Beginning Ubuntu Linux: From Novice to Professional (Beginning, from Novice to Professional) (Paperback)

by Keir Thomas (Author)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The book is interspersed with images and screen shots making it easier to visualize the steps being explained. All in all a good book which is both informative and entertaining at the same time.

— Ravi Kumar, Slashdot contributor

Winner of the Linux Journal Editors Choice 2006 Award for best End-User/Nontechnical Book!

Beginning Ubuntu Linux: From Novice to Professional is the best-selling guide to the hottest new Linux distribution. Within its 600 in-depth pages, youll learn how to become a pro-level Linux user.

The book starts by introducing you to the world of Linux. Then it outlines Ubuntu installation in illustrated steps, after which youll learn how to configure every piece of everyday tech hardware such as your Internet connection, printers, 3D graphics cards, Bluetooth devices, and much more. Then youll learn fun tasks such as listening to audio CDs and MP3s, watching movies, performing office tasks, and even image editing.

Additionally, theres a series of comprehensive tutorials on Linux internals and the command-line promptessential for any Linux expertand the book includes special sections on optimization, security, and system maintenance.

The book comes with a CD containing the complete Linux distribution. All you need to do is insert the CD and follow the instructions in the book to install this distribution.

About the Author
Keir Thomas has been writing about computers for a decade and his work has appeared in many leading computer magazines and websites around the world. He started out as a lab rat, testing and writing about cutting-edge equipment, before moving on to edit several highly successful computer magazines. These include PC Utilities, PC Tools, and Linux User & Developer. Thomas is currently a Technical Group Editor at Live Publishing Ltd, and editor of PC Extreme magazine. In his spare time he plays the tin whistle and goes hiking on the local mountains near his home, although he rarely does both at the same time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Apress (March 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590596277
• ISBN-13: 978-1590596272
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #210,998 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful for beginners, May 31, 2006

By	J. Cardillo (South Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was nervous that this book would be too high level because I am a professional programmer, and am pretty technical. What I was looking for is something to give me a good base knowledge of linux. I have used linux in the past but my knowledge was spotty becuase I never read a book on it.

Some of the chapters in this book I did skip because they explain how to use certain software, which for me wasn't useful, but i can see its worth to someone switching from windows and wants to learn to use openOffice as well as MS office.

This book also had some more advanced topics in it and I feel this information made the book worth it for me. I feel it did a good job in giving me a good base knowledge of linux.

Though, as of june 1st, 2006, the included CD in the book will not be the latest Ubuntu release. Ubuntu is always free, however, and can be downloaded from their site.

67 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, April 12, 2006

By	John Hancock (N.C.) - See all my reviews

I always thought Linux was an operating system mainly for computer geeks and highly technically-oriented people, which I definitely am not. Back in December of 2005, I did a search for a desktop Linux operating system and Ubuntu stood out, Ubuntu is probably the easiest desktop distro for the beginner to learn Linux with. I ordered 5 free CD's from Ubuntu, installed on an old 500 MHz, 256 Mb ram with no problems; it automatically detected all the hardware on my pc and I was up and running in no time. I did extensive reading of resources off the internet relating to Ubuntu and Linux to learn how to use my new "toy". Man, was I in for a big surprise, Ubuntu is a powerful operating system and I've been able to do about anything with it that I can do with my Windows XP pc. If I had this book when I first installed Ubuntu, it would have saved me countless hours of researching and reading all the resources I found scattered on the internet.
The book comes with an installation CD containing the latest stable version of Ubuntu. I'll admit, you can learn a lot from the internet, but this book has what you'll need to get the most out of Ubuntu, all in one handy reference manual. I highly recommend that anyone interested in trying Ubuntu to get this book and visit the Ubuntu forums, there's a wealth of information there. If you're wondering, Ubuntu can be installed alongside Windows(dual-boot) during the installation process(Ubuntu needs approx. 5 Gb HD space to install on). I recommend anyone interested in trying out Ubuntu to download the LiveCD .iso or order the free cd's. The LiveCD runs from ram memory and doesn't touch your hard drive in any way; and, if the LiveCD works on your system, then your hardware is compatible with Ubuntu(Ubuntu supports a wide range of hardware) and installation onto your HD shouldn't be a problem.
This book will get you up and running Ubuntu in no time at all, as well as serve as a hand reference guide to tweak and configure your system to suit your preferences.

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS(Long Term Support), aka Hardy Heron, is the latest release of Ubuntu and in my 2 years of using Ubuntu, it is definitely the best version of Ubuntu yet. I have obtained and read through Edition Three of "Beginning Ubuntu Linux", which is written for Ubuntu 8.04, so it is up-to-date with the latest information you'll need in getting Ubuntu installed and configured on your computer. Just as with earlier editions, the 3rd edition of the book is well-organized, well-written, and the instructions are easy to follow, with illustrations that you can refer to as you're installing or configuring Ubuntu. The authors have obviously invested a lot of time and testing in the writing of this book, the information is accurate and complete for the average user to get the most out of their Ubuntu experience.
Beginning Ubuntu Linux Edition Three will guide you through getting Ubuntu installed and will prove to be a handy resource that you can refer to when needed. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring Ubuntu Linux.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to Ubuntu and the programs that come with it, May 30, 2006

By	Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ubuntu Linux is a Debian based distribution that aims to be particularly user friendly and does an excellent job at it. A desktop focused product, it comes with all the most commonly used software including a full Office Suite (including a database and slideshow product), web browser, instant messaging, audio player, movie player, CD/DVD burner, photo editor, and of course various games, screen savers, and utilities.

The book has a good section on getting things up and running correctly that covers all the most common problems that you might encounter during an install. Generally my experience has been that there are few, if any problems installing Ubuntu. For those who are not satisfied with just booting up and running an Internet browser or writing a letter but want to get into the nuts and bolts of the system the author has included information on the BASH Shell. Using it you can get directly into the file system or interact with other aspects of the system in detail.

While this is an introduction to Ubuntu and the various programs that come with it, whole books are available from this publisher and many others on most of the programs included with Ubuntu. So, while this book gives you what you need to get up and running and do all the most common tasks, if you really want to take advantage of the power of some of the programs you can pick up one of several good books on the subject as well as utilize the online support community. Beginning Ubuntu Linux: From Novice to Professional is highly recommended to anyone interested in this desktop alternative.