Linux with Majority Market Share?

When will Linux be as popular as Windows, or will it ever take down the monopoly of Microsoft? This question seems to be at the heart of Ubuntu, as the first bug report made my Mark Shuttleworth is that Microsoft has the majority market share. So how are things going since that report in 2004? Well, okay. Ubuntu is definently a long way off from being as user friendly as Windows, no matter what the nerds say. But it is getting better. Things like the software store in Karmic Koala and Ubuntu's increasing ability to detect drivers on install are certainly helping. I would say the next big push is to get Linux out there and known to the everyday user. Steven Nicholas addresses this issue in Five ways the Linux desktop shoots itself in the foot. Either way, it's exciting to see Ubuntu become more and more user friendly with each release.

Puppy Linux

One Linux distribution I tried recently and was very impressed with was Puppy. Puppy is a very small operating system, with an download size of about 100 Mb, compared to Ubuntu which takes up a full cd at around 700Mb. But what makes Puppy truly unique is that it loads completely into your computers ram. In essence, this makes Puppy very, very fast. To put it into perspective it took me a couple of days to see the system detectably pause while loading an application.

Another great feature about Puppy is that it is small enough to store entirely onto a USB drive, which is just really cool. This means that you can plug your flash drive with puppy installed into any computer and load your operating system into its ram, without disturbing the hard drive at all. If any of this sounds intriguing, you can find the download here. And for a more snazzy, but larger version of Puppy, try the Macpup version. Enjoy!

Linux Pumpkin!

I know its a little early, but I recently carved pumpkins, and what else to carve but a linux penguin? Here's a couple of photos:





I found the stencil for the linux penguin at http://www.pumpkinlady.com/images/tuxpattern.jpg . It was my first pumpkin carving experience, so don't judge!

Karmic Koala

I may try upgrading to karmic koala in the future, so that should be exciting! .

Upgrading to Jaunty Jackalope

One more day to Jaunty Jackalope!

If you are using a long term support version of Ubuntu, such as 8.04, you may be wondering how to upgrade to 9.04. The problem is that by default 8.04 wont allow the upgrade option because it is still supported.

To fix that, go to System -> Administration -> Software Sources

Once there, click on the updates tab and on the bottom where it says Release upgrade and select the option that says normal releases. Now simply go to System -> Administration -> Update Manager and the option to upgrade to the newest OS version (soon to be 9.04) should be available.

Enabling Dual Screens

So I have finally decided it was time to set up dual screens for my Ubuntu. There are many confusing explanations out there on how to do it, but I prefer this method.

Step 1: Installing EnvyNG

Go to System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager



Once there, type envyng into the search bar. Then select envyng-core and envyng-gtk. Go ahead and hit apply. The package manager should download and install envy now.

Step 2: Using EnvyNG

Go to Applications -> Tools -> EnvyNG

Once this is open, select the automatic installation for whatever type of graphics card you have. It will then install the driver software, and once you click ok you will need to restart your computer.

Step 3: Setting up dual screen

For ATI:
Once restarted, go to Applications -> Other -> then select the ATI Catalyst Control Center

Select Display Manager, then Display Modes, then Big Desktop.
Restart your computer and your good to go.

For Nvidia:

Go to System -> Administration -> NVIDIA X Server Settings

Next go to configure -> twin view -> ok then click apply and save
Restart you computer and you should have dual screen

Command Line: Part 2

The command line can be a daunting place, especially for someone who is not even familiar with Ubuntu yet. But thats ok, it's not too bad once you get used to it. One thing I find myself doing all the time with Linux is looking for solutions to problems online. Say if you were wondering how to install times new roman for Open Office. Someone may say that you simply have to run the following command :
sudo aptitude install msttcorefonts

Several questions may arise:

#1. Where do I type that in?

To run a command simply open the terminal (applications -> accessories -> terminal) and type in the command.

#2. What does sudo mean?

Typing sudo into the command line enables you as the root user, which is the equivalent of an administrator in Vista or XP. After you enter that line, another line will pop up asking you for your password. Just type in the same password you use to login.

