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LXFS13 The Linux Starter Pack
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STARTER PACK
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Want to dump Windows but don’t know how?

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Word processing
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Troubleshooting
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LXFS13.cover 1 10/4/08 14:22:02

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Introduction
Welcome!
If you’ve made it this far, you’re
clearly among the growing
number of people who are curious
about Linux. I’m not sure what has
led you here – perhaps you’re sick
of installing security updates every
other day, perhaps you’re tired of
Linux Starter Pack rebooting when your computer runs
slowly, or maybe you’ve just had
EDITORIAL
Editor Paul Hudson
enough of the Blue Screen of Death
Disc editor Mike Saunders
Contributing editor Graham Morrison
– but whatever it was that brought
Operations editor Andrew Gregory
Art editor Efrain Hernandez-Mendoza
you here, I’m glad to welcome you to
Art assistance Stacey Black, Nick Cox, Neil Freestone,
Martin Parfitt
the family of Linux users, and hope
you’ll find that there’s a whole new world of computing here that can really
MANAGERIAL & MARKETING
Marketing product manager Jennifer Wagner put the fun back into it all again.
Acquisitions product manager James Greenwood
Publishing director Stuart Anderton This magazine is a one-off publication aimed at newcomers to Linux.
Managing director Robert Price
That’s you, which means you’ve come to the right place! But Linux is a
DISTRIBUTION & CIRCULATION big world of software, and, while some of it looks and works just like the
Production coordinator Craig Broadbridge
Trade marketing executive Kate Robson
Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry
Windows or Mac software you’re used to, a lot of it will also be new, and
Avenue, London EC1A 9PT Tel 020 7429 4000
Overseas distribution by Future Publishing Ltd
that’s where this guide comes in – we’ve written it to be a comprehensive
Tel +44 (0)1225 442244
pack for new starters to Linux, with the goal of helping you to get the
LICENSING most from your computer with the least reading. You’ll also find a DVD
Head of international licensing Tim Hudson
thudson@futurenet.co.uk Tel +44 (0)1225 788253 bundled with this magazine that includes a complete, installable version
of Linux for you to use. Yes, it’s true that there are lots of versions of Linux
Copyright No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from
our publisher. We assume all letters sent – by email, fax or post – are for publication unless
out there, but we’ve written this guide to accompany the software on that
otherwise stated, and reserve the right to edit contributions. All contributions to Linux
Format are submitted and accepted on the basis of non-exclusive worldwide licence to
publish or license others to do so unless otherwise agreed in advance in writing. Linux
DVD, so if you want to get the most from all the tutorials we’ve provided
Format recognises all copyrights in this issue. Where possible, we have acknowledged the
copyright holder. Contact us if we haven’t credited your copyright and we will always for you, we recommend you use that disc to get started.
correct any oversight. We cannot be held responsible for mistakes or misprints.
All DVD demos and reader submissions are supplied to us on the assumption they can
Now it’s time for the adventure to begin. If you want to dive in straight
be incorporated into a future covermounted DVD, unless stated to the contrary.
Disclaimer All tips in this magazine are used at your own risk. We accept no liability for
away, turn to p10 for our install guide. If you’d like to read a bit more about
any loss of data or damage to your computer, peripherals or software through the use
of any tips or advice. Linux first – and I’d recommend it! – turn to p6.
Printed in the UK by Midway Clark (Holt) and William Gibbons
© Future Publishing Ltd 2007

Have fun!
Future Publishing Ltd, 30 Monmouth Street,
Bath BA1 2BW Tel 01225 442244
Email linuxformat@futurenet.co.uk
LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds, GNU/Linux is abbreviated to Linux throughout

for brevity. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Future Publishing Ltd is part of Future plc.
Future produces carefully targeted special-interest
magazines for people who share a passion. We aim to satisfy
that passion by creating titles offering value for money,
reliable information, smart buying advice and which are a Paul Hudson Editor
pleasure to read. Today we publish more than 150
magazines in the UK, US, France and Italy. Over 100
international editions of our magazines are also published in
paul.hudson@futurenet.co.uk
N SOURCE!
30 other countries across the world. Future plc is a public company quoted on the ALL THINGS OPE
ER’S GUIDE TO D
London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR). THE BEGINN DVIDE
Non-executive chairman Roger Parry Chief executive Stevie Spring INS
THE LINUX ACK

Group finance director John Bowman Tel +44 (0)1225 442244 www.futureplc.com
LXFS13 The
STARTER P
Linux Starter
ATLANTA • BATH • LONDON • MILAN • NEW YORK •

Pack
PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO •

Installation
?
don’t know how
Windows but ux!
Want to dump plete guide to using Lin
Internet apps
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Word processing
Desktop publishing
Photo manipulat
ion
Spreadsheets
BitTorrent
Instant messaging
Troubleshooting
All you need
N £9.99
ISSUE THIRTEE
to get started
with Linux!
10/4/08 14:22:02
Linux
The #1 source for
LXFS13.welcome 3 15/4/08 18:03:16

Contents
Ready to master Linux? Start your engines and pick your topic…
Install guide p10

Disc in hand and ready to go: start here!
Helpdesk
On your DVD
Along with plain

vanilla Ubuntu,
you’ll find a 64-bit
version and a
super-sized version
with lots more!
Solve it! 110 PLUS: OpenOffice.org.....................................30

Got some problems with
Your complete new suite of productivity apps.
Linux? Want to push your
skills a little further but
don’t know how? Upgrade
your inner Linux master
the easy way.
4 Linux starter pack
LXFS13.contents 4 15/4/08 18:25:56

Contents
The complete listing

What’s in this starter pack........................................6 Compiz desktop effects .........................................68
Read this first to get the most from your magazine. Yes, yes: Linux can make your desktop into a spinning cube with fire
effects and more. The point? You tell us, but we love it anyway!
Install guide .............................................................. 10
Make this your first stop before you put the disc in the drive. Use media codecs.................................................... 72
Flash? Check. Java? Check. DVDs? Ditto. But not by default, because
Your new Linux desktop ..........................................14 they’re nasty proprietary things. But if you want them, turn here…
Who? What? When? How? We explain the basics of Linux use.
Media ripping............................................................ 76
On the web ................................................................22 Ditch your CD collection and go all-digital like the cool kids!
Surf the web with Firefox, and do even more with its add-ons!
Disc burning..............................................................80
Reading your emails ................................................26 It’s like media ripping, but in reverse: turn your digital data into discs
Make to-do lists, create calendars, store your contacts and more. to pass around or sell for fun and profit.
OpenOffice.org Writer.............................................30 Create disc inlays.....................................................82

If you’re looking for a capable word processor that looks and works …and if you’ve just followed the disc burning tutorial on p80, you can
much like Microsoft Word, this is the place to go. now learn how to make smart disc inlays to finish the product!
OpenOffice.org Calc ................................................34 Instant messaging ...................................................86

Spreadsheets might look dull from a distance, but OOo Calc at least Chat to your friends, or even cold-call random strangers if you want,
ensures they’re easy to create and play with! but whatever you do instant messaging is great fun!
OpenOffice.org Impress .........................................38 BitTorrent downloads..............................................90

Learn how to make presentations for business, but only if you Get files the fast way, and build a community at the same time.
promise never to use letter-by-letter animated fly-ins.
Printing documents.................................................92
OpenOffice.org Base ...............................................42 Take Apache further with techniques for hosting pages for other
Get your CD collection organised the geeky way: enter it, sort it, print users, set bandwidth and request limits, and rewrite URLs.
it, then maybe finally get around to listening to it too…
Secure your machine ..............................................96
Make your own stationery......................................46 Linux is secure, but that’s no reason to rest easy.
Make some clipart then turn it into a letterhead – fast.
Adding software.................................................... 100
Edit your photos.......................................................50 There are thousands of packages available if you want them, so get
Got a digital camera and some photos you want to tart up? Get the hooked up to the internet and get downloading!
knowledge you need to make them perfect with Linux!
The best of free software.....................................104
Play games and have fun .......................................58 With so much great software to choose from, how do you know what
Linux isn’t all serious stuff – we’ve got games galore too! to try? We make it easier by picking out the best just for you.
Create multiple accounts .......................................64 Glossary...................................................................120

Friends, family and random strangers can all use your Linux box, but All the technical Linuxy terms under the sun laid bare and explained
only if you want them to. – keep this close to hand!
Compiz desktop effects ...............68 How to get help ...................... p124

Linux starter pack 5
LXFS13.contents 5 15/4/08 18:25:59

Welcome to Linux
Welcome to Linux!
Step 1: Buy this magazine. Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit! Now, let’s see if I can give
you a little more detail about step 2…
S
witching to Linux doesn’t memory-intensive. Linux, on the other hand, runs comfortably on
have to be hard. In fact, we 512MB or even less – there are even special versions of Linux
want to make sure it’s as designed to run on 32MB of RAM using CPUs that haven’t been
easy for you as possible, and considered top of the line since the late 90s!
you’ll be glad to hear that you’ve Of course, if you want the very best that Linux has to offer, you
already completed one of the hardest should consider 512MB of RAM and an 800MHz CPU the
steps just by obtaining this magazine. minimum. With that, you should be able to enable all the features
I’m sure you have lots of questions, and have a great computing experience.
but before we get to them I first want to
tell you a little bit about Linux. 3 Linux has lots of software ready for
you to try
1 Linux is free! Sometimes the hardest part of switching to a different operating
That’s right – Linux is completely free! You system is figuring out which programs to use. For example,
can take the DVD that came with this Microsoft Office runs just fine on Windows, but Microsoft doesn’t
magazine, copy it a thousand times, and make a version for Linux – hardly a surprise, as you can imagine!
give it to everyone you meet if you want to. The same goes for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web browser.
You can even pop your own logo on the When you switch to Linux, you can choose either to leave those
front and sell it if you really want to, because everything really is programs behind and use their Linux equivalents, or you can try
completely free. to run them using a special Windows compatibility layer known
as ‘Wine’.
2 Linux looks and works a lot like If I were you, I wouldn’t worry too much about Wine for now,
Windows because there are tens of thousands of programs available on
Scaremongers like to say that Linux is really hard, that your Linux, and nearly all of them are completely free just like the rest of
Windows skills will be useless, that you’ll get stuck and won’t be Linux! What’s more, you may be familiar with some of them
able to find any help or that Linux just doesn’t have the same already because they run on Windows as well as Linux – Firefox,
features as something like Windows Vista. But I can assure you OpenOffice.org, Thunderbird, Gimp and many more run on
they are wrong: while Microsoft Windows certainly has the lead in Windows and Linux, and if you’ve used them before you’ll find that
terms of market share by a large margin, it certainly isn’t the best they work just the same on Linux.
operating system out there. After all, if popularity alone made The best bit about all this is that all this software lives in a
Looking for something good, McDonalds would be the best food on the planet! software repository that you can access from your Linux desktop.
special effects? Not only does Linux match Windows feature for feature, it also It will show you all the software you can install, and you just choose
Linux is just what has much lower system requirements. As anyone who has run the applications and packages you want to have them
you’re after. Vista on 1GB of RAM or less will tell you, Windows can be pretty automatically downloaded for you.
Linux is designed to have security at the very centre of the

system, which is why it’s so popular for servers.
LXFS13.linux 6 14/4/08 19:48:51

Welcome to Linux
You can download and install new software over the web using
the Add/Remove Applications window.
Games! Yes,
DTP, if you want to burn DVDs, if you want to scan for viruses, if
Linux isn’t just for
4 Linux is secure by default you want to touch up your photos, if you want to rip music to MP3, serious people:
Unlike on Windows, where installing programs can lead to ‘DLL or if you want to do any number of other things, you’ll find that there’s lots to do
Hell’ and it’s easy for your five-year-old to delete important system Linux already has some great software ready to try. Don’t be afraid when you want
files just using Explorer, Linux was designed from the beginning for to click through the various programs that come installed by to relax…
security. As a result, no one can install software if they don’t have default – they are all safe to try, and it’s a great way to find your feet.
the administrator password. No one can delete files that don’t
belong to them. No one can spread spyware across the system 8 Linux looks great
just by surfing the web. In fact, unless you switch to the If you think Vista looks hot, Linux is about to blow you away. As
administrator account and go crazy, it’s pretty darn hard to break with Windows, you can customise the look and feel of your
a Linux machine! desktop – changing fonts, colours, screensavers and the like. But if
you have the right hardware (and it doesn’t take much) you can
5 Linux is smart by default also enable a true 3D environment that puts your desktop on a
If you get hit by a power cut and your computer shuts down
unexpectedly, Linux is smart enough to auto-recover your files What is Linux? What is a distro?
just where you left off – there’s no need to run checkdsk on Linux.
Similarly, Linux is clever enough to re-arrange the files on your Most people refer to ‘Linux’ to mean their concept of a ‘distribution’, usually
hard disk as you use them so that file fragmentation is a thing of entire computing desktop – the word abbreviated to ‘distro’. There are hundreds
the past. processors, the games, the MP3 players – perhaps even thousands – of different
The open nature of Linux also means that anyone, anywhere and, well, everything! But technically, Linux distros, and each one has something
can join the development effort and help make things better for ‘Linux’ is actually just the core part of the unique or unusual about it. For example,
system: it looks after your hardware, runs Ubuntu is designed to be very easy to use;
everyone, which means that you’ll find your software has been
programs, but generally stays out of the Fedora is designed for power users; Gentoo
translated into hundreds upon hundreds of different languages,
way. This is known as the kernel, because it is designed for people who want maximum
most of which aren’t supported by Microsoft simply because it
really does sit at the centre of everything. speed; and so on. Each one will come with
isn’t commercially viable. Now, above Linux is just about a different selection of software, so when
everything else you’ll be using: OpenOffice. you choose your distro you will usually pick
6 Linux is growing org, Firefox, and such. But remember: the the one that has the software you want as
Every year, more and more people are realising there’s no point principle of Free Software is that anyone standard – although, of course, you can
paying for software when there are free programs that are just as can take some programming code, modify always change the software selection after
good (and often better). This is particularly noticeable in big it as they see fit, and release their own installation!
companies, where converting 1,000 computers from Windows to version. In fact, it’s very rare for Linux to Please don’t think that all this choice
have just one program for a particular leads to a very fragmented Linux desktop,
Linux saves a huge amount of money, but it’s also important for
need. For example, OpenOffice.org is a because it doesn’t: they all share the same
home users who would rather save their money and buy a new
great office suite, but you could also use Linux kernel, the same programming tools,
computer or are perhaps just sick of Microsoft software.
AbiWord, Gnumeric, KWord or any number the same desktop choices, and the same
of other similar products. And yes, they are filesystem structure. As a result, much of
7 Linux has something for everyone all free, so you can try them and find which what you learn about one distro applies to
Whether you’re a programmer, a writer, a designer, a parent one solves your problem the best. any other distro out there, because they
looking for something for their children or just someone looking to This need to be able to choose exactly are all building from the same common
get the most from their computer, you’ll find Linux has lots of what you run extends even further with the ground.
software ready for you to use. Forget ‘shareware’: if you want to do
LXFS13.linux 7 14/4/08 19:48:56

Welcome to Linux
Evolution is the standard email and calendaring system for Linux - turn to Everyone has to work with digital photos on their computer sometimes,
p26 to learn how to use it. so you might as well use the best - p50 gets you started with The Gimp.
cube – windows can wobble, you can zoom in to get a closer look 1 How to install Linux
at things, switching programs will give you a live preview of what 2 How to find your way around
each window displays, and much more. In short, it looks absolutely 3 How to customise system settings to get things just the
fabulous, and is compatible with nearly all modern video cards way you want them
4 How to find common programs such as web browsers,
What’s in this magazine email clients and more
This is a magazine aimed at helping you get things done with your 5 How to create brochures, spreadsheets and simple
computer. Yes, we’re focusing on Linux, but we don’t think you databases
really care what you use, because what you really want is a 6 How to touch up your photos and create original artwork
computer that’s fast, featureful and full of cool things to try – the 7 How to play games and chat to your friends
fact that it’s Linux that provides all those things and more is
probably secondary! As a result, we’ve tried to focus on helping And there’s even a special troubleshooting section starting on
you get more from your computer. p110, which can guide you through all the most common problems
So, in this magazine you’ll find: newcomers experience on Linux. In short, this is magazine
dedicated to helping you succeed with Linux – we’ve written it to
help you learn, to help you avoid problems, and to help you get the
most from your computer.
What isn’t in this magazine

Now you know what is in this magazine, let me tell you what isn’t
in here:
1 Boring theory
2 Useless facts
3 Geeky jargon
By buying this
magazine, you’ve
actually already
done the hardest
thing when
switching to Linux Why pay for a DVD burner when you get one free with Linux?
LXFS13.linux 8 14/4/08 19:48:58

Welcome to Linux
Have fun with Linux - there are hundreds of games to install for free, The Brasero CD burner is an advanced disc creation system - great for
many of which are suitable for young children. people who want more power!
4 Scary programming
5 Command line horrors
You see, all those things work to confuse and misdirect first-timers
with Linux, so we want to steer well clear of them. In fact, you’ll
barely see any mention at all of the command line that Linux is so
famous for, because we’re less interested in explaining what things
are than actually explaining what you can do with them.
Where to go from here The Philosophy of Free

This is the end of my short introduction, so the next step for you is
to dive on into Linux by turning over the page and following our Linux is free of charge, which is more than enough to convince a
step-by-step install guide. If you have more questions, relax: we’ll lot of people to switch. But Linux is also “free” in the meaning of
“freedom” – that’s why you can see the computer programming
try to answer them as you go. The important thing is that in your
code behind it, modify it, and even sell it if you want to. We call this
hands is all you need to get started – and have fun! – with Linux.
Free Software (note those capital letters!), and many Linux users
Enjoy! LXF consider it even more important than Linux’s lack of a price tag.
The history bit

I’m a big believer in empowering people to do new Into this software melee stepped Microsoft, server rooms. Google, Amazon, Yahoo and many
things, not weighing them down with history. After bringing with it the promise of one platform other big internet companies rely on Linux every
all, you don’t need to know where Linux came from (Windows) from one vendor (Microsoft) for one day, and if it can handle their computing needs then
to get the most from it! But for the curious, here’s a price (not cheap). The fragmented Unixes never your desktop ought to be a cinch!
little bit of background. really stood a chance, because each of the vendors
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy not too tried to fight Microsoft in their own way rather than
dissimilar from our own, most people who used banding together. Eventually, Windows was
computers were geeks. And they didn’t have their dominant, and things settled down again.
own computers, either – they shared one, known as Linux started life as the pet project of Linus
a ‘mainframe’, because back then computers were Torvalds, a university student in Helsinki. It was
far too expensive, bulky and unreliable to actually designed to copy the fundamentals of Unix, but had
be personal. Back then, the primary operating one special difference: it was licensed under the
system was known as Unix, and people passed GNU General Public License. This is a special
around the source code freely, because it hadn’t software licence that says, “if you take this software,
even occurred to them that selling such software you’re welcome to redistribute it, change it and sell
might be big business. it if you want to – as long as you give the changes
But sooner or later the inevitable happened: some back to the creator.” As a result, big computer
suits came along and decided to ‘monetise’ Unix. It companies such as IBM, Intel, HP and SGI were able
split into various different brands (known as ‘forks’, to band together around a common platform – they
because they all forked off the main Unix road), all could contribute features to the common pool
competing with each other on features and price. without having to compete with each other.
Soon the various different Unixes (Unices? Unixen?) Linux today is worked on by thousands of people
became incompatible in different places, and the from around the world, and is finding its way into Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux. What a guy!
whole software community became fragmented. everything from mobile phones to billion-dollar
LXFS13.linux 9 14/4/08 19:49:07

Linux installing instructions
Start here
Your voyage to the land of Linux begins here: we’ll show you
how to install it on to your PC and take your first steps. System requirements
At a minimum, your PC needs:
800MHz Pentium-compatible CPU
Y
ou’re just minutes away from a new journey in the YOUR DATA
world of computing. You’ve probably heard of Linux FIRST! It’s 300MB of RAM
before picking up this magazine – and you may unlikely that you’ll 10GB hard drive space
have heard some naysayers describe it as difficult encounter any
to use. Far from it. Linux is simply a different operating system problems, but it’s
to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, with its own way of doing better to be safe than sorry!
things, and enormous benefits: Linux needs some space on your hard drive, so if your drive
is currently full (or heading towards that point), you’ll need to
1 Linux is free You don’t have to pay any money for it, and clear some room. At a minimum, we recommend giving Linux
you can download it free of charge from the internet in various 10GB – but the more the merrier, especially when you start
flavours (called distributions). You can share it with friends, using it to store videos and music. So if your drive is nearly at
family and colleagues. bursting point, remove old applications and files to free up at
2 Linux is reliable Google uses Linux on thousands of least 10GB of space. We also recommend running the
computers, a testament to its rock-solid foundations. It won’t Windows Disk Defragmenter tool, to ensure that your hard
randomly crash on you or get confused with bugs and glitches. drive is neatly organised.
3 Linux is secure Forget spyware, viruses and pop-up adverts
– your Linux PC will be safe from hackers. This is one of the Partitioning
reasons why it powers millions of server computers around Your hard drive is split into sections called partitions. If you’re
the globe. running Windows, it will most likely reside in a single, large
Accompanying this magazine you’ll find a DVD containing partition occupying the entire hard drive. Linux needs its
Ubuntu Linux 7.10, the most popular version of Linux. Let’s get own chunk of the drive – its own partition – to run in, and the
ready to install it! installer helps us out with this. When you’re installing, you
can choose to resize your Windows partition and make room
Preparation for Linux, or (if you don’t want Linux at all), let Linux occupy
Chances are that your PC is currently running Microsoft the entire hard drive.
Ubuntu Linux is
Windows. (If it isn’t, or you’re happy to devote your entire PC You’ll see this during the installation process (step 6). If
simple to install –
just follow our to Linux, you can skip this bit.) Fortunately, Linux will happily you want to keep Windows, you can drag the slider across
step-by-step guide, co-exist with Windows on your machine, so you can choose to free up room, and then the installer will create Linux
and you’ll be which operating system to boot when you start your PC. partitions in the free space. Again, it’s best to give Linux at
Linuxing in no time However, there’s one vital step before we get going: BACK UP least 10GB of free space. If your hard drive is almost full, you
at all. won’t be able to drag the slider very far, so make
space in Windows first!
Right, with those two things covered, we’re ready
to go. Follow the steps and get ready to become a
Linux user!
Problems booting?
The DVD supplied with this magazine is bootable –
that is, you can start your PC with the disc in your
drive, and Linux will load up. Don’t worry, it won’t touch
your hard drive until you choose to install it, so you can
play around with Linux freely. However, if your PC
doesn’t boot Linux but instead starts Windows as per
usual, you will need to change some settings.
Restart your PC and, at the very first screen that
comes up (the BIOS screen), look for a message that
tells you which key to press for the ‘Setup’ or ‘BIOS’
screen. Normally this is Del, Esc, F1 or F2 – try pressing
them if you don’t see a message. If nothing happens,
consult your PC’s manual. When you reach the BIOS
settings screen, look for the option to change the ‘boot
order’, so that you can tell your PC to start from the
DVD drive rather than the hard drive. Then save your
settings and restart.
LXFS13.install 10 14/4/08 20:03:18

Step by step: Install Ubuntu Linux
Insert the DVD supplied with this magazine into your DVD drive, then Linux will boot up, and you will see the desktop. You can now try out the
1 restart your PC. You should see the screen shown above. If not, see the 2 supplied programs – it’s all running from the DVD. Double-click on
Problems Booting? box on the opposite page. ‘Install’ on the desktop to start the installation process
The installer window will appear. Make sure you read the text at every Next you’ll be asked to set your time zone. Click on the appropriate area
3 step! You can select your language via the panel on the left-hand side, 4 of the world map to zoom in, then click on the dot for your nearest city.
then click Forward to continue. When you’re done, click on Forward.
Now you can choose your keyboard layout. Select the language on the Next up is hard drive partitioning – making room for Linux. You can use
5 left, and then the exact layout on the right. You can test your selection in 6 your whole drive, or resize an existing Windows partition and skip to
the box at the bottom before you click on Forward. step 8. If you choose to partition manually, see step 7.
LXFS13.install 11 14/4/08 20:03:19

If you choose to partition your hard drive manually (we recommend this Now create a login account for Linux. Enter your full name, then a
7 for advanced users only), create a minimum 10GB root (/) partition 8 username and password. Do not forget these, as you’ll need them very
with ext3 format, and a swap (virtual memory) partition of around 512MB. soon! Click on Forward when you’re finished here.
If you’re installing on a PC that already has Windows, you’ll be given the Ubuntu Linux will be copied to your hard drive. Depending on the speed
9 option of transferring some settings over to Linux. Otherwise you’ll go 10 of your machine, this can take between 10 minutes and an hour, so grab
straight to this screen – check the settings and click on Install. a cuppa while the installer does its job!
When the installer has finished, you’ll be prompted to reboot. Click on After your PC has rebooted, Ubuntu will load (or give you the choice to
11 the Restart button and eject the DVD – otherwise your PC will boot back 12 start Windows if you also have that installed). Log in with the username
up from the DVD again. and password you provided in step 8, and start exploring!
LXFS13.install 12 14/4/08 20:03:21

How to get help

Hopefully the installation process went smoothly, but if not,
there’s plenty of help to hand if you know where to look.
I
f everything went swimmingly, by now you should be 1 Be specific The more information, the better, but stay on
exploring the Linux desktop, trying out the included topic. Just saying “It won’t boot” gets you nowhere – people
programs and getting familiar with the new environment. need to know what error messages you see, what you’ve tried,
It’s very much self-explanatory – you can click on Applications what hardware you have etc.
at the top-left to start programs, click on System to change
preferences and set up your hardware, and click the red 2 Consider all options Even if someone suggests a fix that
button in the top-right to reboot or shut down your computer. sounds unusual, it’s worth trying. For instance, someone may
If you’ve encountered a problem, however, don’t panic. One recommend unplugging your printer before booting, which will
of the most common problems relates to video card actually help if Linux is having trouble recognising it.
recognition: the operating system tries to detect the hardware
in your machine, can’t recognise it, and leaves you in text 3 Be patient It’s frustrating when things don’t work, but bear
mode. If this happens to you, reset your PC and choose the in mind that the users on these forums are all doing it for the
second option from the Ubuntu Linux boot menu (the one love of Linux and the community. They’re not being paid to
that says ‘safe graphics mode’). Now the operating system will help, so if you don’t get an immediate response (or someone
use a failsafe video driver – one that isn’t as powerful as the asks questions), don’t get into flame wars. LXF
normal drivers, but will still get you up and running.
www.ubuntu
Getting help forums.org is
If you’re unsure about anything during the installation the best place
process, or if you’ve come across a problem that you’re not to get help on
sure how to solve, you can get help at various places online. Ubuntu Linux,
Because of the millions of combinations of PC hardware out with thousands of
there, it’s impossible to provide a definitive list of fixes for any fellow users ready
operating system – so you need to state your problem clearly. to assist.
www.ubuntuforums.org is one of the busiest Linux forums
on the internet, with over 500,000 users helping one another
out when problems arise. These forums are separated into
distinct sections; at this stage you should post your message
in the Installation & Upgrades section.
Ubuntu’s forums are very friendly and you’re likely to get
a quick response, but there are a few guidelines to take note of
before you post anything:
Extras on your DVD

As you’ve seen, the DVD accompanying this magazine boots and
installs Ubuntu Linux, and this is ideal for taking your first steps
with Linux. We’ve included a couple of extras, though, so as you
become more familiar with the operating system you can make
use of them.
The first of these, found in the Extras folder on the DVD, is a
64-bit ISO image of Ubuntu Linux 7.10. You can burn this to a
CD-R and use it to install on 64-bit machines (ie PCs with
AMD64 or Intel Core 2 processors) if you want a small
performance boost. Note that there’s not a huge gain, though,
and for most users we recommend sticking with the standard
32-bit version, as bootable from our DVD, which runs happily on
64-bit PCs. Also, the bootable version includes software such as
Inkscape and Scribus – covered in later tutorials – which you’d
otherwise have to download separately.
Our second distro is called SuperUbuntu, which is also in the
Extras section. This is a special version of Ubuntu Linux 7.10 that
includes a vast range of additional software, such as the KDE
Our special beefed-up version of Ubuntu, with extra
desktop and development tools. It’s overkill for your first forays
programs and development tools, will be useful when you’re
into Linux, but later on, when you want to install Linux on other
more familiar with Linux and want to take it further.
machines and minimise the amount of downloading required,
burn it to a DVD-R and boot from it to install.
LXFS13.install 13 14/4/08 20:03:22

Linux desktop
Welcome to your
Linux desktop!
Linux can be scary at first simply because it’s different. Let’s look around…
T
he first thing you’ll notice about your new Linux The best way to find your feet in Linux is just to use
desktop is that it looks almost identical to the your mouse and have a click around. Don’t worry – Linux
one you were able to use when the whole thing won’t let you damage your system by accident. In fact,
ran from CD. In fact, the only real difference Linux won’t let you do anything even remotely dangerous
between the two is that things will run much faster once without first asking you to re-enter your password as a
Ubuntu is installed, because your hard drive is a lot faster security measure. Use the big annotation below to help
than your DVD drive! you get started.
Get to know your Ubuntu desktop

These are quick start menu icons for Firefox, Evolution and At the top-right is the system tray, where all sorts of helpful
the system help. See our guide on p18) to add your own. icons live along with the clock – which, if you click it, folds
out to show a calendar and any upcoming events too.
The Applications menu

stores links to all the
programs you have
installed, and will
automatically be updated
as you add new programs.
The Places and System

menus help you navigate
and configure your system.
You’ll be asked to enter
your password for some
tasks, because they are for
administrators only.
This is the window list panel, which This is Nautilus, the file browser This panel controls virtual desktops, This is the trash can – drag files
shows all the windows that you have for Ubuntu Linux. You can learn which are akin to Spaces on Mac OS here to delete them, but the files
open. If you click on a window here, it will more about Nautilus on p20. X Leopard. Your computer can have can be recovered from the trash
be brought to the front of the display. multiple virtual desktops, meaning can later if you change your mind.
that apps running on one desktop
won’t be shown on the others.
LXFS13.desktop 14 15/4/08 11:57:47

Linux desktop
What’s on your desktop?

As with Windows and OS X, your desktop is a directory on your computer switched on. If you have multiple users in your
filesystem just like any other. By default it starts nice and clean household and the computer is left on all the time, this is
– if the Ubuntu install disc is still in your drive, you’ll see it the one you’ll use.
ready to use on the desktop. Otherwise, your desktop will be
completely clean. If you’re like us, your nice clean desktop will Lock Screen This leaves you logged in, but stops anyone
soon get really messy, and end up being swept into a single else from using the computer without first typing your
‘Old’ folder, before the process repeats itself and you end up password.
with files strewn everywhere!
A better solution is to be tidier, and if you look at the Switch User This leaves you logged in, but allows another
bottom-right of your screen you’ll see a little rubbish bin where user to log into their account at the same time. Once they are
you can drag files you no longer want. These aren’t deleted just done, they can log out and you can log back in to your account
yet, which means you can pull them back out if you change and pick up where you left off.
your mind later. Of course, if you’re particularly short on disk
space you’ll want to delete them straight away – right click on Suspend This is like a sleep mode for your computer. All the
the icon and choose ‘Empty The Deleted Items Folder’. work you were doing is saved, and the computer shuts most of
As with the Ubuntu install disc, any other media that gets its internal systems off to save power – including the hard
plugged into your computer will appear as an icon on your drive, the screen, the CPU, the networking, etc. To come out of
desktop – that includes audio CDs, DVDs, or camera flash suspend mode, press any key on the keyboard.
cards with photos on. In fact, you can plug your camera
directly into your computer and import images into a photo Hibernate This is like a deep sleep mode for your computer
album – it’s much more convenient than copying files across that actually switches it off completely – you can even pull out
by hand! the power cable if you want to. When your computer
hibernates, it saves all its RAM to the hard disk so that when it
Restarting and shutting down starts up next time it can reload the RAM as if nothing had
Before you dive into the rest of the desktop, it’s important that happened to it.
you know how to turn the computer off – particularly if you’re
on a train or if your dinner is ready! To see the various options, Restart This reboots your computer. You may need to do
go to System > Quit from the menu at the top, and you’ll see this if you have run a system update.
seven options:
Shut down This is the only option that actually turns off
Log Out This logs you out of the system, but leaves the your computer the traditional way!
LXFS13.desktop 15 15/4/08 11:57:49

Linux desktop
Look and feel

Part of the fun of using a computer is making it work just as you want
it to – whether that means neutral earth tones or garish neon pinks…
H
ow do you feel about brown? Doubtless you’ll have
noticed by now that Ubuntu has discovered more Sounds right
shades of brown than Dulux, going from dark
chocolate through to creamy orange, and if you like this Apart from the rather grating default login and logout sounds,
sort of thing, then this is the sort of thing you’ll thing you’ll the default Linux desktop is a pretty quiet affair – but it doesn’t
have to be! You can add sounds to message boxes, button clicks,
like. Faint praise? Well, yes, but don’t worry: if the brown
menu items and more, all from the Sound Preferences window
looks a little too drab for your tastes, it’s easy to change –
under System > Preferences > Sound. The other cool thing
and while changing that, we’ll also show you how to change under this dialog is the System Beep tab, because here you can
all sorts of other things to get Linux your way. enable the Visual System Beep. If you’re working in a quiet
environment (or generally prefer having your system sounds
Bye-bye, brown! turned off), the visual system beep option means that a window
Choose System > Preferences > Appearance, and a new will flash if it needs your attention or if you try to do something
window will appear that lets you customise the theme, that the program can’t do.
background, fonts and more all from one place. The Theme tab
is the best place to start, because your Theme controls lots of
things – how buttons, scrollbars and such (these are known as you take one theme as a base, then change individual parts of
‘controls’) are drawn , what colours are used for windows and it to suit your own tastes. So if you like the Human colours but
other objects, how the window is drawn (the colouring as well prefer the Clearlooks icons, just start with Human, click on
as the buttons used for minimising, maximising and closing), Customise, then choose the Clearlooks icons from the list of
and which icons are used for folders and other things on your available icon types. We think you’ll agree that it’s very easy to
filesystem. There are several theme packs installed for you, and make Linux look just how you want it to!
choosing any one of them will set all the theme options at once
so that they go together nicely. The default theme is known as Background and screensaver
Human, but a popular alternative is called Clearlooks – click on If you’ve gone with a non-brown theme, you may find that
it to give it a try. As soon as you click any theme, it will take Ubuntu’s default brown wallpaper suddenly starts to clash
effect, so if you find you don’t like it, just click back to Human to quite badly. Fortunately, it couldn’t be easier to change your
revert to the original settings. desktop background to something a bit nicer. To do this, either
If you find you like some bits of one theme and some bits of right-click on the desktop and choose Change Desktop
another, you need to click on the Customise button. This lets Background, or you can go to System > Preferences >
Along with
themes,
backgrounds and
screensavers, you
can also enable
Ubuntu’s visual
effects system for
some seriously
cool-looking
graphics – see
page 68 for more
information.
LXFS13.desktop 16 15/4/08 11:57:49

Linux desktop
Appearance, then choose the Background tab from the here! For example, if you have a laptop or special keyboard
window that appears. with shortcut keys, you can tell Linux what you want to happen
The default selection of desktop backgrounds is quite thin, when the volume keys are pressed, or Play/Pause/Stop. There
but that’s easily fixed – if you download another picture from are lots of other basic actions that are pre-defined, such as
the internet or from a camera, you can add it to the list by Logout (Ctrl+Alt+L) and Show Desktop (Ctrl+Alt+D), and
dragging it directly on to the window. Alternatively, if you have many more that have no keys assigned to them by default.
a whole directory of pictures you’d like to choose from, click
the Add button. The screensavers are far more plentiful than Tweak your keys
the desktop backgrounds, but they are found in a different To get started customising your keys, go to System >
window – look under System > Preferences > Screensaver. Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts. You can change any
Here you change which screensaver will be used, how long the shortcut by clicking on it, then pressing the keys you want to
system should wait until activating it, and whether the screen use. If you want to use a letter or number (ie, A–Z or 0–9) you
should be locked as soon as the screensaver is active. That need to hold down the modifiers first. That is, if you want
last option is particularly useful, because it means that you Ctrl+Shift+M to launch the media player, you can’t press M,
can walk away from your desk and the system will be locked then Shift, then Control – you need to hold down Control and
down as soon as the screensaver activates – anyone returning Shift together, then press M while holding down the other two.
will have to enter your password to unlock the computer. Keep in mind that a fair few key combinations are already
If you’re a real tweaker, the promise of setting your own assigned for you; if you try using the same keys for a different
keyboard shortcuts is hard to resist – and Linux won’t fail you shortcut, the old one will stop working!
Getting your keyboard to work

If you find that “ appears when you wanted @, Linux probably
thinks you have a different keyboard to the one you actually
have. This is easily solved, and at the same time you get a whole
raft of new options to play with. To change your keyboard
settings, go to System > Preferences > Keyboard. You can
change your keyboard type under the Layouts tab, but this is
generally used for major changes such as the country or style
(such as Qwerty or Dvorak) – minor changes, such as getting
the Euro key to work correctly, are made under the Layout
Options tab.
The last tab in the keyboard preferences window is great for
people who get sore wrists when they type, because it enforces
a typing break at intervals you can set. The default is to allow you
to work for 60 minutes then have a three-minute break – this
ought to be fine unless you have very serious RSI, in which case
you should knock down the work period as needed. Make sure You can change the repeat rate, choose a new keyboard
you enable the ‘Allow postponing of breaks’ option, otherwise layout, and even enforce typing breaks – the keyboard
you may have computer access cut off at a critical point! preferences window has it all.
LXFS13.desktop 17 15/4/08 11:57:50

Linux desktop
Managing your programs

If you took the opportunity to click around earlier, you’ll have noticed
there are lots of apps to try. It’s best to keep them arranged neatly…
Y
our Linux desktop is split into three parts: the main Windows Networking, FTP, WebDAV or even super-secure SSH
menu lives at the top, the task pane (often called – the Connect To Server dialog can do it all. You will need to
the panel) lives at the bottom, and all the programs provide the address of the server (eg www.example.com or an
you run live between the two. The task pane is very simple: IP address like 192.168.0.1) and may also need to provide a
it just tracks the programs you’re running so that you can username and password if the connection is secure, but
switch between them, and also hosts the trash can icon so otherwise this is very easy.
you can delete files easily. And of course the big gap in the
middle for your own programs is also easy to understand, Extending the panel
because you choose what goes there! The menu bar is a At the top-right of the screen is the Panel, which by default
little more complicated, however, because it’s split into contains a quick logout button, a clock and other helpful little
several subsections of its own. things. On the left of the panel you’ll see your username; that’s
the fast user switching system – if you have more than one
Finding your applications user, you can click there and it’ll log them in straight away.
The most important entry on the menu bar is Applications, But if you right-click just to the left of that username, a
because this stores a link to all the programs you have menu will appear that starts with Add To Panel. This is where
installed, as well as an option to add more. When you click it, you get to add all sorts of weird and wonderful things to your
you’ll notice that Linux groups its programs into categories panel, for example:
based on what they do rather than the Windows method of
who made them. The default categories are likely to be Address Book Search Need to look up contacts regularly?
Accessories, Games, Graphics, Internet, Office and Sound & Don’t bother opening up a dedicated program, because this
Video – each will contain several programs that you can run. lets you search for someone right from your desktop!
As you install more programs, they will automatically be
placed into the right categories for you, and new categories Fish Puts an animated fish into your panel. As if that weren’t
will be created as needed, such as Education and great enough(!), you can click the fish to get some sage words
Programming. of advice and occasional random comedy: (“What’s the
If this default menu layout doesn’t work for you, right-click difference between a dead dog in the middle of the road and a
on the Applications menu and choose Edit Menus. On this dead lawyer in the middle of the road? There are skid marks in
window you’ll see the menu list down the left-hand side and front of the dog!”).
the programs list down the right. To show or hide a program,
just deselect it in the appropriate menu. You can also add a link Eyes People who occasionally manage to lose their mouse
to an unlisted program by clicking the New Item button and on the screen need never worry again: this pair of eyes will
giving it a name and a command to run. To change the icon follow your every move!
for the new item, click on the picture button to the left of the
Type field. Weather report This will download the latest weather
If you want edit or delete an existing item, you need to right- predictions for your approximate area. To make it more
click on it and choose the appropriate
option. But beware: once it’s gone, the
only way to retrieve a menu item is to
click the Revert button at the bottom of
the editing window, and that undoes all
your changes!
Going places
Adjacent to the Applications menu is the
Places menu, which contains a series of
shortcuts to common directories on
your computer; network connections;
file search; and a list of recently opened
documents. As with the desktop, any
removable media that gets plugged into
your computer will be listed here for
easy access, but you’ll also find any
active network connections here.
Speaking of connections, you can
connect to another computer by
choosing Places > Connect To Server. It Right-click on a spare part of a panel, then choose Add To Panel – there are lots of
doesn’t matter whether you want to use things you can try here, but don’t go overboard!
LXFS13.desktop 18 15/4/08 11:57:52

Linux desktop
Tomboy and you

One of the coolest panel apps is called Tomboy – it’s like having
your own personal wiki, because you can create links out of any
text, which in turn become their own sticky notes that you can
write to. Tomboy also understands basic formatting, emails,
pictures and other rich media – give it a try!
precise, right-click on the icon, choose Preferences, then go to

the Location tab and find the nearest city to you.
By adjust their properties, you can force panels to autohide, orient themselves to a
You’ll also find lots of little utilities in there that are
different edge of the screen, or use an image for their background.
particularly helpful for laptop users, including a battery charge
monitor, volume controls, screen brightness and more. These
little panel apps are great, because they nearly always solve 4 Now choose Gimp Image Editor and click Add.
just one task, they solve it really well, and they take up hardly
any screen space when you aren’t using them. You can actually add whole submenus as launchers if you
want to – just choose the category you want then click Add.
Application launchers When you click that launcher, the list of programs in that
At the top of the Add To Panel window are two buttons that are category will be shown for you to choose from.
particularly useful: Application Launcher and Custom
Application Launcher. Ubuntu creates three application The task panel
launchers for you by default – they sit just next to the System So far we’ve only looked at the top panel, but the bottom panel
menu, and link to Firefox, Evolution and the system help. You works in much the same way – you can add whatever you
can create more by using these two special panel items – the want there, and you can even merge the two panels together if
Application Launcher option creates a shortcut to a program you’re desperate to save space!
that already exists in your Applications menu, and the Custom By default, the bottom panel contains three things: a Show
Application Launcher lets you create a shortcut to anything Desktop icon, the window list, and the trash can for deleted
you want on your system. files. The window list is really just a holding area rather than a
specific thing on the panel, because windows will be added to
As an example, let’s take the Gimp image editing app: it automatically when they are opened. As in Microsoft
1 Right-click on the panel and choose Add To Panel. Windows, you can then click on a window in the window list to
2 When the Add To Panel window appears, click on Application have it brought to the foreground.
Launcher. If you’re the kind of person who likes to conserve space at
3 You’ll be shown a list of available programs. Open up the all costs, you should right-click on the bottom panel (or indeed
Graphics category. any panel you create), and choose Properties. This brings up
the Panel Properties window shown above, which has several
cool options:
1 Orientation This is set to Bottom for the task panel, but
you can make it stick to any of the four edges of your screen.
2 Size The height of the panel. Most things will scale neatly
if you increase this, so feel free to make it as large as you need

it to be.
3 Expand This causes the panel to stretch to fit the size of the
screen even if there is nothing there to fill it. Turning this off
can save a lot of screen real estate.
4 Autohide With this turned on, the panel will automatically
duck off the screen when you’re not using it.

5 Show/Hide Buttons This allows you to get the panel off the
screen when you don’t need it, just by clicking one of the hide
button directions.
6 Background The default background is plain grey, but you
Tomboy lets you write notes using text and pictures, then link can go for a transparent colour or even a background image if
them together just like you have your own wiki! you want to!
LXFS13.desktop 19 15/4/08 11:57:53

Linux desktop
Your filesystem
Ready to delve right into the core of your new Linux system?
The Nautilus file explorer is here to help!
N
autilus is the Linux equivalent of Explorer on Your home directory is the best place to start, as that’s
Windows or Finder on Mac OS X – it lets you where you’ll be storing your files, and the easiest way to bring
browse your filesystem, create new files and it up in Nautilus is to use the Places menu. Each of the
directories, and work with all your files. Before you jump in, shortcuts in the Places menu will launch in Nautilus, so click
first you need to know a little bit about how the Linux the first one: Home Folder.
filesystem is laid out:
Navigating around
1 The root of the filesystem (the equivalent of C:\ on The default Nautilus window is split into three parts: along the
Windows) is called ‘/’. All files, folders and devices come off top are the menu and toolbars; along the left is the task pane,
that /. and the rest of the window is there to show the list of files and
2 Normal user programs are in /bin and /usr/bin. folders in the current location. You probably won’t use the
3 Administrator programs are in /sbin and /usr/sbin. menu bar too much, so instead focus on the two toolbars: one
4 Software settings live in /etc. contains Back, Forward, Up, Stop and Refresh buttons, just like
5 Log files are stored in /var/log. a web browser – and they work just like a web browser too,
6 System devices are represented as files in /dev (you can meaning that you can navigate between your most commonly
usually ignore these!). used folders using just these buttons. The Home and
7 User home directories are in /home. Computer toolbar buttons are quick links, with the former
8 Your desktop is actually a subdirectory of your home bringing you back to where you are now and the latter taking
directory, eg /home/bob/Desktop. you to a Windows ‘My Computer’-style location, from where
9 Most users can only write files to their home directory – this you can navigate to your hard drive or any devices attached to
is what makes Linux so secure! your computer.
Get to know the Nautilus file browser

This location bar provides little ‘breadcrumbs’ leading from
These buttons work in just your current location to the root of the filesystem – click These buttons adjust the magnification level – a higher
the same way as the web any of the buttons to move to that directory. zoom means more detail will be shown about files.
browsers they’re inherited
from – use Back and
Forward to navigate to
previous directories, and
Up to go to the parent
directory.
Click on this button to

bring up the path as
editable text that you
can easily modify.
This is the task pane,

currently set to the Places
view so that it’s easy to
navigate to all the most
important places on my
filesystem.
All the files and folders

held by the current
directory will be shown
here, along with some
summary information in
the bottom-left corner of
the window.
LXFS13.desktop 20 15/4/08 11:57:54

Linux desktop
Disabling file
previews
One common criticism of Nautilus is
that it isn’t very fast, and that’s true –
but only because it’s providing lots of
features behind the scenes! For
example, whenever you open a directory
in Nautilus, it will scan all the directories
and count how many files they contain,
then scan all the files to generate
previews for the icons. If, for instance, a
file is a picture, Nautilus will generate a
thumbnail of that picture for the icon so
that you can see exactly what it is. All
this work can chew up a lot of CPU time,
so if you want to streamline Nautilus,
go to Edit > Preferences > Preview then
change all the ‘Local Files Only’ options
to ‘Never’.
Don’t like how Nautilus works? Change it until you’re happy!
The second toolbar is a bit more interesting, because it 4 Notes Allows you type text to associate with a particular
contains a location bar and viewing options. The location bar is directory.
mostly hidden by default – in fact, you’ll probably only see a 5 Emblems Shows a list of icons you can attach to files and
pencil and paper icon, a button with a ‘left’ arrow on, and folders to visually mark them as private, important, etc
another button with your username on it. This location bar is
designed to make it easy to browse to directories above the We think you’ll find the emblems system particularly useful,
current one, because as you move around, the directories will as you can drag and drop icons wherever you need to so that
all be listed there. you can see at a glance what each folder does.
To get started, click on the left-facing arrow button to make
it show all the parent directories: the first one will be a picture Tweaking to your tastes
of a hard disk (symbolising the root directory), the second one Nautilus is designed to be quick and clean by default, but it’s
will be ‘home’ (which is where all user directories live), and the ripe for customisation if you want to get a little more out of it.
last one will remain as your username, to show that you’re To take a look for yourself, go to the Edit > Preferences menu –
currently looking at your home directory. If you want to see the the particularly relevant parts of this are the second and third
location bar as a real path, press Ctrl+L – the buttons will tabs (Behaviour and Display), because these affect the core
disappear and be replaced with /home/yourusername. You parts of Nautilus.
can then type directly into there to change directory. Or if For example, the Behaviour tab has at least three
you’re particularly lazy, just typing / will bring up that path interesting items:
information, allowing you type a full path.
On the right of the location bar are buttons to adjust the 1 Double Click To Open Items This is set to be the default,
zoom level (great if you have a small screen or if you prefer but if you hate double-clicking everything, just set it to single-
your icons nice and chunky) and a drop-down selection box click mode.
that alters the way the files are shown. The default is ‘View As 2 Always Open In Browser Windows The Nautilus view
Icons’, but you can change that to ‘View As List’ to get a tree you’re used to (menu bar, two toolbars and location bar) is
view of your files, showing size information and more. known as the browser view because of the up, back and
forward buttons. Disabling this option will give you an even
Going places slimmer, less-cluttered Nautilus view – give it a try and see
On the left of the Nautilus window is the task pane, which is set what you think!
to show the most popular places by default. This is just like the 3 Include A Delete Command By default, deleted items go
Places menu, but if you look carefully you’ll see a small arrow into the trash can where they can be recovered later, but
next to the word ‘Places’ at the top of the pane – if you click enabling this option means you can force an item to be
that, you’ll see that you can change what that area shows, so permanently deleted immediately, which is a smart move if
it’s a bit more useful than just repeating the Places menu! the document is confidential.
1 Information Shows information for selected items. Over in the Display tab, you can choose what information is
2 Tree Shows the directory structure for your computer, shown about your files. By default, Nautilus will only show the
similar to Windows Explorer. file size, and only then if you zoom in enough; but using these
3 History Remembers the directories you’ve visited recently options you can have it show the file type, modification date,
so you can snap back to them quickly. owner, permissions and more! LXF
LXFS13.desktop 21 15/4/08 11:57:55

Browse the web
Get on the web!

More speed, more features and more safety than any other
web browser around – get started using Firefox!
A
lot of people take the world wide web for granted, Ctrl+- Decreases
but then a lot of people haven't tried Firefox – it's a the font size.
relatively young project that aims to revolutionise Ctrl+0 Returns
the way we use the internet, and has already font size to default.
attracted millions of users. There are lots of things you could Ctrl+Enter Adds
attribute Firefox's success to: ‘www.’ and ‘.com’ to a
URL, so typing ‘intel’
1 It supports web standards very well – much better than then pressing
Internet Explorer, for example. Ctrl+Enter will load the
2 It was built for strong security, so problems are not often page www.intel.com.
found, and major problems (ie, ones that can be exploited Alt+Left Goes to the previous
remotely) are very rare indeed. page you were looking at (equivalent to the ‘Back’ button).
3 It comes with lots of powerful functionality as standard, Alt+Right Goes to the next page in your history (equivalent to
including tabbed browsing, an integrated search box, and even the ‘Forward’ button).
search predictions. Alt+Home Goes to your home page.
4 It has a powerful add-ons system that can build in some Alt+Enter Opens a URL in a new tab (use it rather than
impressive extra functionality. pressing Enter when typing a URL).
5 It was designed with ease of use in mind, which means it's Of those, Ctrl+L, Ctrl+K and Ctrl+T are easily the most
very easy for first-time users to find their way around. useful, so give them a try and watch them speed your
Of course, it's more likely that Firefox is popular for all those browsing!
reasons and more, but while it's easy to master the basics Another little shortcut is the / key, which enables quick find
yourself, with a few minutes of learning you can get a lot more mode. For example, if you type /hello, Firefox will find the first
out of the world's most popular web browser… instance of the word “hello” on the current page. If you are
specifically looking for link text, try using ‘ instead, eg 'hello’ –
that will find the first link with the text “hello”.
Firefox is a simple
and fast web
The search is on
Firefox has a search box in the top right-hand corner of its user
browser at its core,
but those who
interface, meaning that you can get access to your favourite
want more features search engine very easily. By default, Google is used as the
have a lot to search engine, but you can change that very easily by clicking
explore in Firefox's the small G button next to the search box – Firefox will bring
add-ons – see p24. up a list of alternative search providers, including Amazon,
eBay, Creative Commons, Yahoo and even Microsoft Live
Search. If you particularly want one of these providers then
feel free to choose them, but using Google has one big
advantage: search suggestions.
Sometimes searching for things can be frustrating – you
Keyboard shortcuts have only a vague idea of what you're looking for, you need to
There's lots to read on the web, and any serious web user try several times to get it right, and sometimes you don't find it
wants to make most of the time they have to surf. So, here are at all. Well, when Firefox uses Google as its search engine, it
a few sneaky little keyboard shortcuts that you can use to can help suggest search terms as you type, based on what
streamline your Firefox experience: other people have searched for. All you have to do is make sure
suggestions are enabled by right-clicking on the search box
Shortcut and ensuring ‘Show Suggestions’ is selected, then just type a
Ctrl+H Opens the History sidebar. few letters into the search box and wait a microsecond or two
Ctrl+J Opens the Download Manager so you can see how for your suggestions to appear. If one of the suggestions
your downloads are doing. match what you wanted, just use the Up and Down keys to
Ctrl+K Focuses the search box so you can type a query. select it, then press Enter.
Ctrl+L Focuses the location bar so you can type a URL.
Ctrl+R Reloads the current page. The bookmark bar
Ctrl+T Opens a new tab. With the web being so big, it's no surprise that bookmarks (or
Ctrl+Z Copy URL from previous tab (use it when you've just ‘favourites’ in Internet Explorer parlance) have been around
pressed Ctrl+T for a new tab). since its inception. But while other browsers have a menu for
Ctrl++ Increases the font size. your bookmarks, Firefox also has a toolbar so that you can
LXFS13.web 22 15/4/08 11:45:23

Browse the web
Sometimes Google won't have the best results for a search, so Firefox springs into action when it spots sites trying to open
try changing the search provider to something more suitable. strange windows (left) or impersonating other sites (right).
reach your favourites in a single click. You can even right-click similar aggressive advertising. In fact, Firefox’s blocking
on a blank space in the toolbar and open all your bookmarks system is so powerful that it may occasionally block windows
at once – easily the fastest way to get up to speed in the that you want, so by default Firefox will notify you when it
morning! blocks a popup window so that you can choose to show it if
To get started, visit any page that you want to bookmark, you want to. When this happens, a small yellow bar will appear
and look to the left of the URL – you'll see a small icon there. at the top of the page to notify you that the site's action was
Many websites have a custom logo there, but if your site hasn't blocked – clicking the Preferences button on the top right
chosen one then you'll see a blank page of paper next to the gives you an “Allow popups for this site” option, which allows
URL. Now, click that icon, and drag it over the bookmark you to selectively trust sites.
toolbar – that's the one with ‘Getting Started’ on. Let go of
your mouse, and a new button will appear on the toolbar using
the title of the web page. That probably isn't too good, because Hidden configuration options
a page's title is rarely short enough to fit onto the button, and
often doesn't even say what the site is! To fix that, right-click Are you the kind of person who loves to fiddle with things just to see what happens? If so,
on your new bookmark button and choose Properties, enter Firefox will provide hours of tweaking through its special about:config configuration
some more descriptive text in the Name field, then click OK to screen. All the major user-facing options for Firefox can be changed using the
save your changes. Preferences dialog, but if you type about:config into the Location bar you'll see a huge
list of Firefox options, many of which can't be set in the preferences dialog because most
Firefox pushes the idea of bookmarks even further using its
people don't care about them. For example, HTTP pipelining is a technology that can
Live Bookmarks system, which is a blend of RSS feeds and
drastically boost the speed that web pages download, but is traditionally left disabled by
bookmarks – you can put them into the bookmarks toolbar, many web browsers because a tiny minority of web servers have issues with it – and by
and they will appear as a menu that can be clicked to show “tiny” we mean “we can almost guarantee you will never find one.” Using about:config,
more information. But the magic of Live Bookmarks is that the you can enable HTTP pipelining and enjoy a free speed boost!
‘more information’ part is an RSS feed of news from any
source you want, and clicking on any of the headlines will load In fact, there are lots of settings like this that you might want to change:
the full story in the browser. To give this feature a try, first find
an RSS feed that interests you. If you haven't tried RSS before, Setting Set it to What it does
go to http://news.bbc.co.uk, then look down the left-hand this
menu bar until you see “News Feeds”. When the page loads, When you open Firefox, it will pick up
you'll see a long list of available news feeds down the right – browser.startup.page 3
where you left off
choose any one of them, and another page will load that looks
quite different to the normal BBC News home page. At the top, Allows Firefox to make tabs smaller
you'll see a message saying “Subscribe To This Feed Using” when you have lots of them open,
browser.tabs.tabMinWidth 75
and a selection box where “Live Bookmarks” is the default. rather than making you scroll around
to find them.
Click “Subscribe Now”, and you'll be asked where you want to
create the bookmark. Leave the default selected and click OK, Forces Firefox to auto-complete
and you're done! URLs from your history as you type
browser.urlbar.autoFill true
them, rather than you having to push
Blocking malware Down to select one.
One of the core things that Firefox does very well is protect you Hides the green arrow at the end of
from web nasties – aggressive advertising, ‘phishing’ websites browser.urlbar.hideGoButton true the Location bar – let's face it, no
that masquerade as sites you trust, and cookies that store one uses it!
unwanted information about you. Forces Firefox to spellcheck text
On the advertising front, it used to be common practice to layout.spellcheckDefault 2 in single-line text boxes as well as
be swamped by adverts when visiting certain websites. Worse, multi-line text boxes.
these adverts were usually ‘pop up’ style, which means they network.http.max-persistent-
Allows your client to connect to
appeared over what you were trying to do. Some were even 4 the same server multiple times for
connections-per-server
maximum performance.
‘pop under’, which meant they would appear below your
browser, and you would only see them when you were done. Enables multiple files to be sent
network.http.pipelining true
These unrequested web irritants used to plague the web, but down one HTTP connection.
Firefox took the lead and started blocking them and other
LXFS13.web 23 15/4/08 11:45:27

Browse the web
The about:config screen is full of options to change, so type AdBlock Plus lets you build your own advertiser filters, or
something in the filter box to slim down the list a little! subscribe to someone else’s (which is much simpler).
Add-ons
Without a doubt, add-ons are the most impressive thing about the “freenode” link to connect to that server network, then
Firefox, because it has been designed to be open to its very when the connection is complete type /join #ubuntu to join
core – the add-ons that people create can modify any part of the official Ubuntu support channel. Have fun chatting!
the browser, and there are some incredibly powerful ones
around.
To help get you started, here's our list of the best add-ons
out there. But be warned: you should only install these from
the Firefox homepage, because the fact that the add-ons can
modify Firefox means that it's possible to install malicious add-
ons if you don't get them from a trusted source. Firefox does
take this very seriously, so if you try to install an add-on from
an untrusted source, expect to be warned again!
To install an add-on, go to Tools > Add-Ons, then choose
Get Extensions. Note that the ‘Get Ubuntu Add-Ons’ link is very
similar, but offers a much smaller selection of add-ons
because it only allows you to install add-ons that Ubuntu
supports, as opposed to everything available to Firefox users.
When you're on the Firefox Add-Ons site, you can search for IRC is full of people to talk to, but make sure you keep your
add-ons by name, then click on the Add To Firefox button to identity private – not everyone can be trusted.
install the ones that interest you. Before the add-on is installed,
you'll be asked to confirm you want it – just click Install Now, ForecastFox
then restart Firefox when installation has finished so that the British people have a natural obsession with the weather,
add-on can be initialised. which is strange, really, given how little of it we have. So if
you're feeling the need to check just how much rain we're
AdBlock Plus going to get tomorrow, ForecastFox is for you: tell it where you
Designed to block every advert under the sun to leave the web live, and it will tell you the latest weather forecasts for your
a content-only place, AdBlock Plus (ABP) is both a blessing area. When it's first installed it will say you're in Forecast
and a curse. It's a blessing because – let's face it – some of the Location 00000 – ignore that, and click Find Code. When the
adverts out there are downright annoying, with flashing Location Search dialog appears, enter the name of your town
colours, silly animations, and worse. But it's a curse because or city and click Search, then choose the best match from the
the vast majority of websites out there are funded through list that appears and click OK then Apply – your weather
advertising, so if everyone blocked all their adverts then they forecasts will now appear at the bottom of the Firefox window,
would simply cease to exist. When you install ABP, you'll be and will update automatically. Magic!
prompted to choose a set of advertiser filters – either choose
the one nearest to you, or if you're not sure just choose the
first item on the list, then click Subscribe. And that's it: you're
safe from adverts, and can go on browsing the web – now with
a little less bandwidth wastage.
ChatZilla
Before the web, there was Internet Relay Chat – an interactive
text system where people joined channels based on common
interests, and discuss/argue/flame long evenings away.
Despite the invention and ultimate rise to supremacy of the
web, IRC lives on, and ChatZilla is an excellent add-on for
extension that builds IRC support directly into your web
browser. Once installed, start ChatZilla by going to Tools >
ChatZilla. When it loads, some text will appear saying Firefox's status bar doesn't do much, so put it to good use
“Available networks are [dalnet, efnet..... webbnet]”. Click on with ForecastFox – never get caught out by the weather again!
LXFS13.web 24 15/4/08 11:45:30

Browse the web
Add-ons
warning!
When writing this
piece, we started with
a clean Firefox and
ended with eight
extensions installed.
As you can see in the
final screenshot (Wizz
RSS), there's not
much room left to see
what's going on in the
web page, which
rather loses site of
Firefox's main goal!
Foxy Tunes: streams music from last.fm so you can let other The more you tell StumbleUpon about your interests, the Don't let the same
people do the DJing while you get busy surfing the web. more likely it is to be able to serve up pages of interest. happen to you:
choose a few
FoxyTunes ThumbStrips extensions, but be
warned that they use
Running a separate program for music is so 2004 – all the As the web becomes increasingly media rich, add-ons like
up screen space and
cool kids are using last.fm, and so it's natural that Firefox has ThumbStrips likewise become popular. As you surf the web, slow down your
an extension for connecting to last.fm and playing music: it's ThumbStrips takes a graphical snapshot of the pages you visit browsing experience.
called FoxyTunes. Of course, if last.fm isn't your thing, then and shows them to you in a line across the bottom of your
FoxyTunes can connect to a wide variety of traditional media screen. When you want to go back to a previous page, it's easy
players or other online services, and can even stream music to spot it among all the pictures, and a single click sends you
from your Xbox if you have one. back. If pictures don't work for you quite so well, try searching
for any word in the search box – if the site contained that word
Greasemonkey anywhere on the page, it will appear in the filter results.
Have you ever been to a web page that was excellent, but held
back by one or two niggles that actually drive you away? If so,
Greasemonkey is the perfect extension for you, because it
allows you to run little scripts that modify pages to your liking,
so that whenever you visit them Greasemonkey makes them
work just as you want. Making your own scripts isn't for the
faint-hearted, but that's OK because when you search for
“greasemonkey” on the Firefox add-ons site, it will also return
lots of prewritten scripts for Greasemonkey that spiff up
common sites – look out for titles like “Better Gmail” or
“Better YouTube”, and install them to Firefox to power up your
web experience!
One of the fancier add-ons for Firefox, ThumbStrips makes it

even easier to find your way to your favourite sites.
Wizz RSS
Wizz RSS brings the news to life in a Firefox sidebar that can
hook up to live news feeds from across the globe to deliver
breaking headlines to your desktop. To get the best view, make
sure you click the “Open/Close Wizz RSS Sidebar” button so
that the sidebar is visible. You can add your own feeds to the
list by browsing to the site that has a news feed, clicking “Feed
Search”, then dragging any discovered feeds into the sidebar
under whichever category you want. Easy! LXF
Writing your own Greasemonkey scripts is tedious, so do the
smart thing: take what other people have made!
StumbleUpon
Whether you have five minutes or five hours to kill, the web
seems like the ideal place to while away your time. But
surprisingly it can be rather hard to find cool or unique content
to spark your interest, and that's where StumbleUpon comes Wizz RSS tells
to the rescue – you tell SU what you're interested in, and when you when news
happens, rather
enough users on the SU network mark a page in that category
than you having
as cool or interesting it will be added to the list of things that
to check every
might interest you. Then, when you're bored, just click “Start hour. That means
Stumbling”, and it will take you to the first site that fits your more time for
criteria. Get ready to watch the hours fly by… games, right?
LXFS13.web 25 15/4/08 11:45:34

Email
Email and more

with Evolution
You’re all installed and you’re on the web, so what next? Email, of course! It’s
time to use Linux to stay in touch…
T
he web is only one small part of your digital life. If already-complex daily life, Linux makes things easy by
you’re like most people, you will have at least one bundling all these tasks into a single program called
email account (often more), you’ll have a list of Evolution. In the Windows world you might say that
contacts for people you want to keep in touch Evolution is roughly equivalent to Microsoft Outlook,
with, you’ll have a calendar to keep track of special events, but if you’ve never used that before then your best bet
and you may even keep a to-do list to help stay organised in is to follow the annotated picture below and just dive
an increasingly hectic world. Rather than adding to your on in!
Exploring the Evolution interface

This is the list of emails in the selected folder. You can sort This is a live search system – as you type,
by any one of the fields by clicking the field name at the top Evolution will filter your messages to show
of the list. only those that match your text.
Click here to create a new item in

the program – clicking the New
button directly will create a new
item for whatever view you’re in
currently (mail, calendar, etc), but
if you click the arrow next to it then
you’ll see a list of all the items you
can create.
In the Mail view, this shows the

different mailboxes you have
configured. Evolution can check
and manage multiple mail boxes all
at once; each box is treated
separately in this pane.
Evolution is split into five views, When you select an email, Evolution This is the email preview window,
selectable using these buttons on the will show message header information shown when you select a message in
left. Changing the view here changes here. This includes who the message the message list pane above. If you
what is shown in the panes on the right. is from, who it was sent to, when it double-click a message, it will be
was sent, and more. shown in its own separate window.
LXFS13.email 26 14/4/08 20:03:05

Email
Managing your emails – virtually

The first time you run Evolution you have to follow a fairly long Time-saving tips
wizard process to configure your initial email account. This has
a lot of options to set and might put you off, so we suggest you If you have lots of emails and struggle to remember what
follow our step-by-step walkthrough over the page. Once you you've dealt with and what you haven't, go to the View menu and
finish the configuration, you may need to start Evolution again enable Hide Read Messages.
so that it takes your settings on board, but when it’s all done If you're more used to an Outlook 2003-style layout for your
you should be sitting in front of your inbox ready to start work. mail, go to View > Preview and choose Vertical View.
We’re not going to spend any time explaining how If someone sends you an email that you need to act on at
Evolution’s email system works, because it’s just the same as a later date, right-click on the message and choose Convert
every other email client out there with two exceptions: the first To Task.
is Evolution’s system known as ‘search folders’ that let you Evolution's spam filters try to learn what is and what is not
save searches as virtual mail folders. When you click on one of spam based on what you tell them. For example, if a message
these virtual folders, Evolution runs the search on all your mail, arrives and is junk mail, right-click on it and choose Mark As >
and places any matching messages into the folder so you can Junk so that the spam filter will learn. Similarly, if the spam filter
browse through them. The messages haven’t really moved, of incorrectly identifies a message as being spam, make sure you
course – that’s why this is a virtual folder rather than a real go to Mark As > Not Junk, otherwise it might learn to throw away
folder! But having multiple saved search folders enables you to legitimate emails!
create custom views of your inbox without having to move If you want to work offline, right-click on your remote mail
things by hand; Evolution takes care of all the work for you. folder, choose Properties, then check the box marked ‘Copy
To create a saved search folder, go to Search > Create Folder Content Locally’ and click OK.
Search Folder From Scratch, then add all the criteria you want If you have an event that recurs (eg weekly, every third
to search by. Give it a descriptive name, like “Messages from Tuesday, etc), then bring the event up in Evolution and click the
clients that I haven’t replied to”, and set it going! Alternatively, Recurrence button to define exactly when it recurs.
select a message that fits a criterion you want to filter on, then If you need to assign more detail to asks other than done/not
choose Message > Create Rule and choose one of the ‘Search done, click the Status Details toolbar button while a task is open.
Folder From…’ options. This lets you set a custom status, complete percentage, priority,
The second helpful feature in Evolution is its ability to group and even attach a URL with more information.
emails by thread so that you can see entire conversations
grouped together rather than having to scroll through dates to
find replies to messages. To enable threaded mode, press the top-right corner of your desktop, you’ll see a little
Ctrl+T; pressing it again exits threaded mode. ‘Appointments’ area has appeared, and if you click the arrow
next to it you’ll see your appointment in there as a reminder.
This same functionality is also available for to-do list items,
Tracking your life known in Evolution as Tasks. Again, this is a view all of its own
If you want to keep track of daily meetings as well as special just like Mail and Calendars, so click Tasks from the bottom-
events, Evolution’s calendar will surely come in handy. To try it left corner of the Evolution window. To create a new task, click
out, click the Calendars button near the bottom-left corner of New, give it a brief summary, then click Save to dismiss the
the window, then choose View > Current View > Month View to window. This will immediately appear in the reminder list for
get a better overview of the days ahead. Now, to create a new the Ubuntu clock – you can even mark it as done by clicking
event, double-click on a date – try choosing today – and a the small checkbox next to its name, and you don’t even have
window will appear prompting you to enter a summary of the to run Evolution!
event as well as what time it’s at. Enter whatever you want Make an
here, because we’re only testing it right now. When you’re Free or busy? appointment (left)
and have it appear
done, click Save, and the event will appear in your calendar. Once you start using Evolution to store your calendar events,
in the Gnome clock
Now, part of the magic of Linux is that this event has been it’s a small step to go from there to sharing your calendar with
automatically
shared with the rest of your desktop, so if you click the clock in your colleagues so that everyone can see whether you are (right).
LXFS13.email 27 14/4/08 20:03:07

Email
free or busy on a particular date. To try this out, go to Edit > directory), and you’re done. Back in the Calendar tab, you
Preferences > Calendar And Tasks, then choose the Calendar need to choose which calendar you want to synchronise to the
Publishing tab and click on Add to create a new publishing server, then click OK when you have finished. The default is to
location. In the new window that appears, choose Publishing synchronise calendars once a day, but you can override that as
Location. Here’s where it gets a bit more complicated: in order needed by going to Actions > Publish Calendar Information.
for everyone to be able to read your calendar information, you If you want to collect other people’s calendar information,
need to send it to a shared location. If you have an FTP server, it’s even easier. Click the arrow next to the New button and
a Windows server with a shared folder, a Linux server with SSH choose Calendar, then change the Type option to be ‘On The
enabled, or (for more advanced users) a web server with Web’. Give it a name (eg, whose calendar is this?) and a unique
WebDAV enabled, Evolution can help you share your calendar. colour, then type the full path to the calendar in the URL box.
If you haven’t got any of them, then you’re rather stuck! Unless it’s stored in a secure location you won’t need a
If you just want a quick calendar sharing system, public FTP username, and a 30-minute refresh time ought to be more
is the easiest to use: specify the name of the server and the than enough, so just click OK to have the calendar downloaded
filename you want to give your calendar (including the in Evolution immediately.
Step by step: Set up an email account
When Evolution first runs, you need to fill in its setup assistant wizard. If you've used Evolution before and have a backup of your settings,
1 As with all these wizards, you can go forward and back as you please 2 here's your chance to use them. The rest of us should just click Next.
until you get it right.
On this screen you need to enter the name and email address you are There are lots of options for receiving emails; it's really down to what
3 setting up the account for. These will be used when sending emails so 4 your ISP/sys admin has told you! Chances are it's either POP or IMAP,
people can see where they have come from. but you need to find out for sure.
LXFS13.email 28 14/4/08 20:03:07

Email
Once you choose, you'll be asked to enter the name of the server and On this screen you can tell Evolution how to handle your email. Chances
5 your account on that server. Leave the authentication type as Password, 6 are you want to check the box asking it to check for emails
as that's nearly always the right choice. automatically, but the rest is pretty forgettable.
Now you need to tell Evolution how to send email. Our server required Now that your account has almost been created, you need to give it a
7 authentication to send emails, but that's quite rare – try clicking Check 8 memorable name. Of course, if you have no other email accounts, you
For Supported Types before continuing. can call this one what you like!
The last step is to choose the time zone you live in. The map is small, but
9 when you click it you’ll get a zoomed-in view and can click again. LXF
LXFS13.email 29 14/4/08 20:03:09

OpenOffice.org – writer
Getting started
with Writer
The word processor is where most users spend much of their
time; luckily, this important application is also the easiest to use.
W
ord processors haven’t changed that much in the last
ten years or so. At least not on the surface. Quick tip
OpenOffice.org’s word processor, snappily dubbed
Writer, is no exception, and that is definitely a good thing. It When Writer fills in a word you’re typing, press Enter to leave
means that if you’ve used a mainstream word processor in the the word intact.
last decade, you’re going to feel right at home with Writer. Just
launch the application to see what we mean.
You get a text editing window taking up the main part of the
window, a ruler down the left and a scroll bar down the right, and Vive La Différence!
in the ancient tradition of computerised word processing, a But there are differences. And you’re likely to come up against
series of buttons, toolbars and font selector crowning the editing these whenever you want to try something slightly more
area at the top. From the visual point of view, Writer could be interesting. You will see that the menu system feels totally
almost any word processor – and that’s the idea. If something unfamiliar, with a mass of options hidden away behind each
works, there’s no point messing around with the formula and if menu. This is the most intimidating part of Writer and
you’ve worked with virtually any modern word processors before, OpenOffice.org in general – the layout of the various menus and
you will already be able to rustle up most documents with options windows take a little learning. But don’t let that put you
Writer. Just click on various parts of the user-interface exactly as off. It just means that Writer and its companions are capable of
you would with an alternative. almost anything you might expect of the best commercial office
applications, even if it takes a little effort to find the function
you’re looking for. This is a good moment to mention the online
help for Writer, as this is often the easiest way to find what you’re
looking for. Press either the F1 key, or select Openoffice.org Help
from the Help menu, and the well-written user manual will
appear. The best way to use this is to type something you’re
interested in into the Search Term box. Try ‘dictionary’ for
example, and the subject list is automatically populated with
pages that can help you use the function you’re looking for. You
can also use the What’s This? option in the help menu to switch
to the info cursor. If you now hold your pointer over any of the
buttons in Writer, a small yellow panel will provide further
information on the functions behind the cursor.
Options
The first place to start is with a few simple user options that you
will need for every document you work with. Open the Options
window by selecting it from the bottom of the Tools menu. This
Options windows is used across the entire suite of OpenOffice.
org applications, so don’t be too scared by the number of
options. A good thing to do is add your name to the User Data
panel under the top option. This information will then be
embedded into every application you work with, making your
changes easier to trace. The next thing you should check is the
default language. This can be found under the Language
If you find that Writer is changing the meaning of your words, then the AutoCorrect Settings menu on the right side of the Options window. The
function is the most likely culprit – change the options to better suit your way of working. Language Settings panel is where, as you might expect, you can
LXFS13.writer_started 30 15/4/08 11:16:41

OpenOffice.org
change the default language used by Writer and all the other
applications. You can also change the language used by the user
interface, and for the text content in documents, and it’s Writer
Quick tip
where the effect of this setting will be felt the most, as the Select a section of text and drag it around by left-clicking with
dictionaries and word replacements you use while editing your mouse.
documents are all affected by the dictionary you’re using. But
the most obvious place where you’ll see the effects of the
language you choose is in spell-checking,
Auto correction
Essential information You will find Auto correction either incredibly useful or a real pain
Like nearly all word processors of the last 10 years, as well as to deal with: it all depends on how you like to format your
presenting your text in a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You documents. If you’d rather just type and let the word processor
Get) fashion, Writer uses a toolbar to provide quick access to all correct spelling mistakes, create lists and bullets, hyphenate
the most common options – for a quick reference to what action words and swap certain keywords with one another, then the
each item on the tool bar represents, see the Writer: the toolbar default settings will suit your style. If you’d rather leave
at a glance box at the bottom of this page . The small toolbar formatting and word replacement to a later read through of the
icons might not look familiar, but the functions behind them will text, or if you’d rather format your lists differently, then auto
be. For example, the first four icons on the top left of the display correction is going to drive you mad. Fortunately, there’s also a
will let you create a new document (the image shows a letter), fine degree of control over which elements you want to be auto
open an existing one (an arrow shooting out of a folder), save corrected, and which you’d rather leave. These settings, along
your current document or email it to a contact. Two of the most with hundreds of others, can be found in the AutoCorrect
common special elements you may want to include in a window. This is opened from the Tools menu, and when first
document are tables and lists. It’s for this reason they both opened it will default to the replace window. This lists a series of
feature prominently in the main toolbars, but you don’t even characters on a panel on the left, with a series of longer words or
need to resort to the user-interface to create lists. Starting a new special characters that will replace them on the right. For
line with an alphanumeric character followed by a full stop, or example, the first entry replaces (C) with the copyright symbol
starting a line with a hyphen, and helpful Writer guesses you’re ©, and there are hundreds of other predefined replacements,
creating a list and switches mode accordingly. Not only will the including common typographical errors like ‘yoiu’ for ‘you’ and
Bullets and Numbering toolbar open, but your text will be correcting ‘insurence’ with ‘insurance’. For corrections that are
reformatted and tabbed further into the document. Welcome to most likely to annoy, simply switch to the Options page to stop
Writer’s auto-correcting function. automatic list formatting or hyphen replacement.
“Writer and its OpenOffice.org companions are able to

produce documents comparable to commercial office
apps, and are compatible with Microsoft Office too.”
Writer: The toolbar at a glance
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
1 New document 14 Copy and Paste text formatting 26 Open Help documentation
2 Open document 15 16 Undo and Redo 27 28 Style and Formatting list
3 Save current document 17 Insert a web link 29 Font selection
4 Email document using default email client 18 Create a table 30 Font size
5 Edit read-only documents 19 Show drawing toolbar 31 32 33 Bold, Italics and Underline
6 Export document as a PDF 20 Find and replace words 34 35 36 37 Text justification options
7 Send to printer 21 Jump to parts of your document 38 39 Enable bulleted and numbered lists
8 Preview the printed pages 22 Insert clip art into your document 40 41 Decrease and increase indentation
9 Manual spellcheck 23 Merge other data sources 42 Font colour
10 Automatic spellcheck 24 Show non-printing characters 43 Section highlighting
11 12 13 Cut, Copy and Paste 25 Set zoom level 44 Background colour

OpenOffice.org – writer
Writer: Create a List
1 Enter the data 2 Select relevant text 3 Numbers or bullets

Writer can create bullet lists and numeric lists The next step is to select the exact section of the Finally, select either the Bullet List icon or the
automatically. First type each list item onto a document that you want to be used as a list. You Number List icon from the main toolbar (the latter
separate line in the main document window. Each can do this either by dragging the mouse cursor has Roman numerals). Your highlighted text will be
line will be used as a separate list item when Writer over the text, or by jumping to the start of the list indented and either a number or a bullet is placed
is instructed to format your list. text, pressing Shift and jumping to the end. at the beginning of each line.
Writer: Create a Table
1 Size IS important 2 Enter the information 3 Cell formatting

Click and hold down the mouse button on the table The table will be inserted into wherever the cursor Select a cell, row or column and then use one of the
icon to open a small matrix representing the size of is positioned in the current document. Select each text formatting tools. Try and add foreground and
the table you want to create; eg if you want a 3x3 cell and enter the information you need, pressing background colours using their icons in the toolbar.
sized table, drag the cursor until the size you want tab to move from one cell to the next. Select the You can also drag the cell borders to stretch the
is highlighted, and then let go of the mouse button. entire table by clicking on its border. size of the cells to the size you need.
Writer: Format your table
1 Advanced options 2 Automatic formatting 3 Appearance tweaks

An advanced range of options for formatting your The AutoFormat icon lets you scan through a list of After changing the colours and text styles, you can
table can be accessed from the table toolbar, which predefined table formats you can apply to your change the borders that separate the cells. Holding
is opened from the View menu. This, and other own table, as well as add your own modifications. the mouse button down on the Borders toolbar
toolbars, will also open automatically when you Clicking on the More button will let you limit the icon lets you choose between several Border styles.
select a table you’re already working on. parts of the table affected by the AutoFormat style. Experiment with the other icons for other styles.

