Calling all Ubuntu users!

[humphreybc]

Hi there, If you've got a minute I'd like some help with a small project I am working on.

I've started writing a small (50 or so pages) manual entitled "The Beginners Guide to Ubuntu" - similar to the likes of the Ubuntu Bible by Olly Connelly. My plan is to make is easy to read and follow, informative but simple at the same time, and most importantly I am going to attempt to make it version independent so that it isn't completely redundant after six months. I will release a new revision each time a new version of Ubuntu comes out, but I'd like to keep the changes to a minimum. I'm providing a brief history of Ubuntu and Linux as well. Of course I will include all the basics, such as installation, around the desktop, how to use Software Center and some basic command line stuff.
I would like to ask you this question:

Think back to when you first installed Ubuntu and began using it. What are some things that you would like to see in a manual of this kind that would have helped you back then?

Post your replies in this thread, or feel free to PM them to me.

Many thanks!

[fancypiper]

I switched to Ubuntu after several years of running Fedora Core, so I wasn't new to GNU/Linux.

I would have liked to have an option to boot to the command line as I was used to setting up my gui with the ~/.xinitrc file. It took me some time to ever get fluxbox going.

[humphreybc]

I switched to Ubuntu after several years of running Fedora Core, so I wasn't new to GNU/Linux.

I would have liked to have an option to boot to the command line as I was used to setting up my gui with the ~/.xinitrc file. It took me some time to ever get fluxbox going.

So like, Recovery Console instructions using the LiveCD?

I suppose I could include a "Troubleshooting" section at the end of the manual, with common problems.

[User3k]

One of the main things with first trying Linux is the packages. There is so many and not that organized for people coming from Windows. It can be confusing using Synaptic, apt-get, etc. The Add/Remove applications is set up much better and is easier to use I think. Maybe some more help/focus on that to make it less confusing for new users?

[humphreybc]

One of the main things with first trying Linux is the packages. There is so many and not that organized for people coming from Windows. It can be confusing using Synaptic, apt-get, etc. The Add/Remove applications is set up much better and is easier to use I think. Maybe some more help/focus on that to make it less confusing for new users?

Yeah I agree with you - a lot of Ubuntu guides don't cover the package system in depth enough. This is one of the big changes from Windows, so it's important users understand it well.

I've already got a section on Packages, and then also a whole chapter dedicated to installing/removing programs, Synaptic and Software sources.

Thanks!

[fancypiper]

So like, Recovery Console instructions using the LiveCD?
Well, I would like another choice of booting to the command line (used to be run level 3) rather than using the graphical login. Also, I had rather see the boot messages rather than a progress bar or nothing much else displayed upon boot up.

That's just some unnecessary niggly things that used to be shown are now hidden with some research necessary in order to do things the "old" way, probably unnecessary for a newbie.

[soni1770]

i had some problems getting wireless to work. a few pointers would be nice

[madnessjack]

i had some problems getting wireless to work. a few pointers would be nice
Same here. Having to trawl through NDIS isn't cool for a first time user, especially for a huu'maan. If Ubuntu wants to aim at newbies, they need to sort this stuff out.

[Alex Libman]

Yeah, wireless can be a pain.

And for some reason I'm still in the habit of using sysv-rc-conf to manage my daemons...

Also a big chapter on "so you were apt-getting stuff you have no clue about and now your GNOME / KDE broke". ;)

And some self-hypnosis exercises would be nice. "So what if Firefox ran faster on Windows, that doesn't bother me one bit. Vuze isn't so bad, really - I don't miss μTorrent one bit. Learn to forget the video card performance you were getting on Windows. I don't need to test my Web design work in Internet Explorer - no one uses it. Ten different scripting languages installed by default - who cares. Etc, etc, etc."

[t0p]

A clear guide to networking in Ubuntu would be good. Including networking with Windows computers, and also file sharing with Windows clients. I'm forever seeing posts in these forums by people needing help with that.

Under what license are you planning to publish your book? Reading this (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-doc.html) might be helpful.

[Alex Libman]

No, don't listen to the tyranny-loving GNU pushers who want to throw people in prison if they forget to turn off ads on their sites where they mirror your work, etc, etc, etc.

Just use public domain instead.

[sdowney717]

a how to for grub2 boot issues for various os's and hardrives.

a how to for all aspects of multimedia, dvd, movie editing, recording, transcoding, playing etc...

90% of the future web traffic will be video based according to google, ms, apple, adobe, etc...

