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October 6, 2008 | News
7 Days of M1530: Setting Up Your New Computer – Beginner User
Today, I have a tutorial for anyone new to Ubuntu who has just gotten a machine with Ubuntu, either from Dell or from any other manufacturer. These are the things I would consider doing as a new user getting his or her first PC with Ubuntu:
- Set OpenOffice to Automatically Save in the Microsoft .doc Format
Go to Tools > Options in OpenOffice. Under Load/Save, choose General. At the bottom, change the default format for saving each type of document to Microsoft Word 97/2000/XP. - Add Desktop Shortcuts for Important Applications
Find the applications you are likely to use in the Applications menu and drag them to your desktop for easy launching. - Determine if You Have A Need for Virtualization or Dual Boot
Figure out if there are Linux alternatives to all the applications you used to use. If not, consider dual-booting or virtualizing WIndows. If you dual-boot, you will be able to choose between Windows and Linux when you boot up your computer. If you virtualize, you will be able to run Windows inside a window on your Linux desktop. - Test Your Hardware, Particularly Unusual Features; Make Recovery Discs
This is not specific to Linux, but it is always important to test all your hardware (by using it) to make sure you did not get a defective part. Also, create recovery discs if they did not come in the box. - Consider installing Blubuntu
If you really don’t like the default theme (come on, you really hate brown that much?), then an easy solution is to install a package called “blubuntu-look” from Synaptic. This will give you a complete blue theme. - Install the Needed Software to Play DVDs, MP3s, and More
If you bought your system from Dell, don’t worry about this. If not, you likely need to install software to playback DVDs, MP3s, and more. To go the completely legal route, buy them from Canonical (both this and this). - Set Up a Backup System
You could use JungleDisk, any of the software available from Add/Remove, just copy your files to a USB hard drive, or anything you want, just have a way of backing up. - Get and Use An Ubuntu Sticker
If your system does not come with an Ubuntu sticker, you can get one from System 76 and put it on. - Learn About Installing Software on Linux
Installing software is one of the biggest differences between the three major operating systems. You can learn about installing software on Ubuntu here. - Find a Forum To Ask Questions
Create an account at the Ubuntu Forums or Linux Questions so you can get your questions answered.
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Ryan – I added the word.
Forgot the word “wife” in the second sentence … My bad
I’ll have to agree with the auto DOC file save. My wife just wants everything to work. She couldn’t give a dingos kidney if the file architecture is open or from mars as long as she can get to her school papers whenever and where ever she is. She must be able to open it if she is at a school computer lab or if she turned it in as homework. Also she is NOT going to be happy with OO telling her that she will “lose features” if she saves it as a DOC. She doesn’t know what that means and really doesn’t care as long as the paper looks the same the next time she opens it. I’ve spread more OO copies merely by telling people, “It is exactly like stealing MS Office, except it’s legal.” If you want to balance between getting people to use the better file type just offer it as the first choice when saving a new file. However if they have already chosen or have opened a file that is already a DOC keep it as such. Forcing people to download OO.o is not the answer. They will just get pissy and hate you for forcing them to do something like this.
I always send in odf format! I always attach a link to openoffice.org when it’s doubtful the recip. may not know what it is. If they still can’t figure it out then I send in doc format.
Can’t get converts without spreading the religion!
quote::Set OpenOffice to Automatically Save in the Microsoft .doc Format
Don’t do this. Windows users who have installed OO.o rarely, if ever, set OO.o to .doc, unless they are technically sophisticated. By not setting this, Windows users who receive OO.o documents are forced to download and install OO.o. I’ve seen this in action, at our local small town newspaper, where contributors, who obviously have windows with OO.o installed, have sent in ODT documents, and the editor downloaded OO.o, so he could use the documents.
Concerning 1, 2 & 3…if they are just going to keep doing things the Windows way (MS Office doc format, program icons on the desktop like Windows and running Windows through dual boot or virtually) wouldn’t they have been better off buying a Windows laptop and adding Ubuntu later. Maybe new users should be encouraged to do things a little less Windