Linux for Non-Geeks: A Hands-On, Project-Based, Take-It-Slow Guidebook

by Rickford Grant

Overview

This book is for any home user who has switched or is thinking of switching to Linux. Based on Red Hat's Fedora Core, Linux for Non-Geeks avoids geeky subjects like server and network setup and concentrates on the subjects of interest to the average home user: Installation, the Internet, playing CDs and audio files, desktop customization, games, downloading software and fonts, USB storage devices, printing, and more. Readers with only basic experience with Windows or another Linux distribution will learn how to do everything on their Linux machine that they are used to doing with Windows. Includes a complete installation of Fedora Linux on two CDs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781593270346
Publisher:	No Starch Press San Francisco, CA
Publication date:	02/28/2004
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

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. Rickford is currently working as a teacher in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

	Preface	1
	Who Is This Book For?	3
	Concept and Approach	4
	How to Use This Book	5
	About the Conventions Used in This Book	5
	Version Compatibility and Updates	5
	About the CDs Accompanying This Book	6
1	Becoming A Penguinista
	What Is Linux?	8
	About the Penguin	9
	Why Should I Use Linux?	9
	But Is Linux Really Ready for the Desktop?	10
	What Is a Distribution?	10
	What Is Fedora Core?	11
	Hardware Compatibility	13
	Hardware Requirements	14
	Where Do I Go from Here?	14
2	Making Commitments
	Protecting You from Yourself	16
	Single- or Dual-Boot Setup?	17
	Pre-Installation: Can You Boot from CD?	18
	Doing the Deed	19
	Dual-Boot Installation	26
	Post-Installation Steps	29
3	A New Place to Call Home
	Welcome to the GNOME Desktop	32
	Desktop Icons	33
	Nautilus	34
	The Main Menu	39
	The GNOME Panel	41
Project 3A	Customizing the GNOME Panel	42
	More Panel Fun	47
	Virtual Desktops	48
Project 3B	Screenshots	49
	Shutting Down	51
4	More Than Webbed Feet
	Getting the Hardware Connected	53
	Mozilla--Your Internet Browser	61
	Email	64
	Instant Messaging with Gaim	65
	Other Internet Applications	66
5	Dressing Up the Bird
	Experimenting with a New User Account	70
Project 5A	Customizing Your Desktop Environment	71
	Changing Your Login Screen	82
	Choosing a Screensaver	84
	Setting System Sounds	84
	Mozilla Themes	85
6	Gutenbird
	Is My Printer Supported?	89
	Setting Things Up	90
	Printing with the Printer	93
	Printing to PDF	93
	Changing Printer Settings	93
	Adding Another Print Queue (and Why You Might Want to Do So)	95
	Selecting Print Queues	97
	Canceling a Print Job	97
7	Putting Your Data on Ice
	Floppies	100
	Reading Data CDs	102
	Playing Music CDs	103
	CD-RW Drives	104
	Burning Data CDs	104
	Dealing with CD-RW Disks	105
	Duplicating Audio and Data CDs	106
	Burning ISO Images to Disk	108
8	Rpm Isn't A 1980s Atlanta-Based Band
Project 8A	Working Directly with RPM Packages	112
Project 8B	Adding and Removing RPM Packages via the Package Management Window	115
	Uninstalling Packages	119
9	Simple Kitten Ways
	Meet the Terminal	122
	Nontoxic Commands	123
	Commands with Some Teeth	126
	A Couple of Other Biters You'll Be Using Soon	130
Project 9A	Command Practice with pyWings	131
Project 9B	More Command Practice with pyChing (Optional)	139
Project 9C	The Mozilla Flash Plug-In	140
10	Yes, Yet Another Way!
Project 10A	Installing APT and Synaptic	144
Project 10B	Using Synaptic to Install MPlayer	146
	Updating the APT Package Database with Synaptic	151
	Finding New Packages and Upgrading Packages with Synaptic	151
	Removing Packages with Synaptic	151
	Adding Repositories to Synaptic's Lookup List	152
	Hungry for More?	152
11	Dining on Tarballs
	What Is Source?	154
	Tarballs: The Containers of Source	154
Project 11A	Compiling and Installing Xmahjongg	155
Project 11B	XPenguins (Optional)	160
