Translations by Teodora Venetova Berova

If you are after more detail, there are excellent resources available at \url{http://help.ubuntu.com}. Ubuntu's built-in system documentation is also very useful for accessing help on specific topics, and can be found by clicking \menu{System\then Help and Support} in Ubuntu. If something isn't covered here, chances are you will find the information you are looking for in one of those locations. We will try our best to include links to more detailed help wherever we can.

The term ``Ubuntu'' is a traditional African concept that originated from the Bantu languages of southern Africa. It can be described as a way of connecting with others\dash living in a global community where your actions affect all of humanity. Ubuntu is more than just an operating system: it is a community of people that come together voluntarily to collaborate on an international software project that aims to deliver the best possible user experience.

Ubuntu will always be free of charge, along with its regular enterprise releases and security updates.

Ubuntu comes with full commercial support from \gls{Canonical} and hundreds of companies from across the world.

Ubuntu provides the best translations and accessibility features that the free software community has to offer.

Ubuntu core applications are all free and open source. We want you to use free and open source software, improve it, and pass it on.

Ubuntu was conceived in 2004 by Mark Shuttleworth, a successful South African entrepreneur, and his company \gls{Canonical}. Shuttleworth recognized the power of Linux and Open Source, but was also aware of weaknesses that prevented mainstream use.

\marginnote{Canonical is the company that provides financial and technical support for Ubuntu. They have employees based around the world who work on developing and improving the operating system, as well as reviewing work submitted by volunteer contributors. To learn more about Canonical, go to \url{http://www.canonical.com}.}

Shuttleworth set out with clear intentions to address these weaknesses and create a system that was easy to use, completely free (see \chaplink{ch:learning-more} for the complete definition of ``free''), and could compete with other mainstream operating systems. With the Debian system as a base, Shuttleworth began to build Ubuntu. Using his own funds at first, installation \acronym{CD}s were pressed and shipped worldwide at no cost to the end user. Ubuntu spread quickly, the size of the community rapidly increased, and it soon became the most popular Debian-based Linux distribution available.

Now with more people working on the project than ever before, Ubuntu continues to see improvement to its core features and hardware support, and has gained the attention of large organizations worldwide. For example, in 2007 Dell began a collaboration with Canonical to sell computers with Ubuntu pre-installed. Additionally, in 2005 the French Police began to transition their entire computer infrastructure to a variant of Ubuntu\dash a process which has reportedly saved them ``millions of Euro'' in licensing fees for Microsoft Windows. By the year 2012, the French Police anticipates that all of their computers will be running Ubuntu. Canonical profits from this arrangement by providing technical support and custom-built software.

\marginnote{For information on Ubuntu Server Edition, and how you can use it in your company, visit \url{http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/serveredition/features}.}

While large organizations often find it useful to pay for support services, Shuttleworth has promised that the Ubuntu desktop system will always be free. As of 2010, Ubuntu desktop is installed on nearly 2\% of the world's computers. This equates to millions of users worldwide, and is growing each year.

What is Linux?

Ubuntu is built on the foundation of Linux, which is a member of the Unix family. Unix is one of the oldest types of operating systems and has provided reliability and security in professional applications for almost half a century. Many servers around the world that store data for popular websites (such as YouTube and Google) run some variant of a Unix system.

\marginnote{Whilst modern graphical \glspl{desktop environment} have generally replaced early command line--based operating systems, the command line can still be a quick and efficient way of performing many tasks. See \chaplink{ch:command-line} for more information, and \chaplink{ch:the-ubuntu-desktop} to learn more about \gls{GNOME} and other desktop environments.}

Linux was designed from the ground up with security and hardware compatibility in mind, and is currently one of the most popular Unix-based operating system. One of the benefits of Linux is that it is incredibly flexible and can be configured to run on almost any device\dash from the smallest micro-computers and cellphones to larger super-computers. Initially, Unix was entirely command line-based until Graphical User Interfaces (\glspl{GUI}) began to emerge in the early 1990s.

