Music player: Rhythmbox (full review here)
Alternative: Banshee (full review here)
Banshee is a feature-rich collection-oriented player which includes Internet services, cover manager, smart playlists, Last.fm integration, 10-band equalizer, tray icon, ratings, fullscreen mode, track metadata editor, support for radio and podcasts, plugins and play queue, to list only a part of them. The version which comes in Ubuntu Maverick is 1.8.0, but at the time of writing a new development version, 1.9.0, is available on the official website and can be easily installed using the Banshee daily builds PPA at Launchpad.
Runners-up: Exaile, Listen, Audacious, gmusicbrowser, Decibel Audio Player, Quod Libet, Foobnix, DeaDBeeF, Sonata, GMPC
Showing posts with label ubuntu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ubuntu. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Quick Look at 0 A.D. - Free Linux RTS Game
0 A.D. is an open-source, 3D real time strategy game with an ancient warfare theme, developed by Wildfire Games, and using the Pyrogenesis engine.
0 A.D. started originally as a mod concept for Age of Empires II, but in 2009 Wildfire Games licensed the code under the GPL and announced it will be open-source, available for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.
0 A.D. started originally as a mod concept for Age of Empires II, but in 2009 Wildfire Games licensed the code under the GPL and announced it will be open-source, available for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.
Friday, 26 November 2010
Goggles Music Manager - Overview and Installation in Ubuntu Maverick
Goggles Music Manager (or GMM for short) is a music player written using the FOX toolkit, with support for Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, MP3, MP4, ASF and Musepack. FOX is a fast toolkit for creating graphical interfaces (another application which I reviewed in the past which uses FOX is Xfe - review here - a file manager for Linux).
Monday, 20 September 2010
Collection of 18 Popular APT & DPKG Tips for Debian and Ubuntu
This is a guide containing the most popular and useful ways of using the APT and DPKG commands, and it applies to both Ubuntu and Debian (and their derivatives). I mentioned where super user privileges are required, the ones without a mention can be executed as normal user. If you're using Ubuntu, precede a command with sudo in order to gain root privileges (and enter your user password); on Debian, type su, enter the root password, and then type in the commands as shown below.
dpkg -L package_name
This command will show what files package_name installed on your computer. Notice that this works only for already installed packages. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg -L vorbis-tools
/.
/usr
/usr/bin
/usr/bin/ogg123
apt-get build-dep package_name
(needs root privileges)
This is a very useful command, which will install all the development libraries needed by an application. So if you need to compile a newer version of a program than the one included in the repositories, use this command to fetch the dependencies. Notice that the libraries installed will be for the current version coming with the repositories, so you may need to install additional libraries if needed. However, this usually works for most of the applications. Example:
apt-get build-dep wesnoth
This will fetch all the development packages needed for Wesnoth. Keep in mind that your sources repositories must be enabled (they are enabled by default in Ubuntu).
apt-get clean (and apt-get autoclean)
(needs root privileges)
This command will remove the archives installed on your system. Whenever you install a package, it is downloaded and the DEB package is kept inside the /var/cache/apt/archives/ directory. This command removes those packages, freeing up space.
apt-get clean
apt-get autoclean
Regarding apt-get autoclean: this command will remove only the archives which are no longer available in the repositories, and will keep the ones which are currently available. Helpful if you want to get rid of old archives which have been updated, but still want to keep the upgraded ones just in case. To see how much space the archive occupy, use du -h (the -h argument stands for human readable, so it will show sizes in human readable format):
du -h /var/cache/apt/archives/
apt-cache show package_name
Will show information about any package in the repository. You only have to type in the name of it, not the entire name and version. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ apt-cache show vorbis-tools
Package: vorbis-tools
Priority: optional
Section: sound
Installed-Size: 580
...
apt-cache search pattern
Will search and list all the packages which contain pattern in their name or in their description. You can pipe this with grep for more relevant results:
embryo@debian:~$ apt-cache search gnome terminal|grep terminal
gmfsk - MFSK, RTTY and other digital mode terminal for HF/amateur radio
gnome-terminal-data - Data files for the GNOME terminal emulator
gnome-terminal - The GNOME 2 terminal emulator application
apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
(needs root privileges)
This is a one-liner to update your packages list and upgrade your system. Since it requires root privileges, if your distribution is Ubuntu use sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade. Notice that the second command (after the double ampersand) is executed only if the first one was successful, so if fetching any of the lists fails, the second command will not be executed. If you're running a testing or beta release, use instead the following:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
This will fetch updates even if they depend on newer packages.
dpkg --get-selections
This command will list all the packages installed on a system using the package manager. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg --get-selections
acpi-support-base install
acpid install
adduser install
akregator install
...
dpkg -S filename
Will list the packages which install filename. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg -S oggenc
vorbis-tools: /usr/share/man/man1/oggenc.1.gz
vorbis-tools: /usr/bin/oggenc
embryo@debian:~$
apt-get autoremove
(needs root privileges)
This command will remove unnecessary packages (e.g. orphaned packages), which are no longer needed by any of the packages installed in the system. This happens often after you uninstall a certain application, and its dependencies still remain installed on the system. Use this command to get rid of them.
apt-cache dump
This command will list every package in the cache.
apt-cache depends package_name
A very useful command which lists every dependency a package has, including recommended packages.
embryo@debian:~$ apt-cache depends vorbis-tools
vorbis-tools
Depends: libao2
Depends: libc6
Depends: libcurl3-gnutls
...
apt-cache rdepends package_name
Will show dependencies in reversed order, that is, it will list all the packages which depend on the specified package.
apt-cache rdepends mplayer
apt-cache policy package_name
This will list the repository in which a package is located. In Ubuntu, there are four such repositories: main, restricted, universe and multiverse. Debian has main, contrib and non-free. There is a certain policy for each package, and depending on that, the package is included in one of the specified repositories.
apt-cache policy amarok
apt-cache policy sun-java6-jre
apt-cache showsrc package_name
Will show information about a package source.
apt-get -f install
(needs root privileges)
Will try to fix broken dependencies. This usually comes in handy if you try to manually install a DEB package without installing first its dependencies. Run apt-get -f install to fix the missing dependencies and try to install the package again.
apt-cdrom add
(needs root privileges)
Will add a CD ROM to your sources, so you can install packages from it. This command is mostly useful if you have some ISO images, which you don't want to burn to a CD. In order to scan the ISO images, use:
apt-cdrom -d=/cdrom add
This will mount the ISO image inside the /cdrom directory, and then add its contents to the sources.list. Notice that the /cdrom directory has to be empty. You can use any empty directory for this:
apt-cdrom -d=/home/USER/mydir
dpkg -c local_file.deb
The -c argument tells dpkg to list the contents of a DEB package. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg -c google-chrome-stable_current_i386.deb
...
drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2010-07-30 23:54 ./usr/share/man/man1/
-rwxr-xr-x root/root 3098 2010-07-30 23:54 ./usr/share/man/man1/google-chrome.1
lrwxrwxrwx root/root 0 2010-07-30 23:54 ./usr/bin/google-chrome -> /opt/google/chrome/google-chrome
dpkg -f local_file.deb
This shows the control file for a binary package. A control file is a file which provides information to the package manager about dependencies, maintainer, homepage, description, and more.
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg -f google-chrome-stable_current_i386.deb
Package: google-chrome-stable
Version: 5.0.375.126-r53802
...
These are the most popular uses of APT and DPKG. Have some more? Please, share them!
dpkg -L package_name
This command will show what files package_name installed on your computer. Notice that this works only for already installed packages. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg -L vorbis-tools
/.
/usr
/usr/bin
/usr/bin/ogg123
apt-get build-dep package_name
(needs root privileges)
This is a very useful command, which will install all the development libraries needed by an application. So if you need to compile a newer version of a program than the one included in the repositories, use this command to fetch the dependencies. Notice that the libraries installed will be for the current version coming with the repositories, so you may need to install additional libraries if needed. However, this usually works for most of the applications. Example:
apt-get build-dep wesnoth
This will fetch all the development packages needed for Wesnoth. Keep in mind that your sources repositories must be enabled (they are enabled by default in Ubuntu).
apt-get clean (and apt-get autoclean)
(needs root privileges)
This command will remove the archives installed on your system. Whenever you install a package, it is downloaded and the DEB package is kept inside the /var/cache/apt/archives/ directory. This command removes those packages, freeing up space.
apt-get clean
apt-get autoclean
Regarding apt-get autoclean: this command will remove only the archives which are no longer available in the repositories, and will keep the ones which are currently available. Helpful if you want to get rid of old archives which have been updated, but still want to keep the upgraded ones just in case. To see how much space the archive occupy, use du -h (the -h argument stands for human readable, so it will show sizes in human readable format):
du -h /var/cache/apt/archives/
apt-cache show package_name
Will show information about any package in the repository. You only have to type in the name of it, not the entire name and version. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ apt-cache show vorbis-tools
Package: vorbis-tools
Priority: optional
Section: sound
Installed-Size: 580
...
apt-cache search pattern
Will search and list all the packages which contain pattern in their name or in their description. You can pipe this with grep for more relevant results:
embryo@debian:~$ apt-cache search gnome terminal|grep terminal
gmfsk - MFSK, RTTY and other digital mode terminal for HF/amateur radio
gnome-terminal-data - Data files for the GNOME terminal emulator
gnome-terminal - The GNOME 2 terminal emulator application
apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
(needs root privileges)
This is a one-liner to update your packages list and upgrade your system. Since it requires root privileges, if your distribution is Ubuntu use sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade. Notice that the second command (after the double ampersand) is executed only if the first one was successful, so if fetching any of the lists fails, the second command will not be executed. If you're running a testing or beta release, use instead the following:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
This will fetch updates even if they depend on newer packages.
dpkg --get-selections
This command will list all the packages installed on a system using the package manager. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg --get-selections
acpi-support-base install
acpid install
adduser install
akregator install
...
dpkg -S filename
Will list the packages which install filename. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg -S oggenc
vorbis-tools: /usr/share/man/man1/oggenc.1.gz
vorbis-tools: /usr/bin/oggenc
embryo@debian:~$
apt-get autoremove
(needs root privileges)
This command will remove unnecessary packages (e.g. orphaned packages), which are no longer needed by any of the packages installed in the system. This happens often after you uninstall a certain application, and its dependencies still remain installed on the system. Use this command to get rid of them.
apt-cache dump
This command will list every package in the cache.
apt-cache depends package_name
A very useful command which lists every dependency a package has, including recommended packages.
embryo@debian:~$ apt-cache depends vorbis-tools
vorbis-tools
Depends: libao2
Depends: libc6
Depends: libcurl3-gnutls
...
apt-cache rdepends package_name
Will show dependencies in reversed order, that is, it will list all the packages which depend on the specified package.
apt-cache rdepends mplayer
apt-cache policy package_name
This will list the repository in which a package is located. In Ubuntu, there are four such repositories: main, restricted, universe and multiverse. Debian has main, contrib and non-free. There is a certain policy for each package, and depending on that, the package is included in one of the specified repositories.
apt-cache policy amarok
apt-cache policy sun-java6-jre
apt-cache showsrc package_name
Will show information about a package source.
apt-get -f install
(needs root privileges)
Will try to fix broken dependencies. This usually comes in handy if you try to manually install a DEB package without installing first its dependencies. Run apt-get -f install to fix the missing dependencies and try to install the package again.
apt-cdrom add
(needs root privileges)
Will add a CD ROM to your sources, so you can install packages from it. This command is mostly useful if you have some ISO images, which you don't want to burn to a CD. In order to scan the ISO images, use:
apt-cdrom -d=/cdrom add
This will mount the ISO image inside the /cdrom directory, and then add its contents to the sources.list. Notice that the /cdrom directory has to be empty. You can use any empty directory for this:
apt-cdrom -d=/home/USER/mydir
dpkg -c local_file.deb
The -c argument tells dpkg to list the contents of a DEB package. Example:
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg -c google-chrome-stable_current_i386.deb
...
drwxr-xr-x root/root 0 2010-07-30 23:54 ./usr/share/man/man1/
-rwxr-xr-x root/root 3098 2010-07-30 23:54 ./usr/share/man/man1/google-chrome.1
lrwxrwxrwx root/root 0 2010-07-30 23:54 ./usr/bin/google-chrome -> /opt/google/chrome/google-chrome
dpkg -f local_file.deb
This shows the control file for a binary package. A control file is a file which provides information to the package manager about dependencies, maintainer, homepage, description, and more.
embryo@debian:~$ dpkg -f google-chrome-stable_current_i386.deb
Package: google-chrome-stable
Version: 5.0.375.126-r53802
...
