The Official Ubuntu Book (Paperback)

by Benjamin Mako Hill (Author), Jono Bacon (Author), Corey Burger (Author), Jonathan Jesse (Author), Ivan Krstic (Author) "Introducing Ubuntu..." (more)
Key Phrases: community council, community governance, synaptic package manager, Application Launcher, Canonical Ltd, Using Ubuntu (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Official Ubuntu Book was well written and covered all topics that is necessary for a new Ubuntu user who is either trying out Ubuntu for the first time or just got fed up of Windows. It was a great read and there were enough pictures to fully understand what the authors were trying to portray."--Michael Levy, Blogger, Gnuman.com

 

“Benjamin Mako Hill et al have produced an excellent book that speaks to everyone who uses or is considering using Ubuntu. The book is traditionally organized, easy to read, and provides consistently useful content. The book is a winner and belongs on the bookshelf of the Ubuntu newbie and veteran alike. As an Ubuntu user, I found it interesting and helpful on several occasions and I'm sure as my use of Ubuntu lengthens, I'll have more occasions to consult this text.”-- James Pyles, Reviewer, The Linux Tutorial

Product Description

Ubuntu is a complete, free operating system that emphasizes community, support, and ease of use while refusing to compromise on speed, power, and flexibility. It's Linux for human beings--designed for everyone from computer novices to experts. Ubuntu is the most in-demand Linux distribution, and this official guide will get you up and running quickly.

Learn how to seamlessly install and customize Ubuntu for your home or small businesses. Its open source power can be used in schools, government, or by corporations, and is suitable for both desktop and server use. The Ubuntu community is built on the premise that software should be available free of charge, and that people should have the freedom to customize and alter their software in whatever way they see fit.

Written by leading Ubuntu community members, this is the only book that you need to become a savvy Ubuntu user.

• Covers the latest version of Ubuntu--Ubuntu 6.06LTS
• Covers every standard desktop application from word processing, spreadsheets, Web browsing, e-mail, instant messaging, music, video, and, of course, games, all the way to software development, databases, and other server applications
• Includes real-world troubleshooting advice contributed by Ubuntu users from around the world
• Learn about the extended Ubuntu community, which includes translators; software developers; teachers; people who love to hand out CDs and help friends try free software; artists; people who write documentation, tips, and guides; accountants; and even a lawyer or two.
• Covers both Ubuntu and Kubuntu desktop systems
• Explains Ubuntu Server installation and basic administration, complete with advanced installer features like LVM and RAID

This book comes with a version of Ubuntu that can run right off the DVD, as well as the complete set of supported packages for Ubuntu, including Kubuntu. Try out Ubuntu on the DVD. If you want to keep it, install it directly from your desktop.

Community Contributors: James Stanger, Jorge O. Castro, Matthew East, Quim Gil, Dennis Kaarsemaker, David Bain, Alan Barnard, David Clayton, Manu Cornet, Scott Dier, Oskar Jönefors, Jason LaPrade, Avinash Meetoo, Julien Rottenberg, Stephen Sandlin, David Symons, Paul van Genderen, Andrew Zajac

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; Pap/DVD edition (August 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0132435942
• ISBN-13: 978-0132435949
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #421,688 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

115 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what a beginner like me needed., September 10, 2006

By	James Booth "heavydutywork" (The Dalles, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I decided to try Linux this summer when I was building a new computer and I got a defective Windows XP sp2 installation disk. While I was waiting for a replacement to be sent, I tried installing Fedora 5 Core, and SUSE 10.1 since they were given to me and just sitting on my shelf. I was soon lost and frustrated. I had no clue what I was doing or was supposed to do. So I ordered the Linux for Dummies book which helped get me better oriented, but it was woefully incomplete and seemed to sometimes assume that I knew something already about Linux. Then a friend recommended Ubuntu. I ordered this book first, and read the first 2 chapters before I tried installing it. I had much better success this time around. The few problems I had (such as configuring my modem), were resolved with some more reading on the subject. This book is just what I needed to explain to me about how Linux works generally, and how Ubunto is different than other distributions of Linux. It explains things and doesn't launch into a bunch of geek-speak about using "sudo bash logged in as root on terminal bla, bla, bla." The explainations of unfamilliar technical terms were easy to understand and in a logical order. The only suggestion I have is that there is a lot of bragging and horn-blowing about how wonderful Ubuntu and the Ubuntu community is throughout most of the book. That is great for the introduction, but becomes trite when you are trying to learn about the "nuts and bolts" of using Ubuntu in later chapters. That is only a minor complaint, however. This is an excellent book for someone who knows nothing about Linux and would like to give it a try. They say that Ubuntu is "Linux for human beings." I would agree with that, and say that this book is for human beings as well.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collaborative book effort..., October 28, 2006