OpenOffice.org
Writer: Microsoft Office and PDF Output
1 Compatibility 2 Microsoft Word compatible 3 Adobe PDF creation

You can save your documents in a format that can By default, OOo uses an open format: ‘ODT’. For Writer can export a document as a PDF – Adobe’s
be opened by Microsoft’s Office apps. All your best MS compatibility, choose Microsoft Word widely used format. Either use the PDF button on
formatting, tables and lists are preserved. You can 97/2000/XP (.doc) for your document in the Save the toolbar, or select Export from the file menu and
also load most Office documents. Select Save As As Type drop-down list. You can then send this file ‘PDF’ as the file format. You can check the quality of
from the File menu to get to the Save requester. to people using Word without any problems. the output using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Writer: Insert images
1 Adding graphics 2 Size and position 3 Attractive layout

You often need to insert pictures or clip art into After the image has loaded and been inserted into To get text to flow around images, right-click on the
your documents, and this can be done by selecting your document, resize it by dragging the edges of image and select Optimal Page Wrap from the
Picture > From File from the Insert menu. There are the image. You can also drag the image through Wrap menu to position text. If the image uses a
plenty of other formats that you can insert too, but your document. The image toolbar will appear too, white background, try the Contour option to wrap
images are the most common. and this can be used to fine-tune the image. the text around the details within the image.
Writer: Create labels
1 Label it! 2 Select a type 3 Generate automatically

Sticky labels save labour and make things more It’s an address above, but it could be anything you Click New Document: the template governs how
legible generally. Writer has hundreds of label want labels for. Select the type of label that you many labels are created – useful if you want to print
templates built-in for things like envelopes and CD want to make from the drop-down Type list in the a few pages of return addresses. You can even use a
cases; just start a new document of the type Labels bottom right of the Labels window, then enter the database of addresses and merge those into the
by holding down the New button in the toolbar. text for the label in the area on the top right. document from the previous window. LXF

OpenOffice.org – Calc
Getting started with

OpenOffice.org Calc
Working with numbers has never been easier! OOo Calc has
all the tools you need to make sense of all kinds of figures.
If you’ve ever used
N
umbers make the world go round. Quite literally actually, experiment or your monthly sales figures) are transformed into
Microsoft Excel before,
if you think in terms of the Keppler equations. But no something more useful, like a pie chart or a short summary of
you’ll have no problems
matter who you are and what your interest in office profit and loss. The beauty of it is, you can change the machinery
getting to grips with
OpenOffice.org Calc. software, it is almost a certainty that you will have some use for in this particular workshop without too much effort.
Calc. Whether it is for keeping track of club finances, exactly
what types of beer you spent your student loan on, sales of your
widgets or just the local football team’s chances of promotion at
the end of the season, numbers – and things to crunch them – Keyboard shortcuts
are always useful.
OOo Calc should be pretty easy to use if you are familiar On the face of it, OOo Calc is functionally identical to MS
with any sort of spreadsheet, and you can probably skip the Office. But that is not quite the full story. For example,
first part of this section, which covers dealing with cells and Excel has many more defined functions than OOo Calc.
simple functions. Those of you who have not worked with a This is not really a limitation, as pretty much all of the
spreadsheet before shouldn’t worry – although the world of functions can be made by stringing together several of the
OOo Calc can get very, very complicated if you have large existing ones, but it obviously does have an impact on
amounts of data to deal with, it can also be very, very simple. compatibility if you try to import an Office spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a versatile tool that helps you do things with that uses them. Fortunately, the functions in question are
numbers and data, from the very simple to the very complex. usually related to very niche uses of a spreadsheet, so the
The spreadsheet is also like some sort of modern day forge, chances that they will cause a problem to you are slim.
where the raw materials of information (say the results from an The other problem is embedded macros. As a rule, you
can’t expect Excel macros to run properly under OOo,
“As a rule, you can’t expect Excel because they use VisualBasic, which obviously isn’t a part
of the OOo suite. You can make a lot of them run with
macros to run properly under OOo some modifications though, and SUSE’s reworking of
OpenOffice.org has much better support for this.
without some modifications.”
LXFS13.calc_started 34 15/4/08 11:15:44

OpenOffice.org Calc: guide to the interface
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15
17
16 18
19
20
21
22 23
1 Menus typical function locations. 12 Range Selection type in a range or use the top right corner of the cell. Hold the mouse
2 File operations: Load, Save and Save As. menu for previous selections. over them to see the note.
3 Export as PDF see p94 for more details. 13 Function wizard guides you through creating a 20 Hyperlink all sorts of objects can be
4 Spellcheck activates a spell-check or the function. embedded into a spreadsheet. This is a
Check As You Type feature. 14 Cell contents the cell on the main sheet working hyperlink, which will also work when
5 Cut, Copy and Paste applied to cells or ranges shows values, but this area will show you the exported to PDF.
of cells. function entered in that cell, and you can edit it 21 Embedded graphic an imported OLE object,
6 Undo and Redo buttons for when you make directly here. in this case a graphic that was created in Ooo
mistakes. 15 Columns labels start at A and go on to IV Draw.
7 Sort text or numerical ranges in ascending or 16 Rows are numbered. Drag the dividers to get 22 Sheet tabs by default there are three sheets to
descending order. larger row heights! each document. Right-click to add more or
8 Navigation common OOo tools , including 17 Cells on the grid show their value and may rename existing sheets to something more
Zoom and Help. have different styles depending on their meaningful.
9 Text Formatting choose a font and style for properties (eg could be formatted to turn red 23 Status bar includes a handy timesaver, the
selected text. when negative). right hand area contains a current sum and
10 Justification numbers and text can be 18 Charts can be embedded or standalone, and average for the selected area of cells.
justified in common ways. can refresh to show current values.
11 Number formats common formats for your 19 Notes individual cells can have non-printing
numbers – currency, decimal... notes attached, indicated by a small dot in the

Calc: Common spreadsheet elements

All about cells
A cell is the smallest element in a spreadsheet document, the
smallest building block if you like. The purpose of a cell is to hold
one specific piece of information, a single blob of data. Now, in
the world of spreadsheets, that could be a simple, literal value,
such as a number or a piece of text. These are the simplest
pieces of data managed by a spreadsheet because they do not
depend on anything else, anywhere else. They are unchangeable,
except of course, if you want to edit them to say something
different.
It is not quite true to say that numbers and text are the same
things either. A number has a value, and if you enter a number,
Calc knows deep inside that something can be done with this
number – it can be added, multiplied or subjected to all sorts of
other things. By default, it will also be formatted as a number –
there will be no leading 0s for example. Usually, if you enter a
number, it is because ultimately you may want to actually do You can use the text formatting controls to make the
something with it, and so this is a good behaviour for Calc. But spreadsheet easier to read, or just to look nicer.
sometimes numbers are just text. A membership number, for
example, might be 000013. In this case, you would want to keep you select the cell, you need to edit the function definition in the
the number with the leading 0s. You probably wouldn’t want to text area just above the main window.
be able to add it or multiply it with another number, you wouldn’t To begin with, let’s consider a simple function first. Suppose
want it to be counted as part of a summing function, and indeed, we were to function:
you may want to manipulate it as text. To force a cell value to be =2*6
text rather than a number, you simply start it with a single quote into a cell. The cell would display the value 12, but if we select the
mark ‘. Alternatively, you can change the format of the cell cell, we will see the text 2*6 in the edit area just above the
beforehand to be text. If you have already entered numbers, you spreadsheet itself. Note that a function always begins with ‘=’, so
can’t later convert them to text fields, so be careful. that Calc knows there is something to calculate! This is a very
simple function, because it is also a literal value – sure, Calc has
Functions to do some maths to work out the answer, but once it is done, the
One step up from a literal value is a function (often also called a value will never change.
formula). There are hundreds of built-in functions, covering That’s all very well, but a load of functions that just calculate
everything from generating random numbers to calculating the static results isn’t going to achieve much. Spreadsheets really
compound interest on a loan. A function may depend on a single come in handy when the results of one calculation are passed
Functions that
value, several discrete values, a range of values or any into another one. This is done by referring to a different cell, and
reference other cells
are the key to making combination of these – it is in effect a tiny program all on its own. the text you use to do that is called a reference. As you have
the spreadsheet When you enter a function into a cell, the cell displays the result probably noticed by now, the spreadsheet is arranged in rows
display complicated of that function, not the function itself. To edit the function, when and columns of cells, so each cell can easily be identified by its
and useful calculations. coordinates on that grid – by referring to the column and row
that it is in, quite similar to grid references on a map. Columns
are labelled with letters, and the rows with numbers, and it has
become the standard to use the column reference first. So, the
reference for the first cell in the spreadsheet is A1. Now, assume
that we have the value 6 already entered into cell A1. We can now
enter the following function in cell A2:
=A1 * 2
When the spreadsheet comes to evaluate this function, it sees
the reference, and goes off to calculate whatever is in cell A1,
then substitutes that result into the function, and in this case,
would come up with the answer 12.
The real power of this is that now if you change the value
entered into A1, say to the number 5, then without doing
anything else, the value in A2 will change to be 10. The
spreadsheet is like a very customiseable calculator, and with a
combination of functions and references, you can build up a very
complicated computing engine.
Circular references are something you need to beware of,
because they can be rather tricky to track down. What is a
circular reference? Well, say you assigned the value of 3 to cell
A1. Now you assign B1 to be A1. Then you assign C1 to be B1*2.
Now you go back to A1 and assign it to be equal to C1-1. What
happens? All the cells you entered will now show the text #name

Some functions need

a range of values to
work properly, so get
used to working with
them.
?, which is shorthand for “I don’t know what’s going on, but I in column B. So, you can simply copy and paste them. select B1
can’t resolve the contents of this cell”. Whenever you enter data and then hit Ctrl-C to copy the contents. Now click and drag to
on the spreadsheet, and it references another cell, that cell is select all of the range B2 to B100. Now Press Ctrl-V to paste the
recalculated. In this case, when Calc tried to work out the value function in. If you click on a cell in the B column, say, B13, you will
for C1, it eventually worked its way back to A1, whose value was see it contains the function =A13*1.175. By default, in pasting
indeterminate – the cells are trying to reference each other, so it operations, Calc will use relative references. So if you copy
is impossible to calculate a working value. something from B1 and put it in B4, all the cell references are
Usually this sort of error is just that. In the scheme of things, adjusted by the same amount.
you are unlikely to intentionally create a circular reference, and Sometimes, you don’t want this to happen, and in those cases
when you do, it’s usually because you are trying to do something you should insert the $ symbol before the column or the row or
you didn’t really mean to do, or at least, didn’t really mean to do both to lock it. When you paste such values, the exact reference
Cutting and pasting
in that particular spot, so fixing the error, moving the data is always maintained. functions automatically
somewhere else, shouldn’t be so hard. In most spreadsheets, Now you know a little bit about how the spreadsheet actually updates relative cell
data flows from one part, through loads of functions, to the end, works. Over the next few sections we will be looking at more references, unless you
possibly a chart. It very rarely flows in two directions, just as you advanced features of the spreadsheet, and how to perform use the $ before the
don’t often see a river flowing backwards. simple and complex tasks. LXF column or row or both.
Using ranges
Some functions require a range of values to work, rather than a
single cell. For example, the function Average(...) returns the
average of a list of numbers. This can be a list of literal values
(1,2,3,4) or cell references, or more usefully, a cell range. A Range
is defined by the start and end cell references, separated by a
colon. So, A1:A7 is the range of values contained in the seven
cells at the top of column A. A range doesn’t have to be a single
column or row, it could include a number of either. So, A1:C3 is a
range of nine cells: A1,A2,A3,B1,B2,B3,C1,C2,C3.
You should be careful with ranges though, as some functions
require a range to be in a single column.
You may also sometimes see values in ranges with a dollar
sign in front like this: $A$1. This signifies that the reference is an
absolute reference and should always link to that cell. What’s the
point of that? Well, it becomes useful when copying and pasting
functions or cell references. Say you have a column A with prices
in, and you want to have another column with prices plus VAT. In
B1 you would enter the function =A1*1.175. That’s all simple
enough. But now, say your column in A contains 100 prices! It
would take ages to manually enter the formulae for each element

OpenOffice.org – Impress
Get started with...

Impress
Learn how to make a slideshow of your photos
using OpenOffice.org’s presentation tool...
E
very proud parent or intrepid traveller loves Although we're not about to go
to share their pictures with their friends, into the niceties of design, there are a
family and just about everyone who stands few quick tips you should know before
still long enough. But the age of the plastic photo creating a photo slideshow:
album is long gone: if people are going to sit
through 200 slides of your trip to Bognor Regis, 1 Let the pictures do the talking. You don’t need they are pictures from a sailing holiday). In this
they at least want to see them in vibrant colour lots of words on the screen – restrict it to a place situation, a nice blue slide theme would
with some explanation of what’s going on. This is name or the names of people in the photograph at complement the pictures.
the perfect use for OOo Impress, because it’s a the most. Finally, if you are already an experienced
presentation tool at heart, and has lots of clever PowerPoint user, don’t just skip over this
ways to make your slides be more exciting. 2 Use your pictures at the largest size you can. introduction – you might find a few hints and tips
In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create a photo They are the most important thing in this in here that will help you migrate to OOo Impress!
slideshow using Impress, and also how to add text presentation, after all! The techniques shown here are common to all
and animations to the effects to make them a bit Impress presentations: you’ll learn how to create
more interesting. All you’ll need to follow along are 3 Don’t use a garish theme. Darker, more subtle slides, assemble text and pictures, add animations,
some pictures of your own – any will do, even the tones are less likely to clash with the colours of and build up a finished presentation from scratch,
wallpapers you use for your computer’s desktop your pictures. The exception to this is if your which are the real fundamentals of OOo Impress.
are good enough for testing. pictures share a common colour tone (eg blue if With that out of the way, let’s get started...
Impress: Create a photo slideshow
1 Create a presentation 2 Appearance choices 3 Animation effects

When you start OOo Impress for the first time, the On the second screen of the wizard, you can If you want to set a default slide animation effect,
Presentation Wizard launches. The default option is choose how you want your slides to appear. The you can do that now. But we’d recommend you
to create an empty presentation, but it’d be selection of themes available is pretty weak by leave it off – it’s best to add effects as needed,
beneficial to have Impress do some of the default, so just leave it as Dark Blue with Orange. rather than as a rule. However, if you ever want to
groundwork for us at this time. So, change the However, you should change the output medium create an automated slideshow that moves from
selected option to From Template, then click Next. option to the way you intend to show your slide to slide without your input, you can set that
presentation – we chose screen, because this will here. For now, just click Next.
be shown on a computer. Click Next.
LXFS13.impress_started Sec1:38 15/4/08 11:16:04

4 The opening slide 5 Wizard results 6 Colour changing

OOo Impress can create a very basic opening slide OK, the OOo Impress presentation wizard has To change the title colour from salmon to white,
for us, just as a starting point. To utilise that, enter finished, and has magicked up this simple – but click on it. A box appears around the text, to show
some text in the company name and presentation remarkably ugly – presentation, and inserted some it’s selected. Click and drag over the text so it’s
subject fields, then click Next. The Further Ideas basic text for us. It’s a long, long way from looking selected, then look for a toolbar button with an A
box is rather pointless, so you can safely ignore it. good, but that’s OK – we can fix that pretty quickly. underlined in salmon colour. Click the down arrow
next to that, and click the white colour palette.
7 Changes to the master slide 8 Setting defaults 9 Type in your title text
If you try deleting the lines at the bottom, you’ll While you’re here, you might as well set the default This first slide is going to hold a bit of text about
notice you can’t modify them. That’s because they title colour to be white – use the same procedure this presentation, so click on the default text (it’s
are in the master slide, so that they automatically from Step 6. If you want to change the background “Linux Format” for me) and type in some text of
appear in all the slides you create. To delete them, colour, click Format > Page, then choose the your own. When you press Enter, Impress creates a
click View > Master > Slide Master, then click the Background tab and select a colour you prefer. new bullet point automatically.
lines with your mouse and press the Delete key. When you’re done, click the floating Close Master
View button to go back to the first slide.
10 Add a second slide 11 Title tweaking 12 Removing text boxes

There’s only so much you can do with a single slide, Change the title to be a one-line description of your If you look carefully, you’ll see a thin grey box
so let’s add a second one: right-click in the Slides first picture, then click the Centre button from the around your picture – that’s the text box behind it.
pane on the left of the Impress window, and choose toolbar. Now, drag a picture from your computer As we’re just showing a picture here, that text box
New Slide from the menu that appears. This will into the Impress window, and it will appear in the isn’t needed, so you can either delete it by selecting
have the basic layout from the master slide, so it’ll slide. You can drag around the green boxes on the it and hitting the Delete key, or you can just click the
be dark blue with a title and some text. edges to resize the picture. Title Only slide layout from the right – it’s the first
one on the third row of layouts.

13 The more slides, the merrier 14 Transitions 15 Live preview

Now go ahead and add a few more slides, giving That’s the basic presentation made, so let’s make Clicking an effect shows a live preview of how it will
each one its own title and its own picture. Don’t be the slides blend together smoothly to result in the look. Here’s where most people go wrong: once you
afraid to try some of the other layouts from the presentation looking a bit nicer. To do that, click the see the list of slide animations, people seem to love
Layout pane, because it adds some variation. For first slide, hold down Shift, then click the last slide – making every slide have a different transition,
example, why not try making every third slide have this selects them all. Now click the Slide Transition making ugly presentations. Keep it simple: scroll
text and a picture on? arrow on the bottom right of the window. down the list of options and choose Fade Smoothly.
16 Preview your slideshow 17 Adding animation 18 The Star Wars-style wipe!

As you selected all the slides before applying a Now let’s add some animations to individual The default option, Appear, is dull in the extreme, so
transition, that transition gets used for all the slides. elements. Again, you need to keep your “Tack Alert” change it to Wipe. As with slide transitions, Impress
If you press F5, Impress will launch your slideshow set to maximum: no one likes tacky presentations, automatically previews object animations so you
so you can see how it works – click your mouse to so keep it simple! Select something you want to can see how they will look – this is how the Wipe
advance through slides. This picture was caught animate, then click the Custom Animation arrow in animation looks part-way through. Click OK to add
half-way through the fade transition. the right pane. Now click Add. the animation.
19 Wipe direction 20 Text animation options 21 Precise adjustment

The default wipe animation is set to From Bottom, From this window, change the direction to be From When you click OK to save the changed effect, you
meaning that the wipe moves from bottom to top. Left, then go to the Text Animation tab and choose should see the single animation break into multiple
Click the “...” button to the right of that selection By 1st Level Paragraphs for the Group Text option. smaller ones in the Custom Animation pane – one
box, and a new window will appear where you can This should make the text appear on screen one bullet for each line in your text box. This lets you be
customise the animation. bullet at a time. more precise if you need it.

22 Text preview 23 Save your presentation 24 Convert to Adobe Flash

Now that your presentation is done, you can And now, you’re done: it’s time to save your Impress can save your presentation as an Adobe
preview all the text at once by switching to the presentation so that it’s safe on your hard disk. Flash file; it doesn’t save any of the transitions, but
Outline tab. These tabs are just above the slide Click File > Save, then enter a filename. Remember, it does store all your text and pictures, which makes
layout, and you’ll be in Normal by default. The if you’re using OpenDocument Presentation file it perfect for distribution to other people. To save as
outline view lets you see your slides at a glance, as format (.odp files), Microsoft PowerPoint users Flash, click File > Export, then choose Flash from
well as make changes if you want to. won’t be able to view your work! the list of supported formats.
Going further
W
e’ve only scratched the surface of OOo noticed that Impress lets you activate transitions These affect the way the text appears, but also
Impress in this short primer, but you’ve after a set time passes. how indented it is on the screen (ie how important
managed to make a slide show using a it is). Choose carefully!
master slide, pictures, transitions and animations, The Color/Grayscale option under the Edit
and even exported it to Flash format! That’s not menu lets you preview selected slides in either So, that’s you all up to speed with OOo Impress,
bad going for the work of 30 minutes, but there’s colour (the default), grayscale or plain black and but if you want to push your presentation skills
lots more you can do with this presentation if you white. Can you think of when this would be useful? further there’s more to come – read on to see how
want to learn through a little exploration – here are Impress can help you with business presentations,
some ideas to get you started... Experiment with style options. As with Writer, and also read our top tips for giving the best
Impress has its own range of styles to choose from. presentations! LXF
Edit the master slide to make it more
interesting. A plain dark-blue background gets no
one excited – why not try some of the drawing
“In the middle of a presentation,
shapes (see the toolbar at the bottom) to see if right-click on the screen and jump
you can add a few dark boxes to break up the
background a little? to the slide of your choice.”
Add some other media to your slides. We’ve
only looked at pictures here, but Impress can
handle movies and sounds just as well. In fact, you
can even add sounds to your animations, but the
effect is usually quite off-putting!
Impress gives your slides numbers for their

names by default; it can be hard to remember
which slide is which. But if you right-click on a slide
you can rename it. This is useful when you’re in the
middle of a presentation – you can right-click on
the screen and jump to a slide by its name.
Made a slide you’re particularly happy with?

See if you can figure out how to duplicate it, then
modify the duplicate.
Make your slideshow automated so that it

changes slide every 10 seconds. In our examples,
all the transitions and animations happened
through a mouse click, but if you were looking
carefully through the options you would have

OpenOffice.org – Base
Get started
with... Base
Storing data is easy, but searching it always used to be hard.
However, now you’ve got OpenOffice.org Base on your side...
E
veryone has lots of information to keep
track of: phone numbers on your mobile
phone, addresses in a notebook, events in a
diary, shopping lists on paper stuck to your fridge,
and so on – wouldn’t it be nice to have all that
information in one place? Wouldn’t be it be nice to
make it searchable, so that you can type in a few
key words and pull up matching information? Well,
that’s what Base offers to do for you: it’s a
database program that stores information and
makes it easy to find.
In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create a CD
database using Base, which means you’ll learn
what databases and tables are, how to create them
to fit your needs, and how to enter data. As you
follow this tutorial, customise it to fit your needs – if
you collect DVDs, stamps, spoons, or whatever, just
change “CDs” for your type of collection!
Before we start, there are a few basic things you
need to know:
1 Databases have lots of jargon that can be a bit Databases are the best way to store, search and sort large amounts of data.
confusing at first. If this is your first time using a
database, don’t worry – it will all make sense!
2 When working with a database, sometimes your
changes are saved automatically. This is very
important: think changes through before you make
them, because the Undo might not help you much!
3 One database in Base can hold many tables, as
well as user interfaces to read from them and
reports to make them print nicely. To give all these
to someone else, you just need to give them one file.
4 Base is capable of connecting to bigger, more
complicated databases that run on servers –
though this is beyond the scope of this beginners’
tutorial.
If you have some experience with Microsoft
Access, much of Base will look familiar to you, but
1 Database wizard 2 Table design
When you start Base, the database wizard will This screen is pretty superfluous for beginners: if
we’d still advise you to take your time when automatically run. This lets you create a new local this is your first time running Base, just click Finish.
following through this tutorial. At the very least, database (the default option), open one you However, if you have used Base before and want to
take a backup of your database before making any created before, or connect to a database. That last get straight to designing your tables, click the
changes, just in case Base works a little differently option is for advanced users who want to connect Create Tables Using Table Wizard option first. We’ll
to Access! to servers – just click Next for now. just go with the first option – click Finish.
LXFS13.base_started 42 15/4/08 11:15:16

3 OpenDocument format 4 Start work 5 Ignore wizard

All databases in Base are actually just files, so they And now you’re in – Base has created the database In the Table tab there are three links at the top
need to be stored somewhere on your computer. In and you’re ready to start working. Along the side that are important: Create Table In Design View,
common with the other OpenOffice.org are the four main views: Tables, Queries, Forms and Use Wizard to Create Table, Create View. The
applications, Base uses OpenDocument format by Reports. Tables are where all your data is stored, so second option might sound easier, but it’s a bit
default. Save your database as cdcollection in your click that tab now. long-winded – just click Create Table In Design
documents folder. View for now.
6 Table design views 7 First four fields 8 Set Integer

This is the table design view. It’s split into three Type these names into the first four fields: ID, Click the field type for ID and set it to Integer
columns: the name of your fields, the type of data Name, Artist and Rating. By default, Base will set [INTEGER]. This holds whole numbers, such as 3, 9
they hold, and their description (you can ignore these to have the TEXT [VARCHAR] data type, and 349083439. Change Rating to be Tiny Integer
that last one). Field names are things like First which means it holds variable-length text. That is, [INTEGER]. This holds whole numbers up to 127.
Name, Address, etc. Name could hold “Hello” or “Supercalifragilistic-
expialidocious”.
9 Unique numbering 10 Primary key 11 Name your table

That ID field will hold a number that’s unique to Every table should have a ‘primary key’, which is a That’s your table design done, so click the little disk
every CD we add to this collection, so we don’t unique value that identifies a row. For example, if in the toolbar to save your work. This prompts you
really want to be entering it ourselves. So click that you have two versions of the same album, the to give your table a name within the database, so
field, then look at the boxes of the bottom – change primary key lets you specify exactly which one you enter “CDs”, then click OK. Note: this is not a
the AutoValue value from No to Yes. mean. Fortunately, our ID value is exactly this, so filename – it’s just internal to your database.
right-click on the green triangle next to the ID field
and click Primary Key.

12 Save table 13 Table editing view 14 New row

When your table is saved, you can just close the This is the table editing view, which lets you type Type “Mind Bomb” into the Name field for the first
design window to get back to the main Impress data into your CDs table. You can resize the row, then “The The” into Artist. Notice that Base
window from earlier. Except now you’ll see your columns at the top to make them bigger and easier has <AutoField> in the ID row, because that takes
CDs table listed under the Tables pane. Double- to work with, which is particularly helpful if you care of itself. You’ll also notice that it automatically
click that to open it up for editing. want to type a lot into your fields. creates a new row for you, so you can add more
fields easily.
15 Save value 16 Enter more data 17 Sort it out!

Now try entering “Fizz” for the rating for this CD. Go ahead and type a few more fields in there so Once you’ve added all your data, select the Name
Once you press Enter to save the value, Base will that we have something to work with. Make sure field (do this by clicking the title “Name” above the
automatically change that “Fizz” to be 0. This is you have at least two CDs with the same rating, first row), then click the toolbar button that shows
because we told Base to accept a Tiny Integer because we’ll be using that shortly. Remember, the an A over a Z with a down-pointing arrow. This sorts
value, which means it only accepts numbers -127 to ID number takes care of itself – you only need to fill the table alphabetically by the name of the CD.
127 – not text. in the Name, Artist and Rating fields.
18 AutoFilter 19 Hidden rows 20 Deleting forever… careful!

Now try clicking on one of the ratings. For example, Don’t worry – the other rows are just hidden, rather If there’s a row you don’t want, you can delete it by
I gave Moby’s Play album 4/5, so I would click on than being deleted! If you want to get back to the right-clicking on the grey bar on its left and
the 4 in his row. Now click the toolbar icon marked original view of your table, which means removing choosing Delete Rows. Remember, deleting a row is
with a funnel and a magic wand – this is the any filter or sorting, you can click the button that permanent: once it’s deleted, it’s gone forever!
AutoFilter button. This filters by the current shows a picture of a filter with a cross over it.
selection, so you’ll only see CDs with a 4/5 rating.

21 Back to main 22 Create report 23 Rate my CDs

When you’re done editing your table, close the Now let’s create a way to print off your CD From the window that appears, choose the Name,
window and you’ll be back to the main Base collection quickly. This is best done using a report, Artist and Rating fields from your CDs table, then
window. To the right of the table list, you’ll see the which is a neatly formatted version of your table. So click the > button. This adds all the fields to the
word “None” – click the arrow next to it, then click the Reports tab, then look for the button at the report, meaning that you want them all be shown. If
choose Document. This gives you a quick preview top marked Use Wizard to Create Report. you want to add all the fields, just click >>.
of the data in the selected table.
24 Now it’s personal! 25 Grouping levels 26 Order, order!

The next screen lets you choose how the fields are When you click Next you can add grouping levels to This next screen is important: it lets you choose
named in the report. For example, you might want your report, which is helpful if you have categories how the CDs in your report should be ordered. As
your Rating field to be marked as “My Personal in your table. For example, if we had a “Type” field with the table sorts, this doesn’t actually change
Rating”. This is more important if you have field so that we categorised CDs as pop, hip hop, rock, the order of your rows, but it makes your report a
names like LineManagerName that look bad when etc, that would be a good grouping level. But for lot more useful! Tell Base to sort by Name, then
printed out. now, just click Next. click Next.
27 Grand designs 28 And finally!

Now you get to choose how your report ought to That’s it – your report is done! You’ll see that it pulls
look. The default layouts aren’t great, but that’s OK your data straight from your table, then reformats it
– having a complicated design for a report just using your report style so that it looks more
makes the information look cluttered! Choose attractive. You can now print the report out, and
something simple, then click Finish. relax: your CD collection is perfectly organised. LXF

Desktop publishing
Creating documents with

Inkscape and Scribus
What’s better than a great design application? Two great design applications!
I
f you need to create documents for any reason, Linux
comes with some top-rate applications for you to use.
Inkscape is a vector illustration package. Because it
draws objects as shapes rather than pixels, the pictures
you create with it can be resized and used as big or small as
you want them with no loss of quality (unlike a raster graphics
application, such as Gimp or Photoshop). It is a very capable
drawing package, with features to match some of the very best
commercial software on any platform, and it uses the Scalable
Vector Graphics file format, a standard for vector graphics on
the web.
Scribus is a desktop publishing program – in other words, a
word processor with plenty of extras! You can use it to produce
everything from flyers for the school disco to proper
magazines (see Linux Format issue 96!). Scribus has plenty of
tools for creating stunning documents, but drawing complex
graphics is easier in Inkscape. The object of this tutorial is to
show you how to use them together to create a library of great
graphics for whatever you need.
First we will create a rubber-stamp effect in Inkscape, then
import it into Scribus and look at the Scrapbook feature. Open
up Scribus and Inkscape from the Applications > Graphics Not only does the latest version of Scribus serve as a versatile, professional design
menu and get ready to create great graphics… tool, it’s also a great Linux-based tool for making PDFs.
Step by step: Create a simple document
Fire up Inkscape from the Applications > Graphics menu. To start Now choose the calligraphy tool (it looks like a pen). In the tool bar, set
1 with we want to create a texture for our stamp effect, and all great 2 the width to 15 and ‘tremor’ to 0.4. Now squiggle over the rectangle,
textures start with a rectangle. Use the shape tool to drag out a big black box trying to cover it, but not completely. The gaps will give our ‘grungy’ effect.
at the top of the page.
LXFS13.stationery 46 14/4/08 20:03:29

Desktop publishing
Leaving your scribbles selected, choose Path > Simplify from the menu Use Control+A to select all the objects, then choose Path >
3 (or use Control+L). This will round off the edges of the scribbles a bit. 4 Intersection. This merges the paths of these two shapes together,
Feel free to do it more than once to get a smoother, more natural effect. so now you have one object – a black rectangle with bits missing.
Click on the object and drag the corners to resize it. We don’t want huge Use the palette along the bottom to select a good colour for your
5 chunks out of our design, and it will probably look better if the holes are 6 texture. Now choose Object > Pattern > Objects to Pattern to create a
squashed a little in one direction, so try resizing it to a smaller square shape. new pattern from this shape.
Leave the object for now. Let’s create the text for our stamp. Choose With the object selected, choose Object > Fill And Stroke. Under the Fill
7 the text tool from the left-hand panel, then click on the page and type 8 tab, choose the Pattern Fill option. As you have only one pattern, it will
out your word. Select all the text and choose Text > Text And Font from the be automatically selected and applied. If it doesn’t look right, tweak the original
menu. Choose a nice font and size for your object. pattern object and repeat from step 5.
LXFS13.stationery 47 14/4/08 20:03:31

Desktop publishing
Now use the Line tool from the left-hand panel and draw a bar across Open the Object > Fill And Stroke panel again. This time, click on the
9 the top of the text. Click once to start, then hold down the Control key 10 Stroke tab, and again choose a pattern fill. Stroke is the name given
to lock the angle. Draw a straight line over the top of the text. to the edge of an object, and as a line only has edges, this is where we need
to set its options.
Duplicate the line by pressing the Control and D keys. The new line will Before we do anything else, delete the original pattern box and press
11 appear on top of the first. Now just use the Down arrow key to nudge it 12 Shift+Control+D. Now click on the ‘Fit Page To Selection’ button to re-
down until it is a suitable distance under the text. scale the document to just the bits we want.
Before we go any further, we should save this file as an Inkscape SVG Because of the use of patterns, we can’t import the vector illustration
13 file. Inkscape supports many different formats, but some of them may 14 into Scribus. The next best thing is to export a bitmap. Choose File >
lose data or make the file hard to change if we want to edit it later. Export Bitmap. In the window that opens, set the resolution to 350dpi, which
is good enough for any sort of printing you may want to do.
LXFS13.stationery 48 14/4/08 20:03:33

Desktop publishing
Open Scribus and create a picture box (third icon along on the tool bar). The stamp looks a little unrealistic when it’s not a little jiggly. Position the
15 Select the box and press Control+D to import a graphic. Use the file 16 box and press F2 to get the Properties window. In the Geometry section,
requester to find the image file we just generated. apply a small amount of rotation – say, 5 degrees – to get a good angle.
We can create some vectors in Inkscape that we can save in SVG Once you have imported a vector object into Scribus, you can change it.
17 format and import directly into Scribus for a better result. You can 18 Apply shadow effects or gradient colours in Scribus, and you can still
create complex objects, but Scribus will not handle gradients, blur, enjoy the flexibility of vectors.
transparency or patterns.
Once your regular objects are set up as you would like, you can save Now, with the scrapbook open, you can just drag elements from its
19 them to the Scribus scrapbook. This feature allows you to save 20 window on to the page you’re working on. Create a big library of
common graphics and create a handy library. Right-click on an object and graphics and you’ll save yourself a lot of time! There’s plenty of fun to be had
choose Send To Scrapbook with Inkscape and Scribus! LXF
LXFS13.stationery 49 14/4/08 20:03:36

Working with photos
Work with photos

Now that cameras are cheaper than ever, we’ve all become photographers. Linux
is the perfect partner, but first you need to get your photos on to your machine.
Y
ou might think that an entire section professional images and creating websites, Linux
Learn how to: dedicated to the delicate art of is a more than up to the task. Thanks to apps like
Import your photos
working with photos is a little Gimp and F-Spot (application names aren’t
Manage your collection
ambitious. But it’s not. Digital Linux’s strong point), you don’t need to be an
Edit and process images
photography is booming, and Linux is a great expert either. Using a few simple tools, you’ll
Join panorama shots
Sharing your photos choice for working with photos. From sending a soon be able to import photos from your camera,
few images with an email or printing a birthday send them to the printers and process them to
Advance to the Gimp
card with your favourite photo, to touching up remove red eye and blemishes.
Step by step: Get photos off your camera
Plug and play Digital camera support in Linux is excellent. This means Importing photos Depending on how much space you have on your
1 you will be able to simply connect the vast majority of cameras to your 2 camera, you might not always want to import every image. This window
machine to access your photos. Nearly all will use a USB connection, with a lets you pick and choose the images that you want to import. To select photos
small plug on one end (known as mini USB) and a larger one on the other that individually, hold down the left Ctrl key and click on the thumbnails of the
connects to a USB port on your PC. As soon as you’ve made the connection, images you want to import. You can also press Ctrl and A together to select
both your Linux desktop and the camera should spring into life. If all has gone everything. When you’re happy with your selection, give this collection a name
well, a small window will appear to tell you that your camera has been in the ‘Film’ field. You should also click on the small button to the right of the
detected. Click on ‘Import’ to launch the ‘Import Photos’ window. ‘Categories’ field. From here you can add ‘tags’ to your images, making them
much easier to search through when your collection grows.
View as thumbnails Depending on the number of photos you’re

3 importing and the speed of your USB connection, you may need to wait
a few minutes for your photos to copy over to your machine. When this has
completed, your photos will be displayed in a program called GThumb.
GThumb is Ubuntu’s default photo browser, and you should be able to see
your entire album as a series of thumbnails. Double-clicking on any of these
will open a single window containing the image, and you can skip from one
photo to another using the Page Up and Page Down keys. Photos are saved
into the Pictures directory, which you can open directly from the ‘Places’
menu. Each folder will be given the name of the roll you used when you
imported the photos, and it’s easy to copy the photos from these folders on to
a USB stick, or even on to a blank CD – just click on CD/DVD creator from the
same Places menu, and drag the albums you want to burn into the new
window, insert a blank disc and click on ‘Write To Disc’.
LXFS13.photos 50 15/4/08 11:58:23

Working with photos
Collection
management Quick tip
You can import your photos into F-Spot without going
through GThumb first. Connect your camera, and
select ‘Import’ from F-Spot’s File menu. Click on the
‘Select Folder’ icon, and you will see your camera in
the drop-down list. Choose this, and you’ll be able to
Don’t get bogged down in photos – get yourself organised! add your photos directly.
Step by step: Organise a large collection
F-Spot There’s nothing wrong with GThumb but it just so happens that Comments The first thing you might want to do is add comments for
1 there’s a better application in Ubuntu for managing your photos. It’s 2 the photos you’ve just imported. Comments are the 21st century
called F-Spot and it’s better suited to larger collections. This is because you equivalent of writing on the back of the photo, and while it may seem slightly
can organise your photos into albums, send them to the printers, or export tedious to begin with, you’ll soon be grateful you took the time to write a line or
them as a website from within a single application. F-Spot can be started from two about what’s going on in the photo. To add a comment, double-click on the
the Applications > Graphics menu, and the first window you see will ask you thumbnail to open the photo, and use the ‘Comment’ field just below the main
for the location of any photos you might already have. If you’ve just imported window. You can quickly skip through the album using the cursor keys, adding
photos from your camera, click twice on the ‘Select Folder’ button. This will a comment to each new image. Comments like these are attached directly to
open another window from where you can point F-Spot at the folder that the photo, so you don’t need to worry about saving your changes to a file.
contains your images. You should then click on the ‘Pictures’ folder and click Similarly, you can add tags by dragging their icons from the left-hand panel on
on ‘Open’. F-Spot will now scan the folder for your images, showing the results to the photos you want to label. Right-click in the label panel to create your
as thumbnails in the main few. When this has completed, click on ‘Import’ to own, and don’t forget your photos can have more than one comment!
add them to F-Spot. If you need to find your photos in the filesystem, F-Spot
uses Photos by default (this is a different location to the one used by
GThumb) but this can be changed from the Preferences window.
Organising If you’ve ever used Apple’s iPhoto, you’ll feel right at home
3 with the way F-Spot manages photos. By default, every image in your
collection is listed in the large thumbnail view. A date strip at the top of the
window draws small bars that represent the number of photos you have from
a certain time frame, and you can scroll through the time frame by dragging
the cursor across the date strip. The key to organising your collection in F-Spot
is the tag system. At any point, you can double-click on the icon in the tag
panel to filter your collection into photos that only have that tag marked
against them. This makes it easy to see all photos of your family, for example,
or those you’ve taken on holiday. As long as you’ve gone to the trouble of
tagging your photos as you import them, this added tag dimension makes
your collection much easier to manage. If you double-click on a tag, you can
change the icon it uses. Tags also have a hierarchy where they inherit the same
tag as their parent – for example, you might want to create a Family tag and
make the ‘People’ tag its parent. You will then see Family photos whenever you
click on either the ‘People’ tag (as Family is a member of this group), or the
‘Family’ tag.
LXFS13.photos 51 15/4/08 11:58:25

Working with photos
Image Quick tip

If you make a mistake and want to revert to the
original image, you can select the photo and click on
processing
File > Version > Original. You can also make your own
versions of snapshots (for editing later, for example)
by clicking on File > Create New Version.
It’s great fun to mess around with your images after you’ve taken them…
Step by step: Basic image editing
Crop and rotate Two of the more common problems with photos can Colour adjustment Compensating for under or over exposed
1 be easily solved with F-Spot. The first is the need to crop an image, 2 photographs taken in less than ideal conditions can be complicated. But
cutting the edges around a photo to make some detail larger. In F-Spot, there are a few simple adjustments you can make that can make a world of
double-click on the image you want to edit so that it now occupies the whole difference, and these can be accomplished from the ‘Adjust Colour’ window.
window. Now use the mouse to drag a selection square across the image that Open the Adjust Colour window from the Edit Image view, either from the Edit
includes the area of the photo you want to keep. You might have noticed a menu or by clicking on the three colour circles in the toolbar. The array of
small toolbar at the bottom – we need the one that looks a little like a scalpel. sliders laid out beneath a colourful histogram may look technical, but it’s really
Clicking on this will remove everything in the image except the area you quite straightforward. The histogram is a graph that illustrates the dynamic
selected. If you need to straighten up your photo, you can use another icon on range of each colour within the image. For best results, your image’s histogram
the toolbar – the one that looks like a red arrow coming out of an envelope. should touch all four sides of this window, maximising the dynamic range of
Click on this and a smaller window appears with a single draggable slider. This the image. Increase the contrast slightly, and you’ll see your image become
slider changes the angle of the image, which will update in real time as you more polarised, and the histogram stretches slightly. If your image is a little
drag it from one side to the other. When you’re happy with the new angle, click dull, try adding more saturation, and if it was taken under electric light, you can
on Apply to make the change permanent. correct an artificial hue by altering the ‘Temp’ and ‘Tint’ sliders.
Red eye Red eye is the blight of many flash photographs involving
3 people. It’s caused by the flash being too close to the lens, and the light
from the flash is reflected directly off the retina back into the lens. The red
colour is a result of the light being filtered by a blood-rich part of the inner eye,
and while this often adds a demonic appearance to the photo, the saturated
red colour helps to make the red eye effect easy to remove. F-Spot even has a
built in function. In the Image Edit window, use the mouse to select the area
directly around the eye (this is so that other areas of red within the photograph
aren’t processed). With the area selected, click on the ‘Red Eye Removal’
button in the toolbar. This looks something like a blue arrow hitting a red circle.
The result should be that the redness in the eye dissolves, leaving a far less
supernatural pose. You can repeat the process to remove more and more of
the red colour. If this isn’t successful, or the process leaves too many side
effects, then you’ll have to use a more serious image editing tool, such as Gimp.
LXFS13.photos 52 15/4/08 11:58:27

