Written by two open source software experts, Ubuntu Made Easy is a guide that will walk you through all steps of installation and use of one of the most popular Linux distros out there. The book is available in print or various Ebook formats and is filled with tips, tricks and explanations.
Ubuntu Made Easy: A Project-Based Introduction to Linux
By Rickford Grant with Phil Bull
July 2012, 480 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-59327-425-2
$34.95 Print Book with free Ebook
$27.95 Ebook (PDF, Mobi, and ePub)
Ubuntu is one of the most popular and user-friendly Linux operating systems you will find. That said, Ubuntu can be intimidating and frustrating to computer users just stepping out of the World of Windows.
Nothing beats learning how to use the Linux operating system like hands-on discovery. Having someone to coach you through the questions does a lot to remove frustrations and shorten the learning curve. One learning tool most Linux distributions lack is a detailed start-up guide. A simple-to-read set of explanations jump starts your ability to really use and enjoy open source software.
Without your own personal Linux Guru to help you over the rough spots, Ubuntu Made Easy, published by No Starch Press, is filled with tips, tricks and helpful pointers to get you up and running with the Ubuntu OS and keep a smile on your face.
Ubuntu Made Easy is a project-based introduction to using Linux. Written by Rickford Grant and Phil Bull, the book is loaded with straightforward explanations and step-by-step projects designed to remove the discomfort and insecurity associated with learning a new operating system. Both authors bring their computing expertise to making Ubuntu easy to learn.
Rickford Grant authored Ubuntu for Non-Geeks and has more than 20 years' experience with operating systems. He is the international student advisor at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. Phil Bull, an open source contributor since 2005, wrote the official Ubuntu documentation and is a member of the GNOME documentation project. He is studying astrophysics in Oxford, UK.
Together, the two team up to walk you through common tasks in Ubuntu. These include installing and playing games, accessing social networks, troubleshooting hardware issues and solving software problems. They also focus on ow to better interact with Ubuntu's user interface.
Target Audience
Ubuntu Made Easy is not your typical idiot's guidebook to computing. Yes, it targets newcomers. But those newbies might be seasoned Microsoft Windows users looking to cross over to the Linux side. If so, this book is just what they need.
The authors take a reassuring tone in walking you through the steps to gaining confidence in using Linux in general and Ubuntu version 12.04, aka (Precise Pangolin) in particular. The book is an interesting as well as informative read. If you are expecting a condescending tone or lots of techie talk, you will not find it in Ubuntu Made Easy.
What you will find is 22 well written chapters and several very useful appendices that focus step-by-step on mastering Linux and the Ubuntu desktop. If you have been waiting for an open door to make your way to Linux, this book is your doorway.
Compelling Content
Ubuntu Made Easy comes with an installation CD and directions that put each step of the journey to Linux into clear focus. For example, Chapter Two spells out in non-technical terms how to decide which installation option to pursue. Then you learn how to install Ubuntu from inside Windows using the Wubi Installer on the Ubuntu CD.
The authors also take you through the options of installing Ubuntu from outside the Windows OS. Whichever path you take, you can follow what you see on the screen with matching screen shots.
Partitioning the hard drive to create a dual-boot with Linux and Windows on one computer can be a scary process for the uninitiated. Grant and Bull take what can be frightful steps into a no-sweat process.
Project Process
You can read Ubuntu Made Easy either as a handy reference or a dynamic learning tool. Either way, you will get hands-on experience. The text is laid out progressively. So you learn the basic skills before taking on the more advanced procedures.
A series of exercises and projects lets you apply what you read to actually begin getting Ubuntu working for you. You can use the detailed index in the back of the book or the chapter summaries in the Introduction at the front of the book to zero in on the specific information and skills you need.
In Ubuntu Made Easy the thrust is on understanding how to install, configure and use the latest edition of this popular Linux Open Source operating system. You can take much of what the authors tell you to comfortably learn about Linux and adopt another Linux distro if you find a better fit.
Jack M. Germain has been writing about computer technology since the early days of the Apple II and the PC. He still has his original IBM PC-Jr and a few other legacy DOS and Windows boxes. He left shareware programs behind for the open source world of the Linux desktop. He runs several versions of Windows and Linux OSes and often cannot decide whether to grab his tablet, netbook or Android smartphone instead of using his desktop or laptop gear.
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