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The Official Ubuntu Book

Posted by samzenpus on from the read-all-about-it dept.

Craig Maloney writes "Over the long history of Linux, there have been many different distributions. One of the most famous distributions, love it or hate it, is the Ubuntu distribution. Ubuntu has come quickly from being the new kid on the block with the Warty Warthog release (4.10) to the most recent release Gutsy Gibbon (7.10). In that three year span, Ubuntu has grown from a handful of enthusiasts and developers to a thriving worldwide community. The Official Ubuntu Book is the official book from Canonical, which describes not only the Ubuntu distributions, but also the community from which Ubuntu is derived." Read below for the rest of Craig's review. The Official Ubuntu Book author Benjamin Mako Hill, Jono Bacon, et. al pages 463 publisher Prentice Hall rating 9 reviewer Craig Maloney ISBN 0-13-235413-6 summary An excellent way to get introduced to the Ubuntu distribution and community The Official Ubuntu Book is comprised of 10 main chapters covering various aspects of the Ubuntu project. The first chapter discusses a bit of the history of the Ubuntu project, as well as the relationship of Canonical to the project. Chapter 2 dives into installing Ubuntu from either the Live CD or the Alternative installation CD. Chapter 3 shows how to use the applications that ship with Ubuntu with some detail. Some of the more in-depth programs get more attention, like The GIMP and Firefox. Also covered are the basics of the GNOME interface, such as adding items to the panels, or logging off of the system. Chapter 4 covers basic system administration (printers, upgrades, file sharing), and package management. Chapter 5 introduces the Ubuntu Server variant, covering RAID, LVM, and more package management techniques. Chapter 6 deals with support issues in a question / answer format, and is a great place for readers to get some of their more common questions answered. Chapter 7 covers the Kubuntu variant of Ubuntu in more depth. Chapter 8 and 9 introduce the Ubuntu Community, and the tools that keep the Ubuntu project running. These chapters alone should be required reading for anyone with more than a passing interest in the Ubuntu project. Lastly, Chapter 10 covers the Edbuntu project, and demonstrates how to set up a LTSP network. The appendices include the Ubuntu related documents, a quick tutorial on the command line, and a great Windows / Ubuntu equivalent section for those who are looking for the best alternatives for certain Windows programs. All-in-all, The Official Ubuntu Book covers the main aspects of the Ubuntu project in a very thorough manner.

Included with the book is the Ubuntu 7.04 release (Feisty Fawn) on DVD. This is a solid release, and was current at the time the book was published. It still has 12 months active support even in light of the recent 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) release, and should give those looking to try Ubuntu an excellent starting point.

The biggest issue facing a book like The Official Ubuntu Book is determining a target audience. Ubuntu appeals to a wide range of people; from the newest newbie to the hardened UNIX aficionado. Making a book that speaks to both is no easy task. Fortunately, The Book does an admirable job of providing enough to keep both parties interested. New Ubuntu users will find lots of information about how to get things accomplished in Ubuntu, while seasoned UNIX user will find enough information to see what th differences are between Ubuntu and other Linux distributions. Both will find a great introduction to participating with the rest of the Ubuntu community in the later chapters of the book. Any user of Ubuntu would be well served in reviewing those chapters fora sense of what opportunities exist, and how best to participate in the community given their talents and skills. True, the chapters describing specific applications lack much depth, but the omission can be forgiven in light of the shear amount of material covered. Just learning how to navigate what is provided on the live CD could fill a tome the size of this book, leaving no room to discuss the more about the community. The Official Ubuntu Book balances between both extremes, and provides plenty of information about both the Ubuntu distribution, and the community.

The success of the Ubuntu project is due in no small part to the people who spend their time participating with other Ubuntu users. Reading the book not only gives a sense of what Ubuntu is about, but also shows how open and inviting these users are. It may not be the best tutorial for the new Linux user, but it is an excellent book for those who want to take the next step and be a part of putting together and supporting a large Linux distribution. The Official Ubuntu Book captures the spirit of the Ubuntu community well, and brings the excitement in a palpable form to the reader. I can recommend this book to new users of Ubuntu with only the caution that they may need to find other resources to learn the many new programs that ship with Ubuntu. However, I can also highly recommend this book to anyone who has even a passing interest in getting involved with the Ubuntu project, both new and experienced. The Official Ubuntu Book, much like the Ubuntu project, is an ambitious undertaking, and similarly we all benefit from their hard work.

You can purchase The Official Ubuntu Book from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

101 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. The probem with these types of books is that... by AltGrendel · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...these things are usually obsolete in, oh say, 6 months or so.

    --
    The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination

    - Douglas Adams

    1. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by farkus888 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      it seems they are outdated by the time they hit the shelfs unless you are running the LTS version of the operating system. The massive resources on the internet are probably more useful and thorough than this book. but my real point is that I feel bad for anyone who buys the book, realizes you can't log in as root, and decides to never use ubuntu again.

      --
      thats right, I rarely use capitals. deal with it. but don't mistake my laziness for stupidity
    2. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by CSMatt · · Score: 1

      Exactly. It makes much more sense to write a book only for the LTS releases.

    3. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      ...these things are usually obsolete in, oh say, 6 months or so.

      Oh, I can think of some computing books which are just as useful today as when first published. Maybe the quality of a technology could be judged by how long its documentation goes without being superseded.

      However, any Linux guide will stand the test of time better if it explains matters through command-line tools. Graphical interfaces change too rapidly.

    4. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by TorKlingberg · · Score: 1

      True, but that goes for just about any how-to book for any computer program. Which hasn't stopped it from becoming a huge market.

