Ubuntu Essentials

Ubuntu Essentials – First Edition

The content of this book is provided for informational purposes only. Neither the publisher nor the author offers any warranties or representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of information contained in this book, nor do they accept any liability for any loss or damage arising from any errors or omissions.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. About Ubuntu Essentials ...... 11

1.1 Notes from the Author ...... 11

1.2 About this Book ...... 12

Chapter 2. The History of Ubuntu Linux ...... 13

2.1 What exactly is Linux? ...... 13

2.2 Who Created Linux? ...... 13

2.3 The History of Ubuntu ...... 14

2.4 What does the word "Ubuntu" Mean? ...... 14

Chapter 3. How to Try Ubuntu ...... 15

3.1 Try Ubuntu without Installing it ...... 15

3.2 Installing Ubuntu on a Disk Drive Containing Microsoft Windows ...... 16

3.3 Installing Ubuntu Inside a Windows Installation ...... 16

3.4 Running Ubuntu in a Virtual Machine ...... 17

3.5 Performing a Clean Ubuntu Linux Installation ...... 17

Chapter 4. Performing a Clean Ubuntu Linux Installation ...... 18

4.1 Beginning the Ubuntu Linux Installation ...... 18

4.2 Creating an Ubuntu Linux User Account/Computer Name ...... 20

4.3 Performing the Ubuntu Linux Disk Partitioning and Operating System Installation ..... 21

4.4 Booting Ubuntu Linux for the First Time ...... 22

4.5 Finding the Migrated Windows Files and Settings ...... 22

Chapter 5. Installing Ubuntu Linux on a Windows System (Dual booting) ...... 24

5.1 Beginning the Ubuntu Linux Installation ...... 24

5.2 Creating an Ubuntu Linux User Account/Computer Name ...... 26

5.3 Migrating Windows Files and Settings ...... 27

5.4 Performing the Ubuntu Linux Disk Partitioning and Operating System Installation ..... 27

5.5 Booting Ubuntu Linux for the First Time ...... 28

5.6 Finding the Migrated Windows Files and Settings ...... 29

Chapter 6. Installing Ubuntu on a Windows Disk with Wubi ...... 31

6.1 What is Wubi? ...... 31

6.2 Downloading Wubi ...... 31

6.3 Starting the Wubi Installer ...... 31

6.4 Completing the Ubuntu Installation...... 33

6.5 Starting the Ubuntu System ...... 34

6.6 Removing Ubuntu ...... 34

Chapter 7. Allocating a Windows Partition to Ubuntu Linux ...... 36

7.1 Deleting the Windows Partition from the Disk ...... 36

7.2 Formatting the Unallocated Disk Partition ...... 37

7.3 Editing the Boot Menu ...... 38

7.4 Mounting the New Partition ...... 39

Chapter 8. Logging into the Ubuntu GNOME Desktop ...... 40

8.1 The Ubuntu GNOME Login Screen ...... 40

Chapter 9. A Guided Tour of the Ubuntu GNOME Desktop ...... 43

9.1 The Ubuntu GNOME Desktop ...... 43

9.2 The Desktop Background ...... 44

9.3 The Desktop Panels ...... 45

9.4 Summary ...... 47

Chapter 10. Changing the Ubuntu GNOME Desktop Background ...... 48

10.1 Changing the Ubuntu GNOME Desktop Background ...... 48

10.2 Selecting a Background from the Wallpaper List ...... 49

10.3 Creating a Solid or Graded Background ...... 49

10.4 Specifying a Background Image ...... 50

10.5 Summary ...... 50

Chapter 11. Installing and Customizing Ubuntu Desktop Themes ...... 51

11.1 What is a Desktop Theme? ...... 51

11.2 Changing the GNOME Desktop Theme ...... 51

11.3 Customizing a Desktop Theme ...... 52

11.4 Downloading and Installing a Theme ...... 56

11.5 Creating a Custom Theme Package ...... 57

11.6 Summary ...... 59

Chapter 12. Configuring Ubuntu Desktop Fonts ...... 60

12.1 Font Options on Ubuntu ...... 60

12.2 Changing Font Settings ...... 60

12.3 Font Rendering Settings ...... 62

12.4 Advanced Font Rendering ...... 62

12.5 Viewing Fonts in the Font Folder ...... 64

12.6 Adding New Fonts ...... 65

Chapter 13. Configuring the Ubuntu Desktop Panels ...... 66

13.1 What are Desktop Panels ...... 66

13.2 Changing the Position of a Panel ...... 66

13.3 Adding and Deleting Desktop Panels ...... 67

13.4 Changing the Appearance of a Desktop Panel ...... 68

13.5 Adding Items to a GNOME Desktop Panel ...... 69

13.6 Adding Menus to a Panel ...... 71

13.7 Changing the Number of Ubuntu Desktop Workspaces ...... 72

Chapter 14. Configuring the Ubuntu Desktop Menu System ...... 73

14.1 Customizing an Ubuntu Desktop Menu ...... 73

14.2 Moving Menu Items ...... 74

14.3 Adding and Deleting a Menu Item ...... 74

14.4 Summary ...... 75

Chapter 15. Ubuntu Desktop Visual Effects ...... 76

15.1 Introducing Compiz Fusion ...... 76

15.2 Changing the Default Visual Effects Settings ...... 76

15.3 Advanced Desktop Effects Settings ...... 77

15.4 Summary ...... 78

Chapter 16. Enhance your Ubuntu Desktop with gDesklets ...... 79

16.1 Installing gDesklets ...... 79

16.2 Launching gDesklets ...... 80

16.3 Moving a Desklet ...... 81

16.4 Setting the Properties of a Desklet ...... 81

16.5 Raising Desklets to the Front of the Desktop ...... 82

16.6 Install New gDesklet Packages ...... 82

Chapter 17. Browsing My Computer, Files and Folders on the Ubuntu Desktop ...... 84