Working with photos
Join panoramic photos

Stitch a sweeping view together to create a large panoramic view from multiple
Many digital cameras come with a panorama function. This is You can choose
normally used to take several panoramic shots of the horizon, to edit the anchor
sweeping the camera from left to right, for example. With points manually if
you wish, but most
panoramic mode enabled, each photo will have the same
of the time Hugin’s
image settings, making it easier to stitch each one together
automatic settings
again on a computer. Many cameras even come with software can’t be beaten.
to help, but stitching the images together can still be an
arduous process. You need to find sections of each adjoining
image that are common to both before lining them up
manually and moving on to the next image. Over the last year
or two, the software that can help find these points within an view from the first image. This can normally be extracted from
image has improved dramatically, making the process almost the metadata that your camera embeds in the photo, but if
automatic. Hugin is one of those pieces of software. It’s so Hugin can’t find the data, you’ll need to enter it manually. Don’t Quick tip
successful at attaching panoramic images together, that the worry. For most cameras, just enter a number for the focal
process has become largely automatic. length multiplier that brings the HFOV to somewhere around Hugin can also be
used to alter and
50 degrees. After this, a text window will appear, and Hugin will
remove perspective
Hugin quickstart begin processing each image to see if it can find any anchor from photos – perfect
Hugin is launched from the Applications > Graphics menu, and points to pinpoint the same location in two or more images. for cityscapes and
uses a wizard-based interface to step you through the Depending on the complexity, size and number of images, this buildings.
stitching process. The first step is to click on the ‘Load Images’ could take anything from a few seconds to a few minutes.
button. This will open a file requester, from which you will need
to select every photo that’s part of the panorama. Don’t worry Stitch that
about the order – Hugin can work this out for itself. After When the analysis has completed, Hugin will display a rough
you’ve clicked on ‘Open’, Hugin will try to determine the field of approximation of what it’s calculated the panorama to be. This
is nearly always correct, but you can edit the centre point of
the image as well as flatten the horizon using the buttons in
the toolbar. Clicking on ‘Auto’ will update the display with your
changes. The sliders at the bottom and side of the image will
crop the edges, removing the distortion introduced as Hugin
flattens the effect of the camera lens on each shot.
If you close the preview window, you can see that the main
Hugin interface is now full of useful information derived from
the analysis. Click on the Control Points icon, for instance, and
you can see exactly which features in each image Hugin is
using to anchor one image to the next. If there are any errors,
you can drag and move any of these points manually. When
you’ve finished messing around, you need to generate the final
image. Open the ‘Stitcher’ tab, and click on ‘Stitch Now’, a file
requester will open asking where you’d like to save the final
photo. Like the analysis, the stitching can take some time,
running through a progress bar before opening another text
Hugin’s preview window lets you make a few changes and window. But when it’s finished, you’ll find yourself with a
check that the alignment is correct. perfect rendering of the stitched panorama.
The end result is a

seamless panorama.
LXFS13.photos 53 15/4/08 11:58:29

Working with photos
Sharing your photos

Now that you’ve got your photos organised and edited, it’s time to share them.
There’s no point going to all this trouble with your photo

collection if you’re never going to let other people see them.
And in the age of the internet, that means sharing your photos
with people online. There are as many different methods for
uploading as there are websites, from sharing a few images
privately with family and friends, to turning your camera lens
into a window on your life for the whole internet to see – it’s up
to you.
F-Spot, the application we’ve been using for managing and
editing our photos, can export your images to many of the
more popular photo websites, as well as your own if you run
one. You can see which sites are supported by opening the File
> Export menu. The list includes names like Flickr, Picasa Web
Albums and SmugMug. Each of these is an online photo
repository. The first two offer a free hosting service for your
own photos, while all three offer commercial packages that are
tuned for the more serious photographer. If you want an
Many internet providers give you web space as part of an
informal, easy-to-use online photo presence, then choosing online package, and you can use this to host your web albums.
one of these options is likely to be the best option. You can
choose to keep photos private, share them with your friends or
family, as well as making them publicly visible. windows for both Google Picasa and SmugMug, you need to
click on the green ‘plus’ symbol in the Export window and add
Flickr, Picasa and SmugMug your username and password for the remote site. These
Each service works in roughly the same way. The first step is details will be remembered by F-Spot so that you don’t need to
to create an account with the host of your choice. This account enter them again.
information is needed by F-Spot so that it can automatically But before you export any images, it’s worth spending
communicate with the remote site while sending your photos. some time writing comments for them and giving them titles.
With Flickr, for example, when you select the export module All this information is used by the online hosting site. Flickr will
from F-Spot, you need to click on the large Authorise button. even use any tags you’ve assigned to the image, making a
You can export This will load the Flickr site into a web browser, and from here search your own photos (and anyone else’s) much easier. Any
your photos you’ll need to log in to your Flickr account, before heading photos you select will be exported, and you can select
directly from
back to F-Spot and clicking on the Continue Authorisation individual thumbnails by holding down the Ctrl key. If none are
F-Spot to many of
button. This will then update both Flickr and F-Spot with the selected, all the photos in the current view or album will be
the more popular
online photo
details they need to talk to one another. With the export included by default. After choosing your export profile, you
repositories. may want to resize the images before they’re uploaded. Both
the free user accounts on Flickr and Picasa place a restriction
on the size of the images you upload, and restricting your
exported images to a resolution such as 1024x768 is a great
way to get extra space. This is big enough for most web users,
and small enough that the file size isn’t prohibitively large. To
enable this feature, make sure Resize is enabled, and set the
size to 1024 pixels – this will be the scaled length of the
longest side.
Host your own

If you’d rather not be limited by the hosting company, you
might want to consider hosting your own photos. This
obviously requires a little more technical ability, but exporting
an album is still an easy task. If you’ve got your own web space
and you’re using the PHP application Gallery, F-Spot can
export images and create the necessary web pages
automatically. For this option, select ‘Export To Web Gallery’
from the Export menu. In the window that appears, press the
large Add button and enter the details for your website,
including the full URL, a username and password. F-Spot will
then create a new album each time you export your images. If
you’d rather do things by hand, you can also export an HTML
LXFS13.photos 54 15/4/08 11:58:33

Working with photos
If you have a
Flickr account, you
need to authorise
F-Spot to be able
to use it. With
other online sites,
you just need
to enter your
username and
password.
Sometimes, it’s easier to export the files manually, zip them

into a single file and attach this to an email. window will appear, and from here you should scale the photos
you want to send – people who still use dial-up modems won’t
album that you can just place on a web browser. F-Spot does appreciate anything larger than ‘small’. Click on Create Mail
all the hard work for you. Just select ‘Folder’ as the export and Evolution will open, from which you can send the images.
option, and make sure you select ‘Create Standalone Web If you attach more than a couple of images, an email will
Gallery’. You might also want to resize the images to something quickly get a little unwieldy, as well as difficult to read. The
more manageable. Clicking on ‘OK’ will generate the website answer is to bundle up your images into a single file, a process
and place it in your home directory by default. If you navigate known as ‘zipping’. Do this by exporting your images to a folder,
to this folder and double click on the index.html file, you’ll be in much the same way we did to generate a website. But this
able to see the website in the Firefox web browser. When time, select ‘Save Files Only’ so that the website isn’t
you’re sure everything is correct, just upload the folder to your generated, and resize to something sensible like 800. When
web space to create an online album. the process has completed, you need to navigate to the
location where the folder was saved. Try clicking on the Home
Sending an email folder from the Places menu. When you locate your gallery,
The easiest way to get photos out into the wide world is to right-click on the folder and select ‘Create Archive’. From the
attach them to an email. F-Spot can even help with this if you window that appears, choose ‘zip’ from the drop-down format
use the Evolution email client. Select the photos you want to list and click on ‘Create’. This will create a zip file you can
send and click on ‘Send Mail’ in the File menu. A smaller attach to an email.
Understanding resolution
Many people are scared of the term ‘image resolution’. But
when you’re trying to publish your photos – either online or
on to real paper, there’s no avoiding it.
Digital images are made up of coloured pixels. These are
the squares you see when you look closely at a digital
image, or use the zoom feature of a graphics editor. Your
screen’s display is drawn using pixels with a common
screen resolution being 1024x768, for example. This means
there are 1024 pixels across the screen, and 768 down. If
you want to know the total number of pixels on the screen,
then you need to multiply those two numbers together –
1,024x768 = 786,432. Digital camera resolutions are often
described by counting the total number of pixels, with the
term ‘megapixel’ used as shorthand for a million pixels. Our
screen resolution would therefore be 0.78 megapixels
(MP). If your camera has a resolution of 3MP, an image
from the camera would be roughly four times the size of
the screen. Another common way of expressing pixel
resolution is by pixels per inch, or dots per inch (DPI).
These both refer to the number of horizontal pixels that fit
into an inch of length, and they normally apply to printing
and scanning. If your screen is 17 inches wide, for instance,
it’s working at 60DPI (1024/17). If you scan a five-inch
photo at 600DPI, it will be 3,000 pixels wide (6 multiplied
by 600), and be about three times the width of your
screen. This means that if you want to send the image to
someone with a similar screen to your own, you need to
reduce the image by at least 66%.
A 5 megapixel camera will generate images that are well over four times the size of a
1024x768 display.
LXFS13.photos 55 15/4/08 11:58:34

Working with photos
Advanced photo
editing with Gimp
If no other tool can do the work you need, it’s time to get acquainted with Gimp.
It’s the closest Linux users get to a native version of Adobe’s Photoshop.
Linux developers aren’t that good at coming up with good
names for their work. Gimp is possibly the worst example of
this, because the functionality that hides behind that
ridiculous name makes Gimp a serious competitor to the likes
of Adobe’s Photoshop. On the Linux desktop, Gimp is the last
word in image editing and photo manipulation. If you need to
fix something, this is what you need to finish the task. The only
problem is that, like its Adobe sibling, this amount of flexibility
brings complexity. Gimp isn’t easy to use, and there’s
something of a learning curve. This is a consequence of the
trade-off between flexibility and complexity. For example, with
even the most straightforward editing functions, you will need
to get your head around layers and how editing an image in
one layer will effect the final result. This might seem overly
complex if all you want to do is add some text to your photos,
but the addition of layers means you can easily add drop
shadows and bevel effects. Drop shadows and effects make good use of layers in Gimp.
The shadow is one layer, while the effect is another.
What are layers?
Layers are like the onion skin paper that animators used to use
New text is to create cartoons. Before CGI took over the world , an artist character needed to speak. While layers in Gimp aren’t
always placed in would draw an image of a face, perhaps Mickey Mouse, and primarily designed for animation, they benefit from the same
its own layer. This animate a dozen expressions on to that single face by simply advantages as the old artist had drawing on onion skin. Images
means it can move
drawing the expressions on top of a new layer of onion skin. on each layer are entirely independent of those beneath them
freely, and as long
The viewer would never know they were really looking at a (unless you choose to lock them to a lower layer), and
as you haven’t
flattened the layer,
smile drawn on top of a transparent layer, with the static face transparent areas in higher layers will let image data through
it can even be drawn behind. It meant the artist didn’t need to laboriously from the lower layers. For example, you might draw a brick wall
edited. draw a new face each time an expression changed or when the in a lower layer and a square window in a higher layer. The
window will be superimposed on the brick wall. Similarly, you
could take two photos taken from the same location and use
the best bits of both to construct a new image. You can also
process the image data in a lower layer with the image data in
a higher layer, using this to lighten or darken lower pixels
according to the data in the higher pixels. You could use this
effect to trace a shadow of a higher image on to the pixel data
of a lower image. There are more than 20 different layer filters,
many of which are geared to fixing damaged photographs.
Text with shadows

The best way to get your head around layers is to use them.
We’re going to show you how to put text on top of a photo, and
generate a drop shadow from the text using layers. Open Gimp
and load an image that will suit overlaid text – perhaps a
design for a birthday or Christmas card. Adding text is as
simple as clicking on the ‘A’ symbol in the tool palette, and
clicking on the approximate position in the image you need the
text. A text editing window will appear, and you can use this to
enter the text you want to overlay on to the image. As you type,
the text will show up on the background. You can change the
size of the font using the window beneath the toolbar palette.
LXFS13.photos 56 15/4/08 11:58:36

Working with photos
Removing blemishes
The secret tool for magically removing blemishes is the
Clone Tool. This looks a little like a rubber stamp, and
that’s because a rubber stamp loosely describes how it
works. It copies one area of an image to another area.
But it does this in such a way that you can’t see the
edges. For the process to be successful, you need to find
an area within the image (or in another image) that you
can use to replace the blemish. This usually means
finding a place where the image is repeated. This could
be a similar area of sky, grass or wall, for example. After
selecting the Clone tool, hold the mouse over this
replacement area, press Ctrl and click on the mouse to
set the source of the clone operation. When you now
click on the blemish, the area under the mouse will be
replaced with the image at the source location. If you
hold the mouse down, you can copy an entire area –
useful for windows in a wall, for instance. If the wall is at
Most effects in Gimp have a real-time preview. In this case, an angle, try the perspective clone tool instead. We’ve cloned the background
you can even warp the preview with your mouse. over the bike’s pedal here.
This window is used to display any options associated with and distort parts of the current layer. When you click on OK it’s
your current editing tool. With text entry, those extra options only this layer that’s processed. After messing around with the
include size as well as choice of font, colour and paragraph filters and your text, try Drop Shadow and Bevel from the
formatting. Close the text editor when you’ve finished adding Filters > Light And Shadow menu. This will generate an extra
text. If you need to edit the text further, you can always select layer that contains a shadow for the text, as well as adding a
the Text Tool and double-click on the text to open the editor slight bevel to the text area. You can then select the shadow
again. You may also need to fine-tune its position, which you layer and move it around. It will keep above your original photo
can do with the Move tool. and beneath the text because of the ordering of the layers. You
If you take a look at the Layer window, you will now see two can change this order from the layer window by dragging each
layers. The background contains your original image, while an layer up and down. Unfortunately, unless you save your image
additional layer will hold your text. This is why you can move using Gimp’s native image format (called XCF), this layer
the text freely above the image. For example, if you choose one information will be lost. Saving your file as a JPEG or BMP, for
of the filter effects while your text layer is selected, only the instance, will ‘flatten’ the image. This means that each layer is
text will be affected. Try the Warp filter, found under Filters > merged into a single layer. It will look exactly the same, but you
Distorts. This effect opens a window from where you can drag will no longer be able to process each layer separately. LXF
Gimp’s toolbar Gimp has all the tools you’d expect from a professional-quality image processing app. Here’s a run-down of what’s on offer…
Selects rectangular regions Selects elliptical regions
Selects a hand-drawn region Best-guess region selection
Select regions by colour Select shapes from image

Foreground select tool Create and edit paths
Colour picker Zoom in and out
Measure angles and distances Move layers and selections
Align object and layers Crop or resize an image
Rotate the layer or selection Resize the layer or selection
Shear the layer or selection Manipulate selection in 3D
Flip axis of layer or selection Create text for a new layer
Fill area with colour or pattern Fill with colour gradient
Pencil drawing tool (hard edges) Brush drawing tool (soft edges)
Erase to background colour (edges) Airbrush drawing tool (v. soft edges)
Draw in ink with brush shape Clone areas and regions
Heal image irregularities Perspective clone tool
Blur or sharpen Smudge tool
Dodge or burn strokes
LXFS13.photos 57 15/4/08 11:58:37

Games
Linux games
Games might not be the main reason why you've tried Linux, but it's likely to be
one of the main reasons you don't look back.
W
What we e’ll get the bad news out of the way first. If homebrew/DIY games community. This means that while
look at: you're an ardent PC gamer, you won't be able many Linux games won't have quite the same production
Card games
to play many of your favourite AAA titles on values that you may be used to with a commercial release,
Solitaire your new Linux desktop. they more than make up for this with their creativity and
Freecell Most games publishers don't feel that there's a big enough innovation. It's a little like how gaming used to be before
Educational Linux market to warrant the extra time it would take to convert consoles made it big business. And the great thing about Linux
GCompris
their titles to Linux. As a result, most of the big game releases games is that the overwhelming majority of them are free.
Sudoku
Puzzle games you see on the Windows platform won't make it to Linux. But if Over the course of the next few pages, we're going to give you
Fish Fillets NG games are your thing, you shouldn’t be disheartened. There a brief tour, covering some of the best Linux games. Give
Crack Attack are still some commercial game publishers porting their yourself a couple of hours, then click on the Applications >
Arcade games games to Linux, but more importantly, there's a thriving Games menu to start the fun.
Trackballs
Pingus
Adventure
Battle for Wesnoth
Solitaire
Egoboo
Party games
Alien Arena
Frets on Fire
T
he first game most people want of the pack laid down to the side, a pile
to play when they fire up their known as the ‘stock’. The idea of the
new operating system is a card game is to build four piles for each suit,
game, and Linux has plenty. You can find starting with the ace and working up to
these without installing anything from the king. You can move cards across the
the Applications > Game menu, and the columns as long they form a descending
two most popular are Klondike (more sequence of alternating colours. The top Suzanne Vega wrote a song called
commonly known as Solitaire) and card of each column must always be Solitaire about the addiction many people
Freecell. Both of these games existed turned over, and when you can do no suffer for card games such as Klondike.
before computers, and both could be more shuffling around with the columns,
played alone with a pack of cards. the top card from the stock is turned course, on the desktop all the
With Klondike, 28 of the cards are over, and you can choose to take this. If monotonous card management is done
laid face down in seven columns of you're more used to the 'three card' deal automatically, and all you have to worry
increasing numbers. The top card on from the stock, you can enable this about is building the four columns for
each column is turned over and the rest option from the Klondike menu. Of each suit.
Freecell
F
reecell is similar to Solitaire,
except that all the cards are
visible at the start of the game
and are stacked into seven columns. You
can move cards around these columns
using the same stacking rules used for
Solitaire. You have to shuffle the columns
around to free the cards you need,
starting with the aces, which need to be
placed in the four cells top-right –
building the suits just as you do in
Solitaire. There’s more strategy involved,
as you attempt to free the cards you
need by moving cards across columns Freecell plays like Solitaire but is considered a more skilful game, as success is less
and into the freecells. reliant on the random order in which the cards appear in the shuffled deck.
LXFS13.games 58 15/4/08 11:58:02

Games
GCompris
G
Compris is a suite of games to the Boards view. From here you can
designed to educate children assign what the child can and cannot
between the ages of 2 and 10. play. Click on the filter button, and
Each game is a mass of colour, and there restrict the range to your child's ability.
are over 80 activities for your children to One, two or three stars should suit 2–6-
play split into various categories. There year-olds, while games adorned with the
are games that let players assemble more complex star patterns are
famous paintings, games that teach designed for those aged 6–10.
them how to use a mouse (by playing a You will be able to come back to the
dot-to-dot) and games that involve administration reports on the following
simple arithmetic, spelling and even page to see how well your child is going
algebra. All feature beautiful after they've some time playing games. With so many activities to choose from, GCompris should
presentation, including spoken The main application can be found in the keep your children entertained for hours.
instructions for many, and everything Games menu, under ‘Educational suite
should be clear enough that your child GCompris’. A few moments later, you will
You can fine-tune
can play unattended. be presented with the Home screen. It's
GCompris to the
Before you get started with the from here that you (or your child) can
age range of the
games, you need to create an account launch any games they may want to children who are
for your child so that their progress can play. Each game can be found under a going to play.
be monitored and the games list tuned sub category, with symbols representing
to their ability. The administration each category listed down the left-hand
window is launched from the Education side of the screen. Each game icon
menu. From here you can even configure features one or more of the star icons
GCompris for classes of children. For we used to filter difficulty. The categories
individual players, just click on the include puzzles, mathematics, strategy,
‘Profiles’ button followed by ‘Add’. Click reading, discovery, computing,
on OK to make the changes, then switch amusement and experimentation.
Sudoku
T
here can be few people who squares to see if any of the numbers will
haven't discovered the joys fit - remembering to make sure that the
of Sudoku in the newspaper same number doesn't appear again in
on the train journey home. With Linux, the row or column attached to the
it's also possible to play when you get square. When you think you've found the
home, although that might not always number, double click on the square to
be a good thing if you've got a life to get select the digit from the pop up menu.
on with. It's easier than it sounds, at least to
Sudoko is launched from the Game begin with.
menu, and if you are one of the few who The game starts in beginner's mode,
have never played it before, the matrix of so you should be able to crack it. This
numbers that greets you may seem a version of Sudoku also has a couple of
little intimidating. The idea of the game features that can make your life easier.
is that you have to work out what You can make notes in the corners of the
numbers should be in the blank spaces. blank squares by double-clicking in
These need to be a number between 1 either the top or bottom half and typing
and 9, but you can only have one of each your note. These are commonly used to Perhaps Sudoku's popularity is a direct result of the terrible
digit in each row and column. The other write down numbers that can potentially train service we endure in the UK. If it weren't for constant
rule is that each smaller nine-segment be used within the square. The delays, none of us would have the time to play it.
square will also contain the numbers highlighter button can also help to read
1–9. Between those two rules, you across the current column and row.
should be able to work out which Clicking on Hint will fill the note field with
number goes where. The best place to a list of possible values for the selected
start is by looking at the nine square square, and as a last resort, you can click
segment with the most filled squares. on 'Fill' to automatically add the correct
Work out which numbers are missing, number to the current square. But
and then work through the blank where would be the fun in that?
LXFS13.games 59 15/4/08 11:58:03

Games
Fish Fillets NG
A
t first glance, Fish Fillets NG the gap. The big fish is too large to be
might not look like the average able to get into the space to push the
puzzle game. For a start, the two chair, so you need to use the big fish to
main characters are fish, and the push the steel bar across the table so
cartoon graphics don't look all that that the little fish can swim across to the
challenging. But from the first level, you'll other side. You can then use the little fish
be hooked (sorry!). The objective is to to move the chair, making enough room
get both fish out of the level, and you can for both of the fish to swim out through
control either the large fish or the small the exit to the right, and both fish move
fish by switching between them with the on the next level. Fish Fillets NG is a re-creation of a puzzle game that was
space bar, using the cursor keys to move You can undo any mistakes that you popular in the 90s and eventually released as freeware in 2002.
them around. You spend most of your might make with the - key, and you can
time pushing objects around each level, restart the level by pressing Escape.
nudging them with your fishy nose. And There are over 70 levels in total, and
this is where danger lurks. If the object most of these are quite challenging,
falls on either fish, it will perish. which makes Fish Fillets NG the perfect
Both fish have slightly different brain trainer when you find yourself with
attributes. The larger one can move steel ten minutes to spare.
objects, for example, where the small
one would get crushed. The first level is a
good example. Both fish are located on
either side of a table and two chairs, with
a steel bar positioned in the middle of
the table. The exit for both fish is on the
far right, but you need to move the right-
hand chair to be able to squeeze through
Crack Attack
C
rack Attack is an altogether more into ordinary pieces that rain on to the
manic game than most. Coloured top of the playing area. The longer you
blocks appear at the bottom, play, the more of these blocks appear as
moving slowly up. You play by swapping the game starts to speed up. As a result,
pairs around using the cursor keys and Crack Attack soon becomes a manic
the space bar so that lines of three or attempt to keep on top of things.
more blocks of the same colour are But for the ultimate gameplay
created. When this happens the blocks experience, you have to try it with two
disappear, while those around them fall players. Crack Attack can connect to
down to fill the space. If this leads to the anyone on the local network, or even
completion of further coloured lines, you across the internet. One person needs to
get a bonus combination score. The use their machine as the server, with the
more line completions you can string other being the client. The client needs
together, the higher your score. to enter the IP address of the server Crack Attack only
A good strategy is to get five blocks machine to be able to connect. On the really comes alive Network Tools window by selecting
together. You can often find two groups internet, you can find your IP address by when you can find Ethernet Interface (or wireless) from the
of two in the same vertical column, and visiting http://whatsmyip.org, and this someone to play drop-down Network device list. It's worth
working a single block of the same is the number you'll need to tell the it with. the trouble, because two-player Crack
colour into the middle section, joining client. If you're both on the same Attack games are about as much fun as
the two blocks together, is the best way network, you can find your IP address you can have with your Linux box. The
to improve your score as well as giving from the System > Administration > gameplay is exactly the same as with
you a good chance of a combo. As time single player, except that when you get
passes, you will start to get horizontal
blocks appearing at the top of coloured
“Crack Attack soon more than a single line, those lines are
added to your rival's screen. This leads
blocks. To remove these, you need get a
line of three blocks or more adjacent to
becomes a manic attempt to a mental tug o’ war as the two players
try to push the other off the top of the
the horizontal block, which will then turn to keep on top of things.” screen. Great fun!
LXFS13.games 60 15/4/08 11:58:04

Games
Trackballs
I
f you ever played the arcade classic
Marble Madness back in the 1980s,
then you'll understand exactly what
you have to do in Trackballs. It's a Trackballs is a
modern interpretation of the marble little like those old
rolling game, replacing the two- wooden marble
rolling games
dimensional isometric graphics with a
that Victorian
real three-dimensional environment.
children used to
You have to roll a steel ball bearing play with. Except
across varying surfaces and past the landscape is
terrifying hazards in a quest to get the 3D and you roll the
ball from one end of the map to the ball rather than tilt
other. You can use either the mouse or the box.
the cursor keys, but the mouse gives you
a finer degree of control. If you do use
the cursor keys, the Shift key will add
acceleration. You often find yourself small gaps, as well as avoiding the markers help make the task a little
having to compensate for too much occasional enemy. Fall off any of the easier, by allowing the player to restart at
speed, either because you've just rolled edges, and your game is over. the same position. There are over 70
down a large hill, or accelerated off a The game starts relatively easily, with levels in total, split by difficulty, though
ramp. To slow down, you need to roll the a level that features a big drop, some only a master will be able to complete
ball in the opposite direction to where spongy surfaces and a section of them all. You can choose which set to
the ball is travelling – effectively sharpened pencils that try to push you play at the beginning of the game. If you
reversing the direction of travel. You can off. Later levels feature bowls of acid and ever get bored with those supplied with
also jump, by pressing either the left icy surfaces at strange angles, the game, then you can create your own
mouse button or the space bar, and you challenging even the most dexterous with the level editor, or download dozens
need to get used to this for traversing player. Along the way, save position more from the Trackballs website.
Pingus
M
arble Madness, the game that mouse over the icon. Gameplay always
Trackballs imitates, was involves a bit of trial and error to begin
successfully converted to the with. For instance, in the second tutorial
Commodore Amiga computer in the level, the penguins jump of a large cliff,
1980s, and you'll find many similar and it's only when they start dying that
conversions for Linux. One of the better you realise you need to give each one
ones is Pingus, a game inspired by the the ability to fly. Fortunately, ‘Floater’ is
Amiga classic Lemmings. This being the only role available for that level, and
Linux, the lemmings have been replaced applying this to the in-game penguins
by tiny penguins, but the idea is the saves the day.
same. Progression from one level to the next Pingus bears more than a passing resemblance to that Amiga
To complete each level, you have to is across a map that outlines the main classic Lemmings, and you can enjoy it for free on your Linux box.
save a certain number of penguins from area of the game, and even adds a little
destruction. You do this by assigning a background story. This element is
role to certain penguins, and using these sometimes more like Super Mario World
to help the progress of the remaining than Lemmings, but it adds to the
penguins in some way. The roles appear enjoyment of a game that's quickly
as icons on the left-hand border of the approaching its 20th anniversary.
screen. Choosing ‘Digger’ for example,
and clicking on a penguin in the main
display will cause the selected penguin
to start digging into the ground directly
beneath its feet. In the first level, this
tunnel helps all the other penguins to
escape to the exit, and it's a similar
process for the other levels. You can find
what each role does by holding the
LXFS13.games 61 15/4/08 11:58:06

Games
Battle for Wesnoth

A
s befits a title in this genre, Battle the best possible position for any
for Wesnoth is an epic. Its confrontation. Knights are more
colossal size is matched only by powerful than the other characters, but
the quality of its graphics and the quality they don't have the range of the
of gameplay. Its developers describe it spearmen, and there's a similar trade-off
as a turn-based strategy game with a with the other unit types.
fantasy theme, and as soon as you start It might sound complicated, but
a new campaign, it's easy to see what thanks to excellent introduction and
they mean. You can choose from several tutorial campaigns, it doesn't take long
different scenarios, from a quest to to get up to speed with the game Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game. It feels a
destroy a troublesome black mage, to a mechanics, and it's worth the effort. little like a cross between Ultima and the Settlers series.
Herculean battle across the lands of Battle for Wesnoth is a wonderful game
Wesnoth to wrestle control of the evil where you can spend hours tuning your
empire from the clutches of the Lich- strategy and building alliances. There's
Lord Jevyan. Which is nice. also an excellent multiplayer component,
As gameplay is turn-based, you have where you can either join an official
plenty of time to make each move, and if server, play with a friend across the
you've played a game like Settlers, you'll internet, or even take turns to make
now how it works. You start each moves on a single machine. This is really
campaign with several units. These could where Wesnoth is at its most fun.
be simple peasant spearmen, horsemen
or perhaps knights. Each unit has
specific abilities, as well as a set range
across different types of terrain. It's your
job to survey the local area, and move
your units strategically so that you're in
Egoboo
T
here's a long tradition of
adventure games running on
Linux and Unix systems. This is
epitomised by a particular game called
NetHack. NetHack is called a Rogue-like
game because it is itself based on a
game called Rogue, which was originally
released in 1980.
Rogue-like games share some of the
same elements. There's usually a degree
of randomness, and a player's strengths
and weaknesses are based on random
attributes. These attributes can be
improved by gaining experience, either
by finding objects or by destroying the
enemy. And all Rogue-like games are set
in a dungeon. Egoboo is one such game. grub bugs, while in another you need to Thanks to the could never be described as cutting
But instead of the text-based graphics of rescue a group of faeries and guide excellent 3D edge, the cartoon style and the smooth
NetHack, Egoboo has transformed this them to a faerie ring. graphics, Egopoo gameplay adds a new dimension to the
idea into three dimensions. And you're Control is entirely through the use of look and feels Rogue-like style of play. The game is a
much more like
no longer alone in the dungeon. the mouse and keyboard – you need to little rough at the edges, but that's
a modern game
Depending on the module you choose to press the A and S keys to perform because it’s still being actively
than those that
play, you will be accompanied by other actions on things while the middle inspired it. developed. If you enjoy games like
characters. Each module is a separate mouse button will cause your character Neverwinter Nights or old role playing
adventure. The quest is different each to jump. Combat is mild, as you use the games, then you should be able to get a
time, but you always play in a dungeon. right mouse button to take a swipe at lot of enjoyment out of this game,
One tasks is to clear the dungeon of any baddies in range. While the graphics despite its silly name.
LXFS13.games Sec1:62 15/4/08 11:58:08

Games
Alien Arena
If you miss some
of the great first-
person shooters
for the Windows
platform, Alien
Arena will bring a
T
his isn't exactly the kind of game bolt of plasma that doesn't harm the
smile to your face.
you might want to play at a enemy all that much, which is why it's
children's party. But get a few imperative that you quickly move on to
people together and a few Linux something a little more destructive, such
machines, and you won't have had as as the Alien Disruptor. This shoots a
much fun since you got that Raleigh powerful beam that's difficult to target
Chopper for your eighth birthday. but effective if you hit your mark. Right-
Alien Arena is a first person shooter. clicking the mouse will use the
That means you see through the eyes of alternative fire, and with the Alien
the player, and you need to shoot at Disruptor, this is a sniper scope, making
anything that moves. Games are played enemies easier to hit (if you can
online, either by hosting your own server convince them to stay still). If you get
that everybody joins, or by joining a close, switch weapons to the
public online game where people are Flamethrower. You can use the middle
already playing. There are usually plenty mouse button or the function keys to
of servers running, so you're only ever switch weapons. The Flamethrower will
30 seconds away from a game. Each cover anything in front of you with a wall
level is a confined map, and there are of flame, and the longer you keep them
various game modes, from deathmatch burning, the more damage you'll inflict.
(killing everything), to capture the flag But our favourite weapon is the Rocket
(stealing your opponent's flag and Launcher. This is because you can use it
bringing it back to your base). from a distance, and it also destructive
It's very similar to another Linux within a set radius of the explosion. A
classic – Unreal Tournament. Alien Arena good tip is to fire rockets at the feet of
even has a similar array of weapons. You your enemies so that even if they jump, The maps, gameplay and guns of Alien Arena are all
start with a humble Blaster. This fires a you'll still inflict a little pain. reminiscent of that Linux classic, Unreal Tournament.
Frets on Fire Also look

out for:
Frozen Bubble
Fantastic, split-screen
I
f you’ve not played Guitar Hero on Turn your puzzle game based on
either the Playstation 2 or Xbox 360 keyboard skills into Puzzle Bobble.
legendary guitar Adonthell
games consoles, you're missing out
axe grinding, and Japanese-style role
on something. Fortunately, you can playing game with a
embarrass yourself
redeem your social standing by running small intricate plot
in the process.
Frets on Fire on your Linux machine and autonomous
instead. players.
NetHack
Like Guitar Hero, Frets on Fire will turn The classic turn-
your humble computer and keyboard based adventure
into an instrument of rock, and the only game that never gets
thing it will cost you is your dignity. To tired. Spawned a
generation of
play the game, choose a piece of music
imitations.
and a difficulty level from the menu Enemy Territory
screen. The next view you see is a First person online
fretboard stretching into the infinite shooter based around
distance. As the music starts, coloured storming the beaches
of WWII.
squares will start to drift down the With a little practice, you learn to desperately try to work out which key LBreakout
fretboard indicating which fret you need anticipate the notes you need to play, combination to press. The instructions The classic pong
to play. As each square hits the bottom holding down the function keys before even recommend holding your game takes to
of the screen, you need to hold down the the notes need to sound, just pressing computer keyboard as you would a real extremes. Use your
bat to bounce balls
function key on your keyboard that return at the last moment. As you hit the guitar, with your left hand over the
against a wall.
corresponds to the fret you need to play notes, the beautiful sound of your guitar function key frets and your right over the Neverball
(F1 –F6). At the same time, press the will sing out over the music. Hit any dud carriage return. Frets on Fire is the A little like Trackballs,
carriage return key to ‘pluck’ the strings. notes, however, and the twang of perfect party game, because it involves only this time you
Only then will the notes sound, and only embarrassment will be heard by all. And rock music and keyboard posturing – a control the box the
ball rolls around in,
then will you have taken your first step the game can get very hard. Pretty soon combination that our inner rockers think rather than the ball.
on the road to rock greatness. your fretboard will be full of notes as you is a real winner. LXF
LXFS13.games Sec1:63 15/4/08 11:58:09

Multiple accounts
Working with more

Linux is designed to work just as well whether you have one user on your machine
or one hundred users – it’s easy!
B
ack when you installed Ubuntu you were asked to
create your first user, and that’s what you’ve been
using exclusively since then. But Linux was designed
to mimic the older Unix operating system, which was
built to run on mainframes where hundreds – if not thousands
– of users were logged in and working simultaneously. Unless
you’re running your own internet cafe, it’s unlikely you’ll need
more than a handful of users on your home computer, but
Linux is able to handle that just as well.
One thing to remember is that you – as the first user to be
created – automatically have full rights over the system. You
can give lower privileges to other users you create if you want
to, or you can give them the same level as you, but be careful:
if you give them administrator access to the computer, they
will be able to install (and remove!) software, change hardware
configurations, and much more, which may break your Linux
install! If you give them normal user privileges, this simply
can’t happen.
See and change user permissions for any file that belongs to
Login options you – make something private, or open for anyone!
By default, Ubuntu prompts you for your username and
password when logging in, but you’ll notice there’s a little 2 Remote Login via XDMCP This is an advanced option that
Enabling button marked ‘Options’ in the bottom-left corner of the lets you log into another machine as if you were actually there
automatic login screen. This is most commonly used to shut down or suspend – you get the remote desktop and all your remote files.
is only safe if the computer without you having to log out first, which is a real
you’re the only time-saver. There are also two other options of interest here: Automatic login
person using your 1 Select Session This allows you to choose a specific If you’re the only user of your computer, you might prefer to
computer, and not desktop environment to be logged into. The standard Ubuntu have Ubuntu skip past all the login nonsense and log you in
even then if it’s a includes just Gnome, but we’ve included a version of Ubuntu automatically. But before you enable that option, you need to
laptop. on your disc that includes other desktops too. be aware that enabling auto-login is a security risk because
anyone who gets physical access to your
computer can read all your files without
having to authenticate themselves. This is
particularly important if your computer is a
laptop!
If you’re sure that automatic login is what
you want, go to System > Administration >
Login Window, then enter your password
when prompted. The Login Window
Preferences window will appear, and it has
quite a few options – you need to click the
fifth tab, ‘Security’. The first item on that tab
will be a check box labelled ‘Enable Automatic
Login’. Select that box, then choose your
username from the list directly beneath it.
Next time you restart your computer – and
indeed every time until you disable this
option – you’ll automatically be signed in as
this user.
Sharing files
Surprising as this might sound, the default
setting in Ubuntu allows any user to read the
files of any other user. This is done because
most multi-user machines today are shared
LXFS13.multi 64 15/4/08 16:02:29

Multiple accounts
than one account

Step by step: Add a new user
Go to admin mode: Click System > The user setting panel: This shows you Create a new user: From the User Settings
1 Administration > Users And Groups from the 2 the list of all accessible users on your 3 window, click the Add User button and this
top menu bar. This will ask you for your personal system. The “root” user is generally not used in screen will appear. You need to fill in the User
password before it lets you go any further, because Ubuntu, but you should also see your normal user Name, Real Name and Password fields. Don’t click
changing user information is for admins only. account in there. OK just yet!
User privileges: The second tab in this No place like home: The default home Done: Click OK to save all the changes, and
4 window shows the default settings for user 5 directory for a new user starts with /home 6 your new user will be created. When this is
privileges; you’ll note that they are allowed to do and ends with their username, but you can change done, you’ll be back at the User Settings window,
everything except “Administer The System”. If you that in the third tab of this window. which should show the new user.
want them to be admins, just select that box too.
Understanding groups: Click the Manage Log in: If you log out from your current Check privileges: We didn’t give our test
7 Groups button to see what user groups you 8 account, you’ll be returned to the login 9 user access to system administration tasks,
have. Groups let you grant filesystem permissions screen where you can try using your new user. This and this can be confirmed by going to System >
easily. is highly recommended to ensure the password Administration – you should notice that the list has
and privileges are correct. got a lot shorter.
LXFS13.multi 65 15/4/08 16:02:31

Multiple accounts
around a family, where it’s quite common to say “oh, you can any changes they make. Clicking the Folder Access selection
get that file from me – it’s in my home directory under box will reveal the other options. These are: None (deny all
Photos.” If users didn’t share permission to read files, it would access); List Files Only (show the names of files, but don’t
be very hard to copy files between users! Of course, if you allow the contents to be read); and Create And Delete Files
want your own files to be private from other users, this (allows full read and write access). That last option is great for
arrangement is no good, so let’s take a look at how you can making shared folders that everyone can read and save files
create files and folders that can be read only by you. to, but that’s the opposite of what we want here, so choose
First, fire up Nautilus by clicking Places > Home Folder from ‘None’ and click OK. That’s it: this folder is now accessible only
the top menu bar. Right-click somewhere in the window that to you!
appears and choose Create Folder – name it ‘Secret’. Now, like If you want to make all your files private, what you need to
the rest of your home directory, this is visible to everyone else do is go to Places > Home Folder, then look in the Nautilus
on the system, but we don’t want that, do we? So, right-click toolbar for where it says the name of your home directory. To
on the new directory and choose Properties, then activate the the left of that is a small arrow pointing left – click that, and a
Permissions tab. This has quite a few options on it, but the one “home” button will appear, and if you click that you’ll see your
we’re interested in is about two-thirds of the way down, under home directory appear as an icon inside Nautilus. Now you
The About Me
‘Others’. Here you can set what privileges other users (ie, not can right-click on that, go to Properties > Permissions and
window lets you
you) should have for this directory. change the permissions as if it were any other folder.
save user data
beyond a simple
The default access permissions for directories like this one
username and is ‘Access Files’, which means that users can see all the files in All about you
password. the directory and read their contents, but they can’t write back Once your users all have their own accounts, you should
quickly show them how to fill in a little bit of information about
themselves – this is particularly important if they are outside
of your home and you need to get in touch with them. In
Ubuntu, user information is all set through the About Me
window, found under System > Preferences > About Me – this
lets you enter your email address, phone numbers and instant
messaging account information, as well as your physical home
and work address if you want to. More importantly, it also lets
you change your password (click the button at the top-right of
the window) and set your own user picture (click the person to
the left of your username). Incidentally, all the options under
the System > Preferences menu are individual to each user,
which means they can have their own themes, sounds, menus,
screensavers and even their own screen resolution, all without
affecting other users.
One cool thing about Linux is that it lets multiple users log
into one machine at the same time, which is a great way to cut
down on energy use while also ensuring you get the most
value from your investment. If you want to stay logged in when
The login screen

The default login screen is, like the rest of Ubuntu, done in custom welcome message. This is all done under the Login
shades of brown. But it’s also configurable – you can change Window Preferences dialog, under System > Administration >
the theme, choose which users to show and even provide a Login Window.
Graphical themes: These have attractive Text themes: The ‘plain’ theme category You makes your choice: This is how the
1 pictures in the background, often with a 2 offers simpler login windows than the 3 Circles theme looks in full screen – notice
“face browser”. graphical themes, so the scope for customisation how it makes the Language and Session options
is smaller – change the odd colour, show a logo if easier to reach on the bottom, and also makes the
you want to, but generally “plain” means plain. login prompt a little easier to understand.
LXFS13.multi 66 15/4/08 16:02:36

Multiple accounts
The System Monitor can tell you which programs are taking
up your CPU time, and makes it easy for you to terminate them.
another person comes to use the computer, just click System