\mbox{}\marginnote{To learn more about Linux distributions, see \chaplink{ch:learning-more}.}These early \acronym{GUI}s were difficult to configure and clunky at best, and generally only used by seasoned computer programmers. In the past decade, however, Graphical User Interfaces have come a long way in terms of usability, reliability and appearance. Ubuntu is just one of many different Linux \emph{distributions}, and uses one of the more popular graphical desktop environments called \acronym{GNOME}. \marginnote{A \emph{desktop environment} is a sophisticated and integrated user interface that provides the basis for humans to interact with a computer using a monitor, keyboard and a mouse.}

Is Ubuntu right for you?

New users to Ubuntu may find that it takes some time to feel comfortable with the operating system. You will no doubt notice many similarities to both Microsoft Windows and Mac \acronym{OS~X}, as well as some things that work very differently. Users coming from Mac \acronym{OS~X} are more likely to notice similarities due to the fact that both Mac \acronym{OS~X} and Ubuntu originated from Unix.

Before you decide whether or not Ubuntu is right for you, we suggest giving yourself some time to grow accustomed to the way things are done \dash and expect to find that some things are different to what you are used to. We also suggest taking the following into account:

\marginnote{A popular forum for Ubuntu discussion and support is the Ubuntu Forums, \url{http://ubuntuforums.org}.}

\textbf{Ubuntu is community based.} That is, Ubuntu is made, developed, and maintained by the community. Because of this, support is probably not available at your local computer store. Thankfully, the Ubuntu community is here to help. There are many articles, guides, and manuals available, as well as users on various Internet forums and Internet relay chat (\acronym{IRC}) rooms that are willing to help out beginners. Additionally, near the end of this guide we include a troubleshooting chapter: \chaplink{ch:troubleshooting}.

\marginnote{See \chaplink{ch:software-management} to learn more about \application{Ubuntu Software Center}. To learn more about dual-booting (running Ubuntu side-by-side with another operating system), see \chaplink{ch:installation}. For more information on Wine, go to \url{http://www.winehq.org/}.}

\textbf{Many applications designed for Microsoft Windows or Mac \acronym{OS~X} will not run on Ubuntu.} For the vast majority of tasks that people use their computers for every day, there are suitable alternative applications available in Ubuntu. However, many professional applications (such as the Adobe Creative Suite) are not developed to work with Ubuntu. If you rely on commercial software that is not compatible with Ubuntu, yet still want to give Ubuntu a try, you may want to consider dual-booting. Alternatively, some applications developed for Windows will work in Ubuntu with a program called \application{Wine}.

\textbf{Many commercial games will not run on Ubuntu.} If you are a heavy gamer, then Ubuntu may not be for you. Game developers usually design games for the largest market, where they can make the most profit. Since Ubuntu's market share is not as substantial as Microsoft's Windows or Apple's Mac \acronym{OS~X}, most game developers will not allocate resources towards making their games compatible with Ubuntu. If you just like to play a game every now and then, there is active game development within the community, and many high quality games can be easily installed through \application{Ubuntu Software Center}. Additionally, some games developed for Windows will also work in Ubuntu with \application{Wine}.

Contact details

Many people have contributed their time freely to this project. If you notice any errors or think we have left something out, feel free to contact us. We do everything we can to make sure that this manual is up to date, informative, and professional. Our contact details are as follows:

\textbf{The Ubuntu Manual Team}

Website: \url{http://www.ubuntu-manual.org/}

Email: \url{ubuntu-manual@lists.launchpad.net}

\acronym{IRC}: \#ubuntu-manual on \url{irc.freenode.net}

Conventions used in this book

The following typographic conventions are used in this book:

Application names, button names, menu items, and other \acronym{GUI} elements are set in \textbf{boldfaced type}.

Menu sequences are sometimes set as \menu{System\then Preferences\then Appearance}, which means, ``Choose the \menu{System} menu, then choose the \menu{Preferences} submenu, and then select the \menu{Appearance} menu item.''

\texttt{Monospaced type} is used for text that you type into the computer, text that the computer outputs (as in a terminal), and keyboard shortcuts.

When a new version of Ubuntu is released, sometimes the \glspl{server} can get clogged up with large numbers of people downloading or upgrading at the same time. If you are familiar with using torrents, you may wish to download the torrent file by clicking ``Alternative download options,'' and obtain your copy of the \acronym{CD} image this way instead. You may see significant improvements to your download speed, and will also be helping to spread Ubuntu to other users worldwide. Again, if you are unsure how to use torrents, you can use the default download options on the website.

