The Official Ubuntu Book (2011)

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Managing Repositories

The Software Management application has the ability to manage the repositories you would like to use. To change which repositories are being used, open Software Management and select settings and the select “Edit Software Sources.” After you provide the correct password, a new window will open up (see Figure 8-15).

Figure 8-15 Software Source lists

Software Sources is divided into five sections: Kubuntu Software, Other Software, Updates, Authentication, and Statistics.

Packages are organized into four groups or repositories: main, restricted, universe, and multiverse. The main repository contains applications that are free software, programs that allow for complete distribution and are supported by the Kubuntu team. When you install something from the main repository, you are guaranteed to receive security updates and support through the various venues.

Anything from the multiverse repository contains software that is not free, which is defined by the Kubuntu Main Component License Policy. Software here is used at the user’s own risk.

Third-party software is not supported by Kubuntu.

Upgrading Kubuntu

If you are currently using Kubuntu 10.10 and would like to upgrade to Kubuntu 11.04, you can use the update manager to install the new version. There is no need to purchase new software or reload your system; just update from the current version to the latest stable release. From the console, type sudo do-release-upgrade and watch your system upgrade from Kubuntu 10.10 to Kubuntu 11.04.

How to Keep the System Up to Date

Kubuntu will check to see if your system is up to date. Software Management will notify you in the task bar and prompt you to update your system.

In the Settings portion of Software Management, you can change how often the system checks for updates (by default, it is every week). Another setting that can change is whether or not the system will automatically install the updates or prompt you for your updates.

System Settings

System Settings allows users to make changes to the system, including settings for sound, user accounts, mouse behavior, and network configuration. If you are familiar with KDE, you may recognize that System Settings replaces the K Control Center. Figure 8-16 shows System Settings.

Figure 8-16 System Settings

System Settings can be found in the Application Launcher, or type System Settings in the search bar of the launcher, or in KRunner. (KRunner is accessed by either right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Run Application or by hitting ALT-F2.) When making changes in System Settings, you will be prompted at times to enter your password. Changes made that require a password are systemwide and will affect all users of the Kubuntu system.

When moving through the different options, be sure to select Overview to return to the main screen of System Settings instead of clicking on the X. Doing so may take some getting used to.

Common Appearance and Behavior

The Common Appearance and Behavior deals with system defaults, from language to shortcuts. If you are located outside of the United States and need to change settings, such as currency, date, and language, they can all be configured here through the Country/Region & Language option.

Workspace Appearance and Behavior

This section of System Settings deals with the Appearance of your environment. Is your system running too slow with all of the Desktop Effects enabled? Turn them off here. Have a really sweet system and you want to make your windows explode as they close? Turn that on in this section. Also in Workspace Appearance and Behavior you can customize the default applications your system uses.

This section also allows for customization of Strigi or Desktop Search. “Akonadi is a cross-desktop storage service for Personal Information Manager data (calendars, contacts, email, etc.) and also for the metadata” (http://pim.kde.or/akonadi for more information). Nepomuk can work together with Akonadi and helps you organize the information and metadata on your machine. (For more information, see http://nepomuk.semanticdesktop.org.) Another portion of Nepomuk is Desktop Search which provides the ability to search for files and applications on your system. These two applications can be configured through System Settings.

Network and Connectivity

This section of Systems Settings deals with Networking and allows you to customize how networking works. An example of something that can be customized is if you need to access a proxy to connect to the Internet, this can be configured globally.

Hardware

This section of System Settings may have the most options in it. The Hardware section allows you to configure how Hardware interacts with your system. Printer configuration is where users add or make changes to printers. Most printers these days already have drivers available in Kubuntu, and upon detecting a new printer for the first time, the printer configuration wizard will start. The following screenshots show this wizard (Figures 8-17 and 8-18).

Figure 8-17 Printer Configuration—System Settings

Figure 8-18 New Printer

It used to be quite painful to configure multiple monitors but this is no longer the case. When a secondary display is connected to a device (example being a laptop connected to a projector) the Display portion of Hardware will help you customize items like size and orientation if not detected correctly.