[stinger30au]

tell the new user about medibuntu

man i wish i knew about it when i first started

[hoppipolla]

Thing is when I first started I had already been using Linux for some time. I have some though I guess, dunno if they've been said already!


- A mention to what repos you should and should not enable, coz I enabled Unsupported before I realized that wasn't so smart for updating blindly!

- Flash can be complex if you haven't installed the right drivers, so that's one thing to make sure people have the right ones.

- When I first was using Linux, the line that made it's management of disks clearer was "Linux treats the whole computer like one huge directory" and suddenly it made sense! That might be worth chucking in there! It makes it clear what the significance of that / (root) is! :)



That's all for now but I'll try to think of more!


Hoppi!


EDIT -- This is a good idea btw, we need to make it as easy as possible for new users and new literature can't be bad! :)

[The Oldun]

As a Silver Surfer, migrating from a lifetime of "the other" system. I would like to see a representation of how the file system works. For me it would have made the switch a bit easier, without having to wonder what the heck does this command mean, and surfing to find out, when the wireless worked. I had problems with my inbuilt wireless card, and a USB wireless dongle, but was sorted with Windows wireless drivers Ubuntu 9.1. I have stuck with it through 3 clean installs and "almost" have a workable set-up. I think people migrating should expect a very steep learning curve, but stick at it and be patient.

[Anuovis]

I switched only recently from Windows XP, all the troubles and joys of discovery are still fresh :) There were some things I knew beforehand, some that I did not. IMO, you should include these:

>A guide to installing and upgrading. Not necessary "click this or that" style but just explaining about partitions, dual booting, upgrading after install, etc. So that people can have an idea what they are doing and why.

>Some general overview of the system. E.g. How are files organized, how do you install/uninstall things, what is the home folder, what are all those etc, var, what is a terminal, why sudo...

This might be hard to explain, maybe those things just come with experience. But I would do something like this if I had to explain Windows to someone. "Here is your Windows folder, full of .dlls, they are the cogs of the system.., you can install fonts in this folder..", "Over here you have Program Files, all installations of applications are inside by default.."
Not that I miss Windows, just to make my point clear.

>Common file types. Free vs. proprietary, linux archives, .bins, files without any extension...

>Tips on what not to do. These could include malicious commands and some critical things you should not touch.
Once I though this Python thing was not necessary because I am not a programmer and uninstalled it via Software Center. Ubuntu did not like that much.

Also, you could post some kind of beta version and get reviews that way if it is not too much of a hassle...

[tacantara]

You can probably find lots of inspiration from combing the threads in the Beginners section of the Forum. From what I've observed, many of the questions from noobs fall into the areas of making games work (Wine, PlayOnLinux, and virtualization are options), setup of multimedia (installing the Ubuntu Restricted Extras and Flash Plugins), and modifications to the GNOME DE (working with panels, etc.).

This is not an all-inclusive list, but certainly it's a good start for building a user manual. I've seen the other posts in this thread, and there's a lot of great ideas coming in.

Good luck with this project.

[humphreybc]

Wow cheers guys, lots of replies. The best bit is that although I already have 11 chapters that I have thought about myself (have only written 4 so far, the rest are the guide for me to write about), but you've actually come up with a lot of stuff I haven't really thought of. Excellent!

While I don't want it to be overwhelming, I may have to write a full version with in-depth stuff and a lot of information and call it something else, and then perhaps put out a separate version called "The Absolute Beginners Guide to Ubuntu" or something. At the moment if I include all of your suggestions, we're looking at about 100 pages of manual.... which is a lot for a newbie to trawl through.

As for the licensing, I'm not too sure yet - I'll think about that after I've finished writing it. It'll definitely be free of charge, and available on the internet as an e-book. If publishers take interest, then perhaps I could publish it physically - but I'm not too worried. I just want to get the information out there to beginners.

Oh and if you're wondering when you can get your grubby hands on it, I hope to have a draft finished by the end of January, then I'll do some checking myself on it and send it to a few select friends of mine to do some more editing and checking, and then probably at the end of February/start of March i'll release a "BETA" version (if you will) to the general Ubuntu community and request feedback.

The first real release will be for 10.04 Lucid Lynx, in April next year.

[Anuovis]

A few more things... Though you probably have though about these.

>A brief introduction to Ubuntu community would be nice. This is not what most of people expect when they start using a new OS :) You could write about how it works and how to post on forums.