    5. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by bcrowell · · Score: 5, Informative

      Some things change more rapidly than others. I have a student who's trying to get started with Linux on an old machine his family had around. He's asking me questions like, "Where can you learn how to do that command line stuff?" and "What's a window manager?" The answers to those questions aren't going to change in six months.

      From my point of view as a relatively experienced Linux user, the usefulness of such a book is probably a lot less. I have a big, long set of notes on Unix that I maintain in a personal wiki, and I doubt that there's very much in the intersection of {things I need to know} & {things I don't have in my notes} & {things that are in this book}. The main thing that's kicking my butt with ubuntu these days is cups and network printing; every time I manage to get it working, it takes a couple of weekends of pulling my hair out, and then it breaks again at the next upgrade. For that, the book is certain to be useless to me because of obsolescence, and also probably because the issue with cups seems to have more to do with poor design and integration into the distro. Another big problem a lot of people are suffering from is difficulties wifi and laptop power management. (Personally, wifi Just Works for me these days, and power management Just Doesn't Work). The book won't help with those issues, because they're fundamentally related to the proprietary nature of the hardware (e.g., hardware manaufacturers not publicly documenting the registers that need to be saved when you put your machine to sleep).

      There are also certain categories of specialized, advanced knowledge that won't change anytime soon, but that most people don't need to know. For instance, I have a copy of "The Debian System" by Krafft, and although I can't recommend the book in general, it does have a reasonably intelligible and detailed discussion of the debian packaging system, which for me has turned out to be a lot more helpful than the various online descriptions (which are poorly written, disorganized, incomplete, and never up to date).

      One of the big advantages of FreeBSD over Linux, IMO, is that FreeBSD is a single complete operating system, not a kernel that's packaged in a whole bunch of different distros, so you can buy a book on FreeBSD, and it will document the actual system you're using.

      --
      Find free books.
    6. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by kavehkh · · Score: 1

      that's kicking my butt with ubuntu these days is cups and network printing; every time I manage to get it working, it takes a couple of weekends of pulling my hair out, and then it breaks again at the next upgrade. You are lucky my nvidida drivers break on Debian Edgy after every restart (which is rare).
    7. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 1

      ...these things are usually obsolete in, oh say, 6 months or so.
      And the real problem with this is not the short shelf life, it's the price: $23 at Amazon. For that money, I'll make due with Google.
      --
      If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    8. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by notamisfit · · Score: 1

      The only Linux book I've found that approaches the usefulness of the *BSD handbooks would have to be "Linux Administration Handbook" by whoever the hell wrote it. Haven't seen the Ubuntu book yet, and I doubt I'd really be interested, judging by the review.

      --
      Jesus is coming -- look busy!
    9. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by rk · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "The main thing that's kicking my butt with ubuntu these days is cups and network printing; every time I manage to get it working, it takes a couple of weekends of pulling my hair out, and then it breaks again at the next upgrade. For that, the book is certain to be useless to me because of obsolescence, and also probably because the issue with cups seems to have more to do with poor design and integration into the distro."

      I think you're closer to the truth regarding distro integration, because my experience with CUPS in Slackware 12.0 was the exact opposite. I went into it dreading it too, because I am famous for not getting along with printers at all. I started at 11 am on Saturday, figuring the bulk of my weekend would need to be sacrificed just so I could print from my new system. All I did was start the CUPS server, logged on to it, told it the printer's IP and model number, and it Just Worked(tm). I was done and printing recipes for Ethiopian dishes at 11:02am :-). I was simultaneously pleased and flabbergasted all at once.

      It's somewhat surprising to me a distro targeted in part at the newbie market would be such a bear to configure to do as common a task as using a printer, especially when it's using the same software package a "hard" distro like Slackware uses.

    10. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      "but my real point is that I feel bad for anyone who buys the book, realizes you can't log in as root, and decides to never use ubuntu again."

      Yes, going into the User Accounts section and enabling the root account takes hours.

    11. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by ctr2sprt · · Score: 2, Interesting

      All I did was start the CUPS server, logged on to it, told it the printer's IP and model number, and it Just Worked(tm).

      I think you and the GP are talking about different classes of printer, here, based on the fact that yours has an IP address. It's the cheapie inkjets that you get for free with a $500 computer that don't work right in Linux.

      Pretty much any laser printer is going to Just Work(tm) in Linux, especially if you're sending it PCL or PS to its built-in, lpd-compatible print server over a TCP/IP network. Which is the way businesses usually do it, and that's why they work so well in Unix. (I bet you could plug a modern-day HP 4050 into a network of VAXen and they'd be able to print to it with no special configuration, too.)

    12. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by bcrowell · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think you and the GP are talking about different classes of printer, [...] It's the cheapie inkjets that you get for free with a $500 computer that don't work right in Linux.

      Just to clarify, I'm the GP poster, and I have a laser printer, not an inkjet. What's kicking my butt time after time is network printing, not printing locally. I think part of the problem may be that the cups developers and the Ubuntu developers are on different wavelengths about security. I keep seeing cases where the default in cups is supposed to be easy, but ubuntu has disabled the easy functionality for security reasons. IIRC, they disabled the entire web browser interface for a while, and the problem I'm currently having is that between Fiesty and Gutsy there's been a regression in network printing functionality, which seems to be security related. IMO there ought to be a button in the cups browser interface that you can click that says "Goddamn it, I'm on a home network behind a router, and the router has a built-in firewall. Stop breaking all my functionality in the name of security, and let my wife and kids print on this printer!"

      --
      Find free books.
    13. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by Wobble-U · · Score: 1

      I've got old fat "Redhat Linux Unleashed" and "Using Linux" books and most of the stuff in them are still fairly relevant, as most of it is about using the console, not the GUI. I still use them occasionally too, as some of the stuff in there is hard to find on the web.