The final section of System Settings deals with administration of your Kubuntu environment.

Login Manager

When you launch this module, you will be prompted for your administrative password. The Login Manager is where your username and password is typed in, and it allows you to log in. In this section, you can customize exactly what happens and how it looks when you log in (Figure 8-19).

Figure 8-19 Login Manager

One of the items that can be configured is the Auto-login. This is NOT RECOMMENDED because anyone will have access to your machine as soon as it is powered on. Select the user you would like to Auto-login and select Apply.

User Management

The User Management module allows you create new users and even change access rights. To create a new user, click on New and follow the wizard (Figures 8-20 and 8-21).

Figure 8-20 User Management

Figure 8-21 Create a new user

Managing Files with Kubuntu

Now that you have your system installed and set up the way you would like, it is time to learn how to navigate the different files and access information in Kubuntu. This starts with the default file manager, Dolphin. Konqueror, another application that can be used both as a Web browser and a file manager, is discussed later in the chapter.

Introduction to Dolphin

Dolphin was first introduced during the 7.10 release schedule as d3lphin. The KDE 4 version, Dolphin, is now included as the default file manager (see Figure 8-22).

Figure 8-22 Viewing the Home Directory in Dolphin

Dolphin is a very powerful file manager that nicely complements Konqueror. The two programs are often used in tandem.

Dolphin focuses only on local files, is built on the Konqueror back end, and should be familiar to many KDE users. Konqueror, which is also the KDE Web browser, was the previous default file manager. Over time, Konqueror development focused increasingly on the Web browser, while ignoring its file manager functionality.

Another key feature of Dolphin is the ability to use a split view to have multiple directories open in the same window, without having to switch tabs.

Changes to the File Structure

Kubuntu 11.04 release utilizes the XDG Base Directory Specification of the freedesktop.org standards.

XDG directories specify a default set of folders within a user’s home directory. Some of these folders are Desktop, Downloads, Templates, Music, and Video. The goal is to help create a standard location for files to be stored in a variety of different desktop environments (see Figure 8-23).

Figure 8-23 Viewing XDG directories in Dolphin

Introduction to Konqueror

Konqueror may be the old default file manager in Kubuntu, but it still has a lot to offer. As a file manager, Konqueror can do nearly everything you need (Figure 8-24). You can browse files through either an icon view or a tree view. Copying, pasting, moving, and deleting files are all simple tasks with Konqueror. A nice feature of Konqueror is that directories are automatically updated. This means that if a file is created in a directory currently being viewed, you do not need to refresh the directory to see the changes.

Figure 8-24 Konqueror

One of the great things about Konqueror is how much you can do within it. Need access to media files? Simply type media:/ and browse your media files. All kinds of other shortcuts, called kioslaves, exist in Konqueror, including ones for searching the Web with Google (gg:/KEYWORD) and even browsing files via ssh through sftp://. Need help finding a file on your system? Simply use locate:/ to have Konqueror find it for you. You can visit the different system folders through system:/. Many shortcuts and keywords like this are built into Konqueror, including Google Suggest in the search bar.

Accessing Windows Partitions

A lot of people still have Windows partitions on their hard drives and would like to access the information stored there. Kubuntu can browse these files in read-only mode. By default, Kubuntu mounts the Windows partition in the /media directory. See Figure 8-25 for an example of accessing the Windows drive in Dolphin.

Figure 8-25 Accessing the Windows partition in Dolphin

Accessing USB Drives

USB drives are everywhere these days, and Kubuntu handles them quite easily. Simply connect your USB drive, and it will mount automatically. It will then be available under Dolphin through the media folder. Before removing the drive, make sure you unmount it by right-clicking on the device and selecting Eject. The device can then be safely removed.

