Weekend Project: Taking the Next Step with Linux after the Install

Written by Joe ‘Zonker’ Brockmeier

Friday, 18 February 2011 10:4

You’ve installed Linux. Now what? A lot of folks hear great things about Linux, decide to try it out, and then aren’t really sure where to go from there. Relax, and take the weekend to get settled with your brand new Linux install.

One of the things I’ve run into time and again when recommending Linux to people is that they find Linux easy enough to install, but then don’t know where to go next. So here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up Linux for new users. If you’ve been using Linux for a while, most of this is going to be obvious. But every day is somebody’s first day with Linux, so here’s to the new users who need a little nudge in the right direction.

For the purpose of this piece, we’ll assume that you’re running Ubuntu Linux. The overall suggestions should hold true for most of the Linux distributions, but some of the particulars (like the Ubuntu Software Center) will not translate exactly to other distros.

Master Your Machine with Updates

Step one? Whether you’ve installed Linux yourself or bought a machine with Linux pre-installed, you should start with running updates. Go to the System menu and select Administration -> Update Manager. Click theCheck button, and then select Install Updates. You’ll need to enter your password and then just sit back and let it work its magic.

Most of the time, you’ll be able to resume using your system without a reboot or logging in and out of X. However, if the system update requires a reboot (like a kernel update), you’ll see a notice that directs you to reboot the system.

As a rule, Linux is immune to viruses and malware that might affect Windows machines. However it’s always better to be safe than sorry — and some vulnerabilities in browsers or other applications are cross-platform. And, of course, not all updates are security related — so be sure to run updates at least once a week.

Note that Ubuntu will check for updates in the background every day. But you can change that to every two days, weekly, or every two weeks via the Settings dialog in the Update Manager.

While you’re there, you might also want to enable pre-released updates. This will include “proposed” updates, which means that you’ll get security and bug fixes faster. It also means that an update might be untested or not as thoroughly tested as released updates — so there’s a tiny chance that a proposed update will have bugs. (In my experience, this is rarely an issue.)

Secure Your System

If your Linux machine is directly connected to the net, you might also want to have a firewall configured. By default, Ubuntu doesn’t set up any firewall rules. You could set them by hand using iptables, but if you’re familiar with iptables, you probably don’t need any help setting up a Linux system! Rather than learning the CLI way of doing it, try out Firestarter.

Firestarter is a desktop Firewall tool. You can get this by going to Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center. Search for “Firestarter” and select Install. You’ll need to enter your password and it will take a minute or so to download, depending on your connection speed. You’ll need to run Firestarter with administrator (root) privileges. Go to System -> Administration and select Firestarter.

Firestarter is very easy to use, and should be relatively easy to configure if you’re at all familiar with firewalls. If not, stay tuned — we have a Firestarter tutorial in the works.

Customize the Desktop

Now that you’ve run updates and set up a firewall, you can relax and customize your system to fit your preferences.

If you want to tweak the desktop wallpaper and such, all you need to do is right-click on the desktop and select Change Desktop Background. There you can change the background, as well as the desktop theme, visual effects, and fonts.

Ubuntu comes with a handful of attractive themes, but if you want a wider selection, you might want to revisit the Software Center and search for themes.

By default, Ubuntu starts a number of programs behind the scenes. You might want to pare down the startup apps or add something to the startup routine. For instance, you may not be using any of the Ubuntu One services. If not, you can go to System -> Preferences -> Startup Application Preferences and uncheck Ubuntu One. If you want to add an application, go to Add and give the name and command that you’d like to have started.

GNOME has a number of keyboard shortcuts that you can use to work with the desktop more efficiently. Some are fairly standard if you’ve been using Windows. For instance, Alt+Tab cycles through application windows, just like Windows. But others aren’t obvious, and you can change them if you like as well. Go toSystem -> Preferences -> Keyboard Shortcuts and scroll through the shortcuts. Some are disabled by default, others are assigned to your keyboard’s multimedia keys (if it has them).