    14. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 1

      I dunno, the man pages are still pretty interesting...

      --
      Palm trees and 8
    15. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by tzanger · · Score: 1

      I don't know about you, but CUPS seems to only work when you are directly connected. I cannot get CUPS<-->CUPS-->printer working at all. If I tell my kubuntu machine to use the CUPS server that is connected directly to the printer, great. If I tell my slackware machine to do the same, it works. But either one trying to use their own CUPS server to talk to a remote CUPS printer... fuggedabowdit. Protocol dumps show that it seems to be sending incorrect data, and the CUPS ipp utility program just isn't getting the right parameters from any app. I don't think they've ever tested it.

    16. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by tzanger · · Score: 1

      What's kicking my butt time after time is network printing, not printing locally.

      How, praytell, did you get it to work??!! I've got a Slack 12 system with a locally-connected Pixma MP530 (GREAT printer, btw, absolutely stellar). I can print from windows to the CUPS spool just fine. I can print from the Slack server just fine. Neither of my Kubuntu machines can print to it, and neither can my other Slack box. If I tell those Kubuntu or other Slack box that their CUPS server is the Slack box with the printer connected, it works great. I cannot, absolutely CANNOT get a box with a locally running CUPS server printing to a remote CUPS queue!

    17. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by ealar+dlanvuli · · Score: 1

      More to the point, why would you want to login as root?

      Sean

      --
      I live in a giant bucket.
    18. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by krasicki · · Score: 1

      Actually, no. I agree with the reviewer that this is an excellent introduction to Ubuntu and the book holds great social value as well as technical instruction.

      What I liked about this book is that any family can purchase it inexpensively, read it (and this is a very readable technical introduction, and come to understand that the Linux world is not some kind of scary place. In fact it is an operating system and family of free applications that celebrate individuality, freedom, and ease of use.

      Or it can be recycled at community book recycling centers so that your neighbors can use it.

      Secondly the DVD is a gold standard by which any of us can boot and install a contemporary version of Ubuntu. From there the system itself can be upgraded to the latest version if so desired. Updating the system is trivial. What is key is that the book buyer has a bulletproof copy of something that works independent of a copy burned by Skippy the geek neighbor.

      For many teachers, schools, and families who cannot afford the Microsoft billing treadmill, this book, IMO, should be a mandatory purchase to be made available in teacher's lounges, PTA/PTO meetings, and fund-raisers.

      - krasicki
      http://region19.bogspot.com/

    19. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by rk · · Score: 1

      The additional irony here is that I'M the one with the cheapie inkjet printer. It's an HP 5800 $50 Fry's special. It is sophisticated enough to have an ethernet adapter, however. Our nice laser printer went belly-up years ago.

    20. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by bcrowell · · Score: 1

      How, praytell, did you get it to work??!!

      Here are my notes: http://www.lightandmatter.com/cgi-bin/meki?computer_unix#Debian,CUPS,_printing,_Brother_printer The answer to your question is that currently, I don't have network printing working. My notes describe how I got it working in Breezy. When I upgraded to Fiesty, it broke, and to fix it I had to bring back my old cups config file. When I upgraded to Gutsy, it broke again, and restoring the old config file didn't help.

      --
      Find free books.
    21. Re:The probem with these types of books is that... by tzanger · · Score: 1

      Thank you for posting what you'd gone through. Didn't help me at all, as I can already take my Kubuntu desktop and tell it "the CUPS server is 192.168.77.4" and let it do its thing, but I recently got network (i.e. local cups --> remote cups --> printer) working, although it's cheating. I changed my Kubuntu desktop CUPS config to "show printers shared by other cups servers" and restarted... the printer on the Slackware server showed up, and I could print to it just fine. I can't define a remote IPP printer and get it to work, but by letting the local CUPS "find" the remote CUPS server, it seems to be happy enough.

  2. Idea for a promo by Huntr · · Score: 5, Funny

    Buy the book, get a free hard drive.

    Kidding!

  3. That's Why I Hate Magazines. by CheeseburgerBrown · · Score: 5, Funny

    My issues of Newsweek from 1993 are practically useless now.

    --
    These stories are free but worth money.
    1. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by east+coast · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Just wait a couple years, it will be the same stories only most of the names will have changed.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    2. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by lavid · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You should have kept the ones from the mid to late eighties, it's the same stories with the same names!

      --
      If Bush wants to kill the terrorists, he should jump off a cliff.
    3. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by frankmu · · Score: 4, Funny

      oh, i don't know. there are some classic "articles" and "short stories" from old Playboy magazines.

      --
      Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
    4. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by CaptainZapp · · Score: 1

      Well, there's really nothing older then yesterdays newspaper.

      --
      ich bin der musikant

      mit taschenrechner in der hand

      kraftwerk

    5. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by duggi · · Score: 1

      yeah,but does it cover questions about the christian edition? :)

      --
      http://monkeynesianeconomics.blogspot.com/
    6. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by kaizokuace · · Score: 1

      Uh hello! COLLAGE! That or cut out lettering to write creepy letters to your friends!

      --
      Balderdash!
    7. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by Mahjub+Sa'aden · · Score: 2, Funny

      The deeply insightful articles over the years about the Rise and Fall of Bush? An era that's come to an end, my friend. Once the was much Bush, now you can glance through the magazine without encountering any.

      Oh how the might have fallen. Er... shaved.

      --
      What is is all that is. Isn't that obvious?
    8. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by Bastian227 · · Score: 1

      You could burn them for warmth. That's practical and useful, especially for the winter months.