Managing Music

Amarok is the default application for browsing and managing your music collection. Kubuntu 11.04 includes Amarok 2, which is a large rewrite of Amarok. Amarok is a powerful program that can track your podcasts and music and even provides access to an open music store (Magnatune). Magnatune is a music store that is completely free of DRM (Digital Rights Management) restrictions. Looking for Online Radio stations? Amarok provides access to multiple online radio stations through Cool Streams and also Shoutcast Streams. Amarok can also manage your portable music player (Figure 8-26). Once you have connected your music player, it will show up in the device section. Then feel free to manage your files and playlists.

Figure 8-26 Managing your music player in Amarok

The first time Amarok is launched, it recommends installing additional multimedia packages from the restricted repository. The recommended packages are for MP3 Tag Reading and Encoding, Flash, Video Codecs, MPEG Plug-ins, and DVD Reading. A notification from Update Notifier will load in the Taskbar, and after double-clicking, you will be prompted to select which components to install. To install these packages, you need the administrative password. See Chapter 3’s discussion of Ubuntu Multimedia for more information about media codecs and related issues.

Common Applications

Kubuntu comes with a large number of applications preinstalled and configured, including Web browsers, office applications, and e-mail programs. Remember, since choice is a huge feature of Kubuntu, if you do not like the default applications, you can always change them. All of these applications are available through the Application Launcher.

LibreOffice

The default office application for Kubuntu 11.04 is LibreOffice 3.3.1. LibreOffice Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, and Math; the first three can be launched from the Application Launcher. (Draw and Math are not available from the menu and are launched from within one of the other applications.) Note that the developers of Kubuntu have renamed the applications in the Application Launcher to better reflect what each does. For example, Writer is renamed Word Processor.

Each of these programs is easy to use and can help you switch from the Microsoft Office product line. In fact, the LibreOffice suite is included in the desktop CD and can be installed on a Windows system to help you get comfortable and ready for a switch to Kubuntu. Each application corresponds to a similar application in the Microsoft product line. Calc is very similar to Excel, Writer works like Word, and Impress replaces PowerPoint. LibreOffice can handle all but Microsoft Access files without problems, and the whole suite is ready to be used in a corporate environment as well as for personal use.

To demonstrate the power of LibreOffice, let’s create a new document. To start LibreOffice Writer, open the Application Launcher and navigate to Office and then Word Processor. You can also launch KRunner (Alt+F2), type Word processor, and hit Enter.

Writer resembles any other word processing software you have used. Simply start typing your letter or paper as you normally would, and use the toolbar for formatting options, including changing alignment, setting boldface or italic type, and other needs.

When you are done working on a document, save it by selecting File > Save or by typing Ctrl-S. LibreOffice saves documents in the Open Document format. This file format is a standard across the world. You can also save documents in other formats, including Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF. To save as a PDF file, just click the PDF button on the main toolbar (located next to the print icon) and enter a filename.

Web Browsing with Rekonq

The default web browser in Kubuntu 11.04 is rekonq. As a Web browser, rekonq enables you to set bookmarks, change your home page, and use all the other features you would expect from a Web browser.

Navigating around the Internet is no different in rekonq than in any other Web browser, including Firefox, Opera, Netscape, and Internet Explorer. Just type the Web address into the address bar and hit Enter. For example, type in www.kubuntu.com to visit the home page for Kubuntu.

To search using Google, simply move to the search bar, and directly to the right of the address bar type in what you are looking for. Rekonqwill use Google to find it for you.

Using Firefox for Browsing the Web

Allowing choice is a key feature of Ubuntu distributions. Kubuntu can use the latest version of Firefox, which can be installed via the Mozilla Firefox Installer (Figure 8-27).

Figure 8-27 Mozilla Firefox installer

Firefox has taken the Web browser world by storm and is as good as or even better than Internet Explorer. Firefox not only provides better features and a better browsing experience but also adheres more closely to Web standards. Like Konqueror, Firefox includes tab browsing (File > New Tab or Ctrl+T), bookmarks, and everything you would expect of a modern Web browser.

Firefox has many different extensions that can be plugged in to allow greater flexibility for your Web browser. The most common plug-ins are for using Macromedia Flash and Java, which some Web pages require.

Installing a plug-in is as simple as visiting a Web site that requires it. A yellow bar will indicate that you are missing a plug-in. Click on the Install Missing Plug-ins button to install the required plug-in.

Burning CDs—Audio and Data

Another common task is creating or burning audio and data CDs. Kubuntu’s default CD creation program, K3b (installed through Software Management), is a very easy-to-use utility that can help you create backup CDs or even new music CDs. K3b provides a very familiar interface for burning and copying CDs (Figure 8-28).

Figure 8-28 K3b

Simply click on one of the icons from the main Kreator screen that describes the project you would like to create, for example, a new audio CD, a new data CD, or a new data DVD project. You can even copy a CD. After the new project has been started, simply drag the files you want from the top section to the lower section (Figure 8-29).

Figure 8-29 Just drag and drop the files.

Once you have moved the files, select Burn, and sit back while your new CD is created.

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging is another feature that we almost cannot live without these days. Kopete, Kubuntu’s default instant messaging client, handles this task very well. You can find it under the Internet section in the Application Launcher. You can also launch Kopete from KRunner or the Search bar of the Application Launcher by typing Kopete. The beauty of Kopete is that it can connect to all of the major service providers, so you do not have to have multiple programs open. Kopete can handle ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), and because Google Talk (Google’s instant messenger program) is built around the Jabber protocol, Kopete can handle that as well. Kopete also can work with MSN Webcams.

In order to use Kopete, you need to configure accounts. Select Settings > Accounts, and then configure the different accounts you would like Kopete to use. Kopete can save your passwords to these accounts and even automatically connect upon start-up.

Once the accounts are configured correctly, you can change Kopete’s behavior to fit your preferences. Many options can be selected, including away settings, what happens when a new message arrives, and even how the system starts up.

Internet Relay Chat

A great place to find support for Kubuntu is Internet Relay Chat (IRC), which can be accessed by using Quassel (Figure 8-30) and the different IRC channels. Join irc.ubuntu.org and then come over to #kubuntu to get many of your support questions answered. Quassel by default is set up to access #kubuntu, but more channels can be added. The people in #kubuntu are full of great information and can help you try to solve any issues that you have.

Figure 8-30 Quassel

To launch Quassel, type either Quassel or IRC in the Application Launcher and click on the application.

Kontact

These days almost everyone uses e-mail, and almost everyone uses some form of calendar program to keep track of appointments and schedules. Kontact, Kubuntu’s default PIM (Personal Information Manager), takes care of all these tasks plus more.

To start Kontact, go to the Application Launcher and then to the Internet section. You can also start it from KRunner or by typing Kontact in the Search Bar of the Application Launcher. Figure 8-31 shows an example of the Kontact window.

Figure 8-31 Kontact

Looking at the figure, you can see that Kontact has a lot of different features. We cover several of the program’s options in the following subsections.

KMail is the program that handles e-mail. It can be run separately from Kontact if you choose. The first step in configuring Kontact is to set up KMail to send and receive e-mail.

Setting Up Your E-Mail Account

You will need several pieces of information to set up KMail. Your ISP or system administrator should be able to provide these details.

• Type of e-mail server (such as POP or IMAP)

• Mail server name (such as mail.domainname.com)

• Mail account’s username and password

• Authentication type (typically password)

• Outgoing mail server name

Configuring Kontact is easier than it may look. Once Kontact is open, select Settings and then Configuring Kontact. From the Configure Kontact panel, select Mail followed by Accounts. Under the tab labeled Receiving, add the information provided from your ISP as the incoming mail information. Once that account has been created, add a new account under the Sending tab that matches the outgoing mail information provided by your ISP.

Using KOrganizer

KOrganizer is included with Kontact. It will track your schedule and provide reminders of your appointments. Upon switching Kontact to calendar mode, you will see a month view on the left and individual days on the right, as Figure 8-32 shows.