You can even create your own Shortcuts. In the Keyboard Shortcuts window, click Add and give the shortcut a name and the command that you want to run. For instance, if you wanted to run the Dictionary applet using a Shortcut, click Add and enter gnome-dictionary in the command field, and Dictionary in the name field. Then you can assign it a shortcut (I use Ctrl-Alt-D and never need to touch the Applications menu to open the dictionary.

Poke around a bit in the Preferences menu. Linux is very flexible, so you will be able to tweak the system quite a bit to fit your needs.

New Applications and Top 5

We’ve already introduced you to the Software Center, so let’s take a look at installing a few more applications that you’re likely to find useful — but aren’t installed by default in Ubuntu.

Ubuntu has a nice default set of applications, but there’s only so much room on a CD. Over time, one of my favorite (and most useful) apps has been nudged off the Ubuntu CD. That’s GIMP, short for the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It’s similar in function, if not form, to Photoshop. Using GIMP, you can do all sorts of photo manipulation and editing. It’s also useful just for cropping photos or converting images. GIMP is generally not regarded as the most user-friendly application compared to other things like Shotwell, but I think it’s friendly enough for most users.

Still missing Windows applications? Don’t reboot or use a second computer for your Windows apps — turn to virtualization. The most full-featured and cost-free virtualization option is VirtualBox. If you’re on Ubuntu 10.10, the release of VirtualBox that’s available in the repos is a bit behind. Check the VirtualBox site for downloads.

A lot of folks really like Google Chrome, but it’s not in Ubuntu’s repositories by default either. No problem — Google packages its browser for Ubuntu, just head to the Chrome download page and click “Download Google Chrome.” Select either the 32-bit or 64-bit release, depending on the version of Ubuntu you’re running. When you download the package in Firefox, you can either choose to open it with Ubuntu Software Center, open the .deb file in the Software Center, or install it from a terminal using dpkg like so:

dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_i386.deb

If you’re into audio editing, you might want to look at the Audacity package. It allows you to edit all kinds of audio formats and is easy to use by amateurs and professionals alike. Audacity is available in the Software Center.

One thing that many new users miss is a good, solid video editor. Ubuntu comes with PiTiVi by default, but I’d recommend checking out OpenShot. It’s easy to use, very full featured, and supports converting to YouTube and other Web-sharable formats without confusing jargon about formats. OpenShot should be packaged for Ubuntu, but the most recent release is available in a Personal Package Archive (PPA) for Ubuntu and it comes with several new features that are worth the extra hassle to install it. See theDownload page for install instructions.

Backup Software

Finally, you really need to think backup. Yes, Linux is very stable — but it’s susceptible to hardware failure just like any other OS.

For most people, I don’t recommend backing up the entire OS and data, just the important stuff. Like your work data or family pictures. The simplest way to do this without having to fuss with any kind of scheduling or extra media is to use Ubuntu One or Dropbox. Since Ubuntu One is limited to Ubuntu, I’d recommend going with Dropbox.

Dropbox provides a Debian package that works on recent releases of Ubuntu. It’s a two-step install. First you install the Dropbox package, then you install the daemon that runs in the background and syncs your data. You can store all your documents and such in the Dropbox folder (or another folder of your choosing) and just let it go. As a bonus, Dropbox has a feature called “LAN Sync” that can sync between computers on a local network (like your home network) much faster than sending up to “the cloud.” So it makes for a handy system for transferring files as well as performing backups.

It is multi-platform, so you’ll find downloads for Windows and Mac OS X as well. This is really nice in households where Linux sits side-by-side with other OSes.

Media Playback and Non-Free Software

In addition to the top 5 apps we recommend installing, you might also want to install some applications to play back popular media formats (like MP3s, Flash, and QuickTime movies).

Some of the apps you want are available via the Ubuntu Software Center. You can grab Adobe Flash and Fluendo’s codecs for MP3 playback via the Software Center. Just go to Applications -> Ubuntu Software Center -> Canonical Partners. Here You’ll find Adobe Flash Plugin 10, Fluendo Codecs, and Skype — among others.

