Ubuntu on a dime: the path to low-cost computing

282 Pages·2009·6.34 MB·English

by  James Floyd Kelly

CYAN YELLOW SPOT MATTE
MAGENTA BLACK
PANTONE 123 C
Companion
eBook
Available
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learn how to select parts and build f you are looking for a way to save money when it comes to com-
a great desktop computer using only puters, you’ll find no better solution than to build your own. Buy
a screwdriver. only what you need, spend only what you want, and then save even U
•
discover the advantages of using more money by installing nothing but free software. You’ll find easy-
b
Ubuntu linux, an easy-to-use, great- to-follow instructions for finding, buying, and collecting only those
looking, and free operating system parts you need to build a great little computer for less than $250.
u
that can do everything the expensive
ones do. You’ll also learn all about a 100 percent free operating system that
n
• is easy to get, easy to install, and—best of all—easy to use. If you
learn how to use free software like
openoffice along with web-based can use a keyboard and mouse, you’ll be right at home with your t
software like picasa and gmail to low-cost computer’s new operating system.
u
handle all of your everyday tasks.
Let’s not forget the best free stuff: software! You’ll find dozens of

free applications for all your computing needs. Need a great e-mail o
application? It’s in here and free Looking for great word processing
and spreadsheet applications? They’re in here, too, along with doz- n Ubuntu
ens of other free applications that won’t cost you a dime.

Ubuntu on a Dime is your solution to cutting computer costs. Keep a
money in your pocket and stop paying big bucks for big-name

dime
brand computers and big-name operating systems. It’s all inside: d
on a
James floyd kelly is a freelance writer The
easy instructions, easy tutorials, and easy savings.
living in Atlanta, Georgia, with degrees in
i Path to
both English and Industrial Engineering, S m
e
because he couldn’t make his mind up tl Low-Cost
between majoring in liberal arts or math d ti
and science. He is also the author of the te e Computing
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l
Apress title, Don’t Spend a Dime. e
r
Companion eBook See laSt page for detailS on $10 eBook verSion ISBN 978-1-4302-1972-9
52499
James floyd kelly
US $24.99
Shelve in
General Computing
User level:
www.apress.com Beginner–Intermediate 9 781430 219729
this print for content only—size & color not accurate spine = 0.651" 280 page count

19729 fm.qxd 5/18/09 1:26 PM Page i
Ubuntu on a Dime
The Path to Low-Cost Computing
James Floyd Kelly
19729 fm.qxd 5/18/09 1:26 PM Page ii
Ubuntu on a Dime: The Path to Low-Cost Computing
Copyright © 2009 by James Floyd Kelly
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ISBN-13 (pbk): 978-1-4302-1972-9
ISBN-13 (electronic): 978-1-4302-1973-6
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For my friend,Tony (http://www.friendsoftony.org)
19729 fm.qxd 5/18/09 1:26 PM Page iv
19729 fm.qxd 5/18/09 1:26 PM Page v
Contents at a Glance
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
About the Technical Reviewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
nCHAPTER 1 The Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
nCHAPTER 2 The Ubuntu Operating System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
nCHAPTER 3 Free Software Defined. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
nCHAPTER 4 E-mail Revolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
nCHAPTER 5 Word Processing with Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
nCHAPTER 6 Spreadsheets with Calc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
nCHAPTER 7 Presentations with Impress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
nCHAPTER 8 Photo Management with Picasa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
nCHAPTER 9 Web Browsing with Firefox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
nCHAPTER 10 Google E-mail and Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
nCHAPTER 11 Google Documents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
nCHAPTER 12 More Apps to Consider. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
nAPPENDIX A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
nAPPENDIX B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
nAPPENDIX C Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
nINDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
v
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Contents
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
About the Technical Reviewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
nCHAPTER 1 The Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Basic Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Memory and Hard Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Buying the Necessities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Putting It All Together. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Step 1:Taking an Inventory of the Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Step 2:Installing the Processor and Cooling Fan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Step 3:Installing RAM Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Step 4:Opening the Computer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Step 5:Installing the Motherboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Step 6:Installing the CD/DVD Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Step 7:Installing the Hard Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Step 8:Connecting the Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Step 9:Testing the U-PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Step 10:Closing the Computer Case. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
What’s Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
nCHAPTER 2 The Ubuntu Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
An Installation Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Ubuntu Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Step 1.Inserting the Ubuntu CD/DVD and Turning
on the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Step 2.Selecting the Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Step 3.Trying Ubuntu First Without Making Changes
to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
vii
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viii nCONTENTS
Step 4.Testing Various Items:Sound,Video,
Network Connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Step 5.Partitioning the Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Step 6.Installing Ubuntu Files on the Hard Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Step 7.Logging In. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Step 8.Taking a Tour of Ubuntu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
What’s Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
nCHAPTER 3 Free Software Defined. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Application Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Pay-to-Use Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Open Source Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Cloud Computing Software* (always read the small print). . . . . . . . 70
Freeware (or Everything Else) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
What’s the Answer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
What’s Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
nCHAPTER 4 E-mail Revolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Evolution Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Configuring Evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Using Evolution E-mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Checking for E-mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Sending E-mail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Using Evolution Calendar and Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Using Evolution Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Summarizing Evolution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
What’s Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
nCHAPTER 5 Word Processing with Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
OpenOffice Versions for Ubuntu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Welcome to Writer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Using Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Fixing Misspelled Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Saving a Document in Different Formats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Inserting a Picture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Printing Envelopes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Printing Labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121