Figure 8-32 KOrganizer, Kontact’s calendar mode

You can set up two different types of events in Kontact:

• Meetings: events scheduled with different people

• Appointments: general events

It is easy to add a new meeting or appointment. Find the date for the event in the month view, right-click, and select New Event. In the new window that opens, fill out the Summary, Location, Time, and Description boxes. You can also set up Kontact to remind you when it is time for the appointment.

Using Akregator

Another great application that is part of Kontact (or can be used separately) is Akregator (Figure 8-33), an RSS program that can track your favorite Web feeds. Due to the integration of Akregator and Konqueror, any Web page that has an RSS feed will have an orange icon in the corner of the program that helps you add it to your list.

Figure 8-33 Akregator

Simply click on the icon and select Add to Akregator. Akregator will keep your feeds up to date by automatically checking for new content. Another bonus of the integration between Konqueror and Akregator is that Web pages can be opened within Akregator to post comments and view more information than what is provided by the Web feed.

As you can see, Kontact is a great program that helps you organize your life, track your favorite Web sites through RSS, and handle your e-mail.

Kiosk Mode

Kiosk mode allows an administrator to configure KDE and all aspects of the desktop and prevent the end user from changing the settings.

KDE stores all of its configuration information in text files. These files control everything from the default background to whether or not a person can add bookmarks. To see the locations of the configuration files, simply type kde-config –path confi from the Konsole. Note that the order applied is the reverse order of what is displayed. By simply changing one of the files in the highest priority, the last listed in the kde-config statement, you can affect what all users see.

To change the background for all users, simply edit the Wallpaper section found in kdesktoprc, located in /usr/share/kubuntu-default-settings/kde-profile/default/share/config.

As previously discussed, each user can change the desktop to meet his or her own needs. However, an administrator can make it so some things cannot be changed. Simply insert [$i] at the top of the file for each application you would like to make immutable.

Along with enabling or setting changes, an administrator can remove user access to certain items by simply editing the kde globals file and adding a [KDE Action Restrictions] [$1] section.

There are plenty of additional items that can be limited and changed in Kubuntu.

Exploring the Kubuntu Landscape

Unlike many other operating systems, Kubuntu includes a large number of applications installed by default. These tools have been selected to allow you to install Kubuntu and then just get your work done. Some of the applications installed by default have been covered already. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), there are too many applications to discuss in this book due to space restrictions.

To partially solve that problem, here is a quick summary of many programs that are available from the Application Launcher, including how to find them and brief descriptions.

• Kate: Application Launcher > Utilities > Kate—This simple and powerful text editor is great for editing documents, making quick notes, and programming. There is a vast range of plug-ins for items such as spell checking, statistics, and syntax highlighting.

• Calculator (Speedcrunch): Application Launcher > Utilities > Calculator—Speedcrunch is an extremely powerful calculator that can help you solve both basic and advanced math problems.

• Konsole: Application Launcher > Utilities > Konsole—Beneath the desktop is a very powerful command-line core. Konsole allows you to access this command line by putting a nice window frame around it. Konsole is great for command-line junkies who do most of their other work with a graphical interface. Konsole can be completely customized to meet your command-line needs.

• Performance Monitor (KSysGuard): Application Launcher > System > Performance Monitor—The Performance Monitor provides information about how your Kubuntu system is functioning. Having problems with an application taking too much memory? How would you know? KSysGuard provides this information.

• System Logs Viewer (KSystemLog): Application Launcher > System > System Logs Viewer—Interested in what is going on with your system? Kubuntu keeps track of files and access logs that can be viewed through this program.

• Internet Dial-Up Tool (KPPP): Application Launcher > Internet > Internet Dial-Up Tool—Need help connecting to your ISP through a modem? KPPP will help take care of this. KPPP can help set up your modem and even set up your dial-up connection.