    9. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by Toby_Tyke · · Score: 1

      A while back I was listening to a Bill Hicks stand up routine from the early nineties. It was full of jokes about the war in Iraq, George Bush, and how Clinton was going to win the election.

      --
      "I realise this is not a very popular opinion but it's the truth, and there for needs to be said" -Bill Hicks
    10. Re:That's Why I Hate Magazines. by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Well, there's really nothing older then yesterdays newspaper.
      How about the day before yesterday's?
      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  4. Re:I love Ubuntu. by AmaDaden · · Score: 5, Informative

    Something new to 7.10 or gusty gibbon is a xorg configuration utility that should be able to help you out.

  5. Finally - an antisocial way to approach Ubuntu! by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Funny

    The success of the Ubuntu project is due in no small part to the people who spend their time participating with other Ubuntu users. Reading the book not only gives a sense of what Ubuntu is about, but also shows how open and inviting these users are.


    Finally - this book provides an antisocial way to approach Ubuntu.
  6. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by jedidiah · · Score: 1

    > Remember that Mac that was released that didn't even have a manual? That's what the goal should be.

    What? Keeping the users completely in the dark?

    Kidding yourself that you'll never need documentation?

    Making the system hostile to experts and 3rd party support personel (paid or voluntary)?

    Omitting the manual is just hubris.

    --
    A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
  7. May by the standards of.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Obsolete in 6 months is not likely, Linux/UNIX is much more stable than that other OS.

    1. Re:May by the standards of.... by somersault · · Score: 1

      I really hope that was sarcasm.. there are hardly any versions of Windows compared to hundreds of different Linux distros, each with new versions coming out all the time. Stable in terms of less crashes sure, but stable with releases????!?!?!???...

      --
      which is totally what she said
    2. Re:May by the standards of.... by Machtyn · · Score: 1

      The issue is that a lot of the tools in the *nix universe have been in use since the 80's, a few even longer. Plus, this book gives a basic foundation for a new user or a converting user. I imagine the best use is for someone who has only one computer and is attempting to setup or troubleshoot an issue. I know when I search to solve some problems, I have issues trying to cut through the noise to find a relevant solution.

    3. Re:May by the standards of.... by Cal+Paterson · · Score: 1

      Ubuntu has a 6 month release cycle; the book will be out of date in 6 months (as a best case).

  8. Re:I love Ubuntu. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Really? Does it work when there's no UI because Ubuntu decided to use a refresh rate that's out of range of the monitor?

    And, for added fun, does it work when you can't access the console because Ubuntu managed to corrupt the video memory that contains the console font, so trying to fix it via the command-line is a non-starter?

    Really, you'd think that in 2007 Linux would be able to use the ability to query monitors about acceptable refresh rates that's existed for the past, oh, 15 years or more. But apparently not.

  9. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by xenocide2 · · Score: 1

    Well, the book covers:
    * the history of Ubuntu
    * how the Ubuntu community is structured
    * how to contribute to Ubuntu
    * How to set up things far outside the ordinary usages "easy to use" would be intended to hit, like LTSP
    * and more!

    --
    I Browse at +4 Flamebait

    Open Source Sysadmin

  10. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by famicommie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Remember that Mac that was released that didn't even have a manual? That's what the goal should be. I agree whole heartedly. Ubuntu is "GNU/Linux for Human Beings", something I personally translate to mean "accessible to everyone regardless of experience or expertise". At my recommendation, two of my friends have installed Ubuntu and have since begun using it as their primary OS. It's been about nine months so far, and between the two of them I get at most one support call a month. What I don't like about your statement is that it infers that the existence of an official Ubuntu book necessarily means Ubuntu is not accessible to everyone. That is a very silly jump of logic. Ubuntu is pretty easy for almost anyone to pick up and run. This book is for users who don't just want a whizbang Word Processing Internet Browsing Machine but want to learn about some of the underlying dynamics of the system and it's applicable uses. My grandmother is mostly uninterested in enabling filesharing, but I am sure that there are hobbyists out there who would like a reliable guide to set up a LTSP network and put the OS to more complicated uses than sharing pictures of cats with friends. The Mac, like Ubuntu, offers both ease of use and a powerful underlying system. Sure, your grandma might be content with performing simple tasks, but there IS a terminal available for the geeks out there. Simplicity and power are not mutually exclusive.
  11. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by pak9rabid · · Score: 4, Funny

    So why does it need a book?

    So you have something to do in the restroom?

  12. Re:I love Ubuntu. by AmaDaden · · Score: 1

    Yeah I've been there. It's why the xorg app in 7.10 makes me happy. Shit like this should not be an issue. I love Linux and all that I can do with it but xorg is still a problem and for no reason that I can see. I remember hearing somewhere that they are planing to include something that prevents this kind of mess in the next release; But I can't remember what it was or where I herd about it. Well anyway...Your gonna need a live CD to at least get a working command line. If it's a 7.10 Ubuntu CD you might be able to run the app from it.

  13. Ubuntu Books by stoolpigeon · · Score: 2, Informative

    There are so many ubuntu books available - it's really quite an indication of how popular this distro has become. Though the same measuring stick would show that fedora has more material out there. It has been around longer though.
     
    I work with Red Hat in my job, so I stick with Fedora but I'm seeing more folks around here running Ubuntu on their desktops.

    --
    It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
    1. Re:Ubuntu Books by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting
      I work with Red Hat in my job, so I stick with Fedora but I'm seeing more folks around here running Ubuntu on their desktops.

      I work w/ Red Hat on my Job, so I stick w/ CentOS :)

    2. Re:Ubuntu Books by stoolpigeon · · Score: 1

      Yeah - I could go that route - or Oracle's version. But I think Fedora works very nicely as a desktop distro, and I get to play around with newer features that I would never have on my servers. So I have a similar architecture and tools, but on what feels to me, a more desktop friendly setup.

      --
      It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
  14. Re:I love Ubuntu. by Lord+Ender · · Score: 1

    Ah, the "Screens and Graphics" tool. It works OK if you have just one monitor. If you have multiple monitors, this thing is sure to give you crashtacular results. The Ubuntu forums are full of dual-head crash questions for 7.10 that have never been answered.

    You have been warned.

    --
    A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
  15. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by Veinor · · Score: 1

    -"Chapter 2 dives into installing Ubuntu from either the Live CD or the Alternative installation CD" Wait, I thought the Live CD *was* the install CD. At least that's one of the two inconsistent explanations they give to newbies. Both of them are installation. The other is just alternative, hence the name. Not sure on the difference.
  16. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by mackyrae · · Score: 2, Informative

    There's the live install cd AND the alternate install cd. The alternate install cd uses the ncurses Debian-Installer and offers more advanced options for more advanced users.

    --
    look! it's a bird, it's a plane, it's....a girl? yes, a girl browsing Slashdot on Linux
  17. Re:I love Ubuntu. by AmaDaden · · Score: 1

    Well that's depressing. I was hoping that I could finally stop mucking around in the xorg config file. At least the tool is a start. Is their any Linux distro that has something like that that works right?

  18. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by pizzach · · Score: 2, Funny

    I don't know. I have always found paperback a bit too ruff for my tastes. Plus there is the problem with getting the pages out Once out, they never seem to flush down the toilet right either.

    --
    Once you start despising the jerks, you become one.
  19. In all seriousness... by kwabbles · · Score: 1

    I can't tell you how many epiphanies I've had while on the can reading an O'Reilly book.

    But not in all seriousness...
    Someone come up with a punch line for that one.

    --
    Just disrupt the deflector shield with a tachyon burst.
  20. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by compro01 · · Score: 1

    Not sure on the difference.

    the alt CD lacks the liveCD's nice GUI installer and provides some advanced installation options that aren't available through the liveCD.

    also useful if you can't get the liveCD to work for some reason, usually esoteric graphics hardware.

    --
    upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
  21. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    For those who are tuning in late, UbuntuDupe had a problem installing Ubuntu. But what makes him unique is he still dwells on it more than two years later!

  22. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by CheeseTroll · · Score: 1

    Not to mention the fact that there's a wee bit more functionality in any Linux distribution (or any modern OS, for that matter) than the original Mac. MacPaint, MacDraw, MacWrite - no, you really don't need a manual to futz around with those.

    I know, the gpp was meant to be humorous, but I'm in analytical-mode and just can't stop myself!

    --
    A post a day keeps productivity at bay.
  23. Re:I love Ubuntu. by ketilwaa · · Score: 1

    Works fine for me with the same type of card. Only problem was a well known bug that has /etc/usplash.conf to some weird resolution, thus giving me a black screen in stead of usplash. Changing those values to something my monitor accepted fixed that.

  24. Shouldst it not be ' Thou Fool' ? by tehdaemon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wot ye not that human speech doest alter from year to year, and generation to generation? Wherefore then art thou distraught over 'comprised'? Pray then, do not let thine fondness of the past nor desire to linger therein prove a thorn in the side of thine fellow man, nor an hindrance to his future.

    T

    --
    Laws are horrible moral guides, moral guides make even worse laws.
    1. Re:Shouldst it not be ' Thou Fool' ? by AP31R0N · · Score: 1


      It is a given that languages change over time. Your next amazing feat should be pointing out that water is wet. However, this change is more like using the word hot to mean cold. Comprise and compose are opposite sides of a coin. Turning comprise into compose means we lost something. This isn't correcting a flaw, nor is it a hack (y'all for a plural you, to fix what we lost when we abandoned thou). If this merger happens, we have to come up with something else to mean what comprise already covers. When comprise and compose become one word, we have to say "50 states make up the union". The shift is a byproduct of IGNORANCE, not of evolution. People don't know what the word means, so they use it incorrectly. There's nothing wrong with correcting someone. They might learn something! Otherwise, why have language classes at school? Let kids make it up as they go. Eventually, no one will be able to communicate.

      It's not about living in the past, it's about resisting degeneration. Would it be so terrible if i said word X and you understood what i meant? Is it so painful to use a word correctly? It is so taxing to use the word effect when you MEAN effect(instead of impact?

      --
      Utilizing the synergization of benchmark e-solutions to pre-workaround action items!
    2. Re:Shouldst it not be ' Thou Fool' ? by tehdaemon · · Score: 1

      Comprise and compose are opposite sides of a coin.

      Just like flammable and inflammable, right?

      When comprise and compose become one word, we have to say "50 states make up the union".

      And I have to say 'it will not burn' instead of 'it is inflammable'. No big deal really.

      Yes, this is a product of ignorance. And that is one of the prime ways that languages do evolve.

      In the end, the word means what the writer/speaker meant - not what some dictionary says, and not necessarily what someone else may have meant when he used another word that sounds/is spelled the same. This is the nature of language.

      T

      --
      Laws are horrible moral guides, moral guides make even worse laws.
  25. Full text of book by garbletext · · Score: 3, Funny

    The official Ubuntu Book, by Mark Shutleworth. Chapter One: RTFM! The End.

    1. Re:Full text of book by Devv · · Score: 1

      I think you could get in trouble for writing the entire book there without paying someone somewhere. I do indeed believe that you could.

      --
      +1 Agree -1 Disagree
    2. Re:Full text of book by garbletext · · Score: 1

      In all seriousness, shouldn't this book be LGPL or somehow free?

