Learn Linux in a Month of Lunches
Guides readers through Linux basics in a clear and systematic way.
Learn Linux in a Month of Lunches shows you how to install and use Linux for all the things you do with your OS, like connecting to a network, installing software, and securing your system. Whether you're just curious about Linux or have to get up and running for your job, you'll appreciate how this book concentrates on the tasks you need to know how to do in 23 easy lessons.
Table of Contents detailed table of contents
Part 1: Getting Linux Up and Running
1. Before You Begin
1.1. Why Linux matters
1.2. Is this book for you?
1.3. Using this book
1.3.1. The Main Chapters
1.3.2. Hands-on Labs
1.3.3. Supplementary Materials
1.3.4. Further Exploration
1.3.5. Above and Beyond
1.4. Setting up your lab environment
1.5. Online resources
1.6. Being immediately effective with Linux
2. Getting to Know Linux
2.1. Distributions
2.1.1. Ubuntu
2.1.2. Debian
2.1.3. Fedora
2.1.4. Linux Mint
2.1.5. Arch
2.1.6. Other distributions
2.2. Choosing a Distribution
2.3. Repositories
2.4. The Linux Kernel
2.5. Wrapping Up
2.5.1. Glossary of Terms
2.6. Lab
3. Installing Linux
3.1. Live versus Installation
3.2. Creating a Linux Boot Image
3.3. Burn the image to DVD
3.4. Install the image to USB
3.5. Boot from the Image
3.5.1. Installation Preparation
3.5.2. Installation Type
3.5.3. Where Are You?
3.5.4. Keyboard Layout
3.5.5. Who Are You?
3.6. Common Issues
3.7. Purchasing hardware with Linux Installed Already
3.8. Wrapping Up
3.8.1. Glossary of Terms
3.9. Lab
4. Getting to Know Your System
4.1. Identifying hardware
4.2. Drivers
4.3. Codecs
4.4. Using log files
4.5. Finding help
4.6. Wrapping Up
4.6.1. Glossary of Terms
4.7. Lab
5. Desktop Environments
5.1. Desktop Environments
5.2. GNOME
5.2.1. Interface
5.2.2. Customizing
5.2.3. Software
5.3. KDE
5.3.1. Interface
5.3.2. Customizing
5.3.3. Software
5.4. Unity
5.4.1. Interface
5.4.2. Customizing
5.4.3. Software
5.5. Xfce
5.5.1. Interface
5.5.2. Customizing
5.5.3. Software
5.6. Choosing a Desktop Environment
5.7. Wrapping Up
5.7.1. Glossary of Terms
5.8. Lab
6. Navigating Your Desktop
6.1. Working with Programs
6.1.1. Finding Programs
6.1.2. Launching Programs
6.1.3. Closing Programs
6.1.4. Top Menu Bars
6.1.5. Customizing Your Dock
6.2. Working with Files and Folders
6.2.1. Creating Folders
6.2.2. Creating Files
6.2.3. Opening Files
6.2.4. Moving Folders and Files
6.2.5. Copying Folders and Files
6.2.6. Deleting Folders and Files
6.2.7. Changing the Look of the Folders and Files
6.3. Wrapping Up
6.3.1. Glossary of Terms
6.4. Lab
Part 2: Home Office On Linux
7. Installing Software
7.1. Package Managers
7.2. Ubuntu Software Center
7.3. Synaptic
7.4. Wrapping Up
7.4.1. Glossary of Terms
7.5. Lab
8. An Introduction to Linux Home/Office Software
8.1. Office/Productivity
8.1.1. LibreOffice
8.1.2. Calligra
8.1.3. Email Clients
8.1.4. Choosing Your Office Program(s)
8.2. Image Editing
8.2.1. The GIMP
8.2.2. LibreOffice Draw
8.2.3. Choosing Your Image Editor
8.3. Multimedia
8.3.1. Movies
8.3.2. Music
8.3.3. Choosing a multimedia player
8.4. Wrapping Up
8.4.1. Glossary of Terms
8.5. Lab
9. Text Files and Editors
9.1. Getting to Know Text Editors
9.1.1. gedit
9.1.2. Vim
9.1.3. Emacs
9.2. Working with Text Editors
9.2.1. Writing with Text Editors
9.2.2. Going Under the Hood with Text Files
9.3. Wrapping Up
9.3.1. Glossary of Terms
9.4. Lab
10. Working with Files and Folders on the Command Line
10.1. Working with Files and Folders
10.1.1. Creating Folders
10.1.2. Creating Files
10.1.3. Copying Folders and Files
10.1.4. Moving Folders and Files
10.1.5. Deleting Folders and Files
10.2. Wrapping Up
10.2.1. Glossary of Terms
10.3. Lab
11. Working with Common Command Line Applications, Part 1
11.1. top
11.2. Kill commands
11.2.1. xkill
11.2.2. killall
11.3. wget
11.4. grep
11.5. Wrapping Up
11.5.1. Glossary of Terms
11.6. Lab
12. Working with Common Command Line Applications, Part 2
12.1. su and sudo for Administrative Tasks
12.1.1. su
12.1.2. sudo
12.2. Installing and Removing Software with the Command Line
12.3. Read the Manual with the man Command
12.4. Grow Commands with Pipes and Redirects
12.5. Wrapping Up
12.5.1. Glossary of Terms
12.6. Lab
13. Using the Command Line Productively
13.1. Alternative Terminal Interfaces
13.1.1. Guake
13.1.2. Terminator
13.2. Customizing the Terminal
