Ubuntu Kung Fu: Tips, Tricks, Hints, and Hacks (Paperback)

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Product Description

Ubuntu builds on a solid base of Debian Linux to create an award-winning operating system that's light-years ahead of its competitors. Ubuntu consistently tops lists of the most popular Linuxes amongst professionals and enthusiasts; Dell recently embraced Ubuntu in its product lines after a user survey indicated overwhelming public support. "Ubuntu Kung Fu" provides hints, hacks, tweaks and tricks for every level of user. Guaranteed to be free of the usual dross that fills tips books, "Ubuntu Kung Fu" is written to be entertaining and, above all, readable. Its 300+ concise tips utilize and exploit hidden or lesser-known features to boost day-to-day productivity. You'll also find tips on tweaking Ubuntu, wrangling the system into shape, optimizing, enhancing security, and lots more. Learn what extraordinary things can be done with Ubuntu. Written with the migrating Windows or Mac OS X user in mind, "Ubuntu Kung Fu" avoids the usual Linux/Unix folklore that can send most of us to sleep. The tips have one aim--to produce results as quickly as possible, in an environment where the reader can polish their skills as they read. This is the Linux book for the rest of us.

About the Author

Keir Thomas is an award-winning author who has written several best-selling beginning-level Linux titles for Apress. A former computer magazine editor, he has been writing about computers, operating systems, and software for a decade. He has also edited many computing titles.

Keir currently works as a full-time author and has written four books for Apress. He lives on the side of a mountain in England, and his hobbies include hiking and playing musical instruments.

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Product Details Paperback: 367 pages Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf (September 1, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 1934356220 ISBN-13: 978-1934356227 Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #173,913 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	64% buy the item featured on this page: Ubuntu Kung Fu: Tips, Tricks, Hints, and Hacks 4.6 out of 5 stars (13) $23.07
	15% buy Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference 4.7 out of 5 stars (15) $11.99
	10% buy Ubuntu Linux Toolbox: 1000+ Commands for Ubuntu and Debian Power Users 4.6 out of 5 stars (17) $16.49
	6% buy Beginning Ubuntu Linux, Fourth Edition 5.0 out of 5 stars (3) $26.39

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews 5 star:  (10) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.6 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 14 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Become a Ubuntu Kung Fu master!, November 16, 2008 By  Adam Barrett (SL, UT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    The book was written for version 8.04 of Ubuntu, but will work great with 8.10 too! While reading and reviewing the book, you ought to have a machine nearby to test the hacks and hints. They are absolutely amazing. There are over 300 tips in the book, and each is a gem in its own right. The tips range rom optimizing the speed of your machine, to GUI hacks, hardware, messing with media, security enhancements, and system administration. The table of contents is really great too! First it list each hack/tip in order of the book, then it shows you the tips organized into groups of topics, system admin, security, etc. Also each tip has information on getting to the next tips that are related. Truly this book is for anyone who is using Ubuntu who hasn't been working with the code directly and would like to know more about the OS and what it can do. Just after reading the first few tips I was able to reduce the boot times on my laptop from minute and twenty seconds to under thirty seconds. I was also able to accurately graph the results of these changes by installing and using bootchart, a tip from the Ubuntu Kung Fu book. If you are looking for a good book to help you enhance your understanding of Linux and Ubuntu, this is the book, get it now at Amazon, or from the Pragmatic Bookshelf. 9 of 10 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, November 25, 2008 By  Lynda Brewer "~the computer lady~" (Princeton, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Ubuntu Kung Fu: Tips, Tricks, Hints, and Hacks I have read a lot of linux books over the years, and this is one of the first that I really enjoyed. It is set up for both newbie and guru alike, crammed with tips and tricks, arranged in a way that you can just browse and pick, or use it kinda like a Ubuntu cookbook, if you will. I ended up reading it cover to cover, picking and choosing my favorites and immediately implementing them upon my linux machines, and marking my favorites for my next install. I definitely recommend this book for both novice and expert alike, it is a breath of fresh air when compared to those linux books that seem obsessed with the installation of linux and tend to forget about the neat stuff... 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Get your black belt in Ubuntu Kung Fu!, January 5, 2009 By  Lorin Ricker (Franktown, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    As I've noted elsewhere (see below), I've been a sucker for "Tips & Tricks" and "Annoyances" books for many years. Keir Thomas's book is, for me, a best-of-breed entry in this genre. He tackles user-level (not coder) problems and perspective, and brings Ubuntu Linux advice, techniques and tips not found elsewhere. The book is organized into only three chapters: After an introductory chapter, one finds "2 An Ubuntu Administration Crash Course" to be a cogent and useful primer, one of the best of this sort I've found so far. The focus here is on helping with the transition from Windows to Linux/Ubuntu, and it succeeds as a quick orientation for the less experienced "system non-administrator." The meat is all in "3 The Tips", of which there are exactly 315. One can indeed "start reading them anywhere," as they're arranged in purely random order. But there's much of value here -- I found well over 120 that I had to highlight, either for immediate application to my Ubuntu system, or to return to later. That's not a bad return on investment! Minor grousing about the order of tip presentation aside, I think this book is nearly an exemplar of its kind, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has become, or is becoming, an Ubuntu Linux user and enthusiast. It usefully helps bridge the gap between the Microsoft Windows experience and the not-so-different world of the Linux desktop. It provides ample practical help and knowledge to advance your productive use of Ubuntu Linux. [...]		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Great read and reference! Let me first level-set on my Linux experience and skills..... I am a relative beginner to Ubuntu. I've been using it for about 18 months and I'm on the third version since I... Read more Published 19 days ago by WGARIDER 5.0 out of 5 stars great ubuntu book! As an experienced linux user I thought this might be too basic but I've got to say I've learned my way around Ubuntu thanks to this book. Read more Published 2 months ago by Strom 4.0 out of 5 stars The book that helps Title: Ubuntu Kung Fu Tips, Tricks, Hints, and Hacks Author(s): Keir Thomas Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Read more Published 6 months ago by Aras Memisyazici 3.0 out of 5 stars Needs Updating If you are new to computers, this is a good read. However, even Linux newbies who have used Macs or windows will not find much here that they aren't already familiar with. Published 6 months ago by Robert Harrison 5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for any ubuntu user I'm really impressed with this book. It doesn't go through a long overview of the desktop, the apps, the history of Ubuntu, or how to install Ubuntu. Read more Published 7 months ago by Matthew the Great 5.0 out of 5 stars Very Imformative and Interesting I bought this book to try and get more information that isn't commonly known. I found alot of tips and hints that make Ubuntu, and Linux, a little more interesting... Read more Published 9 months ago by Thunderbird 3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad. From description, sounded like there would be a little more linux education. Mostly, it was just tweaking around with Ubuntu's bells and whistles. Published 9 months ago by Jason L. Morris 5.0 out of 5 stars Ubuntu Kung-Fu Taught me things about Ubuntu that I never knew. I now run Ubuntu as a primary operating system thanks to Kier Thomas Published 10 months ago by Rescue51 5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Tips and Tricks! If you are an ubuntu non-geek, then this is the simple way to learn all that you need to know. Just flip to a page and you are up and running. Read more Published 11 months ago by M. Zyon Mccalley-scott 5.0 out of 5 stars Ubuntu Kung Fu is excellent This book has a lot of little known "short cuts" that make Ubuntu a lot more useful. Ubuntu has been the most user friendly Linux system ever presented. Read more Published 12 months ago by James A. 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Product Details