    3. Re:Full text of book by lord_rob+the+only+on · · Score: 1

      Damn ! It's been a while a Slashdot comment has not made me laughing like that :-p Thanks mate :-)

  26. Re:I love Ubuntu. by Vorpix · · Score: 1

    try installing ubuntu server or the ubuntu alternate intall cd.

    with ubuntu server you just get a command line as your finished product. if you want a graphical interface you can install it easily enough "apt-get install xubuntu-desktop"... which if that still gives you problems, you can manually edit xorg.conf. and of course, you can choose a kernel besides server if you so desire.

    it's quite easy to use these alternatives, you should give them a try before totally giving up on Ubuntu.

    --
    frog blast the vent core
  27. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by Kjella · · Score: 1

    And I'm guessing a different package selection too, I figure the text installer itself can't eat that much so there's got to be more reasons not to have it as a boot option on the normal CD...

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  28. I feel your pain by The+Monster · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I wouldn't object were it not for the fact that this new sense of "comprise" has a meaning in direct opposition to the older sense. That threatens to deprive the word of any meaning other than "Here's one thing, and a group of things that together make up the one thing, but I'm not going to tell you which is which; you can just try to figure it out by context!"

    That and I'm of the opinion that people really don't understand the word, but it sounds more intelligent than "compose", so they try to sound smarter than they really are (and in the process end up sounding stupid).

    --

    [100% ISO 646 Compliant]
    SVM, ERGO MONSTRO.

  29. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by notamisfit · · Score: 1

    If auto-mount isn't a desirable feature, then why did Pat go to so much trouble to get HAL working for Slack 12? Have to agree about Ubuntu, though. I graduated to FreeBSD some time ago, and never really looked back.

    --
    Jesus is coming -- look busy!
  30. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by mackyrae · · Score: 1

    The text installer uses apt to install everything, like Debian-Installer does. The GUI installer pretty much just copies an image to the hard drive then modifies the xorg.conf and a couple settings like language and adds the user.

    --
    look! it's a bird, it's a plane, it's....a girl? yes, a girl browsing Slashdot on Linux
  31. Re:I love Ubuntu. by Zaiff+Urgulbunger · · Score: 1

    I suspect the Ubuntu folks pushed a number of things into 7.10 when normally they would've waited for a bit more stability, but if they didn't do this, then the next LTS (long term support) release 8.04 would not be able to include them. Specifically, I'm talking about Compiz.

    My own feeling is that 7.10 hasn't been the most stable Ubuntu release! But I *do* expect 8.04 to be solid.

  32. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by plasticsquirrel · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If your biggest complaint about Ubuntu is that it mounts CD's for you, then you should really be complaining about every GUI-oriented distribution in the last 10+ years. Slackware is great for learning Linux (6-7 years on my desktop), but Ubuntu is unique in that it gets out of the way of the user. No Slackware /etc files to edit, and no SuSE big clunky icons and huge taskbars to get in your way. And if you think that people wanting a simple, eloquent operating system should go with Windows, then you're pretty out of touch with reality.

    --
    Systemd: the PulseAudio of init systems
  33. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by modecx · · Score: 1

    Huh, I was wondering that myself. The liveCD wants 384MB RAM to boot. I wanted to put Ubuntu on two of my old computers, so I could give one to a family member. Ubuntu detected the swap drive on the one that had a 2004 installation of Debian and only 256MB RAM, so it booted, eventually. That one is a 400Mhz PII, and worked reasonably once booted. I guess the alt image can work on a machine with 128 MB RAM, and no preexisting swap partition, but I wasn't clear on what was so alternate about it before now. Good info, thanks.

    --
    Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
  34. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by jimcooncat · · Score: 1

    Use the alternate install CD for low memory systems, too. 256 MB and below, that means you.

  35. Re:Good use of english by fbjon · · Score: 3, Funny

    Once upon a time, it took three years for a Debian release...

    --
    True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
  36. Re:Good use of english by Dragonslicer · · Score: 1

    How is a three year span quick? How many years have most operating systems and Linux distributions been around? For that matter, how many years does it usually take Microsoft to release a single new version of Windows?
  37. Re:I love Ubuntu. by miro+f · · Score: 3, Interesting

    actually there's also a new "failsafe graphics mode" which is supposed to make sure you always get a gui no matter how much you bork your xorg.conf

    dunno how well it works though, I never really had any issues like that...

    --
    being vague is almost as cool as doing that other thing...
  38. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by LiquidMind · · Score: 1

    Madam (if that even applies), I find your comment hard to believe, mostly because i see your signature as totally paradoxical.
    Please either fix your sig or start commenting about other made-up things, such as unicorns or the tooth fairy.

    --
    This sig contains repetition and redundancy.
  39. community by rasputin465 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...the community from which Ubuntu is derived.

    And by "community" you mean "debian".

  40. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by bigbadunix · · Score: 1

    Send a copy to Larry Craig, please.

    --

    The older I get, the less I like everyone else.
  41. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by oddfox · · Score: 1

    Don't get me wrong, I really like Slackware and used it as my primary distro until migrating to Gentoo, but your complaint being leveled at Ubuntu for being so user-friendly proves a few points. First it proves that Ubuntu is achieving, at least partially, its goal of creating a highly accessible distribution that works notably well for a wide range of users, from newcomers to experienced vets alike. The second thing it proves is that you are absolutely the wrong person to be asking for a distribution recommendation from. Most people interested in Ubuntu would rather die than go through the pain (Yes, the pain) of making Slackware work the way you want it to, up to and including keeping current with package or even distribution updates. Slapt-get and swaret come close to remedying this but until they're supported by Patrick himself I want to use them about as much as I want to use paludis instead of portage on Gentoo, which is to say I don't trust those programs to keep my system up-to-date and stable.