#3. Is there an easier way to do this than just typing it in?

Of course! Simply copy the code from the website with ctrl-c then paste it into the command prompt with ctrl-shift-v. It is a huge time saver. Just be careful of what you copy and paste. Be especially wary of the command rm, because it removes files.

Working With the Command Line

Using Ubuntu, eventually you will want to start using the command-line. Or... you may not want to, but like it or not, you will. So first things first, finding the command line. Go to Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.

The Linux command shell is fairly inuitive for the most part. But I think the first thing you should learn is the man (short for manual) command. All you do is type man into the line followed by any command you can put into the terminal, is this case I'll use ls. Just type in "man ls" minus the quotes. This should bring up the manual page for the ls command.

You can just scroll through using the arrow keys, and once you are done press q to quit. As you may have found out, if you actually decided to read the man page for ls, or if you actually typed it in at all... the ls function is very useful in itself. It stands for list ( strangely makes sense, like most things in Ubuntu), and it actually lists out files. Simply typing ls will list out the files, folders, programs and whatever else it finds.

It is also possible to modify the ls command with a hyphen followed by certain letters. For example, I have printed out the result of listing "ls" and "ls -l" below. The ls -l command lists out all the files, but it also gives you information about the files as well. The l stands for long, probably because it gives you the long version.

Another essential command to learn is the cd command, which stands for change directory. Just type cd, then the path to the directory you want to go to. A directory is simply a file that you are working in. So to change to my pictures file, I would type in; cd /home/ken/Pictures and that would change me to my pictures file. If you simply type cd in, followed by no path, it will always take you to your home folder, pretty handy. And if you ever get so caught up in what you are doing you forgot what the path is to the folder you are in, you can type pwd to "print working directory".

One thing about the command ls is that it only lists the files of the directory you are currently in. There are ways to get around this however. One exception is if you type in ls -R (R stands for recursive), ls will print everything in your current directory and everything inside the folders inside of the folder your working in (since that is probably very confusing, just try the ls -R command and see what happens). Another way to get around just listing your current directory with ls is to type the command ls followed by the path to the directory you want to view. So if you are currently in the home directory, you could type ls /home/ken/Pictures to view the files in Pictures without actually being there.

There are also many letters and combinations of letters you can add to the ls command. For example, you can combine -l and -R by typing ls -lR. This will list the files both recursively and in the long version. Using this method, there are almost an infinite amount of ways to use the ls command.

The Linux command line is a huge topic, so it would be impossible to cover the whole thing in one post. So consider this as the first part in a brief series about the command line. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask, as I will only cover a small portion of it.

Disabling System Beep

Everything may be going well with your new Linux operating system. Good screen resolution and the works. Yet if you use one extra backspace or try to close a file without saving, you may be hearing a... BEEP! Yes, the infamous system beep. Well, fortunantly for you, this is one of the easiest, however not the most obvious, fix for Ubuntu.

First, go to System -> Sound

Once there, go to the system beep tab, then make sure the system beep box is unchecked.

It took me forever to figure that one out. Somehow I thought the system beep would be embedded deep in the Ubuntu system. Luckily it is an easy fix and I am no longer getting dirty looks in the library when my computer announces to everyone within a hundred foot radius that I indeed do not know how to disable system beep.

Installing Proprietary Video Drivers

So you've installed Ubuntu on your machine. And after promises of great dazzling graphics with a cube and all, you are stuck with a terrible looking 800 x 600 screen resolution. Well... at least this is the experience that some of us have when we first install Ubuntu.

But there is no reason to worry. All this means is that the Ubuntu developers have not made a specific driver for your video card. But most likely someone else has, and you can use that one. So, where to find this driver?

Step 1. )

Go to System -> Administration -> Hardware Drivers . As shown in screenshot.




Once you click on hardware drivers it will ask for your password. This is the same one you used to log in.

Step 2.)