• Paperback: 367 pages
• Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934356220
• ISBN-13: 978-1934356227
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #173,913 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Become a Ubuntu Kung Fu master!, November 16, 2008

By	Adam Barrett (SL, UT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book was written for version 8.04 of Ubuntu, but will work great with 8.10 too! While reading and reviewing the book, you ought to have a machine nearby to test the hacks and hints. They are absolutely amazing. There are over 300 tips in the book, and each is a gem in its own right. The tips range rom optimizing the speed of your machine, to GUI hacks, hardware, messing with media, security enhancements, and system administration.

The table of contents is really great too! First it list each hack/tip in order of the book, then it shows you the tips organized into groups of topics, system admin, security, etc. Also each tip has information on getting to the next tips that are related.

Truly this book is for anyone who is using Ubuntu who hasn't been working with the code directly and would like to know more about the OS and what it can do.

Just after reading the first few tips I was able to reduce the boot times on my laptop from minute and twenty seconds to under thirty seconds. I was also able to accurately graph the results of these changes by installing and using bootchart, a tip from the Ubuntu Kung Fu book.

If you are looking for a good book to help you enhance your understanding of Linux and Ubuntu, this is the book, get it now at Amazon, or from the Pragmatic Bookshelf.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, November 25, 2008

By	Lynda Brewer "~the computer lady~" (Princeton, KY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ubuntu Kung Fu: Tips, Tricks, Hints, and Hacks

I have read a lot of linux books over the years, and this is one of the first that I really enjoyed. It is set up for both newbie and guru alike, crammed with tips and tricks, arranged in a way that you can just browse and pick, or use it kinda like a Ubuntu cookbook, if you will.

I ended up reading it cover to cover, picking and choosing my favorites and immediately implementing them upon my linux machines, and marking my favorites for my next install.

I definitely recommend this book for both novice and expert alike, it is a breath of fresh air when compared to those linux books that seem obsessed with the installation of linux and tend to forget about the neat stuff...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get your black belt in Ubuntu Kung Fu!, January 5, 2009

By	Lorin Ricker (Franktown, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As I've noted elsewhere (see below), I've been a sucker for "Tips & Tricks" and "Annoyances" books for many years. Keir Thomas's book is, for me, a best-of-breed entry in this genre. He tackles user-level (not coder) problems and perspective, and brings Ubuntu Linux advice, techniques and tips not found elsewhere.

The book is organized into only three chapters: After an introductory chapter, one finds "2 An Ubuntu Administration Crash Course" to be a cogent and useful primer, one of the best of this sort I've found so far. The focus here is on helping with the transition from Windows to Linux/Ubuntu, and it succeeds as a quick orientation for the less experienced "system non-administrator."

The meat is all in "3 The Tips", of which there are exactly 315. One can indeed "start reading them anywhere," as they're arranged in purely random order. But there's much of value here -- I found well over 120 that I had to highlight, either for immediate application to my Ubuntu system, or to return to later. That's not a bad return on investment!

Minor grousing about the order of tip presentation aside, I think this book is nearly an exemplar of its kind, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has become, or is becoming, an Ubuntu Linux user and enthusiast. It usefully helps bridge the gap between the Microsoft Windows experience and the not-so-different world of the Linux desktop. It provides ample practical help and knowledge to advance your productive use of Ubuntu Linux.

[...]