    P.S. -- All your complaints about the "GUIish" nature of a distribution that goes the distance in providing a usable and appealing environment to get your work done in are the definition of petty. Someone could very easily make Ubuntu behave like your beloved no-hand-holding Slackware, and the reverse cannot be said. The auto-mounting is, AFAIK, default HAL behavior, and most users find it very helpful, unlike how it works in Windows-land where autorun can quickly cause software to not work correctly or annoy users to death. I just wish that less people would moan and groan about GUI tools making their way into distributions, with cries of "LAMENESSWIND0ZEIZATIONKILLITWITHTIRE!". If you don't like a system working with you instead of working against you, that's fine, but don't go and make it out to be like you couldn't make it work the way you want it to. Come on, someone who uses Slackware as their primary distro should be well aware that the sky is the limit with how customizable the whole system (Linux) is.

    --
    "We invented personal computing." - Bill Gates
  42. Kudos by AlXtreme · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Just wanted to say kudos to Mako for this book and his work for both Debian and Ubuntu. You're doing a fine job!

    --
    This sig is intentionally left blank
  43. Re:I love Ubuntu. by NullProg · · Score: 1

    It just screws up the resolution when I use my GeForce 7600 GT.

    Are you sure its Ubuntu? I had the same problem two weeks ago with xUbuntu and a no-name el-cheapo monitor. I cast an incantation and then replaced the monitor with a spare SAMSUNG and now have resolution goodness.

    BTW,
    You should be posting on the Ubuntu forums http://ubuntuforums.org/, not slashdot.

    Enjoy,

    --
    It's just the normal noises in here.
  44. Re:I love Ubuntu. by Bambi+Dee · · Score: 2, Informative

    The nvidia-settings tool wrote me a Twinview xorg.conf that wasn't even half the size of the one I'd been lugging around from distro to distro, and it worked; just had to add some single-screen metamodes for fullscreen games...

  45. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by tazanator · · Score: 1

    well I tech support my mother, 2 brothers, their wives, and kids... Ubuntu has been the saving grace for me from stopping the spy ware and viruses the kids kept getting (*several from 4 to 8 on neopets and 4 teens on my space) to running my mother's email with out a hiccup. I have 8 machines, 3 windows xp, 1 vista, and the other 4 Ubuntu and as soon as i can learn how to get the C&C generals to run on Nix I'll drop another 2 windows boxes over to the nix world. By having all the family on the one distro I can do tech support and correct any problems fast thru out the family.

    --
    I'm told you are what you eat, does that mean I can be you by tomorrow with some A1?
  46. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by dyefade · · Score: 1

    Please explain why you would not like CDs automounting. If I've just inserted a CD, obviously I'm likely to want to use it, and therefore need it mounted, no?

  47. Re:I love Ubuntu. by T-Bone-T · · Score: 1

    I use nvidia-settings to mess with xorg. My first issue was getting it root access. Once I figured out the configuration file wasn't actually saving I really made headway. I still had to go in and manually rename my screens and monitors but that was about it. I have to remember to not use Screens and Graphics. That is one messed up little program. I even managed to fail so badly with it the fail-safe didn't even work.

  48. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by rjames13 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I know it sound weird, but I just can't handle Ubuntu, It's so user-friendly it's lame! I mean, why would I want an auto-mount for my cd-rom?!
    If I wanted all that I would have used Windows at first place, I mean, If you're a user which came to Linux to look for alternative, Ubuntu is for you, but if you came to look for something better then Windows, the last thing on earth I would suggest is Ubuntu (I'd suggest Slackware, which is my favorite). That's why also I don't there's a need for Ubuntu handbook, I mean, it's all GUIish (jesus!).

    I hope I will not get -1 flamebait cause that's what I really thing (plus, my karma now is terrible, and I'm doing my best to fix it, don't make me sad :(, that's really my opinion.).
    Happy 10Th Slashdot birthday!

    You don't get it do you. There are two types of computer users, those who understand how it works and those who just want it to work. Now since we want FOSS to overtake the world we need either a Distro for both users or separate Distros for each. Ubuntu supplies that separate Distro. It is not a MS Windows clone either. Ubuntu is about making the computer easier to use. MS Windows is about making a profit which somehow matches making the computer easy to use. However MS Windows can only go so far, Ubuntu can go much further. If you actually used both Ubuntu and MS Windows you would realize that they are chalk and cheese. Don't associate MS Windows with easy to use because it is actually not, it just has the trappings of it.

    As far as I am concerned both Slackware and Ubuntu have a future, they are aimed at different users. Don't dismiss these Ubuntu newbies as the worst thing since the GUI. You have a lot to teach them, you have a purpose that is defined by the fact that you know how the system works. They have different purposes. Don't get confused by this new world order, or you will just end up bitter.

    P.S. I am writing this from a Slackware machine.

    P.P.S I notice that somehow you have been voted offtopic when you should have been modded flamebait. This just proves that most of the moderators are on crack.

  49. Re:Why you need an Ubunghole book by chiefloko · · Score: 1

    The preface is tailored to Luddites.

  50. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by rjames13 · · Score: 1

    By the way - I have yet to come across a reason why I wouldn't want to mount a CD-ROM drive at boot. I'm sure there's a good reason out there. Okay, no, I'm not sure there's a _good_ reason, but somebody has probably found at least poor reason - other than sheer lazyness - to not mount CD drive on a machine. (and don't complain about small memory footprints...why would you have a CD-ROM drive connected _and_ not mount it?). He said automount which means to mount the CD-ROM when it is inserted into the machine at run time, not at boot up.
  51. When auto-mounting is bad by CustomDesigned · · Score: 1

    It also auto-mounts all partitions on USB drives. There are system partitions on my USB drive that I don't want auto-mounted. The drive is relatively permanent despite being connected via USB.