This will open another screen as shown below:




If the Graphics Driver is not enabled, go ahead and click to enable it. Then it will ask for a restart. Go ahead and restart your computer, and the next time you log in the graphics driver should be enabled and your screen resolution should be back to normal, among other things.

Ubuntu and Security

One thing you will notice in the Ubuntu world is that there is no security program or firewall constantly asking you if it is ok to run a program. In fact, you will not notice any security measures or programs at all. This was probably the oddest step in going from Windows to Ubuntu for me. The fact is, as of yet, Ubuntu doesn't need any security programs. There are no known viruses written for Ubuntu. There are a couple of reasons for this...

1)      Most viruses are written to exploit the most people possible. And not that many people use Ubuntu (Compared to Windows that is). So most of the known viruses are written for a Windows operating system, and they will not work on Ubuntu. 

2)   One counter-intuitive reason as to why Ubuntu has no viruses is that it is open-source and everyone can view the code. Wouldn't that make it so it would be easier for someone to exploit the code and write a virus? Well, not really. With Ubuntu being open-source it means that there are literally thousands of people scanning through the lines of code, looking for a weakness. So it is unlikely that there is any loophole for a "hacker" to exploit. 

So Ubuntu is so far enjoying a life of virus-freeness. That does not mean that there are not anti-virus programs out there (oddly). One of the most popular ones is called Clam-AV. It can be found in the synaptic package manager (I will explain this in a later blog). So rest asurred. It is normal for there to be no pesky anti-virus program asking you if it is ok to open anything at all. For now, Ubuntu users get to enjoy this way of life...

What do titles like 8.10 Intrepid Ibex mean?

Ubuntu uses a unique system to label each of the versions of operating systems it releases. Often times you will hear someone say, "Yeah, I just installed 8.10 Intrepid Ibex, it's pretty sweet". If you are anything like me your thinking huh??, what happened to simple names like XP and Vista? In reality, Ubuntu's method of naming releases is very efficient. The numbers represent when that version was released. For example, 8.10 means that it was released in the tenth month (October) of 2008. Similarly, 7.04 means it was released in April 2007. Ubuntu tries to create a new version of their operating system every six months, one in April and one in October. Each upgrade is smaller compared to Windows (could you imagine if Microsoft came out with a new operating system every six months!!). It is also much easier to upgrade, but I will talk about that in a later blog. Each distribution has a name as well. 8.10 is named Intrepid Ibex, 8.04 is Hardy Heron and my personal favorite, Jaunty Jackelope, is coming out in April 2009. The names follow an alpabetical pattern between each release.

I am currently using LTS 8.04 Hardy Heron. The LTS stands for Long Term Support and means that particular release will be supported for two years. All other releases are only supported for one year. I plan to update when 9.04 Jaunty Jackelope comes out ( and no, not just because I like the name).

The Jaunty Jackelope!


Courtesy of:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Jaunty/AlphaBackgrounds?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=sarusaslu+waves.png

Installing Ubuntu

So by now you probably think Ubuntu is great (or not) and you have decided to install it on your system. Well, good for you. You've made the right choice. All you going to need is a CD burner and a blank CD.

Part 1: Downloading Ubuntu

Option one:

You can order an Ubuntu installation CD off www.ubuntu.com and have it shipped to you. This is recommended if you have really slow internet and downloading around 600MB would take more longer than it takes for the CD to arrive by snail mail.

Option two:

To get Ubuntu online, go to www.ubuntu.com and select download ubuntu on the top right corner. So now it's going to ask you what version you want. I personally have LTS 8.04 , so if you want to follow my blog closely, I would download LTS 8.04. So download this version to somewhere on you computer where you can find it (like your desktop). It should anywhere from 15 min to a couple of hours depending on your internet connection. After Ubuntu downloads, find the file and double click it. You should be able to burn the image onto a CD with whatever program you have from there.

Part 2: Preparing Windows

This step can be skipped if you are planning to only run Ubuntu on your computer. However, if you want to run both a Windows operating system and Ubuntu (i.e. dual boot) on the same computer, follow this step.