Now, you’ll have an additional step that you don’t have when installing other packages. You need to enable the “source” before actually installing the package. What this does, behind the scenes, is to enable another software repository for APT. (Specifically, the “partner” repo in /etc/apt/sources.list.)

Another way to get the codecs you want is to check out the restricted codecs page on the Ubuntu wiki. The “click here to install” link for ubuntu-restricted-extras will grab MP3, Flash, QuickTime, WMA and WMV support all in one shot.

Welcome Home

The first time out with Linux can be intimidating, especially if you aren’t a geek or power user. It’s not that Linux is really hard, per se, it’s that it’s different. Sort of like moving into a new house or apartment, it takes a while to get used to the new layout and feel comfortable. And even longer to be able to find your way around in the dark without stubbing your toes — but stick with it and have fun. It’ll feel like home in no time.

Linux Skills Are Hot on Improving IT Hiring Front

Linux Skills Are Hot on Improving IT Hiring Front

By Katherine Noyes, PCWorld

IT professionals enjoyed a dramatically improved hiring landscape in 2010, marked in particular by the fewest job cuts in a year since 2000.

That’s according to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which on Monday reported that employers announced plans to cut only 46,825 IT jobs during 2010–a full 73 percent fewer than the 174,629 technology job cuts in 2009.

That 73 percent decline also exceeds by far the 59 percent decrease in overall job cuts across all industries, which fell from 1,288,033 in 2009 to 529,973 in 2010, the firm reported.

“Many industries are still struggling, even as the economy recovers; the technology sector does not appear to be in this camp, however,” said John A. Challenger, the consultancy’s CEO. “These firms are definitely on the leading edge of the recovery, as companies across the country and around the globe begin to upgrade and reinvest in their technology.”

The popularity of smartphones and tablets, in particular, is helping to drive growth in electronics, telecom and computers, Challenger noted.

Indeed, Forrester Research predicts that 2011 IT spending will increase 7.5 percent in the U.S. and 7.1 percent globally, Challenger, Gray & Christmas noted, while employment research firm Dice expects IT hiring to increase this year.

‘Looking for Linux Talent’

What’s particularly exciting for those with an interest in Linux, however, is that skills in the open source operating system are in particular demand, according to Dice.

Not only are job postings on the IT and engineering site up 40 percent generally compared with last year, but postings seeking Linux knowledge have increased a full 47 percent over last year, the Linux Foundation reports. Windows-related postings, by comparison, have increased by only 40 percent.

“The number of Linux-based projects is rapidly increasing all over this industry,” Intel’s Linux and Open Source Technologist Dirk Hohndel told the Linux Foundation. “More and more devices and systems and services are built based on Linux, and therefore, more and more manufacturers and vendors are looking for Linux talent.”

Linux professionals also tend to get a significant salary premium of as much as 10 percent over other IT workers, Dice reported last year.

An Employee’s Market

We’ve already seen evidence piling up that large enterprises are increasingly turning to Linux for mission-critical applications. We’ve also seen that a lack of Linux skills is frequently cited as the key stumbling block preventing businesses from using Linux even more.

Put those two facts together, and it’s not surprising to see a surge in demand for Linux skills.

For SMBs, this could mean that it will be tougher than ever to find the skilled Linux workers you need–and that you’ll have to pay them more when you find them. It may be a good time to bolster your in-house Linux skills instead through educational offerings like the online Master’s Program in Free Software and Free Standards, as I noted last fall.

Advice for IT Professionals

For Linux professionals, on the other hand, the outlook for this year could be very rosy indeed. Among the recommendations from the Linux Foundation’s panel of experts were the following:

  • Participate in the open source community — let your code be seen, and attend relevant events.
  • Demonstrate how you’ve helped a business with Linux or open source software.
  • Don’t generalize too far — pick a niche you love and focus on it.
  • Keep learning. The Linux Foundation offers a variety of courses in embedded and kernel-level Linux development, for example.