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

There are a plethora of books hitting the market on the Ubuntu Linux distribution, and so far they've all been pretty good. But this one is at the head of the pack for getting started with your penguin experience... The Official Ubuntu Book by Benjamin Mako Hill, Jono Bacon, Corey Burger, Jonathan Jesse, and Ivan Krstic. It's a collaborative book writing effort that pays off on a number of levels.

Contents: Introducing Ubuntu; Installing Ubuntu; Using Ubuntu on the Desktop; Advanced Usage and Managing Ubuntu; The Ubuntu Server; Support and Typical Problems; Using Kubuntu; The Ubuntu Community; Ubuntu-Related Projects; Welcome to the Command Line; Ubuntu Foundation Documents; Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Open Publication License; Ubuntu Equivalents to Windows Programs; Index

This book, as you can see from the number of authors listed, was a collaborative effort. In addition to the listed authors, contributions were also taken from members of the Ubuntu community, so you truly have experts writing about the system they are deeply involved with. The quality that comes with that type of knowledge shows through here. Rather than focus on a number of applications that run on Ubuntu, the focus tends to stay with the operating system and the desktop environment. As such, I felt I was learning Ubuntu rather than learning OpenOffice. While the screen shots and directions are clear, there's not so much hand-holding that you feel like half the book is fluff. We've all installed software, and can figure that stuff out. Good job! I was also surprised and pleased with the chapters on the Ubuntu server and the Support chapter. It seems that Ubuntu Server only gets a passing mention in many books, and I wasn't really sure if there *was* an Ubuntu Server (there is). The support chapter is also very helpful in covering some of the basic problems you'll encounter. Obviously they can't touch on everything, but the chapter on the Ubuntu community fills in the gaps to show you where all your additional knowledge will come from.

This is not a 1000 page "Ubuntu Exhaustive Reference" manual. Instead, it's focused, practical, and written by the experts. Equipped with this book and the included media, there's no reason you shouldn't be up and running Ubuntu in no time flat...

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book- so stop apologizing!, September 12, 2006

By	B.A. Lopez "Dinda" (Galveston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This is a great place to start for anyone considering making the move to Ubuntu and open source software. Thr first chapter gives a quick recap of the what exactly "open source" software means including F/OSS, Free Open Source Software, and a bit of background on the Ubuntu project itself. Some might skip that chapter but since that was exactly some of the info I was looking for, it was very helpful. . .except, "stop apolozgizing for writing such a great book!" At least three if not four times in the first chapter, the phrase, "If you've made it this far. . . " or "If you are still reading this. . . " was used. Hey guys, you did a great job, no need to apologize. I mean why else would someone buy this book rather than download it for free? ;-)

Why? becuase it puts into one useful package everything one needs to know and I can take it with me on the airplane or beach or poolside, because it saves me time, because it's convenient, because time equals money and paying for good information is the open source business model. Yes, Ubuntu and other Linux distros are free but the time it takes to learn a new OS is not. This book makes that move easier and quicker.

Two other small nits:
- The included DVD is PC only. Since the DVD only includes the regular CD image, couldn't both the Mac & PC images fit?
- Chapter 6 is huge! That's a little bit scary given that it covers troubleshooting and seems to indicate that there are more than a few problems. Granted someone will only look there if they are having problems and I know you probably wanted to cover some common problems but maybe pare it down and toss some of that stuff into an appendix.

Nice forward by Mark, and just an overall nicely pacakged product - kind of like Ubuntu itself. :-)