12	Data on Ice Revisited
	USB Storage Devices	163
	Adding Additional USB Storage Devices	169
	Dual Booters: Mounting Windows Partitions or Drives	169
13	Tux Rocks
	Audio Formats	171
	Grip	172
	Sound Juicer	175
	Rhythmbox	177
	XMMS	179
Project 13A	Installing MP3 Support for XMMS	181
Project 13B	Using XMMS Skins	186
	EasyTAG	188
	Audacity	189
Project 13C	RealOne Player	190
14	Brush-Wielding Penguins
	Getting Arty with the GIMP	195
Project 14A	Tux Paint (Optional)	197
Project 14B	Sodipodi (Optional)	198
	Viewing Your Images with gThumb	199
Project 14C	Emblems Again! Creating Your Own	200
	Creating Your Own Icons (and Emblems)	202
	Scanning	202
	Digital Cameras	204
15	Penguins Back at Work
	OpenOffice.org	208
	The OpenOffice.org Applications	211
	Another Office Suite	214
	AbiWord	215
	Some Other Cool Productivity Apps	216
	Making Your Own Tarballs (and ZIP Files) with File Roller	218
Project 15A	Checking Your System for Viruses (Optional)	219
16	Font Feathered Frenzy
	Installing Fonts	225
Project 16A	Installing TrueType Fonts Using the Easy Method	225
Project 16B	Installing TrueType Fonts for Use with Core X	229
Project 16C	Dual Booters: Installing Fonts from Your Windows Partition (Optional)	231
	Customizing Your System Fonts	233
Project 16D	Creating Your Own Fonts with PfaEdit (Optional)	234
17	Tux Speaks Your Language
	Read-Only Language Support	238
	Typing Nonstandard Characters	240
	Viewing Your System in Another Language	242
	Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Input	243
	Kdeedu Language-Learning Programs	246
Project 17A	Installing the StarDict Dictionary (Optional)	248
	Hungry for More?	250
18	Tux Untethered
	Should I Go Wireless?	252
	Wireless Protocols	252
	Wi-Fi Hardware	253
	Setting Up Your Wireless Card	257
	Activating Your Wireless Network Interface Card	261
	A Quick Fix for the "Wi-Fi Quirkies"	262
19	Leaving the Nest
	Some Useful System Settings	263
	KDE	266
	Keeping Your System Up to Date	269
	Odds and Ends	273
Project 19A	Programming for Linux? (Absolutely Optional, but Kind of Fun)	276
Project 19B	Running Windows Programs Under Linux with Wine (Optional)	277
20	What to do if Tux Starts Acting Up
	Problems and Solutions	282
A	Launcher Specifications
	Command and Launcher Specs for Programs Installed in Projects	287
	Command and Launcher Specs for Programs Hidden in GNOME	288
B	Resources
	Online Forums Appropriate for Beginners	293
	Mailing Lists	294
	Hardware Compatibility Issues	295
	Wireless Related Sites	295
	Download Sites	295
	Linux Reference Sites	296
	News and Information	297
	Buying Linux CDs	297
	Index	299

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Nowadays, more non-technical people are giving Linux a whirl. It’s easier than it was -- graphical user interfaces, and all. But when you can’t figure something out or you run into trouble, it’s been tough to find “non-geek” help. Until now.

Rockford Grant walks you through the tasks you’re most likely to care about. Basic productivity tasks with OpenOffice. Web browsing, email, and instant messaging. Hooking up printers, modems, even WiFi. Playing MP3s, burning CDs, editing photos. (He also presents some Linux toys we haven’t seen elsewhere: language learning software and digital mah-jongg, for instance.)

You also get a two-CD set of the latest version of Fedora Core Linux, plus bonus software. You shouldn’t have to buy a thing, except this book. Bill Camarda

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2003 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.

bn.com

Slashdot.org
A far cry from dumbed down editions of how-to comic book style manuals from other publishers, No Starch Press has adopted a smart series of books for the capable, no nonsense audience; those folks who are not afraid to try new things and who want a clear and (more importantly) practical approach to enhancing their skill set. This book is a stand out in that series.