17.1 Accessing the File Browser ...... 84

17.2 The File Browser and the Computer ...... 84

17.3 Adding Emblems to Files and Folders ...... 86

17.4 Changing File and Folder Permissions ...... 88

17.5 Renaming and Deleting Files and Folders ...... 90

Chapter 18. Configuring the Ubuntu File Manager ...... 91

18.1 Changing the File Manager Background Pattern and Color ...... 91

18.2 Displaying Icons or Lists ...... 91

18.3 Configuring the List View ...... 92

18.4 Configuring the Icon View ...... 93

18.5 Changing File Manager Behavior ...... 98

18.6 Configuring Media Settings ...... 98

Chapter 19. Ubuntu Desktop - Starting Applications on Login ...... 100

19.1 Understanding Sessions ...... 100

19.2 Configuring Desktop Startup Programs ...... 100

19.3 Saving the Current Session ...... 101

Chapter 20. Ubuntu Desktop Keyboard Shortcuts ...... 103

20.1 Viewing Keyboard Shortcuts ...... 103

20.2 Changing a Shortcut ...... 104

20.3 Disabling a Keyboard Shortcut ...... 104

20.4 Summary ...... 104

Chapter 21. Configuring Ubuntu Linux Printers ...... 105

21.1 Installing a Directly Connected Printer ...... 105

21.2 Manually Installing a New Locally Connected Printer and Printer Driver...... 106

21.3 Configuring a Printer Connected to a Windows System ...... 107

21.4 Adding a Network Printer ...... 109

21.5 Configuring a Printer Connected to a Remote System ...... 110

Chapter 22. Connecting an Ubuntu Linux System to a DSL Modem ...... 112

22.1 Making the Connections ...... 112

22.2 Configuring Ubuntu Linux to Connect to a DSL modem ...... 112

22.3 Establishing a DSL Connection ...... 113

22.4 Disconnecting from a DSL Connection ...... 113

Chapter 23. Updating Ubuntu Linux ...... 114

23.1 Notification of Ubuntu Linux Updates ...... 114

23.2 The Ubuntu Linux Update Manager ...... 114

Chapter 24. Basic Ubuntu Linux Firewall Configuration ...... 118

24.1 Ubuntu Linux Firewall Options ...... 118

24.2 Configuring a Basic Ubuntu Linux Firewall ...... 118

24.3 Running the lokkit Firewall Tool ...... 119

24.4 Running the gnome-lokkit Firewall Tool ...... 120

24.5 Understanding the lokkit Firewall Customization Screen ...... 121

Chapter 25. Using Firestarter to Configure an Ubuntu Linux Firewall ...... 123

25.1 Installing Firestarter on Ubuntu Linux ...... 123

25.2 Running Firestarter ...... 123

25.3 Using Firestarter ...... 125

25.3.1 The Firestarter Status Screen ...... 126

25.3.2 The Firestarter Events Screen ...... 126

25.3.3 The Firestarter Policy Screen ...... 128

25.4 Defining Firewall Policies...... 128

25.4.1 Defining Inbound Policy ...... 129

25.4.2 Defining Outbound Policy ...... 131

Chapter 26. Managing Ubuntu Linux Users and Groups ...... 133

26.1 Adding a User to an Ubuntu Linux System ...... 133

26.2 Editing the Properties of a User ...... 137

26.3 Deleting a User from an Ubuntu Linux System ...... 137

26.4 Adding a New Group to an Ubuntu Linux System ...... 138

26.5 Modifying an Ubuntu Linux Group ...... 139

26.6 Deleting a Group from an Ubuntu Linux System ...... 140

Chapter 27. Configuring Ubuntu Linux Remote Access using SSH ...... 141

27.1 Installing SSH on an Ubuntu Linux System ...... 141

27.2 Configuring the Ubuntu Linux Firewall to Allow SSH Connections ...... 142

27.3 Using SSH on Ubuntu Linux ...... 143

27.4 Copying files using SSH ...... 144

27.5 Disabling the SSH Server ...... 145

Chapter 28. Remote Access to the Ubuntu Linux Desktop ...... 146

28.1 Activating Remote Desktop Access ...... 146

28.2 Accessing a Remote Ubuntu Linux Desktop using Vinagre ...... 149

28.3 Attaching to a Remote Desktop using vncviewer ...... 151

28.4 Accessing a Remote Ubuntu Linux Desktop from a Windows System ...... 152

28.5 Establishing a Secure Remote Desktop Session ...... 152

28.6 Establishing a Secure Remote Desktop Session from a Windows System ...... 153

28.7 Creating Additional Desktops ...... 155

Chapter 29. Displaying Ubuntu Linux Applications Remotely (X11 Forwarding) ...... 159

29.1 Requirements for Remotely Displaying Applications...... 159

29.2 Remotely Displaying an Ubuntu Linux Application ...... 159

29.3 Trusted X11 Forwarding ...... 160

29.4 Compressed X11 Forwarding ...... 160

Chapter 30. Configuring an Ubuntu Linux Based Web Server ...... 161

30.1 Requirements for Configuring a Web Server ...... 161

30.2 Installing the Apache Web Server on Ubuntu Linux ...... 161

30.3 Testing the Web Server ...... 162

30.4 Configuring the Apache Web Server for Your Domain ...... 162

30.5 Web Server and Firewall Issues ...... 165

Chapter 31. Sharing Ubuntu Linux Folders with Remote Linux and UNIX Systems ...... 166

31.1 Installing NFS Services on Ubuntu ...... 166

31.2 Sharing Folders ...... 167

31.3 Configuring the Firewall ...... 168

31.4 Mounting a Remote NFS Folder ...... 168

31.5 Mounting an NFS File System on System Startup ...... 168

31.6 Unmounting an NFS Mount Point ...... 169

Chapter 32. Sharing Ubuntu Linux Folders with Remote Windows Systems ...... 170

32.1 Setting up Ubuntu Linux/Windows File Sharing ...... 170

32.2 Sharing Ubuntu Linux Folders ...... 171

32.3 Accessing a Shared Folder from a Windows System ...... 172

32.4 Accessing a Shared Folder from a Remote Ubuntu System ...... 174

32.5 Accessing Windows Shared Folders from Ubuntu ...... 175

Chapter 33. Adding a New Disk Drive to an Ubuntu Linux System ...... 178

33.1 Getting Started ...... 178

33.2 Finding the New Hard Drive in Ubuntu ...... 178

33.3 Creating Linux Partitions ...... 179

33.4 Creating a Filesystem on an Ubuntu Disk Partition ...... 181

33.5 Mounting a File System ...... 182

33.6 Configuring Ubuntu to Automatically Mount a Filesystem ...... 182