These are the most popular uses of APT and DPKG. Have some more? Please, share them!
Sunday, 19 September 2010
How-To: Install Dillo Web Browser in Ubuntu Maverick Beta
Dillo is a simplistic, minimal web browser built using the FLTK2 (Fast Light Toolkit) library, designed especially for a minimal load on resources. It is used successfully by various distributions out there that aim to stay small and fast (the last time I checked it was included in Damn Small Linux for example).
I decided to make a review of Dillo (in the past I reviewed version 2.0 here) but realized that currently Dillo is not included in the Ubuntu Maverick repositories. So this is why I set out to make first a short how-to on how to install it in Maverick. Considering you will also need to compile and install FLTK2 in order to compile Dillo (because the repositories include FLTK 1.1, but not FLTK 2.0), we will use a DEB package to install it. Just follow the steps below.
Download the DEB package from the Dillo PPA archive (direct link) and save it somewhere on your hard disk. Now open a terminal, make sure the currently working directory is the one where you saved it (use the pwd command to print the working directory) and type:
sudo dpkg -i dillo_2.2-0+dillo1~karmic1_i386.deb
That's it! To start Dillo, press Alt+F2 and type dillo in the run box that appears.
Note: This tutorial probably applies for older Ubuntu releases too.
Dillo 2.2 - the minimalist and fast web browser for Linux
I decided to make a review of Dillo (in the past I reviewed version 2.0 here) but realized that currently Dillo is not included in the Ubuntu Maverick repositories. So this is why I set out to make first a short how-to on how to install it in Maverick. Considering you will also need to compile and install FLTK2 in order to compile Dillo (because the repositories include FLTK 1.1, but not FLTK 2.0), we will use a DEB package to install it. Just follow the steps below.
Download the DEB package from the Dillo PPA archive (direct link) and save it somewhere on your hard disk. Now open a terminal, make sure the currently working directory is the one where you saved it (use the pwd command to print the working directory) and type:
sudo dpkg -i dillo_2.2-0+dillo1~karmic1_i386.deb
That's it! To start Dillo, press Alt+F2 and type dillo in the run box that appears.
Note: This tutorial probably applies for older Ubuntu releases too.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Tutorial: Install Clementine Music Player in Kubuntu 10.10 Maverick Beta
Clementine is a KDE4 port of the beloved music player Amarok 1.4. Although Clementine still needs work done in order to reach Amarok's functionality - like support for scripts, or for example I couldn't get it to add a whole music directory to the playlist - is there a way to do it? - it comes with pretty decent features up to now:- equalizer
- Last.fm song submission, love/ban buttons
- music library
- file browser
- radio support
- cover manager
Installing Clementine in Kubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Beta
We will use the packages in the Clementine PPA in order to install it on Maverick. Fire up a terminal and type:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:riccetn/clementine
This command will add the Clementine PPA repository inside your /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ directory.
Notice that the current version in the PPA is 0.3. If you already have an older version of Clementine installed on your system, it is best to remove it first:
sudo apt-get remove --purge clementine
Now update the packages list:
sudo apt-get update
And finally, install Clementine by typing:
sudo apt-get install clementine
And you're done! To start it up, press Alt+F2 and type clementine followed by Enter.
Cover manager
Clementine Homepage
Clementine at Google Code
Clementine PPA at Launchpad.net
Sunday, 12 September 2010
Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Beta - Overview & Screenshots
We're less than one month until the next Ubuntu release, 10.10. Maverick Meerkat, as it is codenamed, is scheduled for release on October 10, 2010, and, as always, Canonical put out a beta calling for users to test-drive it and report problems and bugs.
Here's what Ubuntu 10.10 has to offer:
- Linux kernel 2.6.35
- GNOME 2.31, including Nautilus as a file manager, Rhythmbox as a music player, Totem as the default video player, Empathy Instant Messaging client
- OpenOffice 3.2 suite, including the Writer, Spreadsheet, Presentation and Drawing, (doesn't that Oracle logo look awkward when the splash-screen appears?)
- Mozilla Firefox 3.6.9
- Evolution 2.30 email client
Also, Shotwell has replaced F-Spot as the default photo manager.
I made a clean, fresh installation of the beta and performed a through sudo apt-get dist-upgrade, in order to make sure all the packages benefit from the latest fixes and improvements. Here's how a usual Ubuntu 10.10 Beta desktop looks like:
All the screenshots were taken using the Normal desktop effects option.
I don't know if it's me but Rhythmbox seems to get harder to use from version to version. I couldn't get it to list my music files, not in the media library, nor in the playlist.
The System->Preferences menu allows to customise aspects like appearance, edit the applications to be shown in the menu, change the screensaver, configure keyboard, mouse etc.
As final impressions, Maverick Meerkat seems promising: it's pretty stable and it surely looks like a usual Ubuntu release, nothing more or less. Some bugs still have to be fixed and the theme makes the Firefox menu entries to be unreadable.
Here's what Ubuntu 10.10 has to offer:
- Linux kernel 2.6.35
- GNOME 2.31, including Nautilus as a file manager, Rhythmbox as a music player, Totem as the default video player, Empathy Instant Messaging client
- OpenOffice 3.2 suite, including the Writer, Spreadsheet, Presentation and Drawing, (doesn't that Oracle logo look awkward when the splash-screen appears?)
- Mozilla Firefox 3.6.9
- Evolution 2.30 email client
Also, Shotwell has replaced F-Spot as the default photo manager.
Shotwell 0.7.1 - the new photo manager in Ubuntu 10.10
I made a clean, fresh installation of the beta and performed a through sudo apt-get dist-upgrade, in order to make sure all the packages benefit from the latest fixes and improvements. Here's how a usual Ubuntu 10.10 Beta desktop looks like:
Ubuntu 10.10 Beta with Ubuntu Software Center; notice the theme used is 'Ambiance', a dark theme keeping the characteristic brownish style
All the screenshots were taken using the Normal desktop effects option.
GNOME Terminal using the transparency effect
I don't know if it's me but Rhythmbox seems to get harder to use from version to version. I couldn't get it to list my music files, not in the media library, nor in the playlist.