13.3. Saving Time in the Terminal
13.3.1. Last command(s)
13.3.2. history
13.3.3. Searching Commands
13.3.4. Autocompleting Commands
13.3.5. Copying and Pasting
13.4. Wrapping Up
13.4.1. Glossary of Terms
13.5. Lab
14. Explaining the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy
14.1. /home
14.2. /
14.3. /usr, /bin, and /sbin
14.4. /etc
14.5. /tmp
14.6. Wrapping Up
14.6.1. Glossary of Terms
14.7. Lab
15. Windows Programs in Linux
15.1. Virtualization
15.2. Wine: Using Windows without full-blown virtual machines
15.2.1. Winetricks
15.3. Wrapping Up
15.3.1. Glossary of Terms
15.4. Lab
16. Establishing a Workflow
16.1. File/application launchers
16.1.1. GNOME Do
16.1.2. Kupfer
16.2. Keyboard Shortcuts
16.2.1. Unity/GNOME
16.2.2. KDE
16.2.3. Xfce
16.3. Wrapping Up
16.3.1. Glossary of Terms
16.4. Lab
Part 3: Home System Admin on Linux
17. An In-Depth Look at Package Management and Maintenance
17.1. Installing software from outside of the repositories
17.1.1. Installing software with package files
17.1.2. Viewing and adding repositories
17.2. Dependencies
17.2.1. Using Advanced Commands to Remove Dependencies
17.3. Wrapping Up
17.3.1. Glossary of Terms
17.4. LAB
18. Updating the Operating System
18.1. Updating Linux
18.1.1. The Update Command
18.2. Upgrading Linux
18.2.1. The Upgrade Command
18.3. Rolling Releases versus Standard Releases
18.3.1. Standard Releases
18.3.2. Rolling Releases
18.3.3. Which is better?
18.4. Wrapping Up
18.4.1. Glossary of Terms
18.5. Lab
19. Linux Security
19.1. Users and Superusers in Linux
19.2. Viruses and Linux
19.2.1. Is Linux immune to viruses?
19.2.2. Linux antiviruses
19.3. Firewalls
19.4. Encryption
19.5. Running commands safely
19.6. Wrap Up
19.6.1. Glossary of Terms
19.7. Lab
20. Connecting to Other Computers
20.1. Connecting to the Internet with NetworkManager
20.1.1. Customizing Your Domain Name System
20.2. Connect to your computer with Secure Shell (SSH)
20.2.1. Configuring your virtual machine
20.2.2. Transferring files with SSH File Transfer Protocol
20.3. Wrapping Up
20.3.1. Glossary of Terms
20.4. Lab
21. Printing
21.1. Installing a printer with Ubuntu's Printer tool
21.1.1. Deleting and configuring printers with the Ubuntu Printer tool
21.2. CUPS
21.3. Tips for Printing with Linux
21.4. Wrap Up
21.4.1. Glossary of Terms
21.5. Lab
22. Version Control for Non-Programmers
22.1. What is version control?
22.2. A quick introduction to Git
22.2.1. Essential Git Commands
22.3. Using GitLab as a Repository
22.3.1. Generating an SSH key for GitLab
22.4. Connecting to your repository with Git
22.4.1. Creating Your Git Identity
22.4.2. Cloning a Repository
22.4.3. Adding files to your web-based repository
22.4.4. Pulling files from your web-based repository
22.4.5. Viewing the history of files
22.4.6. Sharing your repository
22.5. Wrapping up
22.5.1. Glossary of Terms
22.6. Lab
23. Never the End
23.1. Finding help with Linux
23.2. Finding Linux news
23.3. Using Linux professionally
23.3.1. Do you need a certification?
23.3.2. Which certification?
23.4. Wrapping Up
Answer Key
About the Technology
If you've only used Windows or Mac OS X, you may be daunted by the Linux operating system. And yet learning Linux doesn't have to be hard, and the payoff is great. Linux is secure, flexible, and free. It's less susceptible to malicious attacks, and when it is attacked, patches are available quickly. If you don't like the way it looks or behaves, you can change it. And best of all, Linux allows users access to different desktop interfaces and loads of software, almost all of it completely free.
About the book
Learn Linux in a Month of Lunches shows you how to install and use Linux for all the things you do with your OS, like connecting to a network, installing software, and securing your system. Whether you're just curious about Linux or need it for your job, you'll appreciate how this book focuses on just the tasks you need to learn. In easy-to-follow lessons designed to take an hour or less, you'll learn how to use the command line, along with practical topics like installing software, customizing your desktop, printing, and even basic networking. You'll find a road map to the commands and processes you need to be instantly productive.
What's inside
- Master the command line
- Learn about file systems
- Understand desktop environments
- Go from Linux novice to expert in just one month