Linux for dummies

Team DDU......Page 1
Table Of Content......Page 12
 About This Book......Page 20
 How to Use This Book......Page 21
 Three Presumptuous Assumptions......Page 22
  Part II: Internet Now!......Page 23
  Part VI: Appendixes......Page 24
 Where to Go from Here......Page 25
Part I: Getting Your Feet Wet......Page 26
  Is Free Really Free?......Page 28
  Linux: Revolution or Just Another Operating System?......Page 29
   GNU who?......Page 32
   Einstein was a volunteer......Page 34
  Packaging Linux: The Distribution......Page 35
  Installation Considerations......Page 38
  Preparing to Use Linux and Microsoft Windows Together......Page 39
   Partitioning from scratch for a dual boot......Page 40
   Peeking at your partitions in Windows 2000 and Windows XP......Page 41
   Checking your partitions in Windows 98......Page 43
   Making space......Page 45
   Getting and resizing partitions with qtparted......Page 47
  Gathering Information about Your Machine......Page 52
  Finally, Finally, Before You Get Started......Page 56
  Things to Consider Before You Begin Installation......Page 58
  Making a Boot Floppy (if Needed)......Page 60
  The Installation Process......Page 62
  Your First Boot......Page 79
 Chapter 4: Installing Other Linux Distributions......Page 84
  Living Large with Linspire......Page 85
   Installing Linspire......Page 86
   Recognizing some special Linspire features......Page 89
  Maxin' Out the Fun with Mandrake......Page 90
   Installing Mandrake......Page 91
   About the various Mandrake versions......Page 96
   Installing SuSE......Page 97
  Zapping Frustration with Xandros......Page 104
   Installing Xandros......Page 105
   About the various Xandros versions......Page 110
  Finding Even More Linux......Page 111
 Chapter 5: Booting and Stopping Linux......Page 114
   Step 1: Power-On Self-Test (POST) leads to BIOS......Page 115
   Step 2: The BIOS passes the baton to the boot loader......Page 116
   Step 3: The boot loader (GRUB or LILO) loads the system kernel into memory......Page 117
   Step 4: Control is handed over to init......Page 118
  Don't Just Turn Off the Machine!......Page 121
  Removing Linux from Your System......Page 122
  Introducing the Interfaces......Page 124
  Deciding Which Interface to Use......Page 125
  Making the Best of the Command Line......Page 126
  GNOME Basics......Page 127
   The menus......Page 128
   The Run Application tool......Page 130
   The Lock Screen tool......Page 131
   The Panels......Page 132
   The Panel menu......Page 134
   Playing with desktop icons......Page 135
  KDE Basics......Page 136
   Knoppix KDE......Page 137
   Linspire KDE......Page 140
   Mandrake KDE......Page 143
   SuSE KDE......Page 145
   Xandros KDE......Page 147
  Switching between GNOME and KDE......Page 149
  Accounts Great and Small......Page 152
   Creating user accounts......Page 153
  Printing......Page 156
  Zen and the Art of Linux Configuration......Page 159
   Knoppix tools......Page 160
   Linspire tools......Page 161
   Mandrake tools......Page 163
   SuSE tools......Page 164
   Xandros tools......Page 165
Part II: Internet Now!......Page 166
  Internet Connectivity 101......Page 168
  Setting Up the Hardware......Page 171
  Selecting an Internet Service Provider (ISP)......Page 172
  Getting Information You Need from Your ISP......Page 173
  Hooking Up......Page 174
  Configuring Your Connection......Page 175
  Connecting to (and Disconnecting from) the Internet......Page 179
   Checking whether you can talk to a specific address with ping......Page 180
   Following in your traffic's footsteps with traceroute......Page 181
  After You're Connected......Page 183
  Meet the Popular Browsers......Page 184
   Configuring Mozilla......Page 185
   Them dad-gum browser plug-ins......Page 191
   Configuring Mozilla to read newsgroups......Page 193
   Subscribing to newsgroups......Page 195
  Evolving into E-Mail......Page 196
   Setting up Evolution......Page 197
   Sending and checking e-mail......Page 203
  Taking Advantage of Instant Messaging......Page 205
   Using the Gaim Instant Messenger......Page 206
   Troubleshooting your IM connections......Page 208
  Working with Other Internet Tools......Page 209
Part III: Getting Up to Speed with Linux......Page 210
  Working with Files in the GUI......Page 212
   Sailin' with Nautilus......Page 213
   Rulin' with Konqueror......Page 220
  Understanding Filesystem Mechanics......Page 228
   Understanding long format file listings......Page 229
   A permissions primer......Page 230
   Comprehending file types......Page 232
  Introducing the Linux Filesystem......Page 234
   Meet the root directory......Page 235
   Meet the /mnt and /media subdirectories......Page 236
   Meet the /usr subdirectories......Page 237
   Navigating the filesystem in Fedora......Page 238
   Navigating the Filesystem in Knoppix......Page 240
   Navigating the filesystem in Mandrake......Page 242
   Navigating the filesystem in SuSE......Page 244
  Partitions versus Directories......Page 245
   If your machine fails to reboot......Page 248