Rhythmbox 0.13.1 music player
The help center has some font displaying issues, which will hopefully get fixed by the time Ubuntu final will be released
Totem movie player
The System->Preferences menu allows to customise aspects like appearance, edit the applications to be shown in the menu, change the screensaver, configure keyboard, mouse etc.
Ubuntu Preferences menu
Changing GNOME theme
Firefox 3.6.9 - Ubuntu comes with the latest version of the powerful Firefox web browser
As final impressions, Maverick Meerkat seems promising: it's pretty stable and it surely looks like a usual Ubuntu release, nothing more or less. Some bugs still have to be fixed and the theme makes the Firefox menu entries to be unreadable.
Friday, 22 January 2010
How-To: Install Firefox 3.6 in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic
Firefox 3.6 was released yesterday, after over six months since the last major release, version 3.5. Firefox 3.6 ships with versions for over 70 languages, support for Personas, an add-on allowing you to change the appearance of the tab bar and choose from thousands of themes, improvements to the open video support (like the fullscreen mode), improved JavaScript performance and start-up time, support for the new DOM and HTML5 specs.
This is a short tutorial which will show how to install Firefox 3.6 in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala from the Mozilla Daily PPA.
First, open the terminal and add the necessary repository addresses to your /etc/apt/sources.list file:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Or, for a GUI editor:
gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
Add the following two lines:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mozilla-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mozilla-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
Notice that the second line is only needed if you plan to fetch the source code for Firefox. Make sure to save the file and proceed to the next step.
Now, add the trusted key for this repository:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 247510BE
Update your packages list:
sudo apt-get update
Remove the current Firefox installation:
sudo apt-get remove --purge firefox
And now install version 3.6:
sudo apt-get install firefox-3.6
Now you may want to create a new profile for the new 3.6 version. To do this, run Firefox with the -P parameter:
firefox -P
To run two different instances of Firefox and different profiles you can use:
firefox --no-remote -P
This is a short tutorial which will show how to install Firefox 3.6 in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala from the Mozilla Daily PPA.
First, open the terminal and add the necessary repository addresses to your /etc/apt/sources.list file:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Or, for a GUI editor:
gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list
Add the following two lines:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mozilla-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntu-mozilla-daily/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
Notice that the second line is only needed if you plan to fetch the source code for Firefox. Make sure to save the file and proceed to the next step.
Now, add the trusted key for this repository:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 247510BE
Update your packages list:
sudo apt-get update
Remove the current Firefox installation:
sudo apt-get remove --purge firefox
And now install version 3.6:
sudo apt-get install firefox-3.6
Now you may want to create a new profile for the new 3.6 version. To do this, run Firefox with the -P parameter:
firefox -P
To run two different instances of Firefox and different profiles you can use:
firefox --no-remote -P
Monday, 28 December 2009
3 Wonderful Open-Source Games to Install After Installing Ubuntu
Battle for Wesnoth
Battle for Wesnoth is one of the most popular turn-based strategy games for Linux, if not the most popular. Completely free and open-source, it provides both singleplayer campaigns, as well as online multiplayer, hotseat or LAN support. The game takes place over various maps composed from hexes, and in each hex a unit at a time can be deployed. The player has to take advantage of various terrain types (which increase or decrease defence), use wisely the types of attack and abilities each unit has. Wesnoth currently comes with 6 factions (Loyalists, Rebels, Knalgan Alliance, Undead, Northerners and Drakes), but the add-on server has a whole bunch of custom eras and new factions.
Scripting is handled in Wesnoth by WML, the Wesnoth Markup Language, which allows for building entire scenarios and campaigns.
Wesnoth is in a continuous change, with every new release bringing more features and gameplay innovation. The current stable release is 1.6.5, but soon 1.8 will be out, and it will include new unit portraits, WML (Wesnoth Markup Language) improvements, updated campaigns and more. 1.8 will also allow the user to directly upload user-made campaigns and scenario from in-game add-ons menu.
To install Wesnoth in Ubuntu, type in a terminal:
sudo apt-get install wesnoth
SuperTux
SuperTux is a 2D jump and run Mario clone, with the difference that it uses its own maps, enemies, and the main character is... you guessed, Tux, the story taking place in Antarctica. It is licensed under the GPL and it is free of charge. SuperTux has very nice graphics, especially since it has support for software and OpenGL rendering, 26 levels and 9 types of enemies.
Except for the official website, there is also a fansite for SuperTux, with screenshots, user-made maps and a forum.
To Install SuperTux in Ubuntu, type in a terminal:
sudo apt-get install supertux
World of Padman
When it comes to Linux shooter games, there isn't only one choice. Games like Nexuiz, OpenArena or Sauerbraten were a good fit here too, but I decided upon World of Padman.
Based on the Quake 3 engine, World of Padman is a fun, cartoon-style first-person shooter with maps, weapons and characters inspired from the Padman series. It features nice, colourful graphics, popular modes like FFA, TDM or CTF, and weapons which will definitely make you laugh the first time you'll see them.
Although it is not included in the repositories, WoP can be easily installed like this:
- download the Linux installer and Linux patch installer from here
- make them executables:
chmod 755 padman.run
chmod 755 wop_patch_1_2.run
- and install both of them, padman.run (or worldofpadman.run, depending on the name of the file) first, and then wop_patch_1_2.run:
./padman.run
./wop_patch_1_2.run
Updated: Jan 2, 2010
Battle for Wesnoth is one of the most popular turn-based strategy games for Linux, if not the most popular. Completely free and open-source, it provides both singleplayer campaigns, as well as online multiplayer, hotseat or LAN support. The game takes place over various maps composed from hexes, and in each hex a unit at a time can be deployed. The player has to take advantage of various terrain types (which increase or decrease defence), use wisely the types of attack and abilities each unit has. Wesnoth currently comes with 6 factions (Loyalists, Rebels, Knalgan Alliance, Undead, Northerners and Drakes), but the add-on server has a whole bunch of custom eras and new factions.
Wesnoth 1.6.5
Scripting is handled in Wesnoth by WML, the Wesnoth Markup Language, which allows for building entire scenarios and campaigns.
Wesnoth is in a continuous change, with every new release bringing more features and gameplay innovation. The current stable release is 1.6.5, but soon 1.8 will be out, and it will include new unit portraits, WML (Wesnoth Markup Language) improvements, updated campaigns and more. 1.8 will also allow the user to directly upload user-made campaigns and scenario from in-game add-ons menu.
