you a PC without
Windows. Some larger multinational companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, sell workstations with Linux
preinstalled instead of Windows. However, these computers are usually aimed at businesses rather than
home users.
Wouldn’t it be terrific if you could get rid of Windows? Would you like to finally say
goodbye to all those security holes and not have to worry about virus infections anymore,
yet not lose out on any features or need to make sacrifices or compromises?
There is an alternative. Welcome to the world of Linux.
Linux is an operating system, which is to say that it’s a bit like Windows. It’s the core
software that runs your computer and lets you do stuff on it. By the strictest definition of
the term, an operating system is the fundamental software that’s needed to make your PC
work. Without an operating system installed on your PC, it would merely be an expensive
doorstop. When you turned it on, it would beep in annoyance—its way of telling you that
it can’t do much without a whole set of programs to tell it what to do next.
An operating system allows your PC’s hardware to communicate with the software you
run on it. It’s hundreds of programs, system libraries, drivers, and more, all tightly integrated
into a whole. In addition, an operating system lets programs talk to other programs and,
of course, communicate with you, the user. In other words, the operating system runs
everything and allows everything to work.
■Note Some companies and individuals, including Microsoft, define an operating system as much more
than this fundamental software. They add in the basic tools you run on an operating system, such as web
browsers and file management programs.
Linux consists of a central set of programs that run the PC on a low level, referred to as
the kernel, and hundreds (if not thousands) of additional programs provided by other
people and various companies. Technically speaking, the word “Linux” refers explicitly to


the core kernel program. However, most people generally refer to the entire bundle of
programs that make up the operating system as “Linux.”
GNU/LINUX
Although most of us refer to Linux as a complete operating system, the title “Linux” hides a lot of confusing
but rather important details. Technically speaking, the word “Linux” refers merely to the kernel file: the
central set of programs that lie at the heart of the operating system. Everything else that comes with a
typical version of Linux, such as programs to display graphics on the screen or let the user input data, is
supplied by other people, organizations, or companies. The Linux operating system is the combination
of many disparate projects. (I’ll explain how this works in the next chapter.)
The GNU organization, in particular, supplies a lot of vital programs and also system library files,
without which Linux wouldn’t run. These programs and files were vital to the acceptance of Linux as an
operating system in its early days. Because of this, and the fact that Linux completed a long-running goal
of the GNU project to create a Unix-like operating system, some people choose to refer to Linux as GNU/
Linux.
A fierce debate rages over the correct way to refer to the Linux operating system and whether the
GNU prefix should be used. For what it’s worth, an equally fierce debate rages over how we should define
an operating system. It can all get very confusing. It’s also very easy to accidentally offend someone by
not using the correct terminology!
It’s not the purpose of this book to get involved in this debate. Suffice it to say that I acknowledge
the vital input of the GNU project into the operating system many people refer to simply as Linux, as well
as that of other vital projects. However, readers should note that when I refer to Linux throughout this
book, I mean the entire operating system. If I intend to refer simply to the kernel programs, I will make
that clear.
The Age of Linux
At the time of writing this book, Linux is a little over 15 years old. It has gone from a hobbyist
project maintained by just one man to a professional and corporate-sponsored solution
for virtually every level of computer user.
Linux has also gone from being a server operating system, designed for central computers
that hand out files and other computer resources to other computers, to becoming a fullfledged
graphical desktop operating system like Windows. In fact, it’s gone even further.
Today, it’s very likely that you’ll find Linux running your digital video recorder and other
computerized household gadgets.
Getting technical for a moment, Linux is a 32-bit and 64-bit, multitasking, multiuser
operating system. This is a complicated way of saying that it’s pretty darn powerful. Linux
is as capable of running supercomputers as it is of running a desktop PC. Linux builds on



the foundation laid by Unix, which itself was based on Multics, which was one of the first
modern computer operating systems. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Linux can trace
its family tree all the way back to the pioneering days of computing.
CORRECT PRONUNCIATION
What most people refer to as the Linux operating system takes its name from the kernel program, one
of its most important system components. This, in turn, was named after its creator, Linus Torvalds.
The name Linus is commonly pronounced “Lie-nus” in many English-speaking countries, but Torvalds
speaks Swedish. He pronounces his name “Leen-us” (imagine this spoken with a gentle Scandinavian
lilt, and you’ve got it about right).
Because of this, he pronounces Linux as “Lin-ux”, and most people copy this pronunciation. You
can hear this spoken by Torvalds himself by visiting www.paul.sladen.org/pronunciation/.
Some people refer to the Linux operating system by its full title of GNU/Linux. In this case, GNU
is pronounced as in the name of the animal, with a hard G: “G-noo.” The full pronunciation is therefore
“G-noo Lin-ux.”
Finally, the DVD that comes with this book contains a version of Linux called Ubuntu. This is an
African word that, in its country of origin, is pronounced in three separate short syllables: “oo-bu-ntoo.”
However, most western English speakers pronounce the word “oo-bunt-oo,” which is perfectly acceptable!
The Problems with Windows
The world’s most popular operating system is Windows, which is made by the Microsoft
Corporation. Linux has no links with Windows at all. Microsoft doesn’t contribute anything to
Linux and, in fact, is rather hostile toward it, because it threatens Microsoft’s market
dominance. This means that installing Linux can give you an entirely Microsoft-free PC.
How enticing does that sound?
Windows is used on 91 percent of the world’s desktop computers. In other words, it
must be doing a good job for it to be so popular, right?
Let’s face facts. On many levels, Windows is a great operating system, and since the
release of Windows XP in particular, Microsoft has cleaned up its act. Windows XP does a
much better job compared to previous versions of Windows (and Vista makes even more
improvements). But the situation is far from perfect. Windows XP is notoriously insecure
and virtually every day a new security hole is uncovered. The United States Computer
Emergency Readiness Team (www.us-cert.gov) reported 812 security vulnerabilities for
Microsoft Windows during 2005. That’s 15 vulnerabilities per week! In June 2005, the
computer security company Sophos (www.sophos.com) advertised that its Windows antivirus
program defended against over 103,000 viruses!