> Preferences > Quit and choose Switch User. This will put you
back to the main login screen where the other person can log
in as normal; when they are done, just log in as yourself again
and everything will be where you left it.
Of course, the problem with this is that sometimes you If any of your
users needs
leave a user logged in, then wonder why things are going a bit
helping logging
slow for your own programs – chances are that other user has
in, just enable
left something running in the background that’s chewing up a the accessible
lot of CPU time! If you find this happens to you, go to System > login option.
Administration > System Monitor, and choose the Processes
tab. By default this shows the programs you are running, but if
you go to View > Active Processes, it will only show you the
programs that are running right now. For example, if you find
out that one user is running the a particularly large program
that’s taking up too much CPU time, you can kill that program
by selecting it and choosing End Process. Easy! LXF
Login preferences
The Login Window Preferences dialog can also be used to have access to its files and programs as if it were actually the
enable and configure remote login, which is where another real machine.
Linux computer can graphically log into your machine and
Enable remote login: Choose the Remote Same as local: This option means that Using XDMCP: The remoting system is
1 tab from the Login Window Preferences 2 whatever login theme you chose for local 3 known as “XDMCP”, and you’ll usually find it
dialog, and you’ll see that the Style option is set to logins will be used for remote logins as well, which hidden away on your login screen somewhere.
“Remote login disabled.” Change that option to be means your system will look nearly identical Clicking this will scan the network for machines
“Same as local”. wherever you log in from. that can be logged into.
LXFS13.multi 67 15/4/08 16:02:39

Desktop effects
Compiz:
The 3D desktop
Chances are that if you’ve seen any Linux screenshots over the last year or two,
they’ll have shown a really cool spinning cube. Welcome to the world of Compiz…
O
ne of the best features on a modern Linux accelerated graphics hardware with a corresponding Linux
installation is the 3D desktop. This incorporates driver. Graphics cards that use chipsets by Intel, Nvidia or ATI
the desktop cube effects, wobbly windows, drop- should work, though the only way to see for sure is to try, and
shadows, and dozens of other effects. The the first step is to install the driver.
technology that drives all of this is called Compiz. This is If your graphics card is Intel-based, then Ubuntu has already
because these type of effects are knows as ‘compositing’, installed the best driver for your device. Both ATI and Nvidia
using hardware graphics acceleration on a modern graphics hardware needs a proprietary driver, as only this will provide
card to put all the pieces together and render them to the the necessary grunt. Proprietary drivers are installed by
desktop. But we before we go any further, a mild warning: selecting the Restricted Drivers Manager from Ubuntu’s
Compiz is considered cutting edge, and while most of us have Administration menu. You’ll need to enter your password,
been using it without problems for over a year, many users which will bring up a window listing all the hardware on your
report a few stability issues. Compiz is a little like an elaborate machine for which there’s a proprietary driver, with the usual
hack still being worked into most Linux distros and it can’t be suspects being wireless and graphics. If the option list is blank,
considered stable. If you need to use your Linux machine in a Ubuntu hasn’t been able to find a proprietary driver for your
production environment, Compiz will be sure to crash at the device. It’s worth trying Compiz anyway, but you may run into
worst possible time. For this reason, we can’t recommend it if problems. Otherwise, enable the accelerated graphics driver for
you rely on your machine to pay the mortgage. your device by clicking on the tick-box and wait for the driver to
install. You’ll also need to restart your machine, but after which
Installation your graphics driver will be updated and ready for Compiz.
Now that we’ve got that out the way, we can concentrate on
installing some serious eye candy. Compiz effects can easily Configuration
compete with Microsoft Vista’s tame Aero Glass effect, and Now that your graphics hardware is accelerated and working,
while Apple recently added the desktop cube effect to OS X you can easily get a rudimentary Compiz configuration
10.5, it didn’t add anything else. Compiz uses plugins to add working. Open the Preferences > Appearance window and
each separate effect, and with over two dozen plugins to switch to the ‘Desktop Effects’ tab. From here, you need to
choose from, it’s a melting pot of ideas, some more successful enable ‘Extra Effects’. Rudimentary in this sense means that
than others. But all require the same thing to be able to work – you’ll get some drop-shadow on windows and little else. This is
Step by step: Installing drivers
Driver manager The Restricted Driver Enable Driver Each restricted driver is listed Reboot check After a reboot, your
1 Manager needs to be launched from the 2 in the window, and you can enable the one 3 restricted drivers should be enabled. You’re
Administration menu – you’ll need your password you need by clicking the tick box. A confirmation now ready to play 3D games, as well as play with
handy to be able to run the application. window will open, the drivers will download, and Compiz effects. Get them working from the
you’ll need to restart your machine. Preferences > Appearance menu.
LXFS13.compiz 68 15/4/08 11:57:32

Desktop effects
Pressing cursor down within the Desktop Cube will lay out
each virtual desktop horizontally, and you can scroll between
them using cursor right and left.
the polite side to Compiz, a seriously crippled version that

doesn’t look too scary and shouldn’t make your machine
unstable. It’s also a good indication that everything is working
as it should. If your graphics hardware isn’t working, for
example, the only option you’ll have in the window is ‘None’.
The restricted driver installation may have even taken the feature largedesktop which is also provided by Desktop Cube.” The desktop cube
looks great, but it’s
liberty of enabling the extra effects automatically. But for real This message means that a feature of the plugin you’re
also a useful and
Compiz power, you need to install the grass-roots Compiz attempting to enable is already provided by a currently active
functional usability
configuration tool, and for that we need to open Synaptic from plugin. And both plugins are mutually exclusive. In this case, add-on, letting you
the Administration menu. ‘Desktop Wall’ is enabled and this also offers ‘large desktop’ visualise which
After you’ve got Synaptic running, you need to search for a functionality – the ability to switch between virtual desktops. desktop you’re on.
package called compizconfig. In the list of packages that This causes a conflict with the Desktop Cube, which does
present themselves, select the top option (compizconfig- exactly the same. This is why the warning window is asking
settings-manager). You’ll be asked for permission to install a you to enable one and disable the other, which it will do
related Python package, after which you should click on Apply. automatically when you select ‘Disable Desktop Wall’.
Synaptic will then grab the required packages and install them
on to your system automatically. You will now find an extra Desktop cube
configuration panel hidden in the ‘Preferences’ menu, labelled Now that the cube is enabled, you might think that’s all there is
‘Advanced Desktop Effects Settings’. This is the fabled Compiz to it. But Compiz has taken plugin modularity to extremes. You
configuration manager we’ve been after. can’t do anything useful with the cube without enabling the
Rotate Cube plugin. As its name implies, Rotate Cube is
Compiz Configuration Manager responsible for turning the cube around and making it useful.
The Compiz Configuration Manager is awkward to use. The Double-clicking on the plugin will let you change the keys or
main problem is that there are just too many options. You can shortcuts you use for switching desktops, but the default
change almost anything about anything – from which corner choices are good. Ctrl+Alt and the left and right arrow keys will
of the screen you use to launch an effect, to the number of switch desktops to the left or right. Using cursor down instead
virtual desktops you want to use. All settings are broken down will flatten the cube so that you can see each desktop in a line,
into categories, which you can see listed on the left of the main and you then use cursor left and right again to choose the
window. Clicking on a category will list all the available options desktop from that view. You can even use the middle mouse
in the main window to the right, with each option accompanied button to click and drag on the desktop background to freely
by an enabling check box. With the exception of the ‘General’ spin the cube in all three axes. Welcome to Compiz!
category, every other option represents a separate plugin,
from the desktop cube to the mouse cursor flames. It also
means that everything needs to be enabled explicitly, by
scrolling through the plugin list and enabling them one at a
time. To add to the fun, you can also double-click on any of the
plugins to find a few more pages of configuration options.
You should already find a few plugins enabled. These are
the rudimentary desktop effects we enabled earlier. But by
way of a brief introduction into the Compiz configuration
framework, we’ll step through the procedure for enabling the
desktop cube. The desktop cube can be used to quickly switch
To install
between each virtual desktop which are each pasted onto the
the Compiz
sides of the cube. If you have more than four desktops, the configuration
effect isn’t actually a cube, as it has as many sides as you have manager, you
desktops. The main plugin is called ‘Desktop Cube’, and this need to search for
can be found under the Desktop category. When you enable it, compizconfig in
you’ll see the following warning, “Plugin Desktop Wall provides Synaptic.
LXFS13.compiz 69 15/4/08 11:57:36

Desktop effects
Our favourite
Compiz plugins
With so many plugins to choose from, we thought we’d save you
some time by highlighting a few we can’t do without.
T
here are dozens of Compiz plugins, and thanks to
the rather dubious naming conventions used by the
Compiz Configuration Manager, it’s not at all easy to
divine what they’re supposed to do. It’s made worse
by their inaccurate categorisation, with things like a plugin for
adding caps onto the desktop cube found in the Utility
category. But don’t despair. Here’s a selection of the plugins
we think you should take a look at.
Eye candy
If you wondered why all our screenshots had a subtle
reflection on the floor of the rotating desktop cube, wonder no
longer. It’s the Cube Reflection effect, and this can be found
under the ‘Effects’ category. Opening the configuration window
for the effect will let you change the colour of the ground, near Many plugins have a bewildering array of options, but Rotate
and far, as well as the amount of reflection. There are also Cube is the worst offender.
several different reflection modes you can choose.
Another effect is ‘Wobbly Windows’. You’re either going to There are several other effects that are fun for a while, but
love it or hate it, and if you suffer from any kind of motion you’ll want to turn them off to get some work done. The
sickness, you’d best avoid the enable button. The Wobbly ‘Motion Blur’ plugin makes window movement look a little like
Window effect does just what it says, turning your windows an F1 Grand Prix, and it also takes a serious toll on your
Many plugins are into jelly. When you drag them across the desktop, inertia and graphics card. ‘Cube Gears’ places some cogs into the middle
useful, including
friction play a part in how they’re drawn. It either looks really of the desktop cube. ‘Water Effect’ and ‘Paint Fire on the
this one – the
cool or totally unusable, but you can tame the distortion a little screen’ add a crude approximation of those classical elements
Ring Switcher. It
lets you switch
by increasing the friction and reducing the spring from the to your desktop.
between running plugin’s options page. You should also look at the ‘Minimize’
applications using plugin. This gives you the option of changing the way a window Useful add-ons
a preview of the is reduced to the icon in your taskbar, and it features some Not all Compiz plugins are superficial. There are some that can
running window. excellent transitions. help your productivity. Top of our list is the ‘Enhanced Zoom
Desktop’ plugin (found under ‘Accessibility’). When enabled,
this gives you the ability to zoom into and out of any point on
the screen by holding down a certain key combination. By
default, you hold down the Windows key on your keyboard,
and use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the screen,
but this can be changed from the plugin options page.
This is a plugin that you’ll wonder how you ever managed
without. ‘Snapping Windows’ is another (found in ‘Window
Management’). This pulls on the edges of windows slightly to
make them stick to the side of the screen, or to other window.
It keeps your windows aligned and makes better use of your
screen real estate. The ‘Shift Switcher’, found in the same
category, rotates through the applications you’re running and
shows you a preview of each window. ‘Ring Switcher’ does a
similar thing, and they’re both useful if you’ve lost track of
something on a desktop. If you already know where the
application is hiding, ‘Window Previews’ in the Extras category
will show you what’s in the window when it’s minimised.
Finally, for plugins that are both functional and look good. Try
‘ADD Helper’ (Accessibility), which fades windows you’re not
using into the background; and ‘Opacify’, which lets you alter
the translucency of entire windows.
LXFS13.compiz 70 15/4/08 11:57:37

Desktop effects
Emerald theme
manager
Access dozens of separate themes using Emerald.
I
f you think that Compiz is overburdened with possibility, The options that load
with a wealth of options that make it hard to get your below the Frame Engine menu
desktop you want, then Emerald is the answer. It is a are particular to each engine,
simple interface to changing the appearance of your but most themes will let you
desktop. There’s no talk of plugins and categories in Emerald – change the colour of the
just click on the preview you like, and the display changes theme as well as the gradients used to fill in the window
accordingly. Themes have been created to ape many popular border. As you move each slider, the effects can be seen on The combination
desktops, but they’re easy enough to edit and create your own. your desktop in real time, so you can quickly tell whether you of Compiz
and Emerald
All of this is achieved through the manager. There’s a little like the modification or not. Switch to the ‘Frame/Shadow’ tab
gives Linux an
hoop jumping to get everything installed, and you need to type in the Edit Themes window and you can change some of the
unbeatable
a single line on the command line to be able to install the most more general options attached to a theme. The most obvious desktop.
useful themes, but it’s definitely worth the effort. is the shadow. By default, most themes keep the shadow
effect at a subtle distance. But changing the opacity, as well as
Create your own the radius of the shadow, can make it more obvious in quite a
After installing the themes (see our walkthrough), you’ll find a pleasing way. You can also alter the X and Y axes to change the
preview for each listed in the ‘Themes’ tab when you first direction in which the shadow falls relative to the window.
launch the Emerald Theme Manager from the ‘System >
Preferences’ menu. Clicking on any of them will apply the Save your theme
theme to the windows on your desktop. Compiz is being used Most importantly, you need to remember to save your
in the background to add transparency, reflections, blur changes. You can do this from any of the Edit Themes pages
effects, refraction and the shadows. These effects are handled by typing a name into the bottom field and clicking the ‘Save’
by something called a frame engine, and you can see which button. This will add your new theme with your own
one each theme is using by switching to the ‘Edit Themes’ tab. modifications to the Themes list on the first page, and change
Just switching between frame engines can alter the the theme description. This is accomplished from the ‘Theme’
appearance of your desktop. The ‘truglass’ engine, for page, from where you can add yourself as the author, as well
instance, gives the impression of a reflective see-through as give your theme a name and a version number. You can also
desktop, while ‘Oxygen’ is what you should choose if you want attach a screenshot of your theme that’s used to preview its
a theme that looks a little like Microsoft’s Aero theme. appearance in the Themes page. LXF
Step by step: Install Emerald
Emerald, like everything else in Ubuntu, is You will now see a new addition to the With the connection to the theme repository
1 installed through the Synaptic package 2 System > Preferences menu. Click on 3 authenticated, we can now download some
manager. You need to look for and install the Emerald to launch the application. By default there themes. From the Repositories page, click on both
following packages: emerald, gnome-compiz- are no themes, and before we can get them, we the ‘Fetch’ buttons to download the latest themes
manager and subversion. The last one is a need to add the repositories security certificate. into the manager. When this has completed, you
developer’s tool we’re going to use to download Open a Terminal and type the command at the will find them listed in the ‘Themes’ tab, and you
themes. You also need to make sure the Compiz bottom of the Theme Settings > Repositories page. can enable them with a double click. After which,
‘Windows Decorations’ plugin is enabled. Press P to add the certificate permanently. you should have a shiny new desktop theme!
LXFS13.compiz 71 15/4/08 11:57:38

Extras
Codecs and extras

Convert your Linux installation into a multimedia powerhouse, and add extras for
a better internet experience.
O
ut of the box, Ubuntu Linux provides a fine
computing experience for general internet and
office jobs. However, it’s missing a handful of
features to make it an all-round desktop OS – but
we can soon fix that. Why is it missing these? Well, Ubuntu
Linux is a free operating system, built with components that
anybody can modify and share. Consequently it doesn’t
include software packages which are non-redistributable or
commercially limited, such as Adobe Flash Player. This is a bit
annoying at first, as you’ll have seen if you’ve tried to go
YouTubing, but it doesn’t take long to rectify.
Another aspect to this is multimedia playback.
Unfortunately, many of the codecs (file format reading
programs) which we use on a day-to-day basis are
encumbered with copyright and software patent issues. To
avoid getting on the wrong side of media companies, Ubuntu
Linux (and the DVD with this magazine) doesn’t include MP3
and DVD playback as standard, but again, these facilities are to add support to play back DVDs, here’s what you need to do
just a few mouse clicks and commands away. Over the next (internet connection required).
few pages we’ll show you how to spruce up your Linux First, open a command-line window by clicking
machine so that it plays all the media you use every day. Applications, Accessories and Terminal. Don’t worry – we’re
not going to do anything complicated! In fact, it’s easiest this
Playing video DVDs way, instead of faffing around in the Synaptic package
As mentioned before, DVD playback support is hindered on manager. Enter this command exactly (it’s case-sensitive):
Ubuntu Linux straight after installation. There are various sudo apt-get install libdvdread3
VLC is arguably
issues with copyright and software patents surrounding the You will be prompted to enter your password; then the
the best media technology to decode encrypted video DVDs (that is, nigh on libdvdread3 package, which provides access to encrypted
player in the world, every video DVD around), so the Ubuntu Linux team errs on DVDs, will be downloaded and installed. The whole process will
and it handles the side of caution and doesn’t include it. However, if you want take a minute or two. Next we need to enter a second
DVDs with ease. command to activate the decoder:
sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/install-css.sh
Lastly, we want to install the VLC media
player, an excellent program that’s much
better than the default Totem media player
for watching DVDs. Enter:
sudo apt-get install vlc
This will download about 7MB of files, so
you’ll have to be patient if you’re on a slow
connection. When it’s done, you can enter a
movie DVD, and close Totem if it
automatically appears. Then click on the
Applications menu, and go to Sound & Video
> VLC Media Player. Click the Play button at
the top, which will open a dialog box to
choose the movie you want to play. Click on
the Disc tab at the top of the window, then
click on OK.
All being well, you’ll now be able to watch
your film! Any time you want to watch a
movie in future, follow the same process:
launch VLC, click the Play button, open the
disc and you’re off. Also note that VLC is
capable of playing many other types of video
file, so if you have problems loading anything
in Totem, give it a go.
LXFS13.codecs 72 15/4/08 11:57:21

Extras
Step by step: Add Adobe Flash support
Packages: Click the System menu, then Administration and Synaptic Search: Click on Search at the top, then look for the package called
1 Package manager. You may be prompted to enter your password. 2 flashplayer-nonfree. It will appear in the main window list – click the
checkbox next to it, then Apply at the top.
Download: The Adobe Flash Player will be downloaded from the Finish: And you’re done! Start Firefox and hop over to YouTube to
3 internet and installed, the whole process taking around a minute on a 4 confirm that the installation has worked – you should be able to view
fast (DSL) connection. Flash content around the web now.
LXFS13.codecs 73 15/4/08 11:57:23

Extras
Java and RealPlayer Tweaking your Ubuntu Linux system

These programs are very easy to install. Click Applications > No doubt you’ve already explored the System menu on your
Accessories > Terminal, and enter the following command to Ubuntu Linux installation, and have discovered the various
get the Java plugin for Firefox, so you can view Java applets on settings and options you can change. However, there are other
websites: aspects of the desktop and operating system that you can
sudo apt-get install sun-java6-plugin fine-tune – these aren’t accessible to normal users by default,
You may be prompted for your password. This is a fairly hefty but with an extra download they become available.
download (34MB), so if you’re on a dial-up connection you’ll Open a terminal window and enter:
need to leave it for a few hours. After the download has wget http://ubuntu-tweak.googlecode.com/files/ubuntu-tweak_
finished, you’ll be prompted to view the licence, so read 0.2.6-1~ppa1_all.deb
through it and press Tab then Enter to proceed. You’ll then be This downloads the Ubuntu Tweak program from the project’s
asked to confirm your choice – press the left cursor key and website. If you receive an error, it means that a newer version
Enter again. of the program is available, in which case you should open
Once the installation has completed, you can purge Firefox, browse to http://ubuntu-tweak.googlecode.com
the downloaded packages by entering sudo apt-get clean. and grab the latest Deb package for Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy). Save
Now start Firefox and browse to a site with Java (such as the Deb file into your home directory.
www.javatester.org) and check that the installation works. Then enter:
For RealPlayer, open a terminal again and enter: sudo dpkg -i ubuntu-tweak_0.2.6-1~ppa1_all.deb
sudo apt-get install mozilla-helix-player (If you downloaded a newer version, change the filename
This download is approximately 4MB. After installation, you accordingly.) Once it is installed, click Applications > System
should be able to restart Firefox and view RealMedia content Tools > Ubuntu Tweak to start it up. You’ll notice a tree
on websites – or you can run a standalone player by clicking structure of icons down the left-hand side, separating the
Applications > Sound & Video > Helix Player. (If you’re customisations you can make into categories. Click on the
wondering about the name, Helix is an open source project triangles next to the icons to expand these categories into
from RealNetworks.) sub-categories.
Helix Player
lets you view
RealMedia content,
either embedded
into web pages
or as standalone
streams.
LXFS13.codecs 74 15/4/08 11:57:25

Extras
Note that many of these options make significant changes

to the way your operating system work, so if you have any
doubts or confusion about any of the options, just steer clear
of them. Here’s a list of things to look at:
1 Computer This just provides information on your machine
– there’s nothing you can change here. However, it’s useful if

you’re having problems and want to provide plenty of
feedback in a forum post.
2 Startup In the Auto Start section you can disable programs
from running when the GUI starts loading. Some of these are
essential for the desktop to function correctly, but you can
disable Print Queue if you don’t use a printer, Power Manager
if you’re on a desktop machine and have no interest in power
saving, and Evolution Alarm Notifier if you don’t plan to run the
Evolution mail client. Disabling these will speed up your boot
time by a few seconds.
3 Desktop Via the Desktop Icon subcategory, you can add
Computer, Home and Trash icons to the desktop. You’ll already

have noticed that Ubuntu Linux’s desktop is empty by default,
so if you prefer to have these regulars around (as in Windows),
then you can enable them here. The icons will take a few
seconds to appear after you’ve clicked the checkboxes. Helix Player
lets you view
4 System This is all about power management. If you’re on a 5 Security These options are for system administrators who RealMedia content,
either embedded
laptop, you can customise ‘CPU Policy’ – that is, how fast your want to lock down a machine. If you’re installing Linux for
into web pages
processor runs when you’re on battery or mains power. You someone else, and don’t want them to accidentally run random
or as standalone
can also disable Hibernation and Suspend here if they’ve been programs or print out 999 copies of a web page by mistake, streams.
giving you problems. you can disable various features here. LXF
Adding MP3/WMV support

Ubuntu Linux enables you to add
support for MP3 playback almost
automatically. Find an MP3 file in
the file manager and double-click
it; Totem will open up, explain that
it can’t find the right codec to play
it, and offer to search for one. So
click Search, and Linux will do a
quick search of the internet for the
relevant codecs. It will then pop up
a dialog box offering you a list of
packages to install – you need the
one called GStreamer extra
plugins, but you can install others
as well (eg the ffmpeg plugin to
play Windows Media files).
Click the checkboxes next to the
packages you want, and then the
Install button. You may be
prompted to enter your password
as a security measure. The
installation process will take
around a minute, and when it’s
done, you will now be able to play
MP3s (and Windows Media files if
you chose to).
If you have an internet connection, getting MP3 playback support is just a few mouse clicks away.
LXFS13.codecs 75 15/4/08 11:57:26

Rip your CDs
Ripping your
music collection
You’ll learn how to import your CD collection into Ubuntu by following this tutorial.
A
re you plagued by a seemingly endless library of You’ll also learn a little about the different codecs (audio
music CDs? Perhaps that mission to buy every formats) on offer, as well as how to add support for the MP3
single album by U2 has pushed your CD collection format to Ubuntu.
up into the several hundred mark? Ever stuck for If you are planning on doing a wholesale rip of all your CDs
what to listen to? If the answer is yes to any of these, it’s in your collection, you’re going to want to have as much
probably a good idea to spend time ripping all of your CDs into hardware resources as possible. First and foremost you should
a virtual library, one that will help you manage and search have a CD drive with a decent read speed – somewhere in the
through your myriad of CDs and albums. 48x-52x area is ideal in order to rip the CD as quickly as
Doing this with Ubuntu is a breeze, mainly thanks to its possible. You’ll never see that speed while you’re ripping with
support for audio formats and the tools supplied out of the Sound Juicer, as it also needs to be able to encode the audio
box to get you started. Not only that, but you can even create information into what ever format you’ve chosen. In order to
your own compilation CDs for those long car journeys. ensure that this happens as quickly and as efficiently as
It’s likely that you’ve already experimented with extracting possible, it’s best to use a pretty beefy machine. While writing
music from your CDs (more commonly known as ripping) but this article, we used a Pentium 4 3.4 GHz computer with a
haven’t done much with the end result. We’ll take a look at the 48x speed CD drive; the fastest we could rip at was 17–18
tools you can use to extract the music from CDs, as well as times the speed of the audio track, which takes around 3
some of the programs that are available to help you manage minutes for standard 70-minute audio CD. With a more
your virtual library of music. We’ll also take a look at creating modern computer such as a Core 2 Duo, we’d expect this
your own CDs from tracks that you’ve ripped, helping you to speed to increase slightly in line with the performance
build your own personalised Greatest Hits album. enhancement gained from the new processor.
Step by step: Rip your CDs with Sound Juicer
By default Ubuntu comes with Sound Juicer, a neat GUI tool that allows A quicker way to get to Sound Juicer is to simply insert an audio CD
1 you to quickly rip the music from your CDs. To get started, go to 2 into your CD/DVD drive. Ubuntu will start Sound Juicer when it detects
Applications > Sound & Video and choose Sound Juicer CD Extractor. the presence of a music CD. In any case, Sound Juicer will automatically try to
retrieve the CD information from MusicBrainz, a free music database.
LXFS13.media 76 15/4/08 12:44:42

Rip your CDs
The need for speed

Tweak your setting to make the job much faster
In order to speed things up a little, you might want to set Sound Another thing that you can do is to place all your music files on
Juicer to automatically eject the disc when it has completed. That a network drive, and allow all your client machines in your home to
way you can simply switch the ripped CD for a new one, and click have access to them, meaning that you’ll have music where ever
on Extract again to carry on ripping. The only boring bit is getting you have a computer in your household. Just bear in mind that
all your CDs into your virtual library, which can also include sharing your ripped music files with other people can constitute
assigning the CDs to a genre to aid your music management. It’s piracy! Why not consider heading on over to www.jamendo.org
worthwhile getting it right from the start, otherwise you’re going to and downloading some music licensed under a sharing-friendly
have to go back and make retrospective changes. Once you’ve license such as the Creative Commons licence. That way you can
done it though, your entire CD collection will be on tap via Ubuntu share your music with whoever you like, subject to the terms of the
and you will be able to master your own music CDs using the specific licence used by the artist. And, of course, if you like the
Serpentine recording software. music why not donate a small amount of money to say thanks?
MusicBrainz isn’t perfect, and it may not recognise the CD that you’ve The next step is to set the options for ripping, including the type of
3 inserted. If this is the case, you’ll need to enter the data into Sound 4 audio codec to use, so go to Edit > Preferences to see what’s on offer. If
Juicer. Use the fields at the top to provide general information for the album, you have multiple CD drives, you can select which one you want to use for
while you can double-click on each of the track titles to edit the name. ripping. You can also choose the codec in this screen.
Once you’ve set your preferences, click on the Close button to return to By default, Sound Juicer saves all your ripped files into sub-directories of
5 Sound Juicer. You’re now ready to start extracting the music, so click 6 the Music directory. They’re grouped according to artist, and then
the Extract button to begin this process. Depending on the speed of your grouped by album name. Don’t worry too much about this, as we’re going to
drive, this can take up to fifteen minutes to complete. be using a program to manage your music based on its metadata.
LXFS13.media 77 15/4/08 12:44:48

Step by step: Manage music with RhythmBox
The default music player supplied with Ubuntu is RhythmBox, which is When ripping CDs, you will need to edit some of RhythmBox’s
1 more than capable of playing back your music. RhythmBox can also 2 preferences, so go to Edit > Preferences and click on the Music tab.
import your CDs, although it acts as a wrapper to Sound Juicer, meaning that Tick the ‘Watch my library for new files’ check box, and select your preferred
it uses Sound Juicer to import the CDs into your library. format, clicking close to return to RhythmBox.
To start the import of your CD, simply right-click on the CD in the By default RhythmBox shows the Browse view, which allows you to
3 devices section of the left-hand pane and select Copy to Library. 4 quickly isolate tracks based on artist and/or album. The number in
RhythmBox will then start importing your CD into the music directory and will brackets after the each artist or album is the number of tracks that are
automatically add the new tracks to its music database. assigned to that specific entry.
The quicker way to find the music you want is to enter keywords in the One of the more useful features of RhythmBox is its ability to create
5 search box. RhythmBox will automatically filter the track list according 6 automatic playlists, found under Music > Playlist > New Automatic
to your search terms, making it an easy way to narrow down a long track list to Playlist. With this, you can specify a number of criteria, and RhythmBox will
what you want to listen to. create a playlist that contains all the qualifying tracks.
LXFS13.media 78 15/4/08 12:44:52

Step by step: Banshee and Synaptic
One of the other popular music players for Ubuntu is Banshee, which is Banshee is a lightweight music player that allows you to use the
1 not installed by default. To get Banshee, go to Applications > Add/ 2 metadata embedded in your ripped files to search and group music
Remove and search for Banshee. Add/Remove Applications will also together. In common with RhythmBox, you can create smart playlists allowing
automatically install any other software that Banshee requires. you to easily group multiple tracks into a playlist according to your criteria.
To rip your CDs using Banshee, you’ll need to set your encoding Ubuntu includes a dedicated Audio CD creator called Serpentine, found
3 preferences, by going to Edit > Preferences and choosing your preferred 4 under Applications > Sound & Video. There are other CD-burning apps,
codec. Once you’re ready, you can right-click the CD icon in the left-hand pane but we’d recommend that you use Serpentine mainly because it shows you
and choose the Import option. exactly how full your CD will be as you add music files.
Click on the Add button to open up the file manager and navigate to You can drag and drop the tracks to re-arrange the order in which they
5 your first music file to add to your new CD. Select one or more files to 6 will appear on the disc. Once you’re happy with your tracklist, you can
add, and click the Open button to add them to your track listing. Serpentine click the Write To Disc button in the toolbar to commence burning your music
will show you the amount of time you have remaining on your CD. to an audio CD. LXF
LXFS13.media 79 15/4/08 12:44:57

Disc burning
Burning CDs and

Want to back up your documents or copy files for a friend? Here are the simple
steps you need to follow...
M
aking regular backups is something we all intend When it’s done, you’ll find Brasero in the Applications menu
to do, but sometimes we forget or we’re simply under the Sound & Video category. Brasero initially displays a
too busy with other things. However, it’s still a window letting you choose the type of disc to create: in our
wise idea to keep crucial documents safely case, we want a ‘Data Project’ disc, so click on that button. You
stored on CD-Rs or DVD-Rs for emergencies – in case can then drag files into the Brasero window, change the type of
something goes wrong with your hard drive, or your laptop is disc with the bottom-left button, and click on Burn to start the
stolen. With the right backups, you can get back on your feet disc-writing process. Brasero lets you add files on to existing
quickly and easily (financial hassles aside!). CD-RW/DVD-RW discs, and shows a useful bar chart of how
Of course, disc burning isn’t just limited to backups. Often much disc space is remaining, so it’s a good alternative to the
you’ll want to make a CD-R or DVD-R of files to give to a friend standard Linux tools.
or colleague, such as work-related documents or family
photos. Ubuntu Linux makes this easy: disc burning support is
built right into the system, so you don’t have to splash out on
expensive third-party software or wrestle with time-limited
shareware tools. On page 76’s guide you’ve seen how to burn
discs for media files; here we’ll show you how to back up any
kind of data. Naturally, your PC will need some form of disc
burner, internal or external, if you’re going to follow this guide.
Going further
The disc burning software supplied with Ubuntu Linux, as
explained in these steps, is very straightforward and light on
features. If you want more versatility and power, though, we
recommend installing a program called Brasero, which is
available via Ubuntu Linux’s online package repositories. Click
on System Menu > Administration > Synaptic Package
Manager, then search for ‘brasero’ and install it. The package
will be downloaded from the internet and installed on to your
system. With a fast (ADSL) internet connection, this shouldn’t If you find the file manager-based system too limiting,
take more than a couple of minutes. Brasero provides a more featureful disc burning tool.
Step by step: Burning a CD-R or DVD-R
From the desktop, click on the Places menu at the top of the screen, This window will open: it’s a blank file manager window into which you
1 then click on CD/DVD Creator in the menu. 2 can drag and drop files to be copied to the disc.
LXFS13.discburn 80 14/4/08 19:48:38

Disc burning
DVDs
Now open another file browser window (such as Places Menu > Home Select files or documents and drag them over into the CD/DVD
3 Folder), and resize the windows so that you can drag files over. 4 Creator window – they will be copied, not moved, so you don’t have to
worry about losing the contents.
Insert a blank CD/DVD, then Click on the Write To Disc button in the Your files will be copied to the CD/DVD: this may take a while if you’re
5 top-right of the CD/DVD Creator window and this dialog will appear. 6 copying many hundreds of megabytes (this is the appropriate time to
You can select the write speed at the bottom. put the kettle on). When it’s finished, you can eject the disc.
If you don’t have a blank CD/DVD to hand, you can make an ISO You’ll then be prompted to enter a filename for the disc image. Later,
7 image (a file representing a disc) for later burning. Click on Write To 8 when you have a CD/DVD to hand, you can right-click on the ISO file
Disc and choose File image in the ‘Write Disc To’ list. in the file manager and select Write To Disc. LXF
LXFS13.discburn 81 14/4/08 19:48:43

Make a compilation CD
Burn an audio CD
and make a track inlay
Use the combined power of Linux apps to add some life to your party mixes.
E
ven though you may have a lot of music on your journey. In any case, it is not so difficult to mix up your
computer, tucked away on your iPod or elsewhere, favourite audio on to a CD using Linux.
there are still times when it is useful to have them in In this tutorial, we will be taking it a step further by showing
the universal format of the audio compact disc. you how to also create an inlay card for a CD case, and using
Maybe you are going to the beach, and would rather take a some clever tricks, we can even generate the track listing
semi-disposable ghetto blaster than risk getting sand in your automatically! You will need to have Inkscape and K3b
sleek MP3 player, or maybe you need a CD for a long car installed for this tutorial.
Exploring the K3b interface

Tools for converting and creating Current directory – click Filter the files in the current
different discs. for history. directory by type.
Directory tree panel.
Click the Burn button

when you are ready to
toast a disc!
Track listings with tag

info, if available.
The status bar shows how much of Select a track and click to check for Listing of the available
the disc you have filled. MusicBrainz data. audio files.
LXFS13.inlays 82 15/4/08 18:02:47

Step by step: Burn an audio CD
We’re going to start with the OGG files that you’ve ripped on to your K3b is currently the best all-round disc burning software for Linux. It
1 machine. Most people agree it reproduces a better sound, and the file 2 can handle a variety of different formats, supports plugins for adding
sizes are much smaller than mp3 files. If you do have mp3s, use the extra functionality or filetype support, and perhaps most importantly of all, it
OggConvert tool to translate them into OGG files. is pretty easy to use (see p100 to learn how to get K3b with Synaptic).
Adding tracks to your disc is pretty easy. The top half of the K3b window To add the music tracks to your burn list, click on them and drag them
3 is split into two parts. On the left is a directory tree with folders from 4 down to the lower half of the window. When you release the button over
your local filesystem. The contents of the currently selected directory appears the lower part of the window there will be a short pause as the files are
in the larger area of the window. scanned and the tag data is extracted.
When you add tracks, the status bar along the bottom will start to fill Select the Burn button from the tab at the top of the lower panel, and
5 with green. This indicates the amount of space on the CD you are using 6 the disc-burning window will pop up. You could just go with the defaults,
– if it goes red, you have added too much music and you will have to remove but if you select the ‘Create Image’ option you’ll create the image on your hard
some. K3b is smart enough to make allowances for >650MB discs if you have drive first, which may be useful if the burn fails and you have to try again.
them, though old CD players may have trouble with them.
LXFS13.inlays 83 15/4/08 18:02:48

Step by step: Design your inlay card
Now we have a list of the tracks in K3b, but how do we extract that? Go to Applications > Graphics and choose Inkscape from the list. The
1 Well, you can either just type it in again, which is a pain, or you can do 2 program will open up and create a default document, which will be A4-
something a bit tricky. K3b doesn’t have a plugin to export track listings, but sized. We could just draw on the bit we want, but it’s much better to make the
there is a simple console script we can type in to get this information. If you’re document the correct size to begin with. From the menu, choose File >
feeling brave (and there’s really nothing to be scared of) open a terminal and Document properties. Now we can tap in the size that we want. If you have
type: some pre-made inlays, the size may vary – you can always measure your CD
for ((x=1; x<=`dcop k3b K3bProject-0 trackCount`;x++)); do echo “$x. “`dcop case. The most common size is 117.5mm squared, so enter these numbers
k3b K3bProject-0 trackArtist $x`” - “`dcop k3b K3bProject-0 trackTitle $x` >> and make sure to select millimetres from the pop-up menu of unit types in
tracklist.txt; done the right of the box.
If you missed out the script part earlier on, you can skip on to the next It would be nice to have some sort of background to the image. Use the
3 stage here as well. We have the text in a file, but it can be tricky to import 4 square tool and drag out an area slightly bigger than the document. It
a text file correctly into Inkscape on Ubuntu. The next best thing is to copy and will just be filled with the default options, so most likely it will come out black.
paste it from some other application. Select Applications > Accessories > Text You can play around with this easily though. Press Control+Shift+F to bring up
Editor to run a simple text editor. When the program runs, Click on the Open the Fill and Stroke settings. Under Fill, you can choose a gradient fill, and edit
button and select the tracklist.txt file from the file requestor. The text should the settings to create a nice swooshy shade of your choice. You could also use
load in as shown in the picture, giving us a perfect track listing for the CD. To File > Import to import a bitmap graphic or photograph to use as the
get it into Inkscape, we just have to copy and paste it. Select all the text background image. The colours may be a bit strong for the tracklist to show
(Control+A) and then copy it (Control+C). The text is now in the clipboard, through, but we will fix that in the next step.
ready to be placed into Inkscape.
LXFS13.inlays 84 15/4/08 18:02:51

If we want to have black text for our track listings, it would be better to Now choose the text tool from the right-hand panel and drag out
5 have a light background. We can do this with a semi-transparent 6 another rectangle inside the panel you just created. This will hold the
overlay in Inkscape. Drag out another, smaller square. In our example we have text from our track listing. If you copied it from the text editor earlier, you can
rounded the corners. You can do this by dragging the circle in the top-right of just do Control+V to paste it in, otherwise you will need to type it out. Don’t
the box you drew, or entering values in the Rx and Ry boxes in the toolbar. With worry about the font and size until you have entered it all. When you’re done,
the rounded square selected, we can go back to the Fill and Stroke settings. click on the T icon in the top toolbar. This opens up the window for changing
This time we will make both solid white (R,G and B values of 255), but set the text – choose a font and size you like, or go crazy and use different fonts for
A value to 120. This makes the whole object semi-transparent. You could set each line if you like! When you are done, press Control+S to save the file and
the Stroke value to a higher number to give a border effect. then choose File > Print to print it out. LXF
Exploring the Inkscape interface

Use these buttons to open The magnify buttons quickly The Font and Style button is
and save files. switch between zoom levels. used to change text styles.
The pointer tool is used for

selecting, moving and
resizing objects.
You can use layers to organise Click here to pick a colour for
The text tool adds a text area object to
complicated objects. the object.
your drawing.
LXFS13.inlays 85 15/4/08 18:02:54

Instant messaging
Instant messaging
Communication is an integral part of the computer desktop, and Linux has
some of the best applications in this class to choose from.
W
ith more of us staying online for longer, and
Quick tip persistent always-on internet connections
becoming increasingly common, instant
For MSN, point your messaging and online personal communication
browser at: has become an essential desktop tool. Fortunately, Linux is
https://
accountservices.
well catered for by messaging software, especially if you’re
passport.net/ used to the advertisement-crippled, costly and unfriendly
ppnetworkhome.srf messenger clients you typically find on Microsoft Windows.
For AOL, point your You’ll find that you can do everything you’re used to with the
browser at:
Linux versions of the software you’re used to. And you’ll find
https://
my.screenname. that you can still chat to people who choose to keep to their
aol.com old operating system ways, bridging the divide between open
source and proprietary software.
Pidgin
The default instant messaging client for the Ubuntu desktop is
called Pidgin. It’s better than it sounds. Pidgin is capable of
You’ll need to create an account for AOL’s instant messenger
communicating with all the main messaging services at the
and MSN Live using another client or the web interface. You
same time. This means that if you’ve got an account to use can’t do it from within Pidgin.
AOL Instant Messenger and an account to use Microsoft MSN
messenger, you’ll be able to use both from the same client
transparently. You can’t do that with either of those clients on Start Pidgin from the Applications > Internet menu. The first
the Windows platform, and Pidgin can communicate with time you do this, you’ll be guided through a simple wizard that
plenty of other protocols too, including ICQ, Yahoo, Google Talk, will get you up and running. Click on the ‘Add’ button to add a
Pidgin can
Bonjour and IRC, all concurrently. It manages this because the new account. To Pidgin, each messenger protocol is a new
communicate
with nearly every
developers behind Pidgin worked out how each client talks to account. If you want to use MSN and AOL at the same time,
other messaging one another, and have created their own library that brings all you’ll need to create two accounts. Just choose the account
protocol, bringing this functionality into one place. As a result, the Pidgin library is you want to add from the drop-down protocol list. The one
all your contacts now used by several other high-profile instant messenger thing that Pidgin can’t do reliably from the main window is
from these applications on both Microsoft Windows and Apple’s OS X. As create accounts for each protocol if you don’t already have one.
services into Pidgin is open source, there’s nothing to stop any other open With MSN, for instance, you can only add your login details –
one place – the source developers using this library freely. you can’t create a new account. The only way around this
Buddies List. problem is to either use the native version of the messenger
protocol you want to use to create a new account, or use the
website of the messenger protocol if it has the facility to create
an account. Both AOL and MSN offer this as an option.
Getting started
When you have the data you need – which is normally just a
username and passsword – enter those details into the Add
Account window. In Pidgin terminology, ‘screen name’ is the
username you use to log in to your account, while the alias is
the name you want your contacts to see after you’ve
connected. After clicking OK, Pidgin will attempt to make a
connection to your account provider. A few moments later, you
should see your list of contacts appear in the main window
and you’re ready to chat. If you don’t see any of your contacts
in the Buddy List window, you either haven’t made any friends
yet, or none of your friends are online. By default, the Buddy
List will only show friends that are currently connected to the
network, hiding your offline contacts from view. If you want to
make sure your contacts are registered, enable ‘Show Offline
Buddies’ in the Buddies menu. That menu can also help you
change the order of your buddies if you have too many to be
easily manageable.
LXFS13.chat 86 15/4/08 11:57:04