As of now I am officially warning you to back up your computer files. Technically you shouldn't have too, but it is a good idea. Next I am going to outline the steps for creating space on your hard drive for the Ubuntu installation.

1. Open the command prompt (Click Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> command prompt)
2. Type in "diskmgmt.msc" minus the quotes and press enter. You should get a window that looks like this:

4. Now right click on the C drive and select shrink volume (circled in screenshot)

5. It will then ask you how much to shrink the volume. I recommend at least 10 GB, or more depending on how much room you are willing to give up to the Ubuntu system.

6. Once you have shrunk the volume there should now be a chunk of your hard drive

highlighted in green that says Free Space. This is where Ubunut will live.

7. Congratulations! Your hard drive is now ready to dual boot.

Part 3: Installing Ubuntu

Ok, you are almost there, isn't this fun? Don't worry, it gets better (in a good way).

From here on out you will not be able to view this blog on the same computer you are installing Ubuntu on, so I would recommend writing this down or printing this part off.

1. Insert your Ubuntu CD into your CD drive and then shut down your computer.
2. Boot from that CD at startup ( if your computer is new enough, press the F12 key several times immediately after you turn the computer on, then select the CD option in this menu)
3. Once selected Ubuntu will upload itself.
4. Now you will see this screen:

5. Choose the install ubuntu option

6. Follow the prompts until you come to step 4 (as shown below)

7. Choose: Guided - use the largest continuous free space, as shown in screen shot.Warning: if you instead opt for entire disk, Ubuntu will wipe out your Windows installation! This is one of the reasons why I told you it was a good idea to back up your files. If you are not dual booting, go ahead and opt for the entire disk.

8. Follow the setup the rest of the way through and Ubuntu will install and restart. You're almost there!

9. Final step, when your computer restarts you will see a black boot screen (if you are dual booting). Use your arrow keys to select either Ubuntu or Windows (Longhorn is the same as Vista). The first option will bring you to your Ubuntu installation.

And you're done! Welcome to Ubuntu.

What is Ubuntu?

Ubuntu is an operating system, just like Windows XP or Vista. It is the software that manages all the programs and applications on your computer. You're probably thinking, so what?, Windows does all that for me. To truly understand why Ubuntu is different it is first necessary to understand what Linux is. Linux is what is called a kernel for an operating system. A kernel is the base an operating system is built from. The operating system relies on the kernel to interface with the hardware and other such mundane tasks. There are literally hundreds of operating systems written off the Linux kernel, and Ubuntu is one of them. What is special about Linux is that it is open-source software. Meaning that anyone can read the code and edit it to their liking. Since Ubuntu is also open-source this means that it is completely free (just go to www.ubuntu.com to download it). And on top of that, anyone can modify their Ubuntu distribution anyway they like. However, just like everything else in life, there's a cost to Ubuntu being free. Not everything is supported by Ubuntu (my 30$ printer from walmart, amazing as it is, has no driver for Linux, and until I decide to actually spend money on a printer I will keep printing from Windows... sadly). That being said, most things do work with Ubuntu, and because everyone has acess to the source code for ubuntu, there are thousands of bored techy geeks out there with nothing else to do on a Saturday but create fixes for Ubuntu (just think, that could be you someday). One final cool thing about Ubuntu, the Linux icon is a penguin. Way cooler than the Windows butterfly.

Why I Made This Blog

What first got me into Ubuntu was a random screenshot I found on the web of someone's desktop in the shape of a cube. When I saw that... it was all over. I mean, who doesn't want their desktop to fold into a cube (or a pentagon, sphere, cylinder ... rabbit(wouldn't be suprised) ). But, as I soon found out, there are some intermediary steps between seeing the glorious cube online and actually having it on your desktop. So that's where this blog comes in. I plan on just going through what I have done with my Ubuntu distribution and sharing how to do it. As I am still fairly new to Linux I will be learning new things as well as you (hopefully). So over the next couple of days I'll give an overview of what Ubuntu is and how I got it installed on my computer.Thanks for checking this out!

The Cube!