Linux comes in many flavors, often referred to as distributions. Ubuntu Linux is just one of many distributions out there. You have probably heard of Red Hat, SUSE, or Mandriva (formerly Mandrake). These are all popular and well-respected distributions. A distribution is a collection of software, usually free software, with the Linux kernel at its core and hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applications. Different manufacturers may offer boxed sets that come with documentation, support, and CDs, the latter saving you time and energy downloading and burning discs. Furthermore, there are boxed sets of varying prices, even within a distribution. For instance, you can buy a Red Hat personal or professional edition. The difference is there may be additional software, documentation, or support.

Ubuntu Linux is a distribution based on yet another, very popular distribution known as Debian. Debian’s popularity has spawned a number of distributions including Xandros, Linspire, Knoppix, and several others.

What sets one distribution apart from another is not always easily defined, but there are some basics. For instance, most distributions provide their own administrative interfaces. They include their own unique desktop themes and organization of applications in a menu.

Speaking of applications, this is one of Ubuntu’s strengths and something that attracts many people. Ubuntu has selected a simplified core set of applications that makes sense. To understand why this is such a great idea, you need to understand that some distributions give you three terminals, five Web browsers, two word processors, and so on. Ubuntu Linux makes it easy with intelligent choices for applications that do the job.

Linux is distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which, in essence, says that anyone may copy, distribute, and even sell the program, so long as changes to the source are reintroduced back to the community and the terms of the license remain unaltered. Free means that you are free to take Linux, modify it, and create your own version. Free means that you are not at the mercy of a single vendor who forces you into a kind of corporate servitude by making sure that it is extremely costly to convert to another environment. If you are unhappy with your Linux vendor or the support you are getting, you can move to the next vendor without forfeiting your investment in Linux.

In other words, it’s “free as in speech”—or freedom.

The GNU GPL permits a distributor to “charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.” This is further qualified by the statement that the distributor must release “for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code.” In other words, the GPL ensures that programs like Linux will at best be free of charge. At worst, you may be asked to pay for the cost of a copy.

You should take some time to read the GNU GPL. For your convenience, I’ve reprinted it in Appendix A of this book.

Say goodbye to your virus checker and stop worrying. Although Linux is not 100 percent immune to viruses, it comes pretty close. In fact, to date, most so-called Linux viruses do not exist in the wild (only under tightly controlled environments in proof-of-concept labs). It isn’t that no one has tried, but the design model behind Linux means that it is built with security in mind. Consequently, viruses are virtually nonexistent in the Linux world, and security issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently by the Linux community. Security flaws are well advertised. It isn’t unusual for a security hole to be discovered and a fix created within a few short hours of the discovery. If something does present a risk, you don’t have to wait for the next release of your operating system to come along.

The stability of Linux is almost legendary. Living in a world where people are used to rebooting their PCs one or more times a day, Linux users talk about running weeks and sometimes months without a reboot. Illegal operations and the Blue Screen of Death are not part of the Linux experience. Sure, programs occasionally crash here, but they don’t generally take down your whole system with them.

Linux is a multitasking, multiuser operating system. In this book, I concentrate on the desktop features of Ubuntu Linux, but under the hood, Linux is a system designed to provide all the power and flexibility of an enterprise-class server. Linux-powered Web site servers and electronic mail gateways move information along on the Internet and run small to large businesses. Under the friendly face of your graphical desktop, that power is still there.

It is possible to do everything you need to do on a computer without spending any money on software—that means new software and upgrades alike. In fact, free software for Linux is almost an embarrassment of riches. In Chapter 8, I’ll show you how to install (or remove) additional software on your Linux system. You won’t believe how easy it is.

When you run Linux, you don’t have to worry about whether you’ve kept a copy of your operating system license. The GNU GPL, which I mentioned earlier, means you are legally entitled to copy and can legally redistribute your Linux CDs if you wish.

Keep in mind, however, that although Linux itself can be freely distributed, not all software that runs on Linux is covered by the same license. If you buy or download software for your system, you should still pay attention to the license that covers that software.

The hardware support for Linux is, quite honestly, among the best there is, and Ubuntu Linux’s hardware support is among the best in the Linux world. In fact, when you consider all the platforms that run Linux, its hardware and peripheral support is better than that of the Windows system you are leaving behind. Unfortunately, there are some consumer devices designed with Windows specifically in mind. Consequently, certain printers or scanners may have limited support under Linux because the manufacturer is slow in providing drivers. That said, the vast majority of standard devices work very well and you aren’t likely to run into too many problems.