Dark Forecast, one of the most popular survival maps
To install Wesnoth in Ubuntu, type in a terminal:
sudo apt-get install wesnoth
SuperTux
SuperTux is a 2D jump and run Mario clone, with the difference that it uses its own maps, enemies, and the main character is... you guessed, Tux, the story taking place in Antarctica. It is licensed under the GPL and it is free of charge. SuperTux has very nice graphics, especially since it has support for software and OpenGL rendering, 26 levels and 9 types of enemies.
Except for the official website, there is also a fansite for SuperTux, with screenshots, user-made maps and a forum.
SuperTux 0.3.1
To Install SuperTux in Ubuntu, type in a terminal:
sudo apt-get install supertux
World of Padman
When it comes to Linux shooter games, there isn't only one choice. Games like Nexuiz, OpenArena or Sauerbraten were a good fit here too, but I decided upon World of Padman.
Based on the Quake 3 engine, World of Padman is a fun, cartoon-style first-person shooter with maps, weapons and characters inspired from the Padman series. It features nice, colourful graphics, popular modes like FFA, TDM or CTF, and weapons which will definitely make you laugh the first time you'll see them.
World of Padman
Although it is not included in the repositories, WoP can be easily installed like this:
- download the Linux installer and Linux patch installer from here
- make them executables:
chmod 755 padman.run
chmod 755 wop_patch_1_2.run
- and install both of them, padman.run (or worldofpadman.run, depending on the name of the file) first, and then wop_patch_1_2.run:
./padman.run
./wop_patch_1_2.run
Updated: Jan 2, 2010
Saturday, 26 December 2009
How-To: Install RSSOwl 2.0.1 in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic
RSSOwl is a feature-rich RSS feed reader written in Java. To install the latest release in Ubuntu 9.10, follow the instructions below:
Edit your /etc/apt/sources.list:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
And add the following line:
deb http://packages.rssowl.org/ubuntu karmic main
Save the file (Ctrl+O), exit (Ctrl+X) and then add this repository's key to the trusted keys:
wget -q http://packages.rssowl.org/project/rene.moser.pubkey -O- | sudo apt-key add -
Update the packages list:
sudo apt-get update
And install RSSOwl:
sudo apt-get install rssowl
This is it. To remove RSSOwl from your Ubuntu box use:
sudo apt-get remove --purge rssowl
RSSOwl 2.0.1 running in Ubuntu
Edit your /etc/apt/sources.list:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
And add the following line:
deb http://packages.rssowl.org/ubuntu karmic main
Save the file (Ctrl+O), exit (Ctrl+X) and then add this repository's key to the trusted keys:
wget -q http://packages.rssowl.org/project/rene.moser.pubkey -O- | sudo apt-key add -
Update the packages list:
sudo apt-get update
And install RSSOwl:
sudo apt-get install rssowl
This is it. To remove RSSOwl from your Ubuntu box use:
sudo apt-get remove --purge rssowl
How-To: Install Flash Player 10.1 Beta 2 in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala
Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta 2 was released earlier this year, on December 17 at the Adobe MAX 2009. This release comes with several new features and numerous bug fixes.
To install Flash Player 10.1 Beta 2 in Ubuntu 9.10, just follow the steps below:
First, remove your existing Flash plugin. Do this depending on whether you installed Flash from the repositories or manually. If you installed Flash from the Ubuntu repositories, typing:
sudo apt-get remove --purge flashplugin-installer
should remove your current installation of Flash. If Flash was installed manually, the plugin should be located in the ~/.mozilla/plugins directory, where ~ is the home directory. So, to remove it:
rm -f ~/.mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so
Next, download the archive for the new Flash player from here (direct link here), or alternately you can type in a terminal:
wget http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/flashplayer10/flashplayer10_1_p2_linux_121709.tar.gz
Make sure the current working directory is the one where you saved the archive and uncompress it:
tar -xzf flashplayer10_1_p2_linux_121709.tar.gz
Next, create the ~/.mozilla/plugins directory (if it doesn't already exist):
mkdir -p ~/.mozilla/plugins
And copy the plugin inside it:
cp install_flash_player_10_linux/libflashplayer.so ~/.mozilla/plugins
Now restart Firefox and this should be all.
To install Flash Player 10.1 Beta 2 in Ubuntu 9.10, just follow the steps below:
First, remove your existing Flash plugin. Do this depending on whether you installed Flash from the repositories or manually. If you installed Flash from the Ubuntu repositories, typing:
sudo apt-get remove --purge flashplugin-installer
should remove your current installation of Flash. If Flash was installed manually, the plugin should be located in the ~/.mozilla/plugins directory, where ~ is the home directory. So, to remove it:
rm -f ~/.mozilla/plugins/libflashplayer.so
Next, download the archive for the new Flash player from here (direct link here), or alternately you can type in a terminal:
wget http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/flashplayer10/flashplayer10_1_p2_linux_121709.tar.gz
Make sure the current working directory is the one where you saved the archive and uncompress it:
tar -xzf flashplayer10_1_p2_linux_121709.tar.gz
Next, create the ~/.mozilla/plugins directory (if it doesn't already exist):
mkdir -p ~/.mozilla/plugins
And copy the plugin inside it:
cp install_flash_player_10_linux/libflashplayer.so ~/.mozilla/plugins
Now restart Firefox and this should be all.
Friday, 11 September 2009
How-To: Install Exaile 3.0.1 in Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope
Exaile 3.0.1 was released on 6 September and it is a bugfix for the stable 3.0 series. To get it in Ubuntu Jaunty, follow the steps below:
Edit /etc/apt/sources.list and add the following two lines (the second one is needed only if you want the sources too):
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/exaile-devel/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/exaile-devel/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
Make sure to save the file and add the trusted key:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 43CBFCC0
Next, update the source packages:
sudo apt-get update
To install Exaile 3.0.1, issue the following command in a terminal application:
sudo apt-get install exaile
This should be all. Run Exaile by typing Alt+F2 and entering exaile in the run box that appears.