>Some mix between Is Ubuntu for you? (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=63315) and Linux is not Windows (http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm) would also be helpful in the introduction. Not so much to deter the people from trying it, but helping with changes in the mindset.

Good luck in this project :)

[User3k]

Good luck on getting all this together. I think it is great to see more help in an easy style for new Linux users. I might also help to have a comparison of some sort between Windows and Linux explaining that there is no comparison at all, they are two different OS's. Or something along those lines.

[tacantara]

Wow cheers guys, lots of replies. The best bit is that although I already have 11 chapters that I have thought about myself (have only written 4 so far, the rest are the guide for me to write about), but you've actually come up with a lot of stuff I haven't really thought of. Excellent!

While I don't want it to be overwhelming, I may have to write a full version with in-depth stuff and a lot of information and call it something else, and then perhaps put out a separate version called "The Absolute Beginners Guide to Ubuntu" or something. At the moment if I include all of your suggestions, we're looking at about 100 pages of manual.... which is a lot for a newbie to trawl through.

As for the licensing, I'm not too sure yet - I'll think about that after I've finished writing it. It'll definitely be free of charge, and available on the internet as an e-book. If publishers take interest, then perhaps I could publish it physically - but I'm not too worried. I just want to get the information out there to beginners.

Oh and if you're wondering when you can get your grubby hands on it, I hope to have a draft finished by the end of January, then I'll do some checking myself on it and send it to a few select friends of mine to do some more editing and checking, and then probably at the end of February/start of March i'll release a "BETA" version (if you will) to the general Ubuntu community and request feedback.

The first real release will be for 10.04 Lucid Lynx, in April next year.

If you need an extra set of eyes to review the Beta, I'll volunteer. I'm assigned as an instructor in the Army Reserve, so I spend much of my time reviewing course manuals to make sure they make sense before I go to the podium and start lecturing. PM me and let me know if you'd like the additional assistance.

[dearingj]

People on the Ubuntu forums, helpful as they are, don't always know the solution to every problem one might encounter. Perhaps include some recommendations for other sites a person could try, such as (my personal favorite) http://www.linuxquestions.org.

[j7%<RmUg]

Also dont forget to tell them about these forums and just how easy a google search is when resolving problems.

Id also be happy to help proof read and test out the draft.

[User3k]

Also dont forget to tell them about these forums and just how easy a google search is when resolving problems.

Id also be happy to help proof read and test out the draft.

I have to argue that a little. I do agree with you, searching for answers and using forums is the way to go. But most Windows users are not use to that at all. They are use to having a computer that works, if it doesn't they call someone for help and to fix it. I have even seen really good computers on the side of the road because it got slow and people just thought it had to do with a bad computer, not the os.

I am not saying the forums and a Google search is not needed or no one should recommend it. But coming straight from Windows there will be a time in between where people need to adapt to a new way of doing things. Not too much all at once or they will run back to what they are use to and comfortable with, even with all the problems that may have pushed them away.

[Cathhsmom]

I would like a manual that covers nothing but troubleshooting common problems. I do not know of any such book.

[Anuovis]

<..>searching for answers and using forums is the way to go. But most Windows users are not use to that at all. They are use to having a computer that works, if it doesn't they call someone for help and to fix it

Not all users are lazy to search. But it is not that simple to a newbie.

You need some knowledge to at least type in the correct keywords. Then you need the same knowledge to filter out the flood of information that you get.
Things do not work in many many ways...

Besides, the main forum search does not give almost any results at all. You have to use google to get something from there. That can be extremely confusing.

[humphreybc]

Okay okay lets try to keep on topic here :)

[User3k]

Okay okay lets try to keep on topic here :)

Wait, isn't this the off topic thread... ;) :popcorn:

[humphreybc]

Shh, this may be the off topic forum but this thread is for very specific conversation!

[User3k]

Shh, this may be the off topic forum but this thread is for very specific conversation!


lol, ok got it, lol

But on topic I think too much focus right away on the forums and searches is a bad idea. Though maybe a section to ease new users into it slowly. It can be confusing like it has been mentioned and sometimes people get answers like "just sudo apt-get install your package, or open up your fstab and..." I know a lot of Windows users that have no clue or comfort with things like that. They are not idiots and I will never say that because it is not true. However they are completely use to a different set up, which is ok, but it takes time to feel comfortable imo.

