Desktop Linux
a non-BS introduction
Stuff we'll cover
- Terms
- Choices
- Installation
- Basic customizations
What
it's a kernel
What again?
GNU/Linux?
Desktop Environments?
Distributions a.k.a. flavors
- Whole GNU/Linux bundled with necessary software
- Most designed to work out of the box
- Big boys:
- Ubuntu
- Fedora
- openSUSE
- Arch
How
to choose your flavor
Rule of thumb
Ubuntu. Ubuntu everywhere.
GNOME + Unity
= Default Ubuntu
- Pretty
- Sluggish on weak machines
- Backed by Canonical
- Phone, tablet, convergence and crap
GNOME + GNOME Shell
~ Ubuntu GNOME
- Still pretty
- A bit more responsive than Unity
KDE
~ Kubuntu
- Heavily customizable
- Some say complex-looking
XFCE
~ Xubuntu
- Lightweight
- Traditional desktop metaphors
- (a bit like XP)
Cinnamon
= Linux Mint
- Inspired by traditional GNOME 2
- Using modern GNOME 3
- May be sluggish on slow PCs
Installing programs
- Ubuntu Software Centre
- Synaptic
- apt
- PPAs
Tweaks
- unity-tweak-tool
- Ubuntu Tweak
Notable tools
- gedit
- sublime text
- filezilla
- ssh (duh!)