  52. Title I found quite useful by Moe1975 · · Score: 1

    Personally, I found "Beginning Ubuntu Linux: From Novice to Professional" to be pretty good.

    --
    SARAVA!
  53. Re:it is NOT comprised of by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    That a dictionary grudgingly allows a malapropism doesn't make it less wrong, nor less painful to read. In fact, this usage note implies that people who use it the wrong way are less than "careful writers", even if that usage may be increasingly tolerated.

    To comprise means to comprehend, to contain, to grasp or hold in the hand. This is evident to anyone with just a little knowledge of Latin or a Romance language. It's a strong visual metaphor that doesn't work the other way round.

    Also, for obvious reasons words shouldn't be their own antonyms.

  54. Focus is free software, less on daily use by beachdog · · Score: 1

    Here are two weaknesses and two strengths of this book:

    It seems to me the Official Ubuntu book is weak on helping a user figure out what she is going to do with the installed system.

    For instancce, how would a new Ubuntu user backup her Windows files to CD ? Like transporting all your email and browser bookmarks from Windows to Ubuntu? Not covered. The focus of this book fades at the boundaries of Ubuntu itself.

    Another weakness is, this book talks about Ubuntu but doesn't show a simple task like how to backup a /home partition to CD. Simple backups are not covered, as far as I can tell from the index.

    The strength of The Official Ubuntu Book is it describes the Ubuntu philosophy and commitment to creating highly usable free software with multiple growing communities of users contributing back to build a usable set of tools.

    The Ubuntu accomplishment is social: Ubuntu is a suite of free software deliberately giving computer power to newcomers, students and non-technical users. Ubuntu should have it's own book.

    If you are a techie, you can look at this book as something you would use socially the same as you might give a Ubuntu CD or DVD to a potential Ubuntu user.

            I have written with some anguish about weaknesses with Ubuntu (see two articles in my Slashdot journal) but the balancing factor is: Ubuntu is free in all four senses defined by Richard Stallman.

    Here is a review of Ubuntu Hacks by a Peninsula Linux Computer Group member, this is another Ubuntu book with a more technical focus:

    http://www.penlug.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/LinuxBookReviewsUbuntuHack

  55. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by Skrynesaver · · Score: 1
    I agree wholeheartedly that Ubuntu is a great disto for use. If you want to learn more, well have a second machine and stick Slack on it and then when you've got Slack running well for a year try out LFS on this learning box. However if you actually have work to do Ubuntu is an excellent distro that gets the fuck out of your way and is generally fairly intuitive.

    I would assume that most of us here are tinkerers by nature and as such want to (know|understand|adapt|break) how our systems work, this is not true of everyone and these people have no need to $1 their system, or even understand that reference, they just want to do their work and Ubuntu seems to be the answer for them

    --
    "Linux is for noobs"-The new MS fud strategy
  56. Re:I dislike Ubuntu -- You got me all wrong by Fred_A · · Score: 1

    A new Ubuntu user which comes to forums and ask questions like "what does -t do in ls command" without even looking for the manual, is what I fear from. An OS should be GUIish, but not to over react with it, a user should know how to disable things running from rc.d (or /etc/init.d), a user should know how to chmod -x stuff, to understand the "/" directory base, and what things belong where. Because new RH users don't come to forums asking the exact same questions ??

    The presence of GUI tools doesn't change anything to the underlying system, you can use one or the other. GUI configuration tools which were there in such friendly systems as SunOS ages ago BTW. Or on pretty much any CDE compliant desktop for that matter (the horror).

    Did you ever use anything *but* Linux ?
    --

    May contain traces of nut.
    Made from the freshest electrons.
  57. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by CrazyLegs · · Score: 1

    Damn straight. I'm dog-tired of the attitide that easy == dumb. The success of Ubuntu is owed (in no small way) to a new population of Linux users who have no skill and/or desire to tinker and just need to get stuff done. When my mom/brother/pastor/friend/whatever buys a car, they typically don't expect to have to tune it or install their own dashboard controls to make it easier to use. They just want it to drive them places with minimal mantenance involved. Why should a high-end computing appliance be any different for these folks?

    --

    CrazyLegs

    "Pork!!" said the Fish, and we all laughed.

  58. One of the most famous distributions??? by sgholt · · Score: 1

    Not most famous, it is the most hyped. Redhat, Debian, Slackware and Gentoo could be called famous...sorry Ubuntu doesn't quite fit that title.

  59. Re:Supposed to be easy to use... by UbuntuDupe · · Score: 1

    Wrong. I'm not complaining that I had "a problem" installing Ubuntu. I'm complaining that the install failure locked me out of my computer entirely, and that the reason the failure so cascaded was that I followed a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED instruction, and that the forums could not help me unless I had taken precautions that are mentioned nowhere in the install instructions. In other words, pretty pitiful design errors got through.

    Furthermore, the reason I continue to talk about this *today* is that each and every day on /., I see people making the very same design criticisms I did, but in different contexts, and then getting modded to 5, as if people are incapable of seeing errors in their sacred cows.

    --
    Apology to Ubuntu forum.
  60. Re:I dislike Ubuntu by oddfox · · Score: 1

    I've been thinking about giving LFS another whirl, last time I tried to install it I ran into a roadblock somewhere around the process (Well before I had attained anything near setting up a bootable environment) and I haven't been back since. I really liked the idea of it though and it was quite informative and educational.

    --
    "We invented personal computing." - Bill Gates