Translations by georgenos

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.

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.

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:

\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}.

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.

\marginnote{Many companies (such as Dell and System76) sell computers with Ubuntu pre-installed. If you already have Ubuntu installed on your computer, feel free to skip to \chaplink{ch:the-ubuntu-desktop}.}

Before you can get started with Ubuntu, you will need to obtain a copy of the Ubuntu installation \acronym{CD}. Some options for doing this are outlined below.

Click your username and enter your password, then press \keystroke{Enter} or click \button{Log in}. You will then be logged in to Ubuntu and will be presented with your new desktop!

The Ubuntu desktop

Understanding the desktop

At first glance, you will notice many similarities between Ubuntu and other operating systems such as Windows or Mac \acronym{OS~X}. This is because they are all based on the concept of a graphical user interface (\gls{GUI})\dash that is, you use your mouse to navigate the desktop, open programs, move files, and perform most other tasks. In short, things are very visually oriented, which means it is important for you to become familiar with where and what to click in Ubuntu.

\marginnote{Ubuntu 10.04 has an emphasis on ``social from the start'' and features social network integration in the desktop for sites like Twitter and Facebook.}

All \acronym{GUI}-based operating systems use a \emph{desktop environment}. Desktop environments encompass many things, such as the look and feel of your system, as well as how the desktop is organized, laid out, and navigated by the user. In Linux distributions (such as Ubuntu), there are a number of desktop environments available for use. One of the most popular desktop environments is called \acronym{GNOME}, which is used by default in Ubuntu. \acronym{KDE}, \acronym{XFCE}, and \acronym{LXDE} are other popular desktop environments (used in Kubuntu, Xubuntu, and Lubuntu, respectively), and there are many more. As Ubuntu is based on \acronym{GNOME}, we will limit our discussion in this guide to exploring your \acronym{GNOME} desktop.

\marginnote{To read more about other variants of Ubuntu, refer to \chaplink{ch:learning-more}.}

When you first log in to Ubuntu after installing it to your hard drive, you will see the \acronym{GNOME} desktop. Ubuntu is highly customizable, as is the \acronym{GNOME} desktop, but for now let's just explore the default layout that is in front of you.

\marginnote{Everything on a panel is an \gls{applet}, even the main menu.} First, you will notice there are two \emph{panels}\dash one at the top of your desktop and one at the bottom. A panel is a bar that sits on the edge of your screen and contains various \emph{applets}. These applets provide useful functions such as running programs, viewing the time, or accessing the main menu.

The top panel

Starting from the left, you will see three menu headings\dash \button{Applications}, \button{Places}, and \button{System}\dash followed by two program icons. The first of these icons will open the \application{Firefox} web browser (see \chaplink{ch:default-applications} for more information), and the next will open the \application{Ubuntu Help Center}. \marginnote{The \application{Ubuntu Help Center} is a highly useful resource. It provides a wealth of information about your Ubuntu system, and is always at your fingertips by simply clicking this panel icon (or navigating to \menu{System \then Help and Support}).}

On the right side of this panel you will find the \emph{notification area}, which is similar in function to the ``system tray'' in Windows, or the ``menu extras'' area on the Mac \acronym{OS~X} menubar. Next to this is the \gls{MeMenu}, which will display your username (the name you entered during installation) and is used to update social network sites like Twitter and Facebook as well as set your Instant Messaging status in \application{Empathy}. Finally, on the far right of the panel is the session menu, which provides menu options for locking your computer, logging out, restarting, or shutting down completely.

\marginnote{New notifications of emails and instant messages appear in the messaging menu applet. When you have a new message, the envelope icon will turn green.}

The notification area

Inside the \gls{notification area} you will find the network indicator, volume adjustment, Bluetooth indicator (if your computer has Bluetooth capability), messaging, and the date and time applets. Some programs will also place an icon in the notification area when you open them.

\marginnote{To remove an applet, right click on it and select \button{Remove From Panel.}}

Left-clicking icons in the notification area will bring up a list of options, and in some cases right-clicking an icon will also perform an action related to that program. For example, to adjust the volume, simply left-click once on the volume icon and a volume slider will appear. Click the date and time applet to open a small calendar, and then click a specific date to add a reminder to your calendar through \application{Evolution} (see \chaplink{ch:default-applications} for more information on \application{Evolution}).

\marginnote{To add a new applet to a panel, right click in a clear area on the panel and select \button{Add to Panel.}}

When the calender is expanded there is a button labeled \button{Locations}, which will open a small world map when clicked. Here you can further set up your location preferences by clicking \button{Edit}. In the window that appears, click \button{Add}, then enter your location in the text field. If you live in a major city it may be on the list already; if not, you can enter your latitude and longitude manually (try searching online if you don't have this information). Make sure your time zone is selected, then click \button{OK} to return to the preferences screen.

Feel free to explore the other options available under the \button{General} and \button{Weather} tabs if you like, then click \button{Close} at the bottom when you are done. If weather information is available for your city, you will now see the current temperature displayed alongside the date and time in the notification area.

The bottom panel

\marginnote{The \acronym{GNOME} desktop environment used in Ubuntu can provide two or more ``virtual desktops,'' or \textbf{workspaces}. Using these workspaces can reduce clutter by opening windows on separate desktops, without needing a separate monitor. For example, in order to organize your activities you may have your email open in one workspace and a text document you are working on in another. To switch workspaces, simply click on the boxes in the \textbf{workspace switcher} or use the keyboard shortcut \keystroke{Ctrl+Alt+Left arrow} or \keystroke{Ctrl+Alt+Right arrow} to switch workspaces quickly.}

Ubuntu uses most of the bottom panel to display a list of all programs or windows that are currently open. These appear as horizontal buttons which can be clicked to \emph{minimize} or \emph{restore} the corresponding windows (see \seclink{sec:managing-windows} below for more information).

On the far left of the bottom panel is a small icon that resembles a desktop. This \emph{Show Desktop} button will \gls{minimize} all open windows at once, giving you clear access to your desktop. This is particularly useful when you have many windows open at once and your desktop becomes cluttered. Clicking the button again will restore the windows to their original position.

On the right side of the panel you will see some small boxes in a row; this is the \emph{Workspace Switcher}. By default, Ubuntu 10.04 is set up with two workspaces.

Finally, the icon farthest to the right is the \emph{trash}, which performs a similar function to the Recycle Bin in Windows or the Trash in Mac \acronym{OS~X}. Any files you delete are first sent to the trash. To see the contents of the trash, click on this icon. You can empty it by clicking on the \button{Empty Trash} button in the window that appears, or alternatively by right-clicking the trash icon in the bottom panel and selecting \menu{Empty Trash} from the menu. This will permanently delete any files or folders that it contains.

The desktop background

Managing windows

Closing, maximizing, restoring, and minimizing windows

Moving and resizing windows

To move a window around the workspace, place the mouse pointer over the window's titlebar, then click and drag the window while continuing to hold down the left mouse button. To resize a window, place the pointer on an edge or corner of the window so that it turns into a larger arrow, the resize icon. You can then click and drag to resize the window.

Switching between open windows