Edit /etc/apt/sources.list and add the following two lines (the second one is needed only if you want the sources too):
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/exaile-devel/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/exaile-devel/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
Make sure to save the file and add the trusted key:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 43CBFCC0
Next, update the source packages:
sudo apt-get update
To install Exaile 3.0.1, issue the following command in a terminal application:
sudo apt-get install exaile
This should be all. Run Exaile by typing Alt+F2 and entering exaile in the run box that appears.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
How-To: Install OpenOffice.org 3.1.1 in Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope
OpenOffice.org 3.1.1 was released a few days ago, bringing many bug fixes to the stable 3.1 series. One of the ways to get it on Jaunty is to use the Launchpad.net PPA for OpenOffice.org Scribblers which recently packaged it for Ubuntu Jaunty and included it in their repositories.
To install the latest release using command-line, just use the instructions below:
First, edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file and enter your user password:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Add the following two lines (the second one is not necessary, unless you want the sources to be available too):
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
Add the trusted key for these repositories:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 247D1CFF
Update the packages lists:
sudo apt-get update
You can eventually remove your existing OpenOffice installation by using the following two commands:
sudo apt-get remove --purge openoffice.org
sudo apt-get autoremove --purge
This will also remove system-wide configuration files.
Now, install OpenOffice.org 3.1.1:
sudo apt-get install openoffice.org
This should be all. You can run it by pressing Alt+F2 and typing openoffice in the run box.
To install the latest release using command-line, just use the instructions below:
First, edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file and enter your user password:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
Add the following two lines (the second one is not necessary, unless you want the sources to be available too):
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
Add the trusted key for these repositories:
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 247D1CFF
Update the packages lists:
sudo apt-get update
You can eventually remove your existing OpenOffice installation by using the following two commands:
sudo apt-get remove --purge openoffice.org
sudo apt-get autoremove --purge
This will also remove system-wide configuration files.
Now, install OpenOffice.org 3.1.1:
sudo apt-get install openoffice.org
This should be all. You can run it by pressing Alt+F2 and typing openoffice in the run box.
Monday, 24 August 2009
How-To: Install Pidgin 2.6.1 in Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty from a Launchpad PPA
Pidgin 2.6.0 was made available a few days ago, on August 19, 2009, and today Pidgin 2.6.1 was released as a bug fix version to the new stable 2.6 series. Among the features and improvements which come with 2.6.0 are:
- several changes and bug fixes in libpurple, the library used by Pidgin for its various chat protocols
- various DNS fixes
- AIM and ICQ fixes
- Gadu-Gadu fixes
- MSN new features, like support for receiving audio clips, support for receiving handwritten messages, many other fixes
- lots of XMPP fixes and improvements, like voice and video support with Jingle or the Service Discovery Browser plugin
- Yahoo! fixes and improvements
- Finch and the Pidgin GTK+ Theme control plugin also received improvements
To install Pidgin 2.6.1 in Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope from the Pidgin developers PPA on Launchpad, just follow the instructions below:
First of all, edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file with your favourite text editor (e.g. sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list or gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list) and add the following two lines:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/pidgin-developers/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/pidgin-developers/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
Next, make sure to save the file (Ctrl+O followed by Ctrl+X in Nano) and add the trusted key for this repository:
gpg --keyserver http://keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys A1F196A8
gpg --export A1F196A8 | sudo apt-key add -
Now, update the packages lists:
sudo apt-get update
The next step is to uninstall your currently Pidgin installation:
sudo apt-get remove --purge pidgin
And the next step is just to install Pidgin 2.6.1 from the newly added repositories:
sudo apt-get install pidgin
This should be all.
- several changes and bug fixes in libpurple, the library used by Pidgin for its various chat protocols
- various DNS fixes
- AIM and ICQ fixes
- Gadu-Gadu fixes
- MSN new features, like support for receiving audio clips, support for receiving handwritten messages, many other fixes
- lots of XMPP fixes and improvements, like voice and video support with Jingle or the Service Discovery Browser plugin
- Yahoo! fixes and improvements
- Finch and the Pidgin GTK+ Theme control plugin also received improvements
To install Pidgin 2.6.1 in Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope from the Pidgin developers PPA on Launchpad, just follow the instructions below:
First of all, edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file with your favourite text editor (e.g. sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list or gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list) and add the following two lines:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/pidgin-developers/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/pidgin-developers/ppa/ubuntu jaunty main
Next, make sure to save the file (Ctrl+O followed by Ctrl+X in Nano) and add the trusted key for this repository:
gpg --keyserver http://keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys A1F196A8
gpg --export A1F196A8 | sudo apt-key add -
Now, update the packages lists:
sudo apt-get update
The next step is to uninstall your currently Pidgin installation:
sudo apt-get remove --purge pidgin
And the next step is just to install Pidgin 2.6.1 from the newly added repositories:
sudo apt-get install pidgin
This should be all.
How-To: Install RSSOwl 2.0 in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic and 9.04 Jaunty
RSSOwl is a powerful feed reader application for Linux licensed under the Eclipse Public License and written in Java. To get it up and running in Ubuntu, all you have to do is follow the few steps below:
Install the unzip and sun-java6-bin packages:
sudo apt-get install unzip sun-java6-bin
With your user password. Next, download the .zip package from the official website (direct link here). Unzip it either graphically from Nautilus or issuing the command below in a terminal, making sure the current working directory is the one where you saved the rssowl-2.0-M9.linux.gtk.x86.zip file:
unzip rssowl-2.0-M9.linux.gtk.x86.zip
What you have now is an rssowl directory, which you can copy anywhere in your home directory.
To run RSSOwl, just run the script RSSOwl inside the rssowl directory:
./RSSOwl
Alternately, you can make a desktop shortcut to it. That's all.
Install the unzip and sun-java6-bin packages:
sudo apt-get install unzip sun-java6-bin
With your user password. Next, download the .zip package from the official website (direct link here). Unzip it either graphically from Nautilus or issuing the command below in a terminal, making sure the current working directory is the one where you saved the rssowl-2.0-M9.linux.gtk.x86.zip file:
unzip rssowl-2.0-M9.linux.gtk.x86.zip
What you have now is an rssowl directory, which you can copy anywhere in your home directory.
To run RSSOwl, just run the script RSSOwl inside the rssowl directory:
./RSSOwl
Alternately, you can make a desktop shortcut to it. That's all.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Install Hive Rise in Ubuntu - Free RTS Game for Linux
I recently bumped into a cool RTS (real time strategy) game for Linux called Hive Rise. Although the game is not open-source, it offers a free Linux download as a RUN file which can easily be installed on your Ubuntu box.
