Ubuntu Unleashed: 2011 Edition

Ubuntu Unleashed 2011 Edition presents advanced coverage of the popular Ubuntu distribution of Linux. Windows users, Mac users, and Linux enthusiasts have been increasingly turning to Ubuntu for a user-friendly and easy-to-use Linux distribution that remains useful to power users.

This book provides detailed information on installing, using, and administering Ubuntu. You will learn how to set up a workstation or a server, details on Ubuntu's easy-to-use desktop and productivity software, and you will find topics of interest to both casual and serious developers.

Ubuntu Unleashed 2011 Edition includes a range of coverage: From the software you need everyday for productivity and enjoyment, to how to configure your Linux desktop to run smoothly, to advanced topics like systems administration and software development, and much more.

Some books excel at helping beginners take baby steps. There is some beginning material in Ubuntu Unleashed 2011 Edition. However, this book is intended for anyone who wants to move beyond the basics of using Ubuntu into the realm of an intermediate or advanced user.

-Install and configure Ubuntu

-Get all your system's devices and peripherals up and running

-Configure and customize your graphic user interface

-Manage Linux services and users

-Secure your machine and your network from intruders

-Configure a firewall

-Share files with Windows users using Samba

-Get productive with office tools

-Use multimedia programs

-Play games

-Set up and run various types of servers

-Learn the basics of several programming languages

-Learn how to write a software application quickly

-Participate in Ubuntu QA testing

-Tune your system for maximum performance

-Learn to manage and compile the kernel and modules

Matthew Helmke is an active member of the Ubuntu community. He is an administrator for the Ubuntu Forums (ubuntuforums.org) and chairman of the Ubuntu Forums Council. He coauthored the most recent editions of The Official Ubuntu Book. Matthew first used UNIX in 1987 while studying LISP on a Vax in a summer program at Northern Arizona University. He has run a business using only free and open-source software, has consulted, and is currently working on a master's degree in Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona while working as the Senior Technical Documentation Specialist for iPlant Collaborative (iplantcollaborative.org). The iPlant Collaborative project, among other things, is creating an advanced cyberinfrastructure to help biologists solve grand challenges in the plant sciences. You can find out more about Matthew at matthewhelmke.com or drop him a line with errata or suggestions at matthew@matthewhelmke.com.
 
Andrew Hudson is a freelance journalist who specializes in writing about Linux. He has significant experience in Red Hat and Debian-based Linux distributions and deployments and can often be found sitting at his keyboard tweaking various settings and config files just for the hell of it. He lives in Wiltshire, which is a county of England, along with his wife, Bernice, and their son, John. Andrew does not like Emacs. He can be reached at andy.hudson@gmail.com.
 
Paul Hudson is a recognized expert in open-source technologies. He is also a professional developer and full-time journalist for Future Publishing. His articles have appeared in Mac Format, PC Answers, PC Format, PC Plus, and Linux Format. Paul is passionate about free software in all its forms and uses a mix of Linux and BSD to power his desktops and servers. Paul likes Emacs. Paul can be contacted through hudzilla.org.