\marginnote{\textbf{Torrents} are a way of sharing files and information around the Internet via ``Peer to Peer'' file sharing. When a new version of Ubuntu is released, the Ubuntu servers can become very busy. If you know how to use torrents, we recommend that you download the \acronym{CD} image this way to take the load off the servers during periods of high demand.}

Burning the \acronym{CD} image

Once your download is complete you will be left with a file called \emph{ubuntu-10.04-desktop-i386.iso} or similar (\emph{i386} here in the filename refers to the 32-bit version. This will be replaced with \emph{amd64} if you downloaded the 64-bit version instead). This file is a \acronym{CD} image\dash a bit like a ``snapshot'' of the contents of a \acronym{CD}\dash which you will need to burn to a \acronym{CD} disc. To find out how to burn a \acronym{CD} image on your computer, refer to your operating system or manufacturer help. You can also find detailed instructions at \url{https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto}

\marginnote{You will be required to create a free online account with Launchpad before you can place your \acronym{CD} order. Once you have Ubuntu installed and running, you will need this account again for use with all \textbf{Ubuntu One} services. See \chaplink{ch:default-applications} for more information on Ubuntu One.} Alternatively, a free \acronym{CD} can be ordered from Canonical. This option may be preferred if you don't have access to a \acronym{CD} burner, have limited bandwidth, or a slow Internet connection. There are no shipping costs or other charges when you order an Ubuntu \acronym{CD}. Simply visit \url{http://shipit.ubuntu.com} to request your free Ubuntu Desktop Edition \acronym{CD}.

The \acronym{CD} usually takes two to six weeks to arrive, depending on your location and the current demand. If you would rather start using Ubuntu sooner, you may prefer to follow the instructions above for downloading the \acronym{CD} image, and then burn it to a disc instead.

\marginnote{It is possible to purchase Ubuntu on \acronym{CD} from some computer stores or online shops. Have a look around your local area or on the Internet to see if someone is selling it near you. Even though Ubuntu is free software, it's not illegal for people to sell it.}

The Live \acronym{CD}

The Ubuntu \acronym{CD} functions not only as an installation \acronym{CD} for putting Ubuntu onto your computer, but also as a Live \acronym{CD}. A Live \acronym{CD} allows you to test Ubuntu without making any permanent changes to your computer by running the entire operating system straight from the \acronym{CD}.

The speed at which your computer can read information from a \acronym{CD} is much slower than reading information from a hard drive. Running Ubuntu from the Live \acronym{CD} also occupies a large portion of your computer's memory, which would usually be available for programs to access when Ubuntu is running from your hard drive. The Live \acronym{CD} experience will therefore feel slightly slower than it does when Ubuntu is actually installed on your computer. However, running Ubuntu from the \acronym{CD} is a great way to test things out and allows you to try the default applications, browse the Internet, and get a general feel for the operating system. It's also useful for checking that your computer hardware works properly in Ubuntu and that there are no major compatibility issues.

\marginnote{In some cases, your computer will run as normal and appear not to recognize the Ubuntu \acronym{CD} is present as it starts up. This is okay, generally it means that the priority given to \emph{devices} when your computer is starting needs to be changed. For example, your computer might be set to look for information from your hard drive first, and then to look for information on a \acronym{CD} second. In order to run Ubuntu from the Live \acronym{CD}, we want it to look for information from a \acronym{CD} first. Changing your \emph{boot priority} is beyond the scope of this guide. If you need assistance to change the boot priority, see your computer manufacturer's documentation for more information.}

To try out Ubuntu using the Live \acronym{CD}, insert the Ubuntu \acronym{CD} into your \acronym{CD} drive and restart your computer. Most computers are able to detect when a ``bootable'' \acronym{CD} is present in your drive at startup\dash that is, a \acronym{CD} that will temporarily take precedence over your usual operating system. As your computer starts, it will run whatever information is stored on this bootable \acronym{CD}, rather than the information stored on your hard drive which your computer usually looks for.

Once your computer finds the Live \acronym{CD} and after a quick loading screen, you will presented with the ``Welcome'' screen. Using your mouse, select your language from the list on the left, then click the button labeled \button{Try Ubuntu 10.04}. Ubuntu will then start up, running straight from the Live \acronym{CD}.