To install it in Ubuntu, you only need to follow these steps:
First, download the .run file from the official website (direct link here). After the download is finished, open the terminal, make sure the current working directory is the one where you saved the installhiverise.run file and make it executable:
chmod 755 installhiverise.run # or chmod +x installhiverise.run
Alternately, in Nautilus you can right-click on it, go to Properties, then the Permissions tab and tick the Allow executing file as program checkbox. Now, install it (either double-click the installhiverise.run file or from terminal issue):
./installhiverise.run
Accept the license agreement:
Select a destination for the installation. I used here /home/embryo/apps/hiverise, but you can choose any other directory you have access to (the default /home/USER/hiverise should be fine too).
After the installation is over, go to the directory where you installed Hive Rise and run the hiverise script:
This should be all.
To install it in Ubuntu, you only need to follow these steps:
First, download the .run file from the official website (direct link here). After the download is finished, open the terminal, make sure the current working directory is the one where you saved the installhiverise.run file and make it executable:
chmod 755 installhiverise.run # or chmod +x installhiverise.run
Alternately, in Nautilus you can right-click on it, go to Properties, then the Permissions tab and tick the Allow executing file as program checkbox. Now, install it (either double-click the installhiverise.run file or from terminal issue):
./installhiverise.run
Accept the license agreement:
Select a destination for the installation. I used here /home/embryo/apps/hiverise, but you can choose any other directory you have access to (the default /home/USER/hiverise should be fine too).
After the installation is over, go to the directory where you installed Hive Rise and run the hiverise script:
This should be all.
How-To: Install Simon Speech Recognition Application in Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope
Simon is a very nice KDE4 project with the goal of developing a speech recognition application and it currently works pretty well by letting the user record certain words and execute various commands given via a microphone. Since currently it is not included in the Ubuntu repositories, here are instructions on getting it up and running in Jaunty.
First of all, open up Konsole or GNOME Terminal and install the package flex, needed by simon:
sudo apt-get install flex
Next, download the Ubuntu DEB package from kde-apps.org page and install it as:
sudo dpkg -i simon-0.2-Linux_i386.deb
Or whatever version you downloaded. This should be it, run simon by typing Alt+F2 and typing simon followed by Enter.
First of all, open up Konsole or GNOME Terminal and install the package flex, needed by simon:
sudo apt-get install flex
Next, download the Ubuntu DEB package from kde-apps.org page and install it as:
sudo dpkg -i simon-0.2-Linux_i386.deb
Or whatever version you downloaded. This should be it, run simon by typing Alt+F2 and typing simon followed by Enter.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
How-To: Compile and Install GIMP 2.7.0 in Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope
Ubuntu Jaunty comes by default with GIMP 2.6 included in the repositories, but you can try the latest development version available, which is 2.7.0. This last release is a step forward the next stable GIMP version and contains a lot of user interface improvements and changes, GEGL migration, two new plug-ins to mention the major ones. To compile and install it in Ubuntu, just follow the steps below:
1. Make sure to have the sources repositories enabled
Notice that you can skip this step if you haven't deleted or commented lines out of your /etc/apt/sources.list file.
Edit as root the /etc/apt/sources.list file and make sure to have a line which starts with deb-src, like in the example below (if not, add it and save the file):
deb-src http://ro.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ karmic-updates main restricted
Again, this should be enabled by default. Next, update the package lists:
sudo apt-get update
2. Install the development libraries
Open a terminal and type:
sudo apt-get build-dep gimp
This command will fetch and install both the development libraries and the build-essential package needed for the compilation.
3. Get the GIMP source tarball
Download the source code from here, make sure the working directory is the one where you saved it and uncompress it:
tar -xjf gimp-2.7.0.tar.bz2
4. Compile and install GIMP
In the gimp-2.7.0 directory, issue the commands:
./configure
make
sudo make install
The last one with your user password. Notice that you can install it as normal user too, by specifying a prefix in your home directory for example and including the bin directory in your $PATH variable:
./configure --prefix=/home/USER/usr
make
make install
No root privileges needed in this case.
Friday, 21 August 2009
Kubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala (Alpha 4) Overview & Screenshots
The fourth alpha of Ubuntu 9.10 was released a few days ago and since I covered it earlier in this article, here I'll briefly overview Kubuntu, the KDE-based distribution of Ubuntu. All the screenshots were taken after a complete dist-upgrade, so the software should be completely up-to-date as of today.
The new Karmic currently comes with Linux kernel 2.6.31, KDE 4.3, Amarok 2.1.1 as the audio player, Dragon Player as the default video player. In one of my previous articles I pointed out some of the new features in KDE 4.3, some of which are implicitly included in Karmic, like the new Plasma look, called Air, or the new KRunner.
Konqueror is a hell of a browser, with countless features and ease of use for those who are already used to it. These are not all, but it comes with web shortcuts, enabled AdBlock filters, profiles, plugins, shortcut to various web page translations, user agent switching and so on. There was a time when Konqueror was very unstable, but now I encountered no crashes, with Flash enabled. On the other hand it was always mature regarding features and usability, since the KDE3 days. YouTube works fine also, but I had to manually install the Flash plugin, although package flashplugin-nonfree was already installed.
Compared to the current stable Kubuntu, this one seems to be more responsive and faster, although resizing windows with desktop effects enabled can still be slow, but I tested this on my older GeForce 7600. Compositing works very well in KDE 4.3, at least that was my experience with it, and all the KDE applications interact good enough, but Firefox or GTK applications for example may be a little choppy (for example when using the Magic Lamp desktop effect). Of course, this is an alpha.
Some windows still have simple size issues, they are either too small or too big and need resizing.
One thing that bothers me at Konsole is that it still doesn't include a right-click context menu to close separate tabs, instead this functionality is available using Ctrl+Shift+W.
For some reason the Save as dialogue in KSnapshot won't show certain files, although their extension is the same selected in the dialogue. I noticed this happens only when saving on partitions mounted manually. This seems to happen at random.
The new Karmic currently comes with Linux kernel 2.6.31, KDE 4.3, Amarok 2.1.1 as the audio player, Dragon Player as the default video player. In one of my previous articles I pointed out some of the new features in KDE 4.3, some of which are implicitly included in Karmic, like the new Plasma look, called Air, or the new KRunner.
