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Copyright © 2013 Packt Publishing
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First published: September 2013
Production Reference: 1230913
Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.
Livery Place
35 Livery Street
Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.
ISBN 978-1-78328-087-2
www.packtpub.com
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Author
Christer Edwards
Reviewer
Goldin Evgeny
Acquisition Editors
Erol Staveley
Pramila Balan
Commissioning Editor
Poonam Jain
Technical Editor
Kapil Hemnani
Project Coordinator
Sherin Padayatty
Proofreader
Elinor Perry-Smith
Production Coordinator
Manu Joseph
Cover Work
Manu Joseph
Cover Image
Aditi Gajjar
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Christer Edwards began his career as a professional Linux instructor and avid technical blogger, publishing regular tutorials on using and improving Ubuntu systems. His love for teaching soon led him to a part- time instructor position at the University of Utah, where he has taught a variety of topics. In his day job, he currently works as a System Administrator for a large international company maintaining thousands of servers worldwide. He currently lives in Utah, where he enjoys exploring the outdoors.
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Goldin Evgeny is a veteran Java developer, starting with JVM bytecode instrumentation at IBM, and going all the way through enterprise application and web development at BMC and Thomson Reuters. He currently works as a build, automation, and release engineer.
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Chapter 1. Instant Ubuntu
Welcome to Instant Ubuntu. This book has been especially created to provide you with all the information that you need to set up Ubuntu. You will learn the basics of Ubuntu, get started using your new desktop, and discover some tips and tricks for using your new system.
This document contains the following sections:
- So, what is Ubuntu? helps you find out what Ubuntu actually is, what you can do with it, and why it's so great.
- Installation helps you learn how to download and install Ubuntu with the minimum fuss and then, set it up so that you can use it as soon as possible.
- Quick start – desktop tour will give you a tour of the Ubuntu desktop and quickly show you where you can find the tools you need.
- Top 10 features you need to know about helps you discover much of the software Ubuntu provides and learn how to use it. By the end of this section, you'll be able to get online, work with documents, and even play games!
- People and places you should get to know provides you with many useful links to the project page and forums, as well as a number of helpful articles, tutorials, blogs, and the Twitter feeds of Ubuntu super-contributors.
Ubuntu is a free, open source operating system available for use on desktops, laptops, and servers. Since its initial release in 2004, Ubuntu has quickly become one of the most popular and widely used desktop Linux distributions in the world. Spend just a little time with Ubuntu and you'll discover why it is so widely adopted, and why its users are so passionate about using and sharing it.
At its core, Ubuntu is founded on the open source ideals of software freedom and accessibility. These fundamental principles are enshrined in the Ubuntu philosophy,
"We believe that every computer user":
- Should have the freedom to download, run, copy, distribute, study, share, change, and improve their software for any purpose, without paying licensing fees
- Should be able to use their software in the language of their choice
- Should be able to use all software regardless of disability
Ubuntu follows these principles by distributing only free software and allows users to improve upon the software as they see it. This development model has allowed Ubuntu to grow by leaps and bounds in a short time. With new versions released twice each year, Ubuntu rapidly improves and refines all of its included software.
Every Ubuntu installation provides all the tools you need to be productive online or off. Whether it's web browsing and e-mail, or spreadsheets and presentations, Ubuntu provides a full suite of software out of the box.
- Web browsing: Ubuntu provides the award-winning Firefox web browser for secure and fast web browsing. Google Chrome and other free browsers are also available.
- Social and e-mail: Ubuntu makes communication with family and friends simple. With e-mail, instant messaging, microblogging, and video chat support available.
- Productivity: LibreOffice is an easy to use ...