Instant messaging
Changing your status is a nice way to keep your contacts up You can change which set of emoticons are used from the
to date with what you’re up to without getting drawn in to a Preferences window, and Pidgin can also download your
time-consuming conversation. contact’s custom emoticons when they use them.
All you need to do to initiate a chat is double click on one of add buddies, you need to know their messenger ID for the
your contacts. After doing so, the messenger window will protocol you’re both using. If you’d like to see which protocol
open, and it’s from here that you can chat and see your everyone is connected to all the time, just select ‘Protocol
contact’s messages. If you’ve used an instant messenger Icons’ from the File > Show menu.
client before, this should feel familiar, and there really isn’t all
that much to it. You type in the lower area and the message Status messages
history scrolls through the top area. You can add smiley You can see your current status in the drop-down list at the
characters to your conversation (known as emoticons) using bottom of the buddies window. Most of the time it’s ‘Available’,
either the insert button, or the key combination if you happen but you an also change this from the same list. ‘Invisible’ is a
to know it. Pidgin will also interpret emoticons used by your useful choice, for example, because it enables you to see
buddy, and you’ll see the images for those embedded within which contacts are online without them seeing you. Another
the conversation window. When you receive a message, the important aspect to status messages is leaving your computer
window will flash as a notification, as will the tiny Pidgin icon in unattended. By default, Pidgin will wait a set period of time
your toolbar. If you’ve got speakers connected to your Linux (configured in preferences) when there’s no activity on your
box, you’ll also hear a jingle, and sound options can be computer and change your status to ‘Away’. Your contacts will
changed from the Preferences window by switching to the then see this as your current status, and most messenger
‘Sounds’ tab. clients will also fade out your name in the contact list. But you
can be more imaginative, and change your away message to
Tyop alert! something else. Many people like to say what they’re doing,
While typing your replies, misspelt words have a red and while you don’t have to be quite so zealous, a small
underscore, and you can see the suggested correction by message can be useful if someone is waiting to contact you.
right-clicking on the offending work.
With most protocols you can also
format your conversation using the font
button. You can change your font by Google Talk
selecting the ‘Font Face’ option, but you
can also change the appearance of If you use Google’s email service, GMail, you will have
general text by selecting bold, italics, come across Google Talk. It’s the integrated messaging
client you can use from your browser while you’re
underline or strikethrough, as well as
checking email. But it’s also possible to connect to the
change the colour.
Google Talk network with Pidgin. The only problem is
If you’re connected to more than one that some of the settings in the default Google Talk
account at the same time, contacts for configuration are wrong. To get it working, open the
each account are silently added to the Accounts window (Accounts > Add/Edit menu), click
buddies list. Pidgin keeps the protocol on ‘Add’ and select the ‘Google Talk’ protocol from the
each contact is using hidden simply to drop-down list. In the Screen Name field, enter your
keep the user interface clear. It GMail username without the @gmail.com or
shouldn’t make any difference to @googlemail.com part. For the domain field, enter the
conversations, as most of the major gmail.com or googlemail.com part of your username
and switch to the Advanced tab. On this page you need
protocols share the same core
to enable the top option (Force old (port 5223) SSL), Google Talk works well with Pidgin – you just
functionality such as sharing files and
and change the port to 5223 for good measure. The have to connect to the server manually.
the use of emoticons. The only way you connect server field should also contain talk.google.
can tell which protocol each contact is com. When you save the options, you’ll be asked for Google Talk without further hassle. One thing to be
using is by holding the mouse over your your password (unless you entered one into the wary of is that if you log messages in GMail, these will
buddy and reading the information from password field), and you will find that you connect to still be logged even if you’re using Pidgin.
the window that pops up. If you want to
LXFS13.chat 87 15/4/08 11:57:07

Instant messaging
Customising Pidgin
Now that you’ve got Pidgin working, it’s time to make it feel more like home.
T
here is a lot you can do to customise the Pidgin
Quick tip environment, but the first thing you should do is
create an avatar for yourself. An avatar is an online
Buddy Pounce, found in representation of someone’s real-world character.
the tool menu, will send
These are seldom serious, and most people change them
a message to a contact
as soon as they appear often to reflect their mood, adding some much-needed
online. character to a world of text. It’s easy to create your own. First
find an image you want to use – it needs to be square, and you
might want to trim it slightly, as Pidgin offers no scaling
options other than resizing. When you’ve found an image, click
on the small icon in the bottom-right of the buddies list. This
will open a file requester from where you can navigate to your
image. After it’s selected, Pidgin will resize the image. Most
protocols only use small images of 64x64 pixels, so your
image needs to be easy to see. You can see it has replaced the
original icon in the bottom-right of the buddies list, and it’s this
image that people will see when they chat to you.
There are loads of plugins to choose from – our favourite
translates one language to another in real time.
Plugins
The best way to add things to Pidgin is through its wonderful
plugin system. If you’ve not come across plugins before, Buddy ticker If the vertical Buddies List takes up too much
they’re separate modules that can be enabled to add room, try the Buddy Ticker. It creates a sideways scrolling
functionality to an application. They’re left optional so that equivalent that takes up less room – your contacts slide
users can pick and choose which ones they prefer. It’s a little across a narrow window on your screen, and you can use this
like adding extensions to Firefox, for instance. The plugins list exactly like the normal window for starting conversations.
window is opened by selecting ‘Plugins’ from the ‘Tools’ menu.
This window lists each plugin with an enable box to the left of a Contact availability This is a clever plugin. It monitors what
short description. Clicking on the enable box will start the time of day your contacts are online so that it can estimate
plugin. Here are a few of our favourites: when they’re likely to be available. This is great for people in
your contacts list who are in a different time zone, or people
Auto-accept If someone sends you a file, you normally have who only connect to the internet at certain times of the day.
to switch to the message window and accept the request. This
plugin does it for you, downloading the file automatically History This is an essential tool if you’ve got a lot of
without you having to do anything. You don’t need to worry contacts. It shows the end of your previous conversation
about getting spammed with files, as only your contacts can when you start a new one, so you can remember what you
send them. were both talking about. Even if you haven’t chatted to your
buddy in weeks, the greyed out section
of the conversation will show you your
IM troubleshooting last mutterings.
Most instant messaging and VoIP problems are Psychic mode Pidgin knows when a
caused by firewalls blocking the ports necessary for contact starts to type a message to you.
one client to talk to another. This is because file
With this plugin enabled, it will open the
transfers and chat use different ports. Opening the
message window before the message is
correct ports on your firewall isn’t always an easy job.
If you’re not using a firewall you should have no even sent. You can tell when someone is
problem, but if you are, you need to open ports on the typing because a small keyboard icon
firewall for the protocols you’re having problems with. appears in the top-right of the chat
MSN uses TCP port 1863, but if you use the HTTP window. This is essential when you’re
option in Pidgin, it will use port 80. This is the same both in full flow.
port that web browsers use, so it should definitely
work. AIM uses TCP and UDP port 5190. Ekiga uses Text replacement This plugin will
many different ports, and installing Stun (as requested replace certain strings you type in the
by the install wizard) solves most connection Many firewalls feature predefined rules for letting
message window with those you want
problems. Most firewalls will have the option to enable VoIP and instant messaging through.
them replaced with. This is useful for
common VoIP/SIP/Video Conferencing ports, and you
should do this if you’re having problems. you want to use by creating static IP addresses and long words, or even for automatically
If your machine is connected to the internet routes from one connection to the next. If your router correcting common mistakes. You might
through more than one router, this can also cause NAT has the facility, use NAT on your router to forward all want to replace ‘youve’ with ‘you’ve’ for
problems. Try to create a direct route to each machine VoIP ports to the machine you want to run Ekiga on. example, or replace a codeword with a
long address.
LXFS13.chat 88 15/4/08 11:57:10

Instant messaging
VoIP and video conferencing

Sometimes, typing text just isn’t enough. Linux has several messaging
clients that can manage voice and video.
T
he most popular voice and video conferencing
application for Linux is called Ekiga, and it can be Quick tip
found hidden in the Applications > Internet menu.
When first launched, Ekiga will ask you for your name Skype, the phone call
as well as a username and password that will be used to create replacement service
owned by eBay, is a
an account on ekiga.net, which is the portal through which popular alternative to
people connect and disconnect. Ekiga.net is run by Ekiga. It’s a proprietary
volunteers, and is entirely free to use. Other users of Ekiga piece of software, but
need to do the same, and it’s through this portal you’ll be able it’s free to use. You
only pay to connect to
to make calls to other people. If you already use an alternative
landlines and mobile
SIP service, you can configure Ekiga to use this instead. phones. There’s also a
Alternatives include users of Microsoft’s video conferencing Linux client available
software, which Ekiga can be configured to work with – in from the Skype website.
www.skype.com
which case ignore the request for a username and password.
Setup
After the Ekiga account setup, the configuration assistant will
NAT problems account for most connection difficulties, but
try to detect your NAT type. This sounds technical, but all it’s
things have improved with the inclusion of the Stun package.
really doing is trying to work out how to reach your computer
from the internet. If you have several machines sharing the A good place to start is the echo test. Dial 500, and you’ll be
same internet connection, and therefore the same IP address, connected to a computer that will echo everything it hears.
the NAT type will be different from the type used by a direct This is a good way to make sure everything is working as it
connection. If your firewall is restrictive, you’ll also be asked to should be. For others to dial you, they can use your username
enable Stun support. followed by @ekiga.net. If you know the SIP address of the
After that, you’ll be asked for your sound configuration. If person you want to contact, you enter this directly into the top
you’re using a microphone, you need to make sure the correct field of Ekiga. You can also use the Ekiga White Pages directory
input is selected. Click on the ‘Test Settings’ button on page 7 to find other Ekiga users. This is opened from the Tools menu,
to open a window that shows the signal coming in from the and with a total of over a 1/4 million registered Ekiga users, you The Ekiga White
selected audio input. If your microphone is working, you’ll see need to use the ‘Find’ field to search for your contact. Video Pages is an online
the volume meter bounce up and down and hear the output in and voice calls will work automatically, and you can fine-tune directory to find
your headphones or speakers. If you don’t see anything, you the sound and video by switching tabs in the lower half of the other users of
need to select a different input on your sound card. If you see screen. The Audio tab shows the volume for incoming and Ekiga. You can
something but don’t hear anything, you need to select a outgoing sound so that you can be sure the person on the also call anyone
different output for your speakers or headphone output and other end is getting the data, and the video tab lets you change else with a SIP-
check the volume settings. Most of the time, the default the brightness, contrast and colour of the incoming image. LXF compatible client
or phone.
settings should be fine. Ekiga will then try to detect your
webcam. Any Linux compatible webcam will work, and you
shouldn’t need to change any of the default values.
It’s essential you get audio working correctly from within

Pidgin. As long as you can see both audio meters bouncing, you
can be sure your configuration is working.
LXFS13.chat 89 15/4/08 11:57:12

BitTorrent
Downloading
with BitTorrent
Get files the fast way, and help build a community at the same time!
W
ith record companies suing their customers all Torrent file you downloaded. If you didn’t download a Torrent,
too regularly, file sharing has gotten a bit of a you need to go back to the website where you originally
bad name. But it’s not all illegal content – in started the download, and click the download again. When
fact, there’s a lot of great content you can get BitTorrent starts up, it will recognise that you’ve partially
through BitTorrent, particularly if you’re interested in getting downloaded the file, and will ask you whether you want to
more open source software. resume or start from scratch.
Downloading files is, of course, what BitTorrent was To set caps on your upload bandwidth, click the ‘Upload’
designed to do, but when you’re downloading a file there are a tab for any one of your downloads. You can set a cap on the
few other things you should know about. First: you can pause total bandwidth used for uploads, the number of individual
BitTorrent downloads, then later on pick up where you left off. users you want to upload to, or both. In practice, the user cap
Unlike downloads from the web, this isn’t a hit-and-miss affair: isn’t very important, because if you want to restrict bandwidth
as long as someone, somewhere is still active on that by capping uploads to 10 user, those 10 users might have
download swarm, you will always be able to pick up where you super-fast connections, in which case your upload speed will
left off. This works because the BitTorrent protocol is designed effectively be uncapped! Instead, stick to the bandwidth cap:
to take very large files (even 4GB distro-sized files) and split the default of 20kB/s a second is quite generous, and should
them up into 4MB chunks that are then passed around the be more than enough to satisfy any tit-for-tat users.
swarm. So if you pause your download, BitTorrent knows how
many of those chunks you already have, and can just pick up Leave it running
from there when you resume – magic! The second thing is that the BitTorrent window will stay open
If you pause a download then reboot your computer, you even after you have finished downloading a file. This is the
need to take one of two steps to pick up your download from same “leave it running” principle, but for a different reason:
where you left off. If you downloaded the Torrent file rather once you have finished downloading the file, you are one of the
The official
than selecting ‘Open With BitTorrent’, the best thing for you to people in the swarm with a 100% pristine copy of the
BitTorrent site,
do is to run BitTorrent directly and ask it to use the Torrent file download, which means you’re able to help any other
www.bittorrent.
com, has lots of
to resume. By default, BitTorrent doesn’t appear in the Ubuntu download get pieces they are missing. People with 100% of
legal downloads of menu, so right-click on Applications, choose Edit Menus, select files are known as “seeders”, whereas people with less than
movies, TV shows the Internet category and ensure the BitTorrent menu item is 100% are “leechers” – leaving your download active when
and music, and selected. Now you can go to Applications > Internet > you’re a seeder won’t chew up any download bandwidth, but it
even has free stuff! BitTorrent – when it asks you for a meta file, just select the will let you contribute something back to everyone else in the
swarm so that the download is propagated elsewhere. Think
about it: the only reason you were able to download the file in
the first place is because someone else left their download
active and seeded the file for you, so it’s only fair for you to do
the same for other people!
And that’s it: you’re all clued up on the power and magic of
BitTorrent. Next stop: finding some cool stuff to download!
BitTorrent and the law

Some people will tell you that BitTorrent is illegal, but that’s
not true – BitTorrent has lots of legal uses, of which downloading
distros is arguably the most popular. But BitTorrent is used a
great deal for trading copyrighted software, music and movies,
and that is illegal, so you ought to be very careful with what kind
of files you download. Even though the BitTorrent protocol
seems rather random and complex, it’s all traceable, which
means if you try downloading movies illegally you may be caught
and fined – or worse.
LXFS13.torrents 90 14/4/08 19:49:22

BitTorrent
Step by step: Download with BitTorrent
Find something to download: BitTorrent works at its best with Open the torrent: When you click on a Firefox link for a Torrent file,
1 very large files, so we’ve gone right to the top – a nice big Linux 2 you’ll be asked whether you want to open it with BitTorrent or save it to
distribution! But there are lots of other things around to download; sites disk. Chances are you want to open it straight away, so just click OK.
like www.publicdomaintorrents.com are full of great content.
Choose a location: BitTorrent will start up and ask you where you Check your progress: This is the download screen, and the one you’ll
3 want to save the download. Keep in mind that some torrents are made 4 be seeing most of the time. It shows you how much data has been
up of many files, so you probably want to save your torrent in a subdirectory transferred and how much time is remaining until the download completes.
somewhere. Note the Stop button – that’s for pausing downloads.
Cap your uploads: For any given torrent, you can set upload caps. What’s going on?: The Events tab is important for times when your
5 These are disabled by default, meaning that BitTorrent will upload as 6 download isn’t working – if the tracker goes down, or if your network
much as it can without sacrificing too much download speed. connection suffers problems, you’ll read about it here. LXF
LXFS13.torrents 91 14/4/08 19:49:29

Printing
Setting up
your printer
Getting your printer to work with Ubuntu is simple; just follow this tutorial to get
the inside information on how to do it.
H
aving access to a printer is a crucial part of your driver. If in doubt, head on over to http://openprinting.org to
desktop environment, especially in the age of search their database. As a rough rule, try to stick to printer-
digital photography, with many people purchasing only models; multi-function machines (scanners, fax machines
printers for the sole use of printing out their etc) can prove tricky to configure and get working. Ubuntu
photographs. However, whether you are producing simple supports a range of connection methods, so you may want to
epistles or high-quality newsletters that are distributed to a consider buying a network-enabled printer that will allow you
wide number of recipients, it’s important that you can to use it without it having to be tethered to a computer. Also
successfully connect and configure your printer to get the best included is USB support and the older parallel port
results. Ubuntu makes this whole process incredibly easy, and connectivity. Ubuntu will even let you share printers among a
you should be up and running next to no time. number of workstations, allowing you to set up a printer once
If you haven’t yet purchased your printer, it might be a good and connect to it easily from other clients.
idea to do some preliminary research before you go out and In this walkthrough, you’ll see how Ubuntu can
buy one. Not only should you be interested in the quality and automatically detect and configure your printer. We’ll also
speed of printing, but also whether or not it is supported by cover some of the other printer-related options that you can
Linux. Don’t worry too much, as a huge number of printers are set using the tools supplied with Ubuntu.
either directly supported or supported through a generic
Step by step: Print with Ubuntu
The easiest way to set up a printer is simply to plug it into your Ubuntu has detected and installed the correct drivers for the newly-
1 computer. If Ubuntu detects that a printer has been connected, you’ll 2 connected printer. It is now available for printing, so you can go ahead
see a small icon appear in the taskbar with a magnifying glass, indicating that and start using it. Sometimes you might need to change some of the defaults,
Ubuntu is searching for information and drivers about the printer. so click the Configure button to open up the Printer Configuration tool.
LXFS13.printing 92 15/4/08 18:03:01

Printing
Ah the beauty of open source; Ubuntu’s printer configuration tool is Under the Policies tab you can quickly disable access to a printer
3 derived from system-config-printer, which is a tool created for Fedora, 4 should you need to carry out any maintenance on it. Also of use,
another Linux distro. In the opening screen you can change the Printer especially in a corporate environment, are the starting and ending banners,
Description and also print a test page to check the configuration. which allow you to add additional pages before and after the main print job.
Access Control allows you to specify users who can or cannot use the Printer Options lets you set page size, quality and whether or not you
5 printer. In our example, we’re keeping the printer to ourselves and not 6 use double sided printing. Note that resolution, quality, ink type etc is
letting the rest of LXF Towers have access to it. This could come in useful if controlled by the Printout Mode drop-down box, so if you choose High Quality
you want to prevent your kids from wasting valuable colour ink cartridges! your printer will automatically choose a higher resolution.
Printing resources on the web

Where to go for more information
There may be occasions when Ubuntu just flat out refuses to recognise
your printer. In these (rare) cases, your first step should be to Google the
model of the printer along with the word Ubuntu or Ubuntu 7.10. It’s actually
quite an effective way of finding information quickly and allows you to
benefit from the experience of other people who may have been in the same
situation as you.
If that provides no joy, then try some of the following sites:
www.openprinting.org Part of the Linux Foundation, you’ll find a
comprehensive list of printers along with a breakdown of the level of
compatibility that you can expect from Linux.
http://hplip.sourceforge.net The official HP website dedicated to the
HP laserjet and inkjet range of printers. You can find techical documentation,
FAQs and other information that may be of help to you if you have an HP
printer.
www.canon-europe.com/Support/software/linux An official Linux driver
download area for a limited number of Canon Pixma printers. However, these
Job Options is the place where you can choose exactly how each
7 submitted print job is handled. Here you can choose to print multiple
are unsupported by Canon themselves. If you have a Canon printer and
would like to register your interest in getting a Linux driver, then click the
copies or change the margins of the print out. Bear in mind that these options Other Printer Users hyperlink and let them know!
will override any that have been chosen when a user prints to that printer.
LXFS13.printing 93 15/4/08 18:03:02

Printing
S
o that’s the initial plug and play installation of a
printer, as well as some of the configuration options
that you can set. In this next section we’re going to
show you how to set up a printer that uses a network
interface, something which is becoming more and more
common. We’ll also take a look at sharing printers with other
computers; after all, what’s the use of a printer if only one
computer out of several can access it? Finishing off this
tutorial, we’ll examine how you can use the CUPS web
interface to configure your printers, neatly bypassing the GUI
printer configuration.
So you’re in the position where you need to add a network
printer to your Ubuntu installation. By a network printer, we
mean any printer that is accessed via an Ethernet interface,
either directly connected to a network or connected via a
network print server. In this tutorial we’ll assume that you are
using an HP JetDirect card – these are the most common
printers found in corporate environments, but you can tailor
the instructions to your specific circumstances.
The CUPS way

Doing it over the Web.
Earlier we mentioned CUPS (the Common Unix configuration tool, you’ll find it very similar to what
Printing System), which forms a major part of the we covered earlier. Just click the Add Printer button
whole printing environment for Linux, not to on the front page to begin; all the questions you are
mention Apple OS X and other Unix-based asked are the same as the ones that we covered
operating systems. CUPS is present on Ubuntu, earlier with the only real difference being that
although you tend to use the printer configuration CUPS begins by asking you to name the printer
tool to write the information that CUPS needs. It right at the start rather than at the end as with the
actually has a web-based interface that you can printer configuration tool. As CUPS is integrated
use if you want to, which is accessible by opening with the printer configuration tool, any changes you
up your web browser and entering the address: make within CUPS will be reflected in the printer
http://localhost:631. Port 631 is the port that configuration tool, and vice versa.
CUPS listens on for any requests, so when you
enter this you’ll see the CUPS welcome page. The CUPS web-based configuration tool is at
Because it is the foundation for the printer http://localhost:631.
Step by step: Setting up a networked printer
First and foremost, open up Ubuntu’s printer configuration tool by You’ll see the blank printer config window; to get started, click the New
1 going to System > Administration and choosing Printing. 2 Printer button in the toolbar. Ubuntu will automatically try to search for
new printers that it might have missed. If it doesn’t find one, then you’ll be
asked for the connection type.
LXFS13.printing 94 15/4/08 18:03:05

Printing
If you’re setting up a network printer, we’d recommend assigning static The next screen that is shown allows you to select a Printer
3 IP addresses; make sure and consult your printer documentation for 4 Manufacturer, in order to filter the sheer number of printers available.
more information on how to do this. Meanwhile, click Forward to continue. Scroll through the list and select the correct manufacturer for your printer
and click the Forward button.
Now you’ve chosen the manufacturer, it’s time to choose the specific Next up is the screen that allows you to provide some descriptive
5 model of printer that you have. You may see a couple of drivers available 6 naming for the printer in question. This will help you if you have to share
for a particular printer; we’d strongly suggest sticking with the the printer with other people, as it provides a way to identify it. We’d
recommendation, unless you have a specific reason to use another one. Once recommend filling all three of these fields as they may come in use in future.
you’ve selected your printer model and driver, click Next to continue. The location is a must in a large corporate environment!
We want to share this printer with other systems, so we need to tick the Provided you’ve got the Show printers shared by other systems box
7 Share Published printers check box. Don’t tick the ‘Allow Printing From 8 ticked on the printer Server Settings of the client that you want to share
The Internet’ box, as this may leave your system open to possible attack from the printer with, you should see something similar to the above screenshot
outside. Make sure to click the Apply button to make the changes. where a Remote Printers section appears and the printer that was shared is
shown as an entry. LXF
LXFS13.printing 95 15/4/08 18:03:08

Security
Secure your distro

Linux is inherently a secure operating system, but it’s not all done for you…
N
o matter what type of computing environment
you’re in, it takes only a minor slip to allow potential
hackers access to your system. Fortunately,
Ubuntu is a fairly secure system, benefiting from
swift security updates and bugfixes where necessary to ensure
that your system remains in a safe and secure state.
While some would argue that security is best implemented
with a myriad of tools, it’s also fair to say that security is also a
state of mind, a way of thinking about how you work that
enhances the security available to you. In this tutorial we’ll take
a look at some of the ways in which you can minimise any
security risks by doing some very simple things.
Password protection
One of the simplest, yet most common forms of security is
the common password. You will have been asked to create Enter your current password and click the Authenticate
one when you installed Ubuntu and it’s likely that you haven’t button
changed it since. However, is your password secure? Let’s
The About Me
take a look at some of the more common pitfalls that guess, and quite frankly if you’ve used it then you deserve to
utility can be used
to change your
passwords can encounter. have your system hacked into and trashed. Another common
password. First of all there is the mistake of choosing something too password choice is the name of a spouse or child – again, if
Once it’s open, simplistic, like the infamous password which is simply the would-be hacker knows you then it’s not a bad guess to try
simply click the ‘password’. Believe it or not, but there are people, many the first names of all your relatives that they know in an
Change Password people out there who choose this word as their password, attempt to gain access to your system.
button and a new because it’s easy to remember. The trouble is, it’s also easy to So what is a good choice of password? Well, it’s time to
window will pop up. learn a very simple method of creating a good password that
is also easy to remember, a common problem in our
password-oriented lives. First of all, think of a phrase that you
know well. It could be something as simple as Every Good Boy
Deserves Football, a phrase we learned while being taught to
play the piano. Take the first character of each of the words to
give you egbdf – seemingly gibberish, but easy to remember if
you’re a musical person. Because passwords are case
sensitive, we’re going to capitalise the first and last character
to make EgbdF. Just to make it more difficult to guess, we’re
going to add 123 to the end of it, to end up with EgbdF123
giving us an eight-character password with some complexity
(capital letters and numbers).
Make it more complicated

The other classic example is using a modified phrase, for
example, ‘This is a good choice of password’ would give us
tiagcop. You could then capitalise the t and the p, use an
exclamation mark in place of the i and use a zero in place of
the o, leaving us with T!agc0P, giving us the added complexity
of using punctuation as well as capitalisation and numbers.
Obviously the longer the password, the better, especially if you
include capitalisation, punctuation and numbers.
Creating a single password is not the sole answer though –
in order to keep it as secure as possible, you need to change it
on a regular basis, such as every couple of months or so.
Ubuntu makes this process easy to do, and you can get
started by going to System > Preferences > About Me. You’re
asked to authenticate yourself first of all by entering your
existing password and clicking on the Authenticate button.
When you’ve done this, the additional two fields below the
Current Password field become active, allowing you to enter
LXFS13.security 96 15/4/08 15:55:28

Security
The Permissions
your new password in and re-type it in case you made a
tab under Home
mistake. Ubuntu will keep you on the straight and narrow,
> Properties is
letting you know if the two passwords don’t match. After the place to be to
entering your new password twice, you’ll be prompted to click define who can do
the Change password button to formally change your what to your files.
password, so do so. Finish off by clicking the Close button.
Perimeter security
Of course, passwords aren’t the be-all and end-all for security
in Ubuntu. In fact, by default Ubuntu doesn’t listen on any
network ports at all, meaning that if a remote user tries to
access your system, they won’t be able to see it on the
network. This is a good thing, but you shouldn’t get it confused
with having a firewall in place, as a firewall does something
slightly different.
The only issue with not listening on ports is that when you
install services that use network ports for access, these ports
then become active. For instance, if you install Apache (the firewall, and to do this we’re going to install a package called
web server) for Ubuntu, it automatically starts to listen on port Firestarter. Head on over to System > Administration >
80, which is the standard port for HTTP traffic. Therefore your Synaptic Package Manager and search for and install the
computer is now open to attack on port 80, something that package named firestarter. Once this has completed, you’ll
you need to be aware of. The same holds true if you install any find it under Applications > Internet > Firestarter.
other services, such as SSH or FTP servers. This is where a
firewall comes in, especially if you only want to have local User security
access to these services while you’re learning about them. But Another security feature that Ubuntu offers is the ability to
first and foremost, it’s a simple rule: only install software that restrict access to files and directories depending on
you actually are going to use. Keeping software on a system permissions. A full discussion on file and directory
and leaving network ports open is never a good idea! permissions is outside the scope of this tutorial, but we can
So to the firewall then. First the good news: Ubuntu doesn’t look at some of the basic principles to get you familiar with
come with a firewall enabled by default, because it relies on the concept.
not listening on any ports. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a Every user on the system has a numeric user ID. Ubuntu
firewall installed, as Iptables is present on every Ubuntu starts these at 1000, and for every new user this number is
installation. What it does mean is that the firewall does not incremented by 1. Each user can also belong to one or more
control any of the traffic coming into or out of the system. So groups, depending on how you manage them. By default a
we need to find some way of configuring and activating this group is created with the same name as the user, and they
The power of root

If you need to share information with another user, then you
can add them to your group by going to System >
Administration > Users and Groups. In the tool that appears,
click the Manage Groups button on the right-hand side and
scroll down until you see the group that corresponds to your
username. Double-click this group to edit the properties, and
select the users that you want to become members of this
group. Click on the OK button to apply the changes, and give
read-only access to your home directory.
A user can be a member of many different groups, and you
may find it more useful to create specialist groups rather than
using the groups created as part of the user account creation
process. The only exception to all of this is the root user, who
has access to anything on the system at any time. By default
Ubuntu disables the root account, instead relying on the sudo
command to carry out administration tasks. As the primary
user you have access to the root user powers, and can activate
this at the terminal by issuing the command:
sudo -i
You’ll be prompted for your password, and once you’ve entered
this, the prompt will change to a hash mark (#) to denote the
fact that you are working as root. From here you can navigate
through the entire system if you want, or you can fire up a file
manager window by entering the command:
nautilus &
Be very careful when working as root – you have the absolute
power to destroy everything, and Ubuntu won’t stop you.
LXFS13.security 97 15/4/08 15:55:35

Security
also share the same numeric ID although they are for the User
ID (UID) and Group ID (GID). Your home directory is
automatically set to allow you full access as a user, and to
allow read access only to members of your group. This isn’t
particularly secure, so to start off with we’d suggest changing
the permissions on your home directory so that access is
denied to Others. To do this, go to Places > Computer, and
navigate into the Home directory. Right-click on your user
home directory and select properties. In the window that
appears, click the Permissions tab and change the Folder
Access drop-down menu for Others so that it reads None. Then
click the Apply permissions to enclosed files to ensure that
they are locked down. Once you’ve done this, click the Close
button to make sure that your home directory is protected
from the snooping eyes of other users local to your machine.
Step by step: Configure a firewall
After a brief introductory screen, you should click Forward to move to You’re probably using a router to connect to the internet, so you won’t
1 the Network Device setup. In the Detected Devices drop-down box, 2 need to enable connection sharing. However, if you are using your
select the network interface that is connected to the internet – this is computer as the gateway to the internet, you should enable this setting and
commonly eth0. If you know that your IP address is assigned dynamically by choose the network device that is connected to the local network. You can
your internet router, then check the IP address is assigned by DHCP box. Click also choose to use DHCP to assign addresses dynamically to the local
Forward to continue. network, but you will need to have installed the dhcp3-server package prior
to starting the Firestarter configuration.
Password hacking
How outsiders get your passwords
In Ubuntu, the user details are information. Usually these tools rely
usually stored in /etc/passwd along on what are known as dictionary-
with the numeric User ID and Group based tools, in that they have a large
ID. The actual password is not stored collection of dictionary words that
here – instead you’ll see a small x they use to try and unlock your
when looking at this file, which password information. The tools will
denotes that there is a password literally cycle through all the words
present. The actual passwords are available, as well as common mis-
stored in an encrypted format within spellings, in an attempt to match one
/etc/shadow, which will look like of them with your password. By
gibberish if you try to view it and will using the technique that we showed
not resemble your true password. you to create a strong password, you
However, if an outsider manages to will minimise the risk of any
get a hold of this file then they can dictionary-based attack as your
use a number of freely available tools password will not be based on a
to try to extract this password dictionary word. The final screen prompts you to save your options and start the
3 firewall. If for some reason you don’t wish to start the firewall at this
point, un-tick the Start Firewall Now check box and click the Save button.
LXFS13.security 98 15/4/08 15:55:38

Security
Firestarter has now activated the firewall – you can see in the Active To define our firewall policy, click the Policy tab in the Firestarter
4 Connections area that there is a current connection from the local 5 window. You can either allow all traffic for a specified network address
machine to a remote NFS server. Firestarter also keeps track of the amount of or address range, or you can allow specific services. We’d recommend
data that has been sent and received, as well as the current data transfer rate. allowing specific services where necessary, as this minimises the chances of
attack from a local machine.
You can either select from the list of services using the drop-down The last step is to apply the new policy, which you do by clicking the
6 menu, or you can manually enter the port number. Firestarter does a 7 Apply Policy button in the toolbar. Firestarter will restart the firewall and
lookup against the /etc/services file to give the port its related service name. you will now be able to connect to your machine on that port. LXF
You are also able to define exactly who can access that particular port.
LXFS13.security 99 15/4/08 15:55:42

Get more software
Add new software

– free of charge!
The default selection of Ubuntu software is useful enough, but there are
actually thousands more waiting to be installed. We show you how…
I
f you’ve made it this far in the magazine, you’ll have learnt software itself, plus any configuration files, documentation, etc.
by now that Linux offers you a great deal of choice for These packages are traditionally managed by a package
what program you want for a given task. Take web manager, which has the advantage that all your programs are
browsers, for example: on Linux you can get Firefox, available from one central place, meaning that they can be
Opera, Konqueror, Epiphany, Lynx, Links, Amaya, Mozilla, easily installed and easily updated, that they can be removed
Kazehakase, Galeon, Dillo, Chimera and more. To be clear, all in the same way they were installed, and that they are
those are real, working web browsers that are being actively guaranteed to work.
developed, which means you can try them all and find the one
that works best for you. What’s on the menu?
Of course, the problem with all this choice is that your Go to Applications > Add/Remove to bring up the Add/
menu bars can get very cluttered, which is why Ubuntu ships Remove Applications dialog. This is split into four main parts:
with one application per task – you get one web browser, one at the top you can search for applications; down the left is a list
Using a package
text editor, one spreadsheet, and so on. If you’ve tried these of categories by which you can filter, top-middle is the list of
manager means
that you can install
apps and find they don’t work for you, it’s time to stretch applications that match the filters, and bottom-middle is a
nearly everything beyond the Ubuntu sandbox and see what the rest of the free description of the currently selected package.
that Ubuntu has software world has to offer you: it’s time to install some new You’ll notice that each application has a check box to its left
to offer with one software! One last word before we get started: software on and a star rating to its right: if it is installed currently, the check
simple program. Linux is bundled into what we call a “package” – that’s the box is checked, and the star rating shows how many people
have that particular program installed. You’ll
find that all the packages that are installed by
default in Ubuntu (eg Gimp image editor) all
get five stars for popularity, but there are
quite a few others with five stars too – these
are the ones that are worth investigating!
From the top bar of the window, first make
sure that the “Show” option is set to
“Supported applications”. There are five
possible options that can be set to:
1 All available applications Shows

everything.
2 All open source applications Shows
everything that is free software (as
opposed to proprietary software).
3 Supported applications Programs that
the team behind Ubuntu provide official
support for.
4 Third party applications Programs from
anyone outside of the free software
community.
5 Installed applications The programs you
have installed currently; generally used
when you want to uninstall something.
As you can see, the ‘Supported

Applications’ category is the best for new
users because all the applications in that
LXFS13.software 100 15/4/08 15:55:52

Get more software
The login screen
If you’re looking for an alternative word processor to

OpenOffice.org’s Writer, AbiWord is an excellent choice.
category are officially supported by the Ubuntu team – that

means they will issue patches and upgrades for you as they
become available. If you want to expand your horizons a little, Once you’ve selected what you want and clicked Apply Changes,
try changing this option to ‘All Open Source applications’. Note 1 Ubuntu will ask you to confirm the changes before it makes them.
that this option includes lots of apps that are not officially
supported by Ubuntu, but that only means you’re not
guaranteed to have updates issued – you almost certainly will
get patches and updates, because that’s the nature of free
software, but you’re not guaranteed them.
Now, let’s get down to the business of installing software.
Let’s say you’ve decided that OpenOffice.org is too slow for
your needs, and want something a little faster. You would
normally use the search box to look for terms such as “word
processor”, but here I’m just going to give you a tip-off: the very
first item in the list, AbiWord, is a screamingly fast word
processor with lots of features, and, along with the Gnumeric
spreadsheet, makes a great replacement for OpenOffice.org.
So, select the check box to the left of AbiWord, then click on
the Apply Changes button at the bottom of the window.
You’ll now be prompted to confirm the list of changes to be
made – this is because you can add and remove lots of
programs all at once, and also because sometimes installing
one program requires that another be removed because they
clash. Read through the list of changes that will be made (in Ubuntu downloads its software from the internet, so it will take a few
this case, AbiWord will be added), then click Apply. The 2 seconds to download and install the packages you chose.
AbiWord packages will be downloaded and installed in a
matter of minutes, and when it’s finished you’ll see a list of the
new programs that were installed. Because AbiWord is an
office program, it will appear under the Applications > Office
Submitting statistics
The Add/Remove Applications dialog gets its popularity
information from a program known as Popcon, which is short for
‘popularity contest’. This program scans your system to see
which packages you have installed, then uploads it to the central
Ubuntu server so that they can figure out which packages
people use and which they don’t, using that to guide their
decisions as to which software people really want to see
supported. By default, Popcon is installed but not enabled, which
means the packages you choose won’t have any effect on the
overall popularity of all the Ubuntu packages, but if you want to
take part all you have to do is go to the Software Sources
window, choose the last tab (Statistics), and check the box Ubuntu will show you a list of all the programs that have been installed.
marked ‘Submit Statistical Information’. 3 Double-click any of them to run them.
LXFS13.software 101 15/4/08 15:55:58

Get more software
menu, but you can just double-click on AbiWord in the “New

application has been installed” box to start it immediately. If
you ever want to remove a program, just reverse the method:
uncheck the box and click Apply.
Using the Add/Remove Applications system is a great way
to get started managing the software on your computer, but
more experienced users favour a program known as Synaptic.
This is less pretty, less streamlined, and more feature-heavy –
but feature-heavy is a good thing for power users, because it
means we can get exactly what we want without having to
struggle around for esoteric options. You’ll find Synaptic
hidden under the System > Administration > Synaptic
Package Manager menu item. At first glance, you’ll notice it’s
not entirely dissimilar to the Add/Remove Applications
window – there are few icons, sure, but it retains the category
filters for apps, as well as the description pane that shows
more information about programs when you click on them.
Advanced package selection

Now that you’re straying into advanced user territory,
this is a good time for you to check out the incredible amount
of software available to you. Go to Settings > Repositories,
which is where the list of all software sources is kept. Ubuntu
breaks its package choices up into repositories so that people
Ubuntu’s Update Manager automatically selects all the available
can choose what kind of software they want – as with the updates, so all you need to do to stay up to date is to click that
Add/Remove Applications window, these choice are whether button marked Install Updates.
you want Ubuntu-supported packages, third-party packages,
and so on. Synaptic search for you is a faster and easier option – press
For now, we’re going to enable everything, so make sure the Ctrl+F, make sure ‘Look in’ is changed to ‘Description and
top four check boxes are checked in the Software Sources Name’, then type in something you’d like to install, eg “3D
window that appears. That is, “Canonical supported”, game”. With all the repositories enabled, it may take a few
“Community maintained”, “Proprietary drivers” and “Software seconds for the search to complete, but when it does you’ll be
restricted by copyright”. With these selected, click Close, and able to scroll through the list of results to find software to
Synaptic will warn you that the repository selection has install.
Synaptic gives
you more control
changed, which means you need to click the Refresh button to
over package download all the software available in that repository. Dependencies
installation, but Once the software selection information has been As with Add/Remove Applications, there is a check box next to
takes a little longer downloaded, you’ll see lots of categories down the left. You can each package that allows you to mark it for installation, but it’s
to learn. use these if you want to, but we generally find that having a little more complicated than that – when you click it, a menu
will appear that lets you
choose exactly what you
want to do with the
package. As it’s not
currently installed, the
only option available to
you will be “Mark for
installation”, so choose
that. Whenever you
choose a package that
has dependencies (other
pieces of software that
are needed for it to run),
Synaptic will ask you to
confirm you want to
continue with those
dependencies. As you
become more
accustomed to Linux,
you’ll find this particularly
useful, because it ensures
you know exactly what’s
going on to your
computer.
As we said previously,
using a package manager
to install your software
LXFS13.software 102 15/4/08 15:56:03