On the upside, you’ll find that where you always had to load drivers to make something run in your old OS, Linux automatically recognizes and supports an amazing number of peripherals without you having to do anything extra or hunt down a driver disk. Furthermore, the Linux community is vibrant in a way that few businesses can ever hope to be. If you have your eye on a hot new piece of hardware, you can almost bet that some Linux developer somewhere has an eye on exactly the same thing.

We’ll talk about devices and device drivers later in Chapter 6.

There is a huge amount of software available for the Linux operating system. Amazingly, most of it is noncommercial and free for the download. There are thousands of games, tools, and Internet and office applications available to run on your system. You don’t have to go far either. Most modern distributions come with several hundred packages on the CDs, more than enough to get you going, working, and playing without having to look elsewhere. Once again, much of the software out there will cost you nothing more than the time it takes to download it.

And installation? With the Synaptic package manager included with Ubuntu, you’ll be asking yourself why it wasn’t this easy to install software in your old OS!

On the other hand, commercial, shrink-wrapped software, including those hot new 3D games at your local computer store, are still hard to come by. As Linux grows in popularity, particularly on the desktop, this is starting to change.

There are ways around this issue, however. For instance, you can pick up a package called Cedega that lets you install and run Windows games.

Let’s face it. For some, moving to Linux is a step into the unknown. Things won’t be exactly as they were with your old operating system, and for the most part, this is a good thing. You will have to do a little relearning and get used to a different way of doing things.

Even so, if you are used to working in your Windows graphical environment and you are comfortable with basic mousing skills, writing the occasional email, surfing the Web, or composing a memo in your word processor, moving to Linux won’t be a big deal. Your Linux desktop is a modern graphical environment, and much of what you have learned in your old operating system can be taken with you into this new world.

One of the very best places to turn for additional information on your Ubuntu system is the Ubuntu community. You will find a large number of people with considerable knowledge and information in doing things the Ubuntu way. This community includes developers, documentation writers, and perhaps most importantly, Ubuntu users. This is a vibrant, growing community, providing many different options for locating the help you need.

The first place to start is the Ubuntu Linux Web site (www.ubuntu.com). Closely tied to the Web site is the Ubuntu Wiki, a regularly updated, community-supported source of information. The Wiki is at wiki.ubuntu.com. Also on the Web are the Ubuntu forums at ubuntuforums.org.

Log on to the #ubuntu IRC channel on irc.freenode.net (see Chapter 9 for information on IRC), and you’ll find between 500 to 600 people logged on at any time of the day or night. Ask your questions and it’s very likely that somebody has answers.

You can also join the Ubuntu Users mailing list by visiting this site:

     https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users

Finally, you can also check Yelp, the included help documentation browser included with your Ubuntu Linux system. For more information on using Yelp, see Chapter 3.

The Linux Documentation Project (LDP) is a dynamic community resource. On your Linux distribution CD, you probably have a collection of documents known in the Linux world as HOWTOs. These are user- or developer-contributed documents that are maintained and updated by one or more individuals. You can find the latest version of these documents at the LDP site

     http://www.tldp.org/

The mandate of the LDP is essentially to provide a comprehensive base of documentation for all things Linux. If you’ve been looking high and low for information on installing that bleeding-edge FTL radio card on your PC and still haven’t found what you are looking for, try the LDP. The LDP also makes a point of offering the latest versions of the man pages, as well as user guides that tend to cover more ground than standard HOWTOs.

A few paragraphs back, I made reference to Linux User Groups, or LUGs. Let’s put technology aside for a moment and explore something else you may have heard about: the Linux community. Yes, there really is a Linux community. All around the world, you will find groups of enthusiastic Linux users gathering for regular meetings, chatting over beer and pizza, and sharing information. This sharing of information is part of what makes Linux so friendly.

LUGs tend to run electronic mailing lists where informal exchanges of information take place (just as I do with my online LUG). New users are welcomed, and their questions are happily answered. These users range from newbies getting their feet wet to seasoned kernel developers. Should you find yourself stuck with nowhere to turn, seek out your local LUG and sign on to the mailing list. Today, someone will help you. As you grow more knowledgeable in administering your Linux system, maybe you will return the favor.

Locating a LUG in your community is as simple as surfing over to the Linux Online Web site (http://www.linux.org/). Once there, click the User Groups button, and you are on your way. The list is organized by country, then by state or province, and so on.