How Is This Book Organized?

This book is organized in 19 chapters. Each chapter focuses on a topic, providing an overview and how-to information. The chapters are as follows:

• Chapter 1, Understanding Open Source Software: Describes open source beliefs and practices. See how they differ from the beliefs and practices prevalent with proprietary software.

• Chapter 2, Choosing a Linux Distribution: Provides the information needed to choose among the many Linux flavors.

• Chapter 3, Getting Ready to Install Linux: Instructions for preparing your computer for a Linux install.

• Chapter 4, Installation: Installation steps.

• Chapter 5, Interacting with Linux: How to get work done using Linux.

• Chapter 6, Using Your Desktop: How to use the two major Linux desktopsKDE and GNOME.

• Chapter 7, Using the Command Line: How to enter commands directly into Linux, without using the desktop.

• Chapter 8, Linux Accounts: No work can be done on a Linux system without using a Linux account. This chapter describes how to create accounts and associated information, such as passwords, owners, groups, and so forth.

• Chapter 9, File Management: How to create, copy, rename, delete, and otherwise manage Linux files.

• Chapter 10, Applications and Programs: How to download, install, and run Linux applications and programs.

• Chapter 11, Word Processing: How to use the OpenOffice word processing application.

• Chapter 12, Spreadsheets: How to use the OpenOffice spreadsheet application.

• Chapter 13, Graphics: How to create, edit, and manipulate different types of graphics files.

• Chapter 14, Printing: How to set up and use a printer on Linux.

• Chapter 15, The Internet: How to access and browse the Internet.

• Chapter 16, Multimedia: How to play sound and video files on Linux.

• Chapter 17, Email, Messaging, and News: How to communicate with other people over the Internet.

• Chapter 18, Editing Text Files: How to create and edit text files, such as HTML files, program source code, and Linux configuration files.

• Chapter 19, Shell Scripts: How to write and use shell scripts.

Two appendixes are also included:

• Appendix A, Regular Expressions: How to build regular expressions, patterns used by many different Linux applications.

• Appendix B, Command Reference: Description and information about the commands available for use with the CLI.