Get more software
means that it can also keep track of software updates and

prompt you to install patches as they become available. On
Ubuntu, this is done using Update Manager from the System
> Administration menu. When run, this will scan all the
software you have installed and compare it to the latest
versions that are available for install, and then let you know if
any updates are available. If there are updates, they are
selected for you by default, so all you need to do is click Install
Updates to have Ubuntu download and patch all applicable
programs on your computer.
As you might imagine, given its advanced user target,
Synaptic can also upgrade packages. In fact, just next to the
Refresh button that you click when repositories are enabled or
disabled is the “Mark All Upgrades” button, which does exactly
the same thing as Update Manager does – click that, then
click Apply to have Synaptic update all your software to the
latest available versions.
Automatic updates
After you’ve spent a few weeks using Ubuntu, you will almost
certainly encounter the automatic update notification system.
Behind the scenes, Ubuntu checks the internet for new
software every day, and if it finds any updates are available it
will pop up a balloon in the top-right of your desktop to
encourage you to update. This might seem a bit annoying, avoided. But you can change the lower option: what do you Whenever there
particularly if the balloon appears while you’re trying to work, want Ubuntu to do when it finds security updates are are security fixes
but trust us: it’s all for a good cause! You see, it doesn’t matter available? If you have your computer on 24/7, you’ll probably or other patches
how fast Ubuntu gets out security patches – if you don’t know find it better to choose the middle option, which causes available for your
software, Ubuntu
about them and don’t install them, they are useless. Having Ubuntu to download any available updates without actually
will let you know.
the balloon pop up to prompt you means that you can get installing them.
Click the orange
yourself patched as soon as problems are fixed, ensuring that One last thing: Ubuntu makes it very easy for you to icon to start the
your system remains as safe as possible. upgrade from one version of the distro to a newer version. You update process.
This whole auto-update system is configured through the see, Ubuntu works on a six-month lifecycle: every six months,
Software Sources window from Synaptic, although you can get a new version is released, and that new version updates all the
straight to it by going to System > Administration > Software software to the very latest version. Although these kinds of
Sources. From this window, click on the third tab (‘Updates’), software updates always bring lots of great new features and
and you’ll see that Ubuntu is configured to provide access to often also some new programs to try, it’s important that you
security and non-security updates, and will notify you when remember that this magazine was written to accompany the
they become available. You would be wise not to alter the top exact Ubuntu version provided on the included disc. If you
options – the proposed and unsupported updates may cause upgrade to a newer version of Ubuntu, some things may have
problems with your otherwise-pristine system, and so are best changed, so you’re on your own! LXF
Synaptic’s menu options

Rather than just a simple “install or don’t install”, Synaptic
gives you more control over what it does with packages.
When you click a check box next to a package, you can
choose from the following options:
Unmark
If this file was selected for change, deselect it.
Mark for Installation
Add this package to the list to be installed.
Mark for Reinstallation
Take a fresh copy of this application and its
configuration files, and use them to overwrite the
existing data – great if you break a program.
Mark for Upgrade
Download and install the latest version of this package.
Mark for Removal
Removes the programs that come with this package.
Mark for Complete Removal
Removes the programs that come with this package, Confused by all the options in Synaptic? The Preferences window
along with any associated configuration files. lets you customise the colours for easier reading.
LXFS13.software 103 15/4/08 15:56:04

20 top apps
The best of open

source software
This book is full of exceptional open source software, but that’s just the tip of a
large iceberg. Here are some highlights awaiting the open source adventurer.
D
espite this book being full to the brim with open contains thousands of tools, utilities, applications and
source software, there are still plenty of games. You could spend weeks trawling through them all.
applications we haven’t mentioned. This is our But there are many more projects than those with official
opportunity to cover just a few we think are the recognition from Ubuntu. If you look at a site such as
most useful. But this doesn’t mean we’ve exhausted all the Sourceforge.net, a hub for open source projects, you’ll find
tools we’re interested in either. One of the best things over 173,000 registered projects, most of which will work
about Linux is choice, and there is just so much software to with Linux. There’s no quality control, but it just goes to
choose from. If you take a look at the Synaptic package show how active the open source community is and why
manager, the tool used for installing extra stuff, you’ll find it Linux is a portal to a whole new way of thinking.
Kino Importing videos

One of the main problems you’re likely to encounter while
dealing with audio and video files within Linux is compatibility.
The tool to use when you want to edit your You may find that files you pull on to your machine from other
own movies for YouTube and even DVD. systems don’t work. Windows Media is the main culprit, but
Apple’s QuickTime can also cause problems, as can any of the
plethora of formats commonly used online. Even MP3 playback
T
hanks to digital cameras usually having the ability to can cause problems. This is because all these formats are
record movies as well as take photos, video editing is a proprietary, and decoding them so that they work on Linux is a
prerequisite for a desktop computer. Both Apple’s OS X legal grey area in some parts of the world. You can avoid these
and Microsoft’s Windows bundle video editing applications, problems by using open formats such as Ogg Vorbis for audio
and this has helped make video editing technology and Ogg Theora for video, but sooner or later you’ll need to work
with a proprietary format. For video, the answer is to install a
mainstream. Websites like YouTube and MySpace wouldn’t be
After you’ve package called FFMPEG from the Synaptic package manager.
half as popular if you couldn’t watch something. Kino is the
imported your Applications such as Kino will then be able to convert most of
Linux equivalent to the video editing applications you find your files to an open format when you open them. This is the
videos, the timeline
is the place where bundled with other operating systems. It attempts to be easy next best thing to a native solution.
you can edit their enough for the beginner to use while still being powerful
order. enough to create professional results.
After installation,
Kino can be found devices will work. If you’d rather import your movies by hand,
lurking in the Sound & you can add video content from the File > Open requester,
Video menu. The first after which all imported video will appear in the timeline
thing you need to do is window. This is where you can re-order each sequence, placing
get video into the clips into the correct order. If you need to edit larger segments,
application. Kino’s then the ‘Trim’ window can be used to create cut points,
native format is DV – putting new clips back into the timeline. You can also add
the raw stream of video effects in the FX window, examples include blurring video or
that many digital video forcing a sepia colour on everything. The FX window is also
recorders generate. You where you find transitions that can be used to fade from one
can import your video clip to another. Just select the transition from the drop-down
directly from your menu, followed by the start and end point in your movie for the
FireWire device by transition and click ‘Render’. When you finish editing your
switching to the masterpiece, the Export window can send your movie to your
‘Capture’ page and digital video recorder, a raw DV file or an MPEG that can be
pressing record. Most burned on to a DVD.
LXFS13.bestof 104 14/4/08 20:02:42

20 top apps
Audacity
Professional-grade audio editing on your Linux desktop.
Y
ou may have come across Audacity before. It’s an need to select a region of the file to edit. Just left click and drag
audio file editor that’s as adept at trimming your latest your mouse across the area you want to edit. If you want to Quick tip
podcast as it is adding fade-outs to an MP3. Like its trim the beginning of an audio file, for example, left click and
You can install
proprietary counterparts, it can be used to add real-time drag the mouse across the area you want to trim and select hundreds of other
effects, mix audio, record from your soundcard’s inputs and ‘Cut’ from the edit menu. You can add effects to any selected effects by searching
analyse audio. It’s a tool box for audio editing, and it should be region from the Effects menu. If you want to mix two files for ‘LADSPA plugin’
the first app you try if you need to do anything with sound files. together, add a stereo track from the Tracks > Add New menu in the Synaptic
package manager.
Audacity is launched from the Applications > Sound & and use Import from the File menu to add a new audio file to
These are compatible
Video menu. By default, Audacity will configure itself to use those tracks. Pressing Play now will mix all the tracks together, with all Linux audio
your sound card for input and output. This means you can and you can save a copy of the mix from the File > Export applications and cover
make a recording by pressing the large red record button, and menu. Finally, if you want to change the volume of your audio everything from chorus
Audacity will record whatever is connected to your sound card. file over time, use the Envelope Tool from the toolbar. This lets effects to reverb.
If you need to change the input, switching from line-in to a you draw a curve across the waveform that will be used to
microphone for instance, this can be changed from the Edit > either amplify or decrease the volume of the audio at that
Preferences > Audio I/O window. If there is sound entering point. When you’ve finished editing, save your audio file into
Audacity, the level meters above the small microphone icon your favourite format.
will start to bounce, and it’s this sound that will be recorded.
Audacity can load WAV, AIFF, MPEG, Ogg Vorbis and Flac file
formats from the File > Open requester, and you can load
more than one at the same time by using the Ctrl key to select
those you want to load. Each file will load into a separate
instance of the editor.
Close to the edit

The main area of the Audacity editor displays an amplitude
waveform for the current section of audio. This is exactly the
same as many other audio editors. The peaks and troughs in
the image represent high and low amplitude in the audio, with
the two tracks representing the left and right channel of a
stereo recording. If your audio is mono, you’ll only see a single
track. Press the green Play button in the toolbar to hear the
sound your audio makes. The level meters above the tiny
speaker icon in the toolbar will start to bounce, and a cursor
will scroll across the waveform view to show you which part of
the image is creating the sound you can hear. You can zoom
into and out of the waveform using the magnifying glass in the
toolbar, and when you want to stop playback, either hit the Audacity can run on Windows and OS X, and is the best free
space bar or press the stop button. To do any editing, you first tool you can find for audio editing.
Step by step: Make music louder
Select waveform Load the audio file you Squeeze the sounds The effect used to Save output Compression differs from
1 want to boost, and select the entire file 2 boost audio is called compression. Select 3 normalisation because it only boosts the
either by double-clicking on the waveform or this from the Effect menu, move the threshold to quiet parts of the signal. When you’re happy with
pressing Ctrl+A on your keyboard. -20dB and click on OK. the results, save the louder file.
LXFS13.bestof 105 14/4/08 20:02:43

20 top apps
Blender
3D modelling and rendering environments normally cost a fortune –
Blender is free and can compete on quality and specification.
T
he story behind Blender’s open source renaissance is a
good one. It started life as a proprietary piece of
software designed to compete with the likes of
SoftImage, LightWave and 3D Studio. The company that
developed Blender went bankrupt in 2002, but the creditors
agreed to release the source code in return for ¤100,000. In
mid-July of that year a campaign was started, asking people to
donate funds to free Blender. Two months later Blender was
saved, and the source code was released under the terms of
the GPL – free for all to use and modify. Since then, Blender
has gone from strength to strength. Thanks to its open licence,
many people now contribute to its development, and the
massive community flocks to blender.org with each new
release. Blender has many advanced functions for the CGI
artist, including Nurbs, Bezier curves, metaballs, particles and
digital sculpting. The ray tracing element responsible for
generating the final image can be replaced, and many people
use the photo-realistic Yafray as a substitute. The images that
can be produced are breathtaking. The Blender user interface is bewildering, for beginners and
experts alike, so don’t let that put you off using it.
My first render
But there is a cost, and that’s complexity. Blender has one of the cube is selected by looking for the pink coloured frame. If it
the most convoluted and complex user interfaces we’ve ever isn’t, make sure Object Mode is selected on the toolbar in the
come across. This is a real shame, because you don’t middle of the screen, and right click on the cube. If you look
necessarily need to be a CGI expert to get usable results. It just closely at the cube in the middle of the window, you should be
takes a little effort to learn the basics. When you first launch able to see three coloured arrows pointing in different
Blender from the Applications > Graphics menu, the window directions. These arrows point in one of the three planes –
that appears is confusing. The main view is split into two, with green for the Y axis, blue for the Z axis and red for the X axis.
the top area showing a top-down view of the scene, and the You can move the cube in any of these axes by left-clicking the
lower area dedicated to buttons and panels. corresponding arrow and dragging your mouse. You can also
Things become clearer if you select ‘Camera’ from the View move the cube freely in the visible axes with a right-click and a
menu. This will switch the main display to the view from the drag of the mouse. Press S to scale the cube; press R to rotate
in-scene camera, and by default it’s looking at a cuboid in the it. The axis of rotation is dependent on the current view. If you
centre of the scene. Press F12 and the scene is rendered. A switch to the side view (press 3 on the number pad), for
window will appear with a properly lit rendition of the scene. example, you can rotate the cube around the X axis. Switch to
Close the render and return to the main window. Make sure the top view (7 on the number pad) and you can rotate it
around the Z axis.
Textures
If you don’t like the grey colour our cube currently has, switch
to the material view with the F5 key. Find three colour sliders in
the middle panel, and you should be able to dial a more
appropriate colour from here. Using textures, you can change
how the surface of objects. With the cube selected, press F6 to
open the Textures panel. Under the drop down menu labelled
‘Texture Type’, select Stucci. The texture preview will fill with a
texture that looks a little like the surface of the moon through a
telescope. You can change the colour of the texture by
switching to the ‘Colors’ tab and pressing on the Colorband
button. Press F12 again and you’ll see this texture mapped
onto the surface of the cube. There are hundreds of texture
combinations, and you can layer one on top of another. If
you’re after something realistic, try the Image texture type and
use your own photos. You can also find texture libraries online
This frame is taken from an animated short film called so that you don’t need to recreate everything by hand. If all
‘Elephants Dream’, a movie created almost entirely using this seems a little overwhelming, don’t worry – if you’re able to
Blender and other open source software. persevere, the end results can be stunning.
LXFS13.bestof 106 14/4/08 20:02:46

20 top apps
Ardour
Turn your Linux box into a multi-track recording studio.
A
rdour is a multi-track recording application that’s more Choose the audio file you want from the file requester and
than up to the task of recording live performances. Ardour will automatically add it to your project and insert it
Development of Ardour is part sponsored by the SAE into the current position in the selected track.
Institute, one of the largest educators of audio engineers in the If you want to add effects to your audio, make sure you’ve
world. As a result, Ardour can be considered a professional- installed the LADSPA plugin packages from Synaptic then
grade solution, and is capable of recording and mixing large right-click on the black space above the channel in the mixer
projects, as well satisfying modest home studio requirements. view. Select New Plugin from the pop-up menu, and you’ll be
If you want to see what it’s capable of, why not invite your old presented with the list of plugins. From here you can add any
bandmates over and give it a go? plugin with one click, and you’ll be returned to the mixer view.
If you’ve ever used an application such as Cubase or Logic, Double-click on the plugin to open the editing window, and
Ardour’s main window should look familiar. Audio tracks can click on ‘Bypass’ to enable it. You can change effect
be added to the empty section with the audio for each track parameters as the audio plays, but you might want to click on
stretching as blocks to the right. By default, there’s only one S in the track view, as this solos the track, muting the others.
track, which is labelled ‘master’. This track represents the When you’re happy with your mix, the final step is the
output on your sound card. To add further tracks, right-click on mixdown. This is selected from the File > Export menu, and it
the light grey border to the left and below the master track, will generate a final audio file that includes all the effects as
and select Stereo or Mono as a channel configuration. If you well as your mix settings. Share this file to become famous.
have a sound card with more than one input, you can change
the input used for each track from the mixer window. From the
Windows menu, select Show Mixer. This window mimics the
functionality of a hardware mixing console typically found in
recording studios. From the mixer view, you can change the
volume of each track, as well as add effects and route the
audio from one track to another. To change the input source
for each of your new tracks, click on the small ‘input’ button
underneath the track name. The popup menu will let you
choose your sound card’s other inputs.
Go back to the main Ardour window. To record the sound
coming into your sound card, record-enable each track you
want to use by clicking on the red circle in each track before
Ardour is capable
pressing the large red button at the top of the window. If you
of recording and
need a click track, press the Click button and adjust the tempo
mixing dozens of
of the project by double-clicking on the Tempo strip. As you tracks at once,
record, Ardour will generate blocks of waveform data that which is a far cry
correspond to each track. If you’d rather use pre-recorded from the simple
music than record your own, you can import music by right- days of four-track
clicking in the track and selecting ‘Insert Existing Audio’. recording.
Step by step: Track automation
A is for auto Automation is the ability to Drag the fader Select Fader from the Draw a curve You can automate almost
1 record mixer slider movements, as well as 2 automation menu. A track will appear for 3 everything. Try adding an effects plugin to
other parameters, directly into your project. the fader data. Select Write from the top-right the track and select a parameter from the
Automation options appear when you click on a button, and any fader moves you make in the mixer automation pop-up menu. Use manual mode
track’s A button. will be recorded. to draw automation by hand.
LXFS13.bestof 107 14/4/08 20:02:47

20 top apps
Stellarium
Thanks to Linux, you can gaze at the stars even without windows.
S
tellarium is a desktop planetarium. It’s the virtual fascinating to watch the sunlight and stars shift location as
Quick tip equivalent of one of those domed theatres where the
stars and constellations are projected on to the internal
your mouse shuttles across the surface of the globe. It’s worth
putting in your coordinates as any error in your location will be
If you don’t know your surface of the dome. Like the theatre, Stellarium is a projection translated to time differences in the main view.
longitude and latitude, of the night sky, but instead of using a dome it uses your
many websites now
offer a Google Maps
screen. When you start Stellarium from the Applications > It’s full of stars
modification that give Education menu, the first thing you have to do is set your Close the configuration window to return to the main view.
you the details you current location. After the application has loaded, and you’ve Depending in the time of day, you’ll either see a beautifully lit
need when you simply been suitably impressed by the super-realistic view, click on field with very few stars, or the night sky with strange
click on a map. the small spanner icon in the bottom-left toolbar. This is the silhouettes on the horizon. Stellarium uses a real image to
configuration panel, and you need to click on the Location tab. draw the ground, as well as atmospheric effects that
The window will now show a map of the world so you can approximate overhead visibility. You can turn both of these
locate your nearest city. This window hides one of Stellarium’s features off from the bottom-left toolbar by clicking on the
best features. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the icon of the sky (labelled ‘atmosphere’), and a similar icon with
cursor across the map. The Stellarium display in the an additional tree (labelled ‘ground’). Similarly, you can enable
background will update immediately with the local view. It’s and disable other features from the same toolbar, including
constellation lines and images, as well as labels for most
objects in the night sky. The small toolbar in the bottom-right
of the window accelerates time. This makes it easy to see the
passage of time on the night sky, as well as switch from day to
night without difficulty.
Apart from displaying the view from your garden, Stellarium
can also display many of the objects you’d typically find in a
telescope. To find Saturn, for example, click on the magnifying
glass in the toolbar. In the window that appears, type ‘saturn’.
The display will then rotate and zoom into the yellow giant. The
location of Saturn’s rings and moons are correct, and you can
zoom in and out with the middle mouse button. You can also
see the current phase of the moon in the same way, as well as
all the other planets in the night sky with images for them all.
Stellarium features accurate images of many nebulae, most of
them freely provided by the Faulkes telescopes in Hawaii and
Australia. Try a search for the Pleiades or M110 to see some
great examples. Not only is Stellarium a great tool for
discovering the night sky from your desktop, it’s also the
Stellarium is the best way of learning what all the perfect tool for planning a night’s viewing – just remember a
constellations are without getting either frostbite or insomnia. blanket, in case it’s chilly out.
Solar Eclipse: Cornwall 11/08/99
Set the date To show off a little of Zoom in Centre in on the moon using the Forget the clouds Gradually move the time
1 Stellarium’s power, set your location to 2 search function. Click on the moon and 3 forward and watch the last total eclipse in
Plymouth on 11 September 1999 at 9:00 am, and press space to keep it centred, and zoom just the UK unfold before your eyes. Only this time, the
switch back to the main view. enough to see both celestial bodies at once. weather doesn’t get in the way.
LXFS13.bestof 108 14/4/08 20:02:49

20 top apps
Miro
If you have broadband, Miro lets you choose from hundreds of free
online TV channels and download and store your videos in one place.
I
n a world where online entertainment is increasingly client is also uploading chunks of the file to other users
commercialised and locked down, Miro is a breath of fresh without the same bits as you. It’s a process known as peer-to-
air. It’s an open source media player. But what makes Miro peer downloading, because the other Miro users you’re
so different from most other media players is that it’s connected to are your ‘peers’. You may have heard of
hardwired to the internet. In technical terms, Miro uses the BitTorrent in reference to illegal software, but this is purely
same RSS feeds you use to keep up to date with the news, but because the same protocol is used by people who share files
instead of news, Miro subscribes to content tuned for video. If they don’t have permission to share. With Miro, all the content
you’ve ever subscribed to a podcast in Apple’s iTunes software, is perfectly legal, and BitTorrent is a legitimate and highly
you’ll already be familiar with the technology. Miro does the efficient method of getting the data to everyone.
same for video. Miro needs to be installed through Synaptic,
after which you can find tucked away in the Applications > Channel hopping
Sound & Video menu. When first launched, Miro downloads Depending on the speed of your internet connection, you may
the latest RSS feeds for all the channels its subscribed to by need to wait a short while for your selected videos to
default. The front page that you see is the ‘Miro Guide’, an download. You can check on their progress from the
edited front-end to many of the new channels. It constantly ‘Downloading’ channel on the left. When each download
updates with news from the Miro world – the internet TV completes, it will be placed in the ‘New’ folder, and a green digit
equivalent to the electronic programme guide you find on will show how many new videos there are to watch, as well as
many modern televisions. You can see each channel listed on which channel the video originated from. Clicking on either of
the left panel sorted into categories. The blue number to the these green numbers will open the video list for that channel,
right of each channel is the number of new videos posted on and from there you can play your downloaded movie.
that channel. Green numbers are the number of new and The best part about Miro is that it can download videos
downloaded videos that area ready to watch. according to your criteria, and do so automatically. If you find a
channel or RSS feed you like, for instance, you can download
BitTorrent all videos posted to that channel automatically. From the blue
Clicking on one of the channels will open the list of videos ‘Auto Download’ bar at the top of the channel list, just select
currently available. Along with the title, there’s normally a brief ‘New – Get Only New Videos’, and Miro will do the downloading
synopsis on what the video is about. If you find one that for you in the background. This is great if you want to leave
interests you, click on the blue down arrow near the video Miro running overnight, because it means you’ll have
thumbnail. This will add the video to the download queue. The everything ready to view when you log in to your machine in
clever thing about Miro is that it uses the BitTorrent protocol to the morning. By default, videos will be removed automatically
download the files. This is a great way to share the burden of after ten days. If you want to keep a video, press on the ‘Keep’
hosting and downloading files, and is partly the reason why button on the video strip after it has been downloaded. The
Miro and its content is free. When you download a file, you’re video will then be appended to your Library, and you can also
actually downloading the data from other Miro users, grabbing add any other video files you may have on your hard drive and
pieces from people who already have the same file. The Miro use Miro as an all-encompassing media player. LXF
Miro is the gateway to a world of online entertainment. There’s You can search and download movies from YouTube, as well as
even a programme guide with reviews of popular downloads. many other online video sites.
LXFS13.bestof 109 14/4/08 20:02:51

Answers
Answers
Because of the community that’s grown up around Linux, there are loads of
places to get help with any problems you might have – including right here…
your changes into effect. On the whole Ubuntu tends to have only
Too much software? the essential services enabled by default, so don’t be tempted to
Q
When I first installed Ubuntu, I spent a lot of time tinker too much or you may get some unexpected results!
downloading different servers and software to try
them out. Now I’m worried that I’ve got too much X/K/Ubuntu
Q
installed and that this may be slowing down my system. What I’ve read on the internet that there are some other
should I do? Ubuntu variants, one called Kubuntu and another
called Xubuntu. I’d like to try them out; do I need to
A
Don’t worry; on the whole even if you have installed a wide re-install using a different disc?
variety of software, your system should still be running well.
A
The only risk that you might have is that having more Yes, there are other variants on Ubuntu available as
software on your system invariably increases your software profile standalone CDs, but you don’t necessarily need to
which might leave you open to attack from the outside through download and burn these images to a CD in order to try
some unknown security vulnerability. For this reason it’s wise to them out. All you need to do is install the kubuntu-desktop or
make sure you switch off any services that aren’t in use. The best xubuntu-desktop packages within Synaptic; they act as meta-
way of doing this with Ubuntu is to use Boot Up Manager packages, which basically mean that by selecting one of these
(shortened to the packages, all the
slightly unfortunate
Bum), a simple
“Ubuntu tends to have only the necessary
packages that form
editor that allows
you to enable and
essential services enabled by default, part of either
Kubuntu or
disable services. It’s so don’t tinker too much.” Xubuntu are
pretty automatically
straightforward to use; there is a long list of services and their installed as a result. You won’t lose any data as a result of doing
descriptions. Simply either tick or clear the box to the left of the this, and it gives you an easy way to try different window
service to enable or disable it, and click the Apply button to put managers.
The unfortunately
named Bum
allows you to
configure which
services should
and shouldn’t be
running.
LXFS13.answers 110 15/4/08 12:22:03

Answers
Go home Gnome
Q
Now that I’ve got Kubuntu/Xubuntu installed, how can
I access the different environments? Every time I log
in, it takes me straight to the Gnome desktop. What
am I doing wrong?
A
You’re not doing anything wrong – Ubuntu is defaulting to
the Gnome desktop, because that’s its standard. In order to
access either Kubuntu (KDE) or Xubuntu (Xfce) you need
to explicitly choose them. There are two main ways of doing this
within Ubuntu. The first, and by far the simplest, is to click the
Options button in the bottom left-hand corner of the login screen
and choose Select Session. You’ll see a window pop up where you
can select which window manager you would like to run. To use
KDE, make sure the radio button is selected and click on the
Change Session button. When you log in, you’ll be asked whether
you want to make your choice the new default, or to just use it for
Select either kubuntu-desktop or xubuntu-desktop to sample this session (as a one-off). If you want to experiment, we’d suggest
the other variants of Ubuntu. choosing Just For This Session. Keep doing this until you’ve made
your mind up about the alternative environment, at which point
you can choose to make it the default.
What desktop? The other way to change this is to use the Login Window
Q
I tried doing what you suggested (installing kubuntu- Preferences that we referred to earlier; on the opening screen you
desktop and xubuntu-desktop) and now I’m a bit can choose the default session that you want to use. When you’ve
confused! When I boot up, I see a Kubuntu logo until I decided what you want to do, click on the Close button and your
get to the login screen where I see the Xubuntu login window, settings will be saved, so the next time you log in you’ll be taken to
then when I login I then end up in Ubuntu. What gives? Does your new choice of desktop environment.
my computer have multiple personality disorder?
Sound of silence Make the
A Q
No – you’re quite safe. All that has happened is that the two I don’t hear any sound when I log in to Ubuntu, or
switch to an
desktop packages have installed differing loading and login when I try to play a game or listen to music. What’s
alternative desktop
screens. Let’s deal with the login screen first. In Ubuntu, go happened, and can it be fixed? environment, with
to System > Administration > Login Window. You may be the Login Manager
prompted for your password, as you are going to be making preferences tool.
system-wide changes. Once the Login Window Preferences dialog
has opened up, simply click on the Local tab and select the
Human theme from the list of theme options available to you. Click
the Close button to return to your desktop. Now for the loading
screen – this is a little more involved. At the command line, enter
the command:
sudo update-alternatives --config usplash-artwork.so
You’ll then see a list of options. If you want to revert to the
default Ubuntu artwork, enter the number 1 and press the Enter
key. Ubuntu will then rewrite the configuration file accordingly.
However, there’s one final step to take. and that is to rebuild the
initial RAM disk, which may still reference the alternative artwork.
We need to do this by using the command:
sudo update-initramfs -u
Depending on your own preference, you might choose to have
several different themes, alternating between then every so often.
All you have to do is repeat these two commands each time you
want to switch.
LXFS13.answers 111 15/4/08 12:22:09

Answers
Audio troubles
are nearly
always resolved
by checking
connections and
the volume control.
A
Don’t panic; it’s highly unlikely that your sound card just flat will ask you to do once it has successfully installed the driver.
out refuses to work with Ubuntu. It’s true that some sound
cards aren’t 100% supported under Linux, but this tends to Data transfer
Q
be certain specialist features such as 3D sound. However, the vast I’m considering moving full-time to Linux, but am a
majority of sound cards will provide simple playback functionality. little worried about the masses of documents and
First things first: check your speaker connections, such as the photos that I have stored under Windows. Will I be able
output jack from your computer as well as any power connections to access these in Ubuntu, or do I need to keep hold of
to your speakers. Once you’re happy that everything is plugged in Windows to make sure I can still work with all my data?
and the speakers appear to have power, right-click on the speaker
A
icon in the top task panel and select Open Volume Control. Check Well, first and foremost, there are several packages
the various sliders to ensure that they are not turned all the way available for Ubuntu that will handle pretty much any type
down, and also check the small speaker icons below each set of of graphic file, be it JPEG, TIFF or Windows Bitmap, plus a
sliders to see if there is a red cross through any of the output ones. few you may not have heard of. Other productivity packages such
If there is a red cross through either the Master or the PCM as OpenOffice.org are very good at handling Word documents and
channels, it means that those channels are muted. Simply click on Excel spreadsheets with little or no fuss. The best course of action
the red cross to clear it, and try playing your music again.
Games
Q
My Ubuntu installation seems to be just fine, except
for when I try to play games like PlanetPenguin Racer
or Oolite. Every time one of these games loads, the
graphics become really slow and jerky, making the games
unplayable. What’s even more frustrating is that I know I have a
good graphics card, and it should be able to handle these
games without breaking a sweat. What am I doing wrong?
A
The simple answer to this is to say that graphics card
drivers tend to be proprietary, and aren’t included with
Ubuntu by default. That’s not to say that you can’t install
and use them, as Ubuntu provides the excellent Restricted Drivers
Manager (found under System > Administration > Restricted
Drivers Manager) to make installing proprietary drivers a breeze.
You’ll be prompted for your password, so enter it to take you to the
main window. Simply tick the ‘enable’ box next to the driver that
you need and Ubuntu will ask for confirmation before installing
and enabling the driver. In order to make full use of the new driver, The Restricted Drivers Manager allows you access to the
it’s necessary to restart your computer, something that Ubuntu proprietary 3D graphics card drivers for your card.
LXFS13.answers 112 15/4/08 12:22:10

Answers
A
The answer to this one is most definitely yes! By default, if
you download a ZIP file and double-click on it, you will open
up File Roller. a program that handles archiving as part of
Ubuntu. Not only does it support ZIP formats, but also a number
of Unix/Linux specific formats such as TAR and GZIP. You’ll need
to add File Roller to the menu by right-clicking on the Applications
menu and selecting Edit Menu. In the window that appears, select
Accessories in the left-hand pane and tick the box next to Archive
Manager in the right-hand pane. Finally, click Close, and File Roller
will be added to Applications > Accessories. Open it up and click
on the New button in the toolbar to create a new archive file. It
looks for a file extension, so enter something like archive.zip for
File Roller to use ZIP compression. Click the New button to return
to the main File Roller window and click on the Add Files or Add
Folder button to add individual files or all files under a folder to
your archive.
The choice is yours
Q
Creating and working with archive files is easy with Ubuntu’s I’d like to install some more software, but don’t know
File Roller application. what is out there. What’s the best way for me to
browse what’s on offer?
is to copy a broad sample of your documents to your new Ubuntu
A
computer and try opening them. If you’re happy that they’ll work, Ubuntu offers a graphical package management tool called
then you can make the switch. Alternatively, you might want to Synaptic (found under System > Administration > Synaptic
consider saving them in a different format; for instance, you can Package Manager), which allows you to browse through all
save Word documents in RTF (Rich Text Format) which will open the available packages for Ubuntu. Helpfully, it breaks down the
natively within OpenOffice.org. packages into groups according to their function, allowing you to
browse each group separately. By selecting a package, you’ll get a
Zip it up helpful summary of what the package is, and what additional
Q
I send and receive a lot of ZIP files as part of my job; software might be needed. You can also click on the Search button
will I be able to open these under Ubuntu and even in Synaptic to enter specific keywords; these will be checked
create new archives? against all the package names and their descriptions, and any that
match will be shown.
If you want
to take a stroll
through the
packages that
are available
in Ubuntu, you
can’t go wrong
with Synaptic.
LXFS13.answers 113 15/4/08 12:22:12

Answers
No longer a
closed book; you
can read and write
to your Windows
partition while you
use Ubuntu.
Dual booting what you’re looking for. In the event that you absolutely need to
Q
My system dual boots between Windows and Ubuntu. compile something from source, then here is what you’ll need to
Under Ubuntu I can see my Windows hard drive and all do. First of all you’ll need to install the build-essential package,
the files on it, though when I boot into Windows I can’t which automatically installs a suite of tools that are used during
see the same information for my Ubuntu hard drive. I’d like to the compilation process. Then you’ll need to decompress the
be able to transfer files back and forth between the two source code, which has more than likely arrived in the shape of
systems, but it only seems possible to do this while using what’s known as a tarball, or a TAR archive. To do this, execute the
Ubuntu. What do you recommend I do? following command:
tar zxvf nameoftarball.tar.gz
A
The simple answer is to create a folder on your Windows Next, cd into the directory:
partition that you can use as a ‘drop box’ to transfer files cd nameoftarball
across. Another alternative is to use a USB key, which are Now, read the README file, as this may contain important
becoming increasingly cheap and offer increasingly larger storage information that you may want to be aware of before you start
capacities! As a side note, it was only recently that Ubuntu the compilation process. You might also notice an INSTALL file
included support for NTFS, the filesystem used by Windows XP present; if so, make sure to read this too. Forewarned is fore-
and Windows Vista. You are able to read and write to NTFS armed! To read either the README file or the INSTALL file, enter
volumes, but unfortunately Windows XP and Vista cannot access the command:
ext3 volumes, the file system used by Ubuntu less README
or
What’s compilation? less INSTALL
Q
Occasionally when I’m looking for Linux software on Once you’ve checked these files (if available) you’re ready to
the internet, I come across instructions asking me to being the compilation process. This is a straightforward command
compile things. What does that mean, and do I really like so:
have to do it? sudo ./configure && sudo make && sudo make install
You need to use the sudo command. as Ubuntu requires
A
In short, compiling a program means taking the building administrative rights in order to complete the compilation. The &&
blocks (the source code) and letting the computer build the symbols link these commands together, so that as one finishes,
program for you using some automated tools. However, for the next one starts, ensuring that they are all done one after the other.
new users this isn’t really recommended, as it can cause problems
if your new program depends on a newer version of some library Copy and paste
Q
file than the one you currently have. Instead, you may actually find I’m used to copying and pasting in Windows by using
a pre-compiled version of the program (commonly known as a the Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V keyboard shortcuts. Can I use
binary package) within Synaptic; Ubuntu has access to over these with Ubuntu?
23,000 packages, so the chances are quite good that you’ll find
LXFS13.answers 114 15/4/08 12:22:13

Answers
A
By and large the answer is yes – pretty much all the Gnome
application support doing these key shortcuts. There are a
small handful that don’t provide clipboard support in this
way, but Ubuntu has quite a nifty feature to get around this. Simply
select and highlight the text that you wish to copy. Then, go to the
application or window where you wish to place the text and press
the Left and Right mouse buttons simultaneously. This will
transfer what you have selected. You might find that it’s actually a
lot quicker for you to copy and paste using this method!
What root folder?
Q
I’m a bit confused by the naming conventions in
Ubuntu. People keep referring to the root directory,
but every time I try to access it I get an error telling
me that I don’t have the correct permissions. What gives?
A
We can understand your confusion! In Ubuntu, there are
actually two directories that are known as root. The first
one, commonly shown as just /, is the root directory, which
is the root of your filesystem (or rather the top-most directory of
your filesystem). Under the root (/) directory are all the many
directories and files that make up your system. Your confusion
isn’t helped by the fact that there is a root sub-directory called
(/root) under the root directory (/), which is actually the second
of the two directories. This belongs to the root user, and contains
their system files and preferences. This directory is only accessible
while working as the root user or by using the sudo command.
Disappearing menus mouse button and you’ll breathe a sigh of relief as the Acrobat Reader
is only a few clicks
Q
I don’t know what I’ve done, but my menus seem to Applications, Places and System menus reappear. Do the same for
away under Ubuntu.
have disappeared from my desktop and I can’t access the Clock applet, but this time drag it to the top-right corner of the
any of my programs or even log out of my system. Help! top panel. You’ll also want to include the Notification Area applet,
so any new events will be displayed where you can see them, and
A
You may have deleted the top panel that contains the you’ll probably also want the Volume Control applet. While you’re
standard menus as well as some notification icons and the here, you can add application shortcuts to Firefox, Evolution and
clock. This sounds much worse than it is, and it’s fairly easy any other entries in the Applications menu by clicking the
to get them back. First of all, right-click on the bottom taskbar and Application Launcher button and selecting from the list.
select New Panel to create a blank panel across the top. Right-click
on this new panel and select Add To Panel. A window will open up Perfect PDFs
Q
that will allow you to choose from a range of applets. Scroll down Under Windows I had Adobe Acrobat Reader to help
to the bottom and look for the Menu Bar entry, left-clicking and me work with PDFs, but I can’t seem to find anything
dragging it to the top-left corner of the top panel. Let go of the like it under Ubuntu. I really like Acrobat, and would
prefer to use it over the software that’s
supplied with Ubuntu because I’m more
familiar with Acrobat.
A
The PDF viewing tool that comes
with Ubuntu (Evince) is a little basic
compared with Adobe Acrobat,
so the simple solution is to just go to
www.adobe.com and download Acrobat
yourself! The default download for Linux is
an RPM file, which is typically used by
Fedora and OpenSUSE, but not much
good for Ubuntu. To get a package that’s
suitable for Ubuntu, just click on the
Different Language Or Operating System
link, select ‘Linux - x86 (.deb)’ from the
Installer drop-down menu and click
Continue. Acrobat will then start to
download (choose to save it to your local
disk in the pop-up window that appears)
and after a few seconds you’ll have a
package on your desktop. Simply double-
click on the package and Ubuntu will ask
Use the Add To Panel dialog to create shortcuts and add monitors to your panels. you whether you want to install the
LXFS13.answers 115 15/4/08 12:22:15

Answers
package. Click the Install Package button to start the installation necessary to upgrade your system to the very latest set of
process, at which point Ubuntu will ask you for your password. packages, so you should allow a few hours to do this depending on
Enter this and after about 20 seconds or so, Acrobat Reader will the speed of your internet connection. Ubuntu itself provides 18
be installed and available under Applications > Office. months support for each release, with the exception of the LTS
(Long Term Support) releases. In these cases, Ubuntu provides
Joystick jiggling support for a total of three years for the desktop version and five
Q
I have a joystick that I’d like to use to play games years for the server version.
with on Ubuntu. Is it safe to use, and will Ubuntu You should also be aware that Ubuntu only supports version by
recognise it? version upgrading, so if you want to upgrade to 8.04LTS, you must
first be running the previous version (7.10). Skipping a release is
A
Yes, your joystick should be safe to use. Before the days of not allowed, so you can’t go from 7.04 to 8.04LTS – you’d have to
USB ports, joysticks used a 15-pin port that was commonly first upgrade to 7.10 before moving to 8.04LTS.
found on sound cards. However, with the advent of USB,
these ports are no longer included on sound cards, and joysticks Help! I need somebody
Q
have moved to using a USB interface. That said, if your sound card I need more help! Where can I turn to help me with my
has a 15-pin socket and your joystick can plug into it, it should problems?
work with Ubuntu. If your joystick does have a USB interface,
simply plug it into a spare USB port and Ubuntu should recognise
A
it. You’ll find that individual games will have specific options that Well it depends what kind of problem you have. If it’s a Linux-
relate to all the buttons on your joystick; check each game for based one, why not try our forums at www.linuxformat.
more details. co.uk/forums – our readers are a helpful bunch and you’re
likely to get an answer there. If not, then why not try the hugely
Free updates popular Ubuntu Forums, found at http://ubuntuforums.org,
Q
I’ve had a message appear on my desktop telling me where you’ll have access not only to the Ubuntu community at large,
that there’s a new version of Ubuntu – something but also sometimes the actual developers who are involved in
called 8.04LTS. What should I do? creating Ubuntu.
Code it!
A
This is Ubuntu’s way of telling you that development has
Q
finished on a new version of Ubuntu – in this case, version A few years ago I started to learn to program, but
8.04LTS. The clever thing about Ubuntu is that it allows you didn’t get very far and I’d like to give it another go.
a seamless upgrade path between different versions, meaning that What programming tools are available for Ubuntu, and
you can upgrade easily to the very latest version of Ubuntu. In this which languages can I learn?
Crack Attack
case, the only thing that you need to bear in mind is that it will take
can become an
A
a fair amount of time to download and install all the software I’ve got good news for you: Ubuntu offers you the
addiction – you
opportunity to learn a wide variety of programming
have been warned!
languages. The choice can be somewhat overwhelming as
there are loads to choose from. For example, you could start off
with some simple shell scripting, and then maybe move toward
Perl, or you might prefer to go down the Object-Oriented route and
learn Java or C++. Not only that, but if you need to learn .Net,
Ubuntu allows you access to Mono, a free and open source
implementation of the .Net technologies. Moving on to the web,
you can program in PHP, JavaScript, or even learn simple HTML.
The possibilities are endless. Keep an eye out for programming
tutorials in regular issues of Linux Format to learn more.
Because it’s aimed at making Linux accessible, Ubuntu has

some of the friendliest, most useful forums out there.
LXFS13.answers 116 15/4/08 12:22:16

