Introduction

Notes provide additional, ancillary information that is helpful, but somewhat outside of the current presentation of information.

Tips generally are used to provide information that can make your work easier—special shortcuts or methods for doing something easier than the norm.

The information Warnings provide advise you about the serious consequences of performing the procedure or activity described—whether to you, to your data, or to your hardware or software.

Getting an Ubuntu CD-ROM

Most books have a section in the Preface called “About the Companion CD-ROM(s),” and I don’t want to disappoint you. This book includes a copy of the latest and greatest Ubuntu Desktop CD that was available when this book was published. This Ubuntu Desktop CD lets you experiment with Ubuntu Linux on an existing system (without changing anything) or use a simple graphical installer to install Ubuntu Linux permanently on a Pentium-class personal computer system. I’ll discuss test-driving and installing Ubuntu Linux using this CD in more detail in Chapter 2. Other Ubuntu Linux CDs are available for different

Desktop platforms (PowerPC, 64-bit PC, and SPARC) and for special purposes, such as installing servers, installing Ubuntu in alternate or OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) modes, and more—getting and installing these is discussed in Chapters 2 and 3.

As discussed in Chapter 1, new versions of Ubuntu are released every six months, so if a new version is available by the time you read this, you can always either download that from the Ubuntu Web site or request an official copy by going to https://shipit.ubuntu.com/, creating an account, and providing your surface address and wish list. The latest Ubuntu distribution will be winging its way to your house or apartment, but this book will still be quite useful to you.

Of course, if you have a CD burner and you don’t want to wait, you can always download an image of the latest Ubuntu Desktop, Server, or Alternate releases from one of the Web sites listed at www.ubuntu linux.org/download/. If you already know what you’re doing with Linux and want to run Ubuntu with KDE (go figure), see www.kubuntu.org. Similarly, if you already know what you’re doing with Linux and want to squeeze the most out of your hardware by using the lightweight Xfce desktop with Ubuntu, see www.xubuntu.org. These alternate versions of the Ubuntu Project are discussed in Chapter 1.

WARNIING

TIIP

NOTE

xxvi

Introduction

Getting Started with

Ubuntu Linux

IN THIS PART

Chapter 1

The Ubuntu Linux Project

Chapter 2

Installing Ubuntu

Chapter 3

Installing Ubuntu on Special-

Purpose Systems

Personal computers and their operating systems have come a long way since

the late 1970s, when the first home computer hit the market. At that time,

you could only toggle in a program by flipping switches on the front of the

machine, and the machine could then run that program and only that program

until you manually loaded another, at which time the first program was kicked

off the system. Today’s personal computers provide powerful graphics and a

rich user interface that makes it easy to select and run a wide variety of software

concurrently.

The first home computer users were a community of interested people who just

wanted to do something with these early machines. They formed computer clubs

and published newsletters to share their interests and knowledge—and often the

software that they wrote for and used on their machines. Sensing opportunities

and a growing market, thousands of computer companies sprang up to write and

sell specific applications for the computer systems of the day. This software ranged

from applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, and games to operating

systems that made it easier to manage, load, and execute different programs.

Though the power and capabilities of today’s personal computers is light-years

beyond the capabilities of those early machines, the idea of writing software and

freely sharing it with others never went away. Though it never got much press

because nobody was making money from it, free software (and often its source

code) has continued to be available from computer clubs, bulletin boards systems,

and computer networks such as today’s Internet. The free software movement

finally blossomed with three seminal events:

the creation of the GNU Project ( www.gnu.org) by Richard Stallman

in 1983, a project dedicated to developing software whose source code

would always be freely available

the announcement of the Free Software Foundation (FSF) (www

.fsf.org), initially dedicated to fundraising for the GNU project

3