   Don't run out of room!......Page 251
  Opening Downloaded Files......Page 252
  Compressing and Packaging Files to Share......Page 254
   Updating Fedora......Page 255
   Updating Linspire......Page 259
   Updating Mandrake......Page 261
   Updating SuSE......Page 262
   Updating Xandros......Page 264
   Eating it up with Fedora's yum......Page 266
   Clicking and running with Linspire......Page 272
   Making it happen with Mandrake......Page 274
   Sassing with SuSE......Page 277
   Xipping with Xandros Networks......Page 279
  Finding More Software......Page 280
  Upgrading Your OS......Page 281
  Choosing Secure Passwords......Page 282
  Updating Software......Page 283
   Network holes......Page 284
   The Secure Shell game (SSH)......Page 288
   Software holes......Page 292
   Introducing SELinux......Page 293
  Keeping an Eye on Your Log Files with the System Log Viewer......Page 294
  Locating Security Resources......Page 295
 Chapter 14:Working without the GUI......Page 296
  Playing the Shell Game......Page 297
  Understanding bash Command Syntax and Structure......Page 299
  Starting Programs from the Shell......Page 300
   Asking Linux to complete a command or filename for you......Page 301
   Accessing your command history......Page 302
   Variables versus environment variables......Page 303
   Checking out commonly used environment variables......Page 304
   Storing and retrieving variables' values......Page 305
  Using Redirection and Pipes......Page 307
   Redirecting command output......Page 308
   "Help!"......Page 309
   Clearing the screen......Page 310
 Chapter 15: Gettin' Gooey with the GUIs......Page 312
   How do ya like them applets?......Page 313
   Don't forget the programs......Page 315
  Customizing KDE......Page 316
   Applets keep fallin' on my head......Page 317
   Adding programs to your panel......Page 318
  Prettying Up Your Desktop with Themes......Page 319
   Adding themes to GNOME......Page 320
   Adding themes to KDE......Page 322
  Tweaking the GUI's Innards......Page 324
Part IV: Getting Things Done......Page 326
  Viewing the Contents of a Text File......Page 328
  Editing Text Files with nano......Page 329
   Saving and moving on with your life......Page 330
   Entering and editing text in gedit......Page 331
   Saving your work......Page 333
  Taking a Quick Look at Kate......Page 334
 Chapter 17:Word-Processing and More with OpenOffice org......Page 336
   Taking a tour of OpenOffice org Writer......Page 337
   Starting it up......Page 342
   Taking a tour of OpenOffice org Calc......Page 343
   Starting it up......Page 346
   Using the AutoPilot Presentation Wizard......Page 347
   Taking a tour of OpenOffice org Impress......Page 349
   Starting it up......Page 352
   Taking a tour of OpenOffice org Draw......Page 353
   Starting it up......Page 356
   Taking a tour of OpenOffice org Math......Page 357
  Configuring Printing for OpenOffice org......Page 361
 Chapter 18: Multimedia Wow!......Page 364
  Looking into Your Mixer......Page 365
  Investigating Troublesome Sound Issues......Page 366
  Listening to CDs......Page 367
  Listening to Internet Radio......Page 368
  Listening to Downloaded Music......Page 370
  Ripping Music Tracks from CDs......Page 371
  Burning CDs and DVDs......Page 373
  Creating and Modifying Graphics......Page 374
  Watchin' Movies......Page 375
 Chapter 19: Windows-Only Media Formats and Programs......Page 378
   CodeWeavers......Page 379
   Win4Lin......Page 380
   Cedega......Page 381
   VMware......Page 382
  Installing and Using Wine......Page 383
Part V: The Part of Tens......Page 386
 Chapter 20: Ten Troubleshooting Tips......Page 388
  "The Linux Installer Froze"......Page 389
  For Fedora Core Users......Page 390
  "I Told the Installer to Test My Graphics, and They Failed"......Page 391
  "I Think I'm in Linux, but I Don't Know What to Do!"......Page 392
   Changing your boot environment "permanently"......Page 394
  "I Want to Change Screen Resolutions"......Page 395
  "Help, My Machine Hangs During Boot!"......Page 396
  "Aaargh! I Forgot My Root Password! What Do I Do?"......Page 397
  Rescuing Files off of a Machine that Won't Boot......Page 398
  Recovering a Root Password with Knoppix......Page 400
  Functioning as a Portable Desktop......Page 402
  Installing Knoppix......Page 403
  Keeping Knoppix Up to Date......Page 405
  Installing New Software on an Installed Knoppix System......Page 407
  Adding More Software Repositories......Page 408
  Aren't Sure a Machine Actually Works?......Page 409
  Exploring Tons of Linux Tools......Page 410
Part VI: Appendixes......Page 412
  Linux Commands by Function......Page 414
   Built-in bash commands......Page 415
  Getting Help......Page 416
   Files and file system......Page 417
   mtools......Page 419
   System control......Page 420
 Appendix B: About the DVD-ROM......Page 424
  System Requirements......Page 425
   Booting from the DVD-ROM......Page 426
  What You Find in Fedora Core 3......Page 427
  If You've Got Problems (Of the DVD-ROM Kind)......Page 428
Index......Page 430