Answers
Get gaming! that is commonly supplied with every camera. Ubuntu will
Q
I’m bored with playing Same Gnome, Mines and automatically acknowledge the presence of a camera and attempt
Chess. Are there any other decent games available to import the pictures into GThumb, which is a picture-handling
for Ubuntu? utility within Ubuntu. However, there is a better option called
F-Spot (found under Applications > Graphics) that allows you to
A
Yes! Ubuntu includes a handful of simple games with the import pictures into a library ordered by time. You’ll need to
default installation, but these are by no means the limit. disable GThumb’s automatic import though, by going to System >
Other games that you can access through Ubuntu include Preferences > Removable Drives And Media and unticking the
Battle for Wesnoth, a turn-based strategy game set in a fantasy option under the Cameras tab. F-Spot is pretty easy to use, and
world, SuperTuxKart, a game similar to Super Mario Kart, Vega you’ll be able to perform some minor editing with it. You can even
Strike, a space trading game, and our personal favourite: Crack export your photographs to Picasa Web or Flickr. LXF
Attack. You can add these by going to Applications > Add Remove
and choosing to see all available applications. Then click on the
Games group on the left-hand side and you’ll see a big long list of
games that you can choose from. Simply select one or more and
click on the Apply Changes button to be prompted for your
password prior to Ubuntu downloading and installing the games.
Be aware that some games, such as Vega Strike and Open Arena
have some very large downloads, so be patient while they’re
downloading; Ubuntu will keep you up to date with how it’s doing
and give you an ETA for finishing the download.
Photography
Q
I’ve just bought a digital camera. Will Ubuntu allow
me to me import my photographs and help me
manage my photo collection?
A
It depends on whether your camera supports mass storage
or not. Mass storage is when a computer treats a camera
or USB key like just another disk, which is automatically
mounted and made available for Ubuntu. If your camera does
support this, then you can simply link it up using the USB interface F-Spot takes the pain out of organising your photos.
Using the terminal

Hang around any number of Linux geeks and it the following example: directory. It’s not inconceivable that you might one
won’t be long before they descend into a weird andrew@teletran:~/Documents$ day enter a command like this one:
world of uttering words without meaning. Things The first part (before the @ sign) tells me that I cd ../../../..
like cd or ls, or even the more exotic-sounding grep am logged on as the user andrew. The name of the that would move you up four levels in your
may mean nothing to you now, but take the time to machine is teletran (the part after the @ sign) and I directory hierarchy.
learn about the terminal and you too can harness am currently working in the Documents directory
the power of the command line. which is a sub-directory of my home directory Putting it together
At its most basic, the command line is a way to (denoted by the tilde (~) character). As you move One of the strengths of the command line is the
enter one or more commands that will interact in a through the file system using the terminal, the bit ability to string several commands together in order
low level with the Linux operating system. You can after the colon in the prompt will tell you exactly to accomplish multiple tasks. Here at LXF Towers,
access the terminal (or command line) by one of where you are. we like to use the command line as it can be
two ways; you can go to Applications > Accessories quicker, and a good example of this is when we
> Terminal to open up a terminal as part of your Wading around update our Ubuntu installation. To do this, we enter
desktop, or you can press Ctrl+Alt plus any key Moving to and fro within your filesystem is pretty the command:
from F1 to F6 to access one of six different terminal easy to do and relies on the cd (change directory) sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y &&
windows. If you do it the Ctrl+Alt way then you’ll command. Just typing it by itself and pressing the sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -y
need to login with your username and password, Enter key will automatically move you back to your which will update the software repository
and if you need to return to your desktop just press home directory (~). The same effect can be had by information, install any upgrades and also install
Alt+F7. Don’t worry about logging in multiple times; entering the command: any more complicated upgrades. All we will have
Ubuntu allows this, and it can come in handy if you cd ~ to do is enter our password in once, as we have
need to run a command in the background while The cd command is relatively simple to use and chained the commands together using the two
you’re working on something else. relies on you entering the details of the directory && signs.
The first command you’ll learn is ls, which lists that you want to move into. For example: An alternative to this, using the ls command,
the contents of the current directory. If you want cd ~/Music might look like this:
to see more information, you can use the command would move me into the Music directory under my ls -al | less
like so: home directory. If you wanted to move up a Instead of simply running the commands in
ls -al directory, then you could enter the command: order, this actually sends the output of the ls -al
which will give you a more detailed listing of all the cd .. command to the less command, allowing you to
files and directories, including the hidden ones, that and Ubuntu would understand this. A single period easily scroll up and down using the cursor keys to
are located in the current directory. But how do you (.) stands for the current directory, while a double see your directory contents. When you’re finished,
know which directory you’re currently in? Look at period (..) stands for the immediate parent tap the Q key to return to the command line.
LXFS13.answers 117 15/4/08 12:22:18

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Glossary
Glossary
Get to grips with all the Linux lingo used by the open source community.
ACPI Advanced Configuration & of Linux) that is both free software Distro Short for distribution, which is by Red Hat. The Fedora Project aims
Power Interface. Allows Linux to and freely licensed using the BSD a custom release of the Linux kernel to release a new ‘Core’ update twice a
control power management on licence. The BSD licence allows plus a selection of packages and year, and the distro is well known for
laptops and desktop machines. If inclusion of code into proprietary additional scripts and programs. incorporating cutting-edge features
ACPI is properly configured, Linux software without the release of Fedora, Mandriva Linux, Mepis, ahead of the pack.
can power off your machine for you modifications. Debian and Ubuntu are all popular
when shutting it down. Linux distros. Firefox Successful open-source web
Command line The most common browser produced as a spin-off from
ALSA Advanced Linux Sound name for the text-only teletype input Ekiga Video conferencing tool for Mozilla. Firefox uses the same HTML
Architecture. This library provides system for Linux. The command-line Gnome that uses the H.323 protocol rendering system as Mozilla (known
support for a number of soundcards, interpreter of choice on Linux is and tunnelling to provide high-speed as Gecko), but wraps it inside an
enabling a Linux system to give traditionally Bash. chats between attendees. Formerly intuitive and well-designed user
multimedia feedback. known as GnomeMeeting. interface. You can also try Konqueror,
Compile The process of turning Mozilla or the proprietary, (but free to
Amarok The preferred KDE media source code (human-readable Emacs At its core, this is merely a download) Opera.
player. Amarok can locate and programming language) into a binary text editor (the name comes from
manage your songs, playlists, album executable (a program that can be Editing Macros), but Emacs has FSF The Free Software Foundation
art and song lyrics, and of course run by Linux) is known as many extensions and add-ons that was founded in 1985 as a non-profit
play music! Most distros also come compilation. allow you to compile and debug code, organisation dedicated to promoting
with Juk, an alternative media player read your email, play games and the freedom of software. The group
for KDE. Console Another term for the more. Several clones of Emacs exist, is still the primary sponsor of the
command line. including the innovative XEmacs. GNU Project.
Apache The most popular web
server on the internet, behind nearly Debian Popular Linux distro with an Evolution Gnome-based personal FTP The File Transfer Protocol is a
70% of all web domains. The name emphasis on software freedom and information manager that handles client–server architecture that
comes from its original moniker, stability, named after its founder, Ian email, calendaring and contacts. For enables users to upload and
A Patchy Web Server, so named Murdock, and his then-girlfriend KDE, the equivalent is Kontact. download files quickly and efficiently.
because it was built up from a Deborah. The Debian Project is FTP has long been preferred to HTTP
number of modifications. known for its very long release cycles. ext3 The standard Linux filesystem. for file distribution in this manner, as
Its journalling capability allows your it allows easy authentication, quota
Appletalk A common file- and print- Display manager A session manager system to recover safely from an management, and download
sharing protocol used by older for X that handles user login and unexpected shutdown or other resumption.
Macintosh computers. On Linux, you choosing your preferred desktop. mishap. You do not need to
can allow Macs to connect to your The original desktop manager is xdm defragment ext3 disks. GConf The closest that Linux gets to
machine with Appletalk support by (the X Display Manager), but Gnome an equivalent of the Windows
using the Netatalk library. and KDE have produced gdm and Fedora Popular Linux distro registry. It is designed to store user
kdm respectively. sponsored and primarily developed preferences for the Gnome desktop
APT Advanced Packaging Tool, a and its applications, and you will find
suite of utilities authored by the there are options that can be set in
Debian team that handles package GConf that cannot be set in the
installation and maintenance. applications!
Bash The Bourne-Again SHell is the Gentoo The most popular source-
predominant command-line based Linux distro. A source-based
interpreter for Linux. It is based on distro downloads all its packages as
the original Bourne Shell, created by compressed source code, then
Stephen Bourne for AT&T, and extracts and compiles it according to
includes job control, scripting and your system preferences. Because of
aliases. this, Gentoo is highly customisable.
Boot A general term for starting Gimp The GNU Image Manipulation
your computer. Rebooting means to Program is the most prevalent and
restart, and the boot process is the powerful image editor on Linux.
initial set of procedures through Although modelled loosely on the
which Linux starts. user interface of Adobe Photoshop,
Gimp is harder to use, and lacks
BSD Berkeley Software Distribution, Emacs: text editor, operating system or something much more powerful? some more advanced features such
a variant of Unix (and close relation It has legions of fans arguing that it’s a way of life – you decide! as high-quality colour matching.
LXFS13.glossary Sec1:120 15/4/08 11:15:55

Glossary
handle groups of people chatting in system is known as the kernel, and

virtual rooms (known as channels). it’s this part that handles running
IRC is often quite a seedy place to programs, allocating resources,
visit, and is a hive of illegal software, monitoring devices and receiving
hacks and sci-fi fans. user input. Technically speaking,
Linux is only the kernel of the
Java Cross-platform language and operating system: everything else is
graphical toolkit developed by taken from other projects.
Sun Microsystems to power ‘smart’
devices. Java powers over 650 million Kicker The long control bar that, by
PCs and 750 million smartcards, as default, runs along the bottom of
well as everything from cars to your KDE desktop. The Kicker is an
set-top boxes. incredibly powerful tool that can hold
quick launch icons, program lists and
Kate The KDE Advanced Text Editor RSS feeds. Right-click on the Kicker
is the most feature-rich GUI text to start learning.
Gimp is the only real choice for professional editor you’ll find on any platform.
graphics development on Linux. Although it only handles text, it can KOffice The KDE-based office suite
colour code what you type if you’re that comprises a generous group of
programming, run scripts, handle applications: KWord, the word
Gnome The GNU Network Object GTK The Gimp Toolkit. This is a set of projects, and it even embeds a processor; KSpread, the
Model Environment was created as GUI controls that enable developers command line into the window. spreadsheet; KPresenter, the
an alternative graphical desktop to to build advanced user interfaces presentation program; Kivio, the
KDE, back when the Qt graphical quickly and easily. As you can guess K3b The standard CD and DVD technical drawing package; Karbon14,
library used by KDE wasn’t available by the full name, GTK made its debut writing tool for KDE. K3b is generally the vector art application; Krita, the
under the GPL. Gnome’s primary as part of Gimp development, but it acknowledged to be the easiest way pixel-based art tool (like Gimp);
focus is on usability, eschewing has since outgrown that program to to write to optical media, and you can Kugar, the report generator; KPlato,
features that have long been be used as the general GUI toolkit for use it to take backups and write ISO the project manager; and Kexi, the
incorporated into KDE. the Gnome environment. files to disc. database management system.
KOffice applications are smaller,
GNU The GNU Project was founded GUI Graphical user interface, also KDE The K Desktop Environment faster but less functional than their
in 1984 to develop a complete, free known by the phrase Windows, Icons, was originally known as the Kool OpenOffice.org equivalents.
Unix-like operating system. Every Menus and Pointing devices (WIMP). Desktop Environment. KDE uses the
Linux distro depends heavily on the A GUI represents your programs and Qt toolkit for drawing its interfaces, Konqueror The default web browser
work of the GNU project, for documents using high-colour and the two teams work very closely and file management system for
everything from basic command-line graphics and icons on-screen. together. KDE is known for having a KDE. Konqueror, like Windows
programs to the compilers and the Home directory Each user on a Linux strong focus on features, although Explorer, works as a browser, a file
Gnome desktop environment. system has a home directory, usually increasingly developers are choosing manager and a file preview tool that
contained in /home. For example, a to focus on its usability. can view many file types. Konqueror
GnuCash Open-source accounting user called Richard will have uses the same rendering engine as
system for the Gnome desktop /home/richard, and user Ralph will KDE Wallet The KDE standard way Apple’s Safari.
environment. It can import Quicken have /home/ralph. Most for storing user passwords and
files, create balance-sheet reports, distributions automatically create a personal information needed by Kontact Integrated personal
manage your income, and even print home directory for each user, but KDE applications. information manager (similar to
out cheques. some do not. Outlook) for KDE.
Kernel The core of any operating Also consider Evolution.
GPL GNU General Public License. HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol is
This is the foundation of free used as the primary method for
software, allowing programmers to requesting and sending web pages
access, modify, redistribute and even and their content. An HTTP client –
sell source code with this licence usually a web browser – requests an
under the condition that they grant item from a server using a Uniform
others the same rights. Unlike the Resource Locator (URL), and the
BSD licence, any program that uses server sends the content back.
GPL code must itself be licensed
under the GPL (or compatible IEEE 1394 The technical name for
licence). the FireWire technology for
connecting devices together.
Grub GRand Unified Bootloader. Sometimes known as iLINK on many
Grub is similar to the Lilo bootloader, Sony devices. FireWire has roughly
in that they both allow you to choose the same bandwidth as USB 2.0;
which operating system you would however, it is faster for transferring
like to boot. However, Grub has many large files.
more features than Lilo, including
the ability to edit the menu as the IRC Internet Relay Chat is an
machine boots. interactive discussion protocol to KDE’s advanced text editor Kate has a plethora of options.

Glossary
because Microsoft has not revealed primary desktop line of chips. IBM
the exact data structures. has extended PowerPC to servers
and even supercomputers.
OpenOffice.org The most powerful
office suite available on Linux Prompt Another term for the
consists of Writer, the word command line. There are many of
processor; Math, the mathematics these terms!
package; Calc, the spreadsheet;
Impress, the presentation tool; and Proxy server Proxy servers cache
Draw, the vector art tool. web server responses locally so that
a given website loads faster the next
Package A discrete application time you – or someone else with
container that can be installed into a access to the proxy – loads it. The
Linux distro. There are several types most popular proxy server on Linux
of package, but the most common is Squid.
are RPM (for Fedora, SUSE and
Konqueror uses the same HTML rendering engine as Mac OS X’s Safari.
Mandriva Linux) and APT (for Debian, Python Flexible, object-oriented
Ubuntu and Knoppix). programming language for Linux that
Kopete Instant messaging tool for supermounting to automatically is often used to create agile scripts in
KDE that works with MSN mount devices such as CDs and USB Package manager Application that the minimum of time.
Messenger, Yahoo, AIM, ICQ and sticks as they are inserted. tracks which packages are installed,
Yahoo networks. allows you to install or configure Qt Graphical user interface toolkit
Mozilla Cross-platform, open-source more packages, and also cleans up produced by Norway-based Trolltech.
LGPL The GNU Lesser General Public web browser and email client based the system when a package is Qt’s most popular use is behind the
License. This is a variant of the GPL on the open source release of the uninstalled. scenes of KDE, but it is also available
that allows programs using so- Netscape Communicator suite. The on Mac OS X and Windows.
licensed code to be distributed as Mozilla HTML rendering system, Pan Advanced Usenet newsreader
part of proprietary software without Gecko, has since been incorporated for Gnome, with features like article Red Hat Arguably the most
the need to license that software into Firefox, Epiphany, Galeon and header cacheing, filtering, multiple successful Linux company in the
specially. several other web browsers. connections and easy binary world, Red Hat’s main product is Red
decoding. Hat Enterprise Linux. Its consumer-
Lilo The LInux LOader, a bootloader Nautilus The Gnome equivalent of level product, Red Hat Linux, was
that enables you to select which Konqueror, with more emphasis on Partition One slice of your hard disk spun off in 2003 with the launch of
operating system you want to start managing files and less on web that is functionally separate from the Fedora.
each time your computer is turned browsing. Nautilus uses spatial-mode rest. A hard disk may contain just one
on. Many distros allow you to use navigation, which means that each partition (where everything is stored), ReiserFS Advanced journalling
Grub for this instead. folder has its own Nautilus window, but in Linux it is common to create filesystem created by Hans Reiser
and it will remember the position and multiple partitions – one for the OS, and others. Its development has
Login Linux requires that a user with size of that window. one for personal files, one for swap been sponsored by SUSE, Linspire
a valid password validate themselves space, and so on. This allows you to and also the American Defense
to the system before using it. This NFS The Network Filesystem is a reformat the OS partition, leaving Advanced Research Projects Agency
process – logging in – requires you to fairly primitive way for Unix machines your personal files intact. (DARPA). It is commonly thought to
enter your username and password to share drive space with other Unix be the fastest Linux filesystem
at a login prompt. machines. It is insecure, slow and Perl Practical Extraction and available.
inefficient, and so best avoided. Reporting Language (or
Mandriva Linux One of the most Pathologically Eclectic Rubbish Lister, Root The administrator user in Linux.
popular Linux distros around, with a NTFS New Technology Filesystem, depending on whom you talk to) is a The root user (often called the
strong emphasis on usability and developed by Microsoft for Windows difficult but rewarding scripting superuser) has full access to the
new features. Mandriva is largely NT, then extended in Windows 2000 language for Linux and other system, and can even destroy all data
funded by the community, through and Windows XP. Linux has some platforms. on the hard drive with a single
subscriptions to its Mandriva Club support for NTFS, but it is limited command. It is not recommended
programme. Permissions Access rights for files that you log in or run as root beyond
and devices on your system. Normal what you need to do.
MCC Mandriva Control Center, the users have permissions to read
heart of the system configuration programs, but not to write to them, Root directory The top level in your
system on Mandriva Linux. All whereas the root user is able to read Linux filesystem is called the root
options to install and uninstall and write over programs. directory, or /. It is from this root
software, set up your hardware and directory that other subdirectories
configure your network access are PHP Recursive acronym that stands such as /etc and /home are
stored here. for PHP Hypertext Preprocessor. mounted.
PHP is a web scripting language with
Mount To mount a device is to tight links to databases and powerful RPM The Red Hat Package Manager
prepare it for reading and writing. For XML processing. was one of the earliest attempts to
GNU is a recursive acronym
example, you need to mount a CD ease the burden of installing,
for GNU’s Not Unix, and is
before you can use it. Some distros PowerPC CPU architecture used by maintaining, and uninstalling
pronounced “Guh-noo”.
use a technique known as IBM and Freescale as part of their packages. Created by Red Hat, RPM

Glossary
is now the core of both SUSE and To unshade a window, just double- Window decorations The graphical
Mandriva Linux, as well as many click on the bar again. elements that surround the title bar
other distros. The leading alternative of a window. Window decorations can
to RPM is Debian’s APT. Shell Another term for the be customised to look like the
command line. Minimize, Maximize and Close
Runlevel Linux has different modes, buttons unique to Windows.
or levels, of operation, which are SSH Secure SHell. This allows you to
defined by runlevels. Runlevel 0, for log in to a remote Unix server and Window manager Lightweight
example, is a halted system, runlevel gain full command-line access to graphical component that controls
1 is single-user mode, runlevel 3 is your account. It also adds very strong the look and behaviour of windows,
multi-user mode, runlevel 5 is encryption and compression so that and manages user input to those
multi-user with graphical interface, no one can spy on your movements. windows.
and so on. Each runlevel defines a list
of services and programs that should Superuser The root user account in SUSE is just one of many popular Wine Recursive acronym for Wine Is
Linux distributions, each with its
be run as part of the runlevel. Unix, sometimes called the Not an Emulator. Wine is a port of
own mission to achieve.
administrator account. various Windows libraries to Linux so
Samba A free software suite in that native Windows applications can
development since 1992 that Tab completion The name for the Distros with supermount will run on Linux without modification.
provides access to Microsoft file- and filename completion offered on the unmount devices for you as you There are two forks of Wine, known
print-sharing using the SMB/CIFS command line when you press the remove them. as WineX (for DirectX-based games)
protocol. Tab key. Press Tab twice to see a list and CrossOver Office (for Microsoft
of all matches. URPMI User Red Hat Package Office and Photoshop).
SaX2 The SUSE X Windows Manager Install, the standard
configuration application. Tarball Common name for a gzip- Mandriva Linux tool for installing x86, x86-64 x86 is the standard PC
compressed tar file. Tarballs usually RPM files on to your system. URPMI architecture made popular by Intel.
Scribus Desktop publishing (DTP) end with the file extension .tar.gz, but also intelligently handles RPM From the 386 onwards, x86 chips
application with support for PDF you may also come across .tgz. dependencies and uninstallation. have been capable of 32-bit
export, Python scripting, separation processing, but newer chips use the
previews, and right-to-left typography Telnet An early internet protocol for User An account on your Linux x86-64 architecture invented by AMD
for languages like Hebrew and Arabic. logging in to remote Unix machines. box. Each user has a username and to provide 64-bit computing with
Largely superseded by SSH. a password. backwards compatibility.
Session Each user accessing a
graphical desktop on your Linux box Terminal Another term for the VESA Video Electronics Standards X11 The standard graphical desktop
has a session, which stores command line. This is the last one, Association; also the X graphics system for Linux and many other
information about the user and what we promise! driver that works as the lowest operating systems. X11’s enduring
they are doing. You can log out of common denominator no matter popularity is largely down to its
your desktop, terminating your Ubuntu Relatively new Debian-based what graphics card you have in your flexibility: it does not dictate how
session, or you can switch off the distro that has become exceedingly machine. On the downside, the VESA windows should look (that’s left to
computer, terminating everyone’s popular due to its focus on freedom driver is very slow, and not capable of the window manager) or how
sessions. and vibrant user community. 3D acceleration. applications should look (that’s left to
Founded and sponsored by South the GUI toolkit).
Shade The default action in many African millionaire Mark Vim The Vi Improved text editor is
distros for when you double-click the Shuttleworth. the most widespread Linux text X.org The standard Linux
title bar of a window is to ‘shade’ the editor and, despite being quite unlike implementation of the X11 X Window
window. This hides the contents of Unmount The process of removing a most other text editors in the world, System. Some older distros use
the window, showing only its title bar. device or media from your computer. is quite easy to learn. Some systems XFree86, an earlier and less-popular
use the command vi to launch Vim. implementation of X.
Virtual desktop Linux allows you to Yast Yet Another Setup Tool is the
have multiple logical views of your standard installation and
graphical desktop, known as virtual configuration system for SUSE. It is
desktops. Each desktop can have its largely equivalent to Mandriva Linux’s
own windows, icons and wallpaper to Control Center.
distinguish it, and you can move
windows between desktops by Yum Yellow dog Updater, Modified is
right-clicking on their title bar. a recent addition to the world of
package managers, and works as a
VNC Virtual Network Computing is a cross between APT and URPMI. At
simple remote control system for the time of writing, Yum is only
GUIs. In some distros it has been available through Fedora and Yellow
superseded by NX, but you will Dog Linux.
usually be able to install it.
Zip Standard method for
Widget A graphical user interface compressing files into a single
item, such as a button, a text entry archive, made popular via Phil Katz’s
Type commands directly to the computer by using the command line. box or a scrollbar. PKZip suite.

Help and resources
Help and resources

Switching to another operating system is no easy task, but before you shout
“Heeeeeeeeeeelp!”, read this…
F
or most people, the hardest part of same as accessing a man page: just type info command by using | less, eg ls --help | less or
installing Linux is stepping out of their yourtopic at the command line and you will cd --help | less. The pipe key, |, is usually
comfort zone and trying new things. If it load up the index page. If your documentation Shift+\, but this depends on what type of
were just a matter of learning a new office suite has more than one page, use the cursor keys to keybiard you’re using.
the problem would be small enough to cope highlight a link to jump to, and press Enter to For graphical user interface programs, which
with, but Linux gives you a new web browser, a browse to it. You can also use the N key to flip to account for the majority of programs on Linux,
new desktop environment, a new filesystem the next page, the P key to flip back to the there is usually a Help menu where you can get
and a new configuration panel – in short, it’s previous page and U to go up a level. started. More often than not, pressing F1 on
faster to count the things that have stayed the As with man pages, you can view info pages your keyboard will bring up the program help. If
same than the things that have changed. It’s inside Konqueror by using the protocol info:/. not, or if there is no Help menu for some reason,
because of all these changes that lots of people For example, info:/bash would load the Bash you can try looking in the KDE Help Centre. This
install Linux with the best intentions only to find info page nicely formatted inside Konqueror. is usually on the K menu somewhere
themselves frustrated and upset two weeks This has the added benefit that you can just (Documentation or More Applications > More
later, ready to reformat their hard disks, install click links to read topics rather than having to Applications) are the most common places to
Windows and pretend it was all just a bad memorise a load of tricky keypresses. find it), or you can run it. manually by entering
dream. If there’s a particular command you’re the command khelpcenter. This contains links
We don’t want that to happen, naturally. interested in, chances are it will have a special to all the help files inside KDE, along with
Linux is as easy as Windows once you get over --help switch that prints out usage information. shortcuts to the Unix man and info pages.
the initial differences, and as long as you know This is nearly always just a list of all the
where to find help we think you’ll be a pro in no parameters you can use with a command, but Reading treeware
time. Because Linux is a much larger and more because certain commands accept many Although there are thousands of
complex system than Windows, if you want to parameters the output from this can be quite documentation writers out there, help files
learn all of it the key to understanding lies not in long. For example, ls --help lists all the ways you generally serve as reference guides for a given
knowing it all yourself but knowing where to can use the ls command, which happens to be program – they aren’t very easy to use if you
look. about three screens of information. To solve this want to learn something from scratch. If this is
If you have a question, work your way problem, pipe the output through the less your goal, your best bet is to either read
through this list of possible resources, trying
each one until you get the answer you need.
Good luck!
Help, I need somebody!

Linux is packed with documentation of all types;
you just have to know where to look for it. Help
files can be broadly split into two types –
command line and GUI – but there is some
crossover between them. The most basic help
system is the manual page (usually called man
page), which is a plain text system designed for
command-line use. To try this out, open up a
terminal window and type man ls to bring up
the manual page for the ls command. You might
think that ls is quite a simple command, but as
you will see from the manual page it includes
many options that enable you to format and
filter the output.
You can also view manual pages using
Konqueror, the KDE web browser, by typing
man:/ in the location bar followed by the
manual page you’re interested in. For example,
loading man:/ls would bring up the same ls
manual page as before, but this time it would be
formatted nicely for viewing in a graphical
environment.
A step up from man pages are info pages,
which are man pages with hyperlinks inside.
This is useful for complex topics, such as how to The Firefox help system is hugely comprehensive and contains hints and tips about every aspect of
use Bash. Accessing an info page is much the the program. If you don’t find what you’re looking for here, search the web.
LXFS13.helps Sec2:124 15/4/08 11:45:04

Help and resources
magazines or buy books. This special edition of

Linux Format contains 100 pages or so of
tutorial content on a wide variety of topics, but
we print a magazine every month that usually
contains 20 or more pages of tutorials to help
For mastering Emacs and
you get more from Linux, along with subject
many other esoteric topics,
introductions, interviews, product and distro O’Reilly books are best.
reviews, and features. The advantage to reading
the monthly editions is that you can slowly build
up your collection, following tutorial series that
interest you, and over time you’ll find yourself O’Reilly mainly sells highly technical books on next door, the son-in-law, or someone else
the master of your new Linux box. niche topics, such as how to build your own stereotypically well-trained in the secrets of
Aside from Linux Format, several other compiler, how to master Emacs and how to computers. It’s a shame, as the forums that
magazines regularly print Linux tutorials, guides program PHP. If you want accurate, well-written have grown up around the open source
and news stories that the fledgling Linux user is books on a single Linux topic, O’Reilly simply community is a great place to get answers to
likely to find interesting. PC Plus prints at least cannot be beaten. your questions.
one Linux tutorial each month, along with a www.oreilly.com But it’s important to remember that these
great selection of news and reviews. For a less Sams sells books primarily aimed at people in the community aren’t paid to help,
experienced audience, PC Answers prints newcomers to Linux. It prints the Fedora they aren’t trained to help and they aren’t
beginners’ tutorials, as does PC Format Unleashed and the Teach Yourself series’, as well related to you: any help they offer comes from
magazine. as more complex books such as Advanced Unix goodwill, so it’s important you do your best to
If you’re looking for more immediate Programming. If you’re looking to move from be nice to them. If you want to ask a question,
coverage of a specific topic, it’s time to invest in absolute beginner to intermediate level, look for follow these seven simple guidelines and you’ll
a book or two. Four major publishers sell books Sams books. give yourself the best chance of it being
on Linux: www.samspublishing.com answered:
Apress sells technical books for technical
readers that cover a wide range of highly niche
topics. This is not necessarily a bad thing – in
fact, Apress has made quite a name for itself in
“If you’ve read all you can and are still
finding new markets. Unless you’re already a drawing a blank, it’s time to reach out to
well-seasoned veteran, Apress books probably
aren’t the best choice. the community and ask for help.”
www.apress.com
Wiley sells a mix of intermediate and very 1 Read the manuals first, and if that fails,
Commercial technical books, primarily aimed at existing
users who want to know more. Wiley publishes
search the web. If your question has a very
obvious answer that you could have found in
support the Bible series, aimed at more experienced
users, and the Dummies series, which is aimed
the man page or by running the most basic
query on Google, you can expect the rather
If you buy your copy of Linux you may be at people who have little experience with abrupt answers “RTFM” (Read The Fine
entitled to technical support from the distro computers, whatever the operating system. Manual) or “STFW” (Search The Flipping Web).
maker. Most versions of Linux are free (or cost www.wiley.com These are meant to be a little insulting, as the
only a little, to pay for media and shipping), and The cost of an average ‘small’ Linux book person clearly thinks you haven’t actually tried
therefore don’t come with technical support. that covers a single topic is usually around £15 to answer the question yourself. Keep in mind
However, some distros offer a few months of
from an online book store, and that rises to that a lot of these people are naturally very
telephone support, and business-targeted
about £25 for a ‘cover everything’ book that can blunt-spoken, and don’t mean to hurt your
distros (such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux,
Mandriva Corporate Server and SUSE Linux
teach you a lot more. What you choose really feelings.
Enterprise Server) come with at least one year depends on how much you want to learn, and
of technical support. Commercial support is the most people find a mix of books and magazines 2 Don’t ask to ask your question, just ask. That
fastest, easiest and most precise way to get satisfies their craving for knowledge. is, rather than saying, “Is this the right place to
answers to your questions. If you are looking to ask a question about Perl?”, just go ahead and
deploy Linux on mission-critical systems, Getting in touch ask the question. If you’re in the wrong place,
purchasing a maintenance contract is a vital If you’ve read the documentation, checked with you will be told.
addition – you can get four-hour priority magazines and books and are still drawing a
turnaround, level 3 support (where the kernel
blank, it’s time to reach out to other members 3 If your question starts with “can I…?” it’s
developers themselves are assigned to fixing
of the open source community and ask for help. probably best you don’t continue. If you want to
your problem), easy maintenance and more by
using an enterprise distro.
Very few people are naturally good at asking know whether something is possible, the
for help online – most of us ask the teenage kid answer is “try it”. If it doesn’t work, then either
LXFS13.helps Sec2:125 15/4/08 11:45:05

Help and resources
5 Be grateful when they help, and grateful if site is www.linuxquestions.org, which also has
they can’t. If you’re writing an email to a mailing a number of people ready and willing to help at
list, “thanks in advance” goes a long way to all difficulty levels.
showing that you’re a polite person. Usually it takes about a day to get sufficient
response to your question that you’ll be able to
6 If you get an answer you don’t understand, do what you want, but if you want a more
go back to Step 1 by looking up the parts that immediate answer you can try Internet Relay
confuse you, both in the manual pages and on Chat (IRC). This is an interactive text chat
Google. Usually you’ll be fine, but if not it’s OK environment where you can join ‘channels’ of
to ask for clarification – as long as you can users who focus on specific topics, ask
IRC is a good place to find experts waiting show that you have done your homework. questions and get immediate answers. However,
to help with your questions, but it’s best to getting the best answers from IRC requires a bit
go online after 5 pm New York time so that 7 If you don’t get an answer, the people you of thought as to which IRC network to connect
everyone is awake and talking. are asking may not know it. In this case, it’s to (there are several, and usually have
pointless to ask again and again until someone overlapping channel content), and also the time
it isn’t possible (in which case you’ve saved responds with an angry comment; instead, take of your connection. IRC networks are large
everyone’s time) or if it is possible at least you your question elsewhere. groups of interconnected servers that allow
can show some effort on your behalf when people to connect to a chat server near them.
asking the question. Now you know how to ask questions, it’s There are also several different network
time to look at where to ask them. There are groups, such as Dalnet, Efnet, Freenode,
4 Don’t force people to prise information out three places you can usually find help: message Undernet and more. Of them all, Efnet is usually
of you like a clam. Let them know your problem, boards, mailing lists and IRC. the best place to check for general questions,
what software you’re using, what hardware but it’s also one of the hardest networks to
you’re using, what you expect to happen and Amateur experts connect to because its servers frequently go
what has actually happened. If you’re running Message boards – often called forums – are down. Freenode hosts a number of official IRC
an unusual Linux distro or a very old computer, websites where you post questions for others to channels for various Linux projects, such as
say so. If the problem only appears now and respond. Usually you will be asked to register #KDE, #Gnome, #WineHQ and #Bash, but with
then, say so. No one can help you if you simply first, primarily to discourage troublemakers. all of these networks your best bet is just to
take a guess at the name of the channel, such
as #linux, #linuxhelp or #php.
“If you are using a laptop and have a The last place to look is on mailing lists.
These are project-specific group emails where
question, the best thing you can do is take you can email your question to the group and
it to your local Linux user group.” have them answer it. Mailing lists are somewhat
tricky to use, because they invariably have very
rigid guidelines (be sure that you’re not sending
say “KDE crashes” – they need to know whether More often than not you will get responses back your email in HTML format!), and you often
you compiled KDE yourself, what made it crash, from several people, sometimes providing need to subscribe to the mailing list to get an
whether it crashes by itself or whether you complementary answers but sometimes answer back. Subscribing is usually easy, but it
clicked a button, and so on. It’s also very helpful offering different solutions to your problem. The means you can expect to receive everyone
if you can tell people what manual pages you Linux Format forums (at else’s questions and answers along with your
have read and what search results you got www.linuxformat.co.uk) are full of people who own. If there is a Digest option, we recommend
when you tried looking up your problem on are capable of answering questions of all types, you use it. This will group all the emails together
Google. including real beginner problems. Another great and send them en masse, either once a day or
once a week depending on how popular the list
is. You should be aware that many lists –
particularly the general user lists – are
If all else fails... extremely popular, and may receive thousands
of messages each day.
If you’ve tried the forums, tried IRC, called your If your question is Many mailing lists actually have archives of
commercial support line, searched the web, read specifically about system their emails stored online, which you can search
the manual, bought the O’Reilly book and still have administrations for questions similar to yours. Unless you’re
problems, clearly it’s something quite serious! (databases, web servers, encountering a real corner case that no one has
When you get to this dire state, there is still one and so on), email come across before, the chances are that
option left open to you: write in to Linux Format. sysadminqa somebody somewhere will have already solved
Each issue we print (and solve!) the trickiest of @rackspace.co.uk to a similar problem.
reader questions to guide readers through ask your question direct
installation, configuration and maintenance of their
Linux computers. Our team of experts tackle all
to our on-hand expert
from Rackspace. All the
Face-to-face help
Everything covered so far has been possible
sorts of questions, such as how to install modems, same tips for asking
how to configure your mail server and how to set questions on IRC and message without leaving your computer chair. You can
up a secure virtual private network to board apply here: the more subscribe to Linux Format, you can buy books
communicate from home to office. If you have a information you provide, the from Amazon, send email, all without really
general Linux question, drop us a line at more easily we can help you lifting a finger. Now it’s time to go outside and
lxf.answers@futurenet.co.uk. solve your problem. greet the wider world by visiting a Linux user
group (LUG). These are independent groups of
LXFS13.helps Sec2:126 15/4/08 11:45:08

Help and resources
Report a bug
No software is perfect, even if it is open source. know it’s not a problem with
Sometimes a coding error can cause problems, or your configuration.
sometimes you manage to find something the Finally, once others have
developers hadn’t thought of that causes a verified your bug and you
program to crash. But we cannot say enough times have made the test case as
that the chances of you finding a legitimate bug simple as possible, it’s time
are exceedingly small: some of the Linux software to submit it to the
has been in continuous development for more developers. Most open
than 20 years, tested by time and hundreds of source projects have an
thousands of people again and again until any obvious way to submit
bugs that remain are exceedingly obscure. bugs, such as
That said, if you think you have found a bug you http://bugzilla.mozilla.
should do the right thing and try to report it – org for Mozilla and Firefox
hopefully someone will look into it and be able to and http://bugs.php.
fix it for others. If it is determined that the bug isn’t net for PHP. Once you
real, at least you tried. are on there, search for
The first thing to do if you think you’ve found a bugs like yours to make
bug is to figure out how to reproduce it as simply sure someone hasn’t
as possible. If you can get Firefox to crash on a submitted it already. If
given site every single time, that’s great; if you you pass that final test,
need to go to several sites in sequence, press a submit your bug. Let
certain key combination, hold down Ctrl+Alt+Shift the developers know
and sing the part of Susanna from the Marriage of what software and
Figaro the chances are the developers won’t be hardware you are using,
able to help you. what you tried to do, what you expected to happen,
Once you have a reproducible test case, discuss what actually happened and which other people if
If you can’t write documentation or code,
it with others on IRC, mailing lists, message boards any have verified the bug. Be sure to include your
you can still help out by submitting helpful
or wherever you feel appropriate. It is important email address so that the developers can get in
bug reports.
that others be able to verify the bug so that you touch with you if needed.
Linux users that meet up in universities and laptop to your local LUG and ask them to have a the time of writing (see Linux Format for
pubs across the world to chat about open look – we can almost guarantee that they will locations) – and you can find a good list at
source software, offer training and exchange be happy to help solve your problem right there. www.linux.org/groups. If you’re based in the
ideas. If you are using a laptop and have a Many towns and cities in the world have their UK, there’s a better list of UK LUGs available at
question, the best thing you can do is take that own LUG – the UK alone has more than 80 at www.lug.org.uk. LXF
Each issue of Linux

Format prints a full list
of Linux user groups
LXFS13.helps Sec2:127 15/4/08 11:45:12

ESSENTIAL READING FOR
EVERY ISSUE OF LINUX FORMAT BRINGS YOU:
A DVD packed with the best software Detailed, expert advice
Wide-ranging tutorials for all ability levels In-depth reviews
News and comment from the community Open source features
LXFS13.lxfhad 128 15/4/08 17:07:58

ALL LINUX USERS...
AVAILABLE
FROM ALL GOOD
NEWSAGENTS
OR SUBSCRIBE
ON PAGE 118
ESSENTIAL VIEWING FOR ALL LINUX USERS:
www.linuxformat.co.uk
Linux Format isn’t just a magazine – you’ll find us online
too at www.linuxformat.co.uk. Join us at one of the
friendliest Linux websites on the net for:
Forums – tips, help and discussion from other readers
Exclusive newsletters, wiki and LXF Team blog
Magazine archives – download LXF articles and tutorials
LOG IN NOW!
LXFS13.lxfhad 129 15/4/08 17:08:06

The light-speed guide
to learning Linux
Hate Vista? Bored with XP? Linux is the future: it’s faster,
has more features, and is completely free!
Step-by-step walkthroughs
Installation Web and email OpenOffice.org
Photo editing Instant messaging Games
Watching DVDs Troubleshooting and more!
DVD INSIDE!
TABLE D
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VD
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THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO ALL THINGS OPEN SOURCE!

Want to dump Windows but don’t know how?

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The #1 source for Linux

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The #1 source for Linux

© Future Publishing Ltd 2007

LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds, GNU/Linux is abbreviated to Linux throughout

THE LINUX ACK

ATLANTA • BATH • LONDON • MILAN • NEW YORK •

PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO •

Here’s your com

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Install guide p10

Along with plain

Solve it! 110 PLUS: OpenOffice.org.....................................30

4 Linux starter pack

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The complete listing

OpenOffice.org Writer.............................................30 Create disc inlays.....................................................82

OpenOffice.org Calc ................................................34 Instant messaging ...................................................86

OpenOffice.org Impress .........................................38 BitTorrent downloads..............................................90

Create multiple accounts .......................................64 Glossary...................................................................120

Compiz desktop effects ...............68 How to get help ...................... p124

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Linux is designed to have security at the very centre of the

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Linux starter pack 7

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What isn’t in this magazine

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Where to go from here The Philosophy of Free

The history bit

Linux starter pack 9

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10 Linux starter pack

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Step by step: Install Ubuntu Linux

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12 Linux starter pack

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How to get help

Extras on your DVD

Linux starter pack 13

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Get to know your Ubuntu desktop

The Applications menu

The Places and System

14 Linux starter pack

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What’s on your desktop?

Linux starter pack 15

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Look and feel

16 Linux starter pack

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Getting your keyboard to work