Konqueror is a hell of a browser, with countless features and ease of use for those who are already used to it. These are not all, but it comes with web shortcuts, enabled AdBlock filters, profiles, plugins, shortcut to various web page translations, user agent switching and so on. There was a time when Konqueror was very unstable, but now I encountered no crashes, with Flash enabled. On the other hand it was always mature regarding features and usability, since the KDE3 days. YouTube works fine also, but I had to manually install the Flash plugin, although package flashplugin-nonfree was already installed.
Compared to the current stable Kubuntu, this one seems to be more responsive and faster, although resizing windows with desktop effects enabled can still be slow, but I tested this on my older GeForce 7600. Compositing works very well in KDE 4.3, at least that was my experience with it, and all the KDE applications interact good enough, but Firefox or GTK applications for example may be a little choppy (for example when using the Magic Lamp desktop effect). Of course, this is an alpha.
Some windows still have simple size issues, they are either too small or too big and need resizing.
One thing that bothers me at Konsole is that it still doesn't include a right-click context menu to close separate tabs, instead this functionality is available using Ctrl+Shift+W.
For some reason the Save as dialogue in KSnapshot won't show certain files, although their extension is the same selected in the dialogue. I noticed this happens only when saving on partitions mounted manually. This seems to happen at random.
Amarok 2.1.1
Since this is an alpha, there are still bugs and most of them come in applications which are not included in KDE, for example in Amarok 2. Also, the sound system doesn't seem to work, although this is a KDE problem I think, because on Ubuntu it does work.
Overall, this looks promising. The developers will have enough time to polish it until October, and KDE 4.3 really behaves very nice, not to mention the look.
Overall, this looks promising. The developers will have enough time to polish it until October, and KDE 4.3 really behaves very nice, not to mention the look.
Monday, 10 August 2009
Free Book Review: Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference
Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference
is a free book written by Keir Thomas, the well-known author of Beginning Ubuntu Linux and co-author of Ubuntu Kung Fu, two popular books about Ubuntu Linux.
His latest book is called Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference and it is available as a free PDF download from the official website, or as print edition from Amazon.com for USD 11,99.
The Ubuntu Pocket Guide quickly became one of the reference Ubuntu books due to its well-organised content and the availability of a downloadble PDF edition free of charge.
The book offers a concise overview of Ubuntu, starting with an introduction to basic concepts like the Linux kernel, general notions about Ubuntu and other Linux-based distributions.
The first chapter of the book covers all the details regarding the installation of Ubuntu: dual-booting with another OS, installing using a virtual computer software or even installing from within Windows using the Wubi installer. This chapter will also cover up the process of creating an installation CD.
The second chapter, titled Configuring Ubuntu, will cover all you need to know about configuring Ubuntu: from settings the screen resolution, configuring a second monitor, sound, up to configuring wired or wireless network, bluetooth and printers.
The third chapter is an introduction to customising Ubuntu, and here are included ways of changing the general appearance, desktop layout, panels, themes, fonts, gdm (GNOME display manager), keyboard shortcuts, date and time and not only those.
Chapter four presents an introduction to basic Linux concepts, in a fashion which is accessible to beginners: basic filesystem handling, mounting, users. In this chapter we can also find an introduction to Nautilus, the default, easy-to-use file manager included by default in GNOME and implicitely in Ubuntu.
The fifth chapter, entitled Hands-on at the command-line is a little more technical chapter, but still suited to first-time Linux users. It covers up basic shell notions, starting up command-line sessions, commands form in Linux, relative and absolute paths, useful every-day commands, file permissions, command history and redirection. In my opinion, this is a must-read chapter for any Linux user who plans to be productive.
Chapter six focuses on software management, and here are explained notions about APT and DPKG, installing and removing software, and working with repositories.
The last chapter, Securing the system, covers up issues like the update manager, the use of a firewall frontend (Firestarter), and file and directory encryption.
As a conclusion, this book has it all: it is a great introduction to Ubuntu Linux, but in the same time it offers knowledgeable notions about Linux in general, accessible for any first-comer to the world of Linux.
is a free book written by Keir Thomas, the well-known author of Beginning Ubuntu Linux and co-author of Ubuntu Kung Fu, two popular books about Ubuntu Linux.His latest book is called Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference and it is available as a free PDF download from the official website, or as print edition from Amazon.com for USD 11,99.
The Ubuntu Pocket Guide quickly became one of the reference Ubuntu books due to its well-organised content and the availability of a downloadble PDF edition free of charge.
The book offers a concise overview of Ubuntu, starting with an introduction to basic concepts like the Linux kernel, general notions about Ubuntu and other Linux-based distributions.
The first chapter of the book covers all the details regarding the installation of Ubuntu: dual-booting with another OS, installing using a virtual computer software or even installing from within Windows using the Wubi installer. This chapter will also cover up the process of creating an installation CD.
The second chapter, titled Configuring Ubuntu, will cover all you need to know about configuring Ubuntu: from settings the screen resolution, configuring a second monitor, sound, up to configuring wired or wireless network, bluetooth and printers.
The third chapter is an introduction to customising Ubuntu, and here are included ways of changing the general appearance, desktop layout, panels, themes, fonts, gdm (GNOME display manager), keyboard shortcuts, date and time and not only those.
Chapter four presents an introduction to basic Linux concepts, in a fashion which is accessible to beginners: basic filesystem handling, mounting, users. In this chapter we can also find an introduction to Nautilus, the default, easy-to-use file manager included by default in GNOME and implicitely in Ubuntu.
The fifth chapter, entitled Hands-on at the command-line is a little more technical chapter, but still suited to first-time Linux users. It covers up basic shell notions, starting up command-line sessions, commands form in Linux, relative and absolute paths, useful every-day commands, file permissions, command history and redirection. In my opinion, this is a must-read chapter for any Linux user who plans to be productive.
Chapter six focuses on software management, and here are explained notions about APT and DPKG, installing and removing software, and working with repositories.
The last chapter, Securing the system, covers up issues like the update manager, the use of a firewall frontend (Firestarter), and file and directory encryption.
As a conclusion, this book has it all: it is a great introduction to Ubuntu Linux, but in the same time it offers knowledgeable notions about Linux in general, accessible for any first-comer to the world of Linux.
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