2/2/09
Running Ubuntu Linux


When you first start Ubuntu, you are met with a basic looking login screen. (Put your cursor over each picture to enlarge.)

If you'd like to bypass this screen, and the need to enter your password, you can set an automatic log on. To do this, enter your password to login and then go up to the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click on "System", then click "Administration", click "Login Window" and enter your password. Click on the "Security" tab. Select your username from the drop-down arrow and check, "Enable Automatic Login".


Now, back to your desktop. If you are coming from a Windows environment, you are not used to having a "Taskbar" on the top and bottom of your screen. You can delete the bottom "taskbar" by right-clicking on it and choosing "delete this panel". Once this is done, you can go up to the top panel, right-click on it and select "allow panel to be moved". You can then click on the panel and drag it down to the bottom.
Now, when you deleted the bottom panel, you also deleted a few helpful items. Add them back this way: Right-click on the panel and click "add to panel". Add a "notification area", "window list" and "workspace switcher" and "trash". You can move all of these items wherever you'd like them to be. You can make the panel transparent, change the size, whatever you'd like.

Many people don't prefer the browish desktop theme. You can change wallpaper like you do in Windows: Right-click on the desktop, select "change desktop background" to change the color and/or picture.
You can also change themes here. Select a glossy theme or a clearlooks theme if you'd like. You can click on the "customize" tab and change colors, icons, borders etc... You will find that you can change many preferences here much more than you used to do in Windows.
You don't have to keep the "Applications, Places, System" bar. You can change it to a single menu that adds "Places" and "System" to a single button menu. Do this by right-clicking on your menu and clicking "Remove from panel". Then right-click on the panel and click "Add to panel", "Main Menu".

Now, Ubuntu will look and feel more like the Windows environment you're more used to.

If you want to add and remove programs, simply go to the Main Menu and click on "Add and Remove". By default, the software repository will add and remove only those programs in the standard repository but you can change this by going up to the dropdown box that says "Installed Applications" or "All Open-Source Applications" and switch it to "All Available Applications". At this point you can chose from many more programs. You can use the left-hand index to narrow your search or use the "search" feature to narrow your search further.


When you click on an MP3 to play, Ubuntu will tell you you need to download "codecs" to play the MP3 and you can simply click to install these codecs. The same goes for "Flash" applications. Alternately, from the "Other" menu on the left, you can simply click to install "Ubuntu restricted Extras". to install Flash, Java, MP3 and DVD playback support.
To create shortcuts (in Linux they are called "links") on the desktop, go to your main menu and simply drag and drop the menu item to your desktop. To create a link from a folder, simply right click on your file and click "make link" then drag it and drop that link onto your desktop.

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