Linux for Travelers - Ubuntu

Using Ubuntu

LFT — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 16:44:40 -0500

If you are using Ubuntu as a live CD, there are a couple of things to be aware of:

DO NOT CLICK THE INSTALL BUTTON ON THE DESKTOP unless you want to erase the hard drive and install Ubuntu. If you do click that button, it will warn you first. It will also give you the option to shrink the Windows partition (section) of the hard drive and install Ubuntu next to it. But if you want to make a dual-boot system, only do it to your own personal computer, and be sure you follow dual-boot instructions carefully, backing up the files first and defragmenting the hard drive.

Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft

LFT — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 02:09:30 -0500

A new version of Ubuntu has been released, code named Edgy Eft.

You can download the new version of Ubuntu at Ubuntu.com.

XGL / Compiz - the New Look of Linux

LFT — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 04:04:03 -0400

Check out this video of the new XGL/Compiz desktop for Linux. It is arguably a more graphically advanced desktop than even Mac OS X.

Ubuntu Billboard Spotted

LFT — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 02:10:16 -0400

An Ubuntu billboard has been spotted in California, USA.

My search of the Web brought me to another page about the Ubuntu billboard that also showed some Google trends comparing Ubuntu to other Linux distros. It shows the steady increase of popularity of Ubuntu.

I tried my own search of Google trends to compare the popularity of Ubuntu with portable apps. Many travelers have heard of portable apps, but not of Ubuntu. The Ubuntu live CD is a good choice for Linux live CD when traveling.

How to Switch to Ubuntu

LFT — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 01:44:53 -0400

Ubuntu.com has a few good articles on how to make the switch to Ubuntu Linux.

How to Switch from Windows to Ubuntu Linux

The guide for Windows users explains some of the differences between Windows and Ubuntu Linux.

It recommends running an Ubuntu live CD first to make sure that Ubuntu works with your hardware.

If you are going to switch from Windows to Ubuntu, I recommend trying a dual boot system first. A dual boot system allows you to run Windows and Linux next to each other on the same computer. Ubuntu makes installing a dual boot system easy.

How to Switch from Mac to Ubuntu Linux

If you are switching from Mac to Ubuntu it is less of a leap than switching from Windows to Ubuntu. Mac OS X is also a Unix-based operating system and it is similar to Linux on the inside.

Mark Pilgrim lists some of his tips for switching from Mac to Ubuntu on his blog. It's an interesting discussion for anyone who is making the switch to Ubuntu.

How to Switch From Another Linux Distro to Ubuntu Linux

This is the easiest switch. Ubuntu is one of the easiest to use Linux distros and you shouldn't have any problems switching to Ubuntu.

Ubuntu Live CD: Save Settings to Thumb Drive

LFT — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 02:50:36 -0400

Cyberciti.biz has a tutorial on how to save your settings and data to a USB device on the Ubuntu live CD.

The tutorial involves use of the terminal. If you want to save your settings to a thumb drive without having to set things up with the terminal, there are other distros that have this feature built in. Examples of distros that include this feature are PCLinuxOS, Slax, Knoppix, and Puppy Linux.

After I try this technique with the Ubuntu live CD, I'll post my results here and see if I can explain it in simpler terms.

Debian-based GNU/Linux Live CDs

LFT — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 12:10:25 -0400

DebianHelp.co.uk has a great list of Debian-based GNU/Linux live CDs.

Some excellent live CDs based on Debian are Ubuntu, Damn Small Linux, Knoppix, Elive, and many more.

Some interesting excerpts from the DebianHelp.co.uk page, highlighting Linux live CDs that are being developed by European governments:

"Linex
Linex is a Debian-based distribution being developed by the regional government of Extremadura (Spain). The main goal is to migrate all the computer systems, from government offices, to businesses to schools into Linux.
Project Home Page :- http://www.linex.org/

...

MoLinux
MoLinux is an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution developed by the government of Castilla la Mancha in Spain.
Project Home Page :- http://www.molinux.info/

...

ERPOSS
During LinuxTag 2004 the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the company credativ unveiled the Linux Government Desktop. The Linux Goverment Desktop has been developed within the scope of the project ERPOSS which evaluates Open Source Software in government environments.Composed entirely of free software the distribution is available as a live CD as well as an install CD. One of the highlights brought by the Government Desktop is the fact that it saves the whole data on encrypted filesystems.
Furthermore KMail is preconfigured to send and receive encrypted e-mail (GnuPG and S/MIME) and to make use of all kinds of authority certificates. The package is completed by integrated spam and virus protection and a preconfigured personal firewall.
Project Home Page :- http://www.bsi.bund.de/produkte/erposs/"

You can see the full list of live CDs here.

How to Install Software on Ubuntu

LFT — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 09:31:57 -0400

MonkeyBlog.org has a great tutorial called How to Install Anything in Ubuntu. Ubuntu has thousands of free programs available for download, and that tutorial shows you how to get them.

If you haven't already tried Ubuntu, download the free Ubuntu live CD and then check out the MonkeyBlog Ubuntu tutorial.

KDE Kiosk Admin Tool

LFT — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 11:41:25 -0400

LinuxLibrarian.org has an article about how to install and configure KDE Kiosk Admin Tool. The Kiosk Admin Tool is a great feature that lets you easily limit access to only some computer functions. More details about the KDE Kiosk Admin Tool can be found on Linux.sys-con.com, including an interview with the creator of the tool.

If you are not technically-minded and don't want to build the software from source code, you can use a Linux distro like Kubuntu, a KDE version of Ubuntu, to install the KDE Kiosk Admin Tool with just a few click in Synaptic Package Manager. You can find Synaptic in the menu by going to System —> Administration —> Synaptic Package Manager.

This is the Synaptic Package Manager screen on Ubuntu. You should be able to install KDE Kiosk Admin Tool on Ubuntu like this. You should also download KDE with Synaptic and on your next login choose the KDE desktop instead of GNOME. Using KDE on Ubuntu basically turns Ubuntu into Kubuntu. If you are already using Kubuntu, Synaptic will look similar to the image below and you will already be in KDE when you login.

Ubuntu Laptops

LFT — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 22:10:41 -0400

You can now buy laptops preinstalled with Ubuntu Linux from System76.com.

The prices currently start at $799 (USD) for a wide-screen laptop with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled.

Also check out the Ubuntu live CD guide for more information about Ubuntu Linux.