• Remote Desktop Connection (KRDC): Application Launcher > Internet > Remote Desktop Connection—KRDC can help you connect to remote systems either through the remote desktop protocol (RDP) or through virtual network connection (VNC). Simply type in the address and click on Connect. KRDC can save the settings for each computer you connect to.

• PDF Viewer (Okular): Application Launcher > Graphics > PDF Viewer—KPDF provides you with the ability to open and view files saved in the Adobe PDF format.

• Screen Capture Program (KSnapShot): Application Launcher > Graphics > Screen Capture Program—KSnapShot allows you to take screenshots and save them in different formats. The great thing about KSnapShot is that you specify the exact amount of the screen that will be captured. This program was used to take all of the screenshots for this chapter.

• Image Viewer (Gwenview): Application Launcher > Graphics > Image Viewer—Gwenview is the default application for viewing images in Kubuntu. All different types of images can be opened, including .png, .jpeg, and .bmp.

• KDevelop: Application Launcher > Development > KDevelop—While not installed by default, KDevelop is a wonderful integrated development environment (IDE) that can help you with your coding projects. This application must be installed via Software Management.

• Marble: Application Launcher > Education > Misc > Marble—Marble is a 3D mapping and globe application. Additional map information is available through GHNS.

• KRandRtray: Application Launcher > System > Screen Size and Rotate—This application is used to rotate and resize the monitor. It also detects and configures external monitors.

Tips and Tricks

The more you use Kubuntu, the more tips and tricks you will learn to help make your computer experience better and easier. Kubuntu can be configured to do almost anything you would like.

Run Programs Automatically When Kubuntu Starts

You might like to start some programs automatically every time you log in to your system. For example, to help you with your Kubuntu work, you might want to access various channels of IRC every day via Konversation. There are four easy steps to set this up using the session management feature of KDE.

1. Launch all the applications you would like to open automatically.

2. Open up System Settings from the Application Launcher, and click on the User Management section.

3. Click on the Session Manager button on the left, and make sure that the Restore Manually Saved Session checkbox is enabled.

4. Log out, saving your sessions.

Automatically Turn On Numlock When Kubuntu Starts

If you are sick of always having to turn on numlock, the change is very simple to make.

1. Open up System Settings from the Application Launcher, and select Keyboard & Mouse.

2. Under the Numlock on KDE Startup, enable the Turn On checkbox.

3. Click on Apply to save your settings.

4. Turn on the Location Bar in Dolphin.

5. By default there is no location bar in Dolphin. To enable this to View > Location Bar and click on either option (or just use Control + L to enable it.

Finding Help and Giving Back to the Community

Finding Help

Kubuntu provides a lot of ways to find the information you need to solve a problem. A great place to start is on the IRC channel #kubuntu, which, as we noted earlier, can be accessed through Konversation. There are always wonderful and knowledgeable people in this channel who can answer almost any question. If you prefer to use the Web for answers, the Kubuntu wiki, found at http://wiki.kubuntu.org, has a large amount of information loosely organized with a great search function built in. A third place to find information is the Kubuntu forums at www.kubuntuforums.com. Google is also a great resource. Chances are that someone else has come across your problem before and has written a solution to the issue.

Giving Back to the Community

Kubuntu is built around a great community of people who give back what they learn. There are many ways to get involved and share your love of Kubuntu. A great place to find out how you can make a difference is at www.ubuntu.com/community/participate. Not everyone involved has to know how to create packages, understand how the kernel works, or be a great programmer. Kubuntu also has a place for people to write wiki pages or help with documentation, participate in user advocacy, and give general feedback.

Summary

Kubuntu is a great part of the Ubuntu project and is quickly maturing. From its start as the idea of a single developer to many people working together, Kubuntu is becoming the KDE distribution of choice. However, there is still room for improvement and additions to the setup. A large community of people discuss every day, either through IRC or e-mail, ways to make these improvements. Bugs and other issues are quickly resolved without the additional cost of new programs.

Kubuntu is going to be around for the long haul, and each new release delivers a better, cleaner, and more polished OS. Help spread the word about the project, and get involved by helping out.