Linux Desktop Hacks: Tips & Tools for Customizing and Optimizing your OS [Paperback]

Nicholas Petreley (Author), Jono Bacon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hacks | Publication Date: March 23, 2005

The KDE and Gnome desktops have developed into mature operating environments. These technologies not only act as interfaces between the user, the powerful Linux kernel and GNU operating system, but they do so in a fun and intuitive way. Many users are content with the tools and facilities included with these desktops, but--for those who are ready to probe a little deeper--much more functionality can be found by going under the hood.

With hacks that any user can follow, Linux Desktop Hacks demonstrates how easy it is to modify Linux to suit your desires. The book is packed with tips on customizing and improving the interface, boosting performance, administering your desktop, and generally making the most out of what X, KDE, Gnome, and the console have to offer.

From the practical to the whimsical, and some things you never thought of trying, the hacks in the book include the following, and more:

• Kill and Resurrect the Master Boot Record
• Jazz Up Your Debian System Boot
• Energize Your Console with Macro Music Magic
• Konquer Remote Systems Without Passwords
• Run KDE on the Bleeding Edge
• View Microsoft Word Documents in a Terminal
• Read Yahoo! Mail from Any Email Client
• Motion Capture and Video Conferencing Fun
• Automate Your Life with cron
• Protect Yourself from Windows Applications
• Make an Internet Connection Using Bluetooth and a Mobile Phone
• Print to Unsupported Printers
• Accelerate Your Gaming

If you're yearning for information to make the Linux desktop easier, more powerful, and more fun, Linux Desktop Hacks is just the ticket.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nicholas Petreley began his career in computing in 1983 as an Assembly-language programmer for a signal-processing research and development firm called Adaptronics, located in McLean, Virginia, and he hasn't been able to escape the field since. After getting a taste of writing as a weekly columnist for the Times in New Jersey, Nick began spending more time with the English language than with Pascal, C, C++, and the dozens of other languages that previously dominated his life. Nick's former lives also include conference advisor for LinuxWorld Expo, creator of the Golden Penguin Bowl quiz show, editorial director of LinuxWorld, editor-in-chief of Network Computing World, executive editor of the InfoWorld Test Center, award-winning columnist for InfoWorld, and regular technical columnist for ComputerWorld. You can find his current articles on Newsforge and in other publications under various pseudonyms. He is a columnist for Tux magazine, the author of the Official Fedora Companion, a part-time Evans data analyst, a freelance writer, a creator and maintainer of the VAR-oriented web site (http://www.varlinux.org), and a professional open source consultant.

Jono Bacon is an established writer, developer, and musician. Jono has been working as a full-time writer and technology consultant/developer since 2000, for a variety of publishers and companies. They include Linux Format, Linux Pro, Linux Magazine, Linux User & Developer, Linux Journal, PC Plus, MacFormat, MacTech, Digital Home, Newsforge, Sitepoint, and ContentPeople. Jono has also worked as a writer/consultant/developer for Trolltech, Apple, theKompany.com, the University of Wolverhampton, Delta Institute, and others. In addition to this work, Jono has been a part of the Linux community since 1998 and has worked for various free software projects including KDE and Kafka, and he founded Linux UK, the KDE Usability Study, KDE::Enterprise, and the Infopoint Project. He currently works on various free software projects, as well as for OpenAdvantage in Birmingham, UK, as a professional open source consultant.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1 edition (March 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596009119
• ISBN-13: 978-0596009113
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,223 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not quite as focused as other Hacks titles..., April 13, 2005

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Linux Desktop Hacks: Tips & Tools for Customizing and Optimizing your OS (Paperback)

One of the latest Hacks titles from O'Reilly takes on the Linux desktop - Linux Desktop Hacks by Nicholas Petreley and Jono Bacon. It's good stuff, but not quite what I thought it would be...

Chapter List: Booting Linux; Console; Login Managers; Related to X; KDE Desktop; GNOME Desktop Hacks; Terminal Empowerment; Desktop Programs; Administration and Automation; Kernel; Hardware; Index

Like all Hacks titles, this book is made up of 100 tips and tricks that you can do and that are related to the subject matter of the book... in this case, the Linux desktop. I was expecting to pick up a lot of hints and tips like #55 - Reduce OpenOffice.org Startup Time, #72 - Start Desktop Applications Automatically, and #80 - Protect Yourself From Windows Applications. Those are some cool things, and they relate directly to what I usually think of when I envision the Linux desktop. But you'll also find things like #81 - Build a Custom Firewall Computer, #88 - Compile a Kernel, and #2 - Kill and Resurrect the Master Boot Record. Once again, all very good and interesting stuff, but it seems to stray somewhat from the "Linux desktop" premise (or at least what I was expecting it to be). There are also plenty of instances where you need to be up to speed with scripting skills so you can change config files or compile and install software. I realize that the Linux desktop isn't all automated installers and such, but there seemed to be a lot of times where you always ended up back at the command line console.

Perhaps not being a Linux or Unix geek yet, I'm inclined to think of "desktop" as graphical user interface when it actually can be a number of things.

So... I like the book, and if you're into running Linux as your main operating system at the desktop level, you'll get a lot out of this book. Just be forewarned that it may not contain exactly what you expected...

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must have" book if you use Linux or are moving to Linux, March 16, 2006

By 

Race Vanderdecken (In a greenhouse somewhere near Asheville, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Linux Desktop Hacks: Tips & Tools for Customizing and Optimizing your OS (Paperback)

First, I write software professionally. I write software, I am not a Sys Admin (which is hard work I might add; System Administration is for hardcore people.) This book saved me money by giving me answers to problems that would have taken me days to find the answers to by searching the internet.

Hack #30 How to setup up VNC
Virtual terminals are great. I use them to cut out using an expensive and wires of a KVM switch. I can get to my servers from anywhere in the house or securly across the Internet (with the right passwords as this books shows.)
I can fix my wife's computer problems without having to go to her desk. I can run my Windows apps on a Windows machine, but control that from my Linux terminals.

Or vice-a-versa, it is much easier to use a Windows laptop while sitting on the couch sipping a Martini then having to sit in a dark cold server closet trying to fix a problem with a server.

It took me 3 days to search and read about VNC on the net. Then trying to find an example on a web page that worked and was edited properly. This book gave me the answers I needed in 5 pages of well written text.

A simple enough hack but time is money in this business and this book save both time and money.

Also the book is a "good" read. The authors write well and that keeps you reading. Not a dry manual.

If you are doing Linux for fun or work you need will need to buy this book. It allows you more time to sleep at night.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One hundred awesome tips and tricks, June 25, 2005

By 

Jack D. Herrington "engineer and author" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Linux Desktop Hacks: Tips & Tools for Customizing and Optimizing your OS (Paperback)

This is an excellent hacks book. It's one hundred fairly short, but well explained and appropriately illustrated, hints and tips that cover the gamut of Linux issues. Don't let the Desktop word in the title fool you. Certainly there is a lot of information on Desktop tweaks, but the information is more than skin deep. There is security, networking and systems administration information.

As with all of the hacks books, take a look at the table of contents and if you find ten or so that interest you, then check it out.