[fancypiper]

I would like a manual that covers nothing but troubleshooting common problems. I do not know of any such book.I found a troubleshooting guide, but the section on x configuration is out of date:
Linux Troubleshooting (http://www.sedoparking.com/search/registrar.php?registrar=dotsterexpired&domain=LINUXTROUBLESHOOTING.COM&site_id=4798)

[emigrant]

i would suggest, that newbiews should be informed that one of the first things they should do after an ubuntu install is to install the ubuntu-restricted-extras (atleast for multimedia playback)

[rmp73]

As someone who rebuilt a Sony Vaio with Ubuntu 9.10 when it came out, I have had a baptism of fire with respect to Ubuntu over the past 2 months. A friend in Hong Kong who's been using Ubuntu for several years has told me more than once he's surprised I persisted so long in trying to find solutions.

I'd be happy to lend a pair of proof-reading eyes for you and have a couple of suggestions for you:
a) a section on rudimentary Terminal commands and what they are used for, example command lines would be useful too; here I'm thinking about sudo, apt-get, /etc/init.d/gdm stop, start, restart etc.
b) a definitive howto for nVidia and ATI driver installations with specific reminder to reinstall the drivers each time the Ubuntu Kernel is updated;
c) perhaps a secton on the merits of installing VirtualBox with Windows inside rather than dual-booting ******* and Linux, enabling to you to play around and then simply delete the VDI and start afresh;

Those are just a couple off the top of my head... Great idea!

[Anuovis]

This is not entirely off-topic :)
What I wanted to say, though did not do that explicitly.. is that it might not be a good idea to just say in the book "go to the Ubuntu Forums if you need help". If you are going to include anything about online sources, it would be a good idea to mention that, for example, the search bar does not work so well here... On the other hand, webpages and the like often change, if you do not want to update the manual so often... Yes, it is better not to go into detail on this one :)

[Bölvaður]

1. running with VESA driver.
2. installing nvida driver.

[ukripper]

i would like to see one day in a book reference - How to use ubuntu to catch signals from your retina wirelessly and move the cursor with the movement of your eyeballs, instead of using mouse or any other peripheral.

Sorry may not be relevant to this thread but perhaps in future someone may look back to this thread during the time of Terminator 50 (extinction) release!

[whiskeylover]

Add some pictures of semi-naked women in it. I'm sure that'll attract a lot of male readers.

[plurworldinc]

When I got started with Ubuntu a little under two years now I would love to be about to find a book that could show me Ubuntu from the view point of a person that is use to the GUI rather then the command line.

[RJQ]

How newbie the newbie target would be? there is people working on (not with) computers and for example un/installing a program still out of their knowledge, something that I always find is that most of the information is made with the speculation that newbie refers to geek newbie and not to computer newbie. the average joe (not the average geek joe) is not the one that understand (or want to understand) the difference between GNU and Linux, "open the terminal and sudo..." you better be kidding.

My personal opinion is if this is for the newbie geek then you can easily summarise from other guides trying to be most strait forward on the instructions living a side all sorts of philosophies and history, that will save time to the newcomers, if in the other hand this is meant to the newbie in computer in general (and again these can be people with years of experience in using a computer like a in administration of some sort) then you better be putting on the shelf the geeknes (new word :P) and try from the bottom all the way up, many guides including official ones have this info but is always deepen in the obscureness of lines and lines of more advanced staff.

Any way I have a couple of cartoons in case you find them usable for your proyect, (sarcastic style) I give them away to another guys but they never used, if you want them let me know to give you the link, and for a spanish translation of your guide put me on the list.
cheers.;)

[befana]

Where is the program I've just installed?:confused::confused::confused:
How to install a program?
What is a repository and which one to use?
How to change the default theme?
Why I am not root?
What is CLI and why should I learn how to work with it?
What about viruses and spyware?
How to share with other Windows PCs in my LAN?
How to make a virtual CD-rom and mount an iso-image?
How to monitor SMART data for my hard drive?
How to monitor my system performance?
How to stop an unresponsive application?
How to add a keyboard layout?
How to configure keyboard shortcuts?
Which is META key?
Where to find help and reading about Ubuntu and Linux?
Why do I have hidden files and how to make them visible?
...........................................
....and a lot more but can't remember now...

[cta16]

I see these questions in the General Help section all the time and I'm surprised there isn't a sticky for these questions.

1. Panel objects - New users don't understand that you can add things and remove things from the panel. The notification area gets removed accidentally a lot of times. Sometimes, users accidentally delete a whole panel.

2. Compiz - Lots of new users want to get compiz installed. List the packages that should be installed and how to install them (including ccsm). Also, a lot of people ask about how to get different wallpapers on each virtual desktop.

3. Dual boot - A guide to get dual boot working. I'm sure there are lots out there but this is supposed to be an all-in-one guide right?

[humphreybc]

Wow cool, another couple of pages of replies. This is great!

I'm just going to try and reply to some people specifically here:


I would like a manual that covers nothing but troubleshooting common problems. I do not know of any such book.

That is a great idea, and if the first manual is successful, a troubleshooting book could be a viable idea for a second project. :)


I'd be happy to lend a pair of proof-reading eyes for you and have a couple of suggestions for you:
a) a section on rudimentary Terminal commands and what they are used for, example command lines would be useful too; here I'm thinking about sudo, apt-get, /etc/init.d/gdm stop, start, restart etc.
b) a definitive howto for nVidia and ATI driver installations with specific reminder to reinstall the drivers each time the Ubuntu Kernel is updated;
c) perhaps a secton on the merits of installing VirtualBox with Windows inside rather than dual-booting ******* and Linux, enabling to you to play around and then simply delete the VDI and start afresh;

a) and b) I will definitely include. c) might be a bit in depth for a Beginners Guide to Ubuntu (I don't want to start talking about specific programs so much), but Virtualbox is on my list of "My pick of apps" for that chapter. In the description of Vbox I'll have a few lines on the benefits of using it.


What I wanted to say, though did not do that explicitly.. is that it might not be a good idea to just say in the book "go to the Ubuntu Forums if you need help". If you are going to include anything about online sources, it would be a good idea to mention that, for example, the search bar does not work so well here... On the other hand, webpages and the like often change, if you do not want to update the manual so often... Yes, it is better not to go into detail on this one

Yes I agree - at the moment in a section called "Is Ubuntu right for you?" I've basically got a few bullet points for people to take into consideration. The first one outlines that it is a community, not just an operating system.


i would like to see one day in a book reference - How to use ubuntu to catch signals from your retina wirelessly and move the cursor with the movement of your eyeballs, instead of using mouse or any other peripheral.

lol


Add some pictures of semi-naked women in it. I'm sure that'll attract a lot of male readers.

I'm not sure what the Ubuntu woman group would think about that...!

@RJQ - Yes I agree with you there. The style that I am writing it in should hopefully be easy enough to follow for complete computer newbies, but also hold valuable information for geeks/linux nerds as well. I'll try to stay away from the command line in most chapters except the one chapter where I actually do talk about the command line.

@Befana - These would make great questions for the troubleshooting/FAQ chapter. Thanks.

@cta16 - Panel Objects I will definitely go into detail about. Compiz I will touch on, but because ccsm is a program that doesn't come default with Ubuntu, I don't want to go into too much detail. Once again, Dual-booting I will explain briefly what you need to do, but I'll be directing readers to the internet for step-by-step guides.

At the moment I am leaning towards "beginners" - people who most likely won't even know what dual-booting is, or have any desire to do it.

My goal is to try and help out the mainstream users - People who want to dual-boot, do advanced things using their computer etc probably already know about the Forums... but 90% of computer users just want to email, view photos, listen to music and surf the web on an OS that's fast and isn't filled with viruses. These sort of people are far more used to looking up whatever is wrong in a manual/guide - rather than searching the internet.

Throughout the guide I will try to point them in the direction of the forums/Planet Ubuntu/community - after all, Ubuntu is a community thing.

It's very, very hard trying to decide what type of guide to write.

The other option is to write a large, all-encompassing guide and then release that with another title, then cut it down, slimline it and release that version as the beginners guide.

I can't make that decision until I know whether this one is going to work, to appeal to both computer newbies and computer geeks. And that's what I need your help with :P

[humphreybc]

Hi everyone,

I was talking with Jono Bacon tonight and he suggested the best way to go about testing/feedback/contributions for the manual is via Launchpad. He is really excited about the idea and is interested to see how it pans out - so am I.

Therefore, I've just created a Launchpad team for the Beginners Manual:

Join the team and subscribe to the mailing list here:

https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-manual


See the milestones, releases and download the current Table of Contents and what I’ve written so far here:

https://launchpad.net/ubuntu-manual

And if you want to dive straight in to contributing, then you can get the bzr branch here:

https://code.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-manual/ubuntu-manual/main

Currently we are looking for:

Writers
Artwork
Translators
Editors

… if we want to keep on track for an Alpha release at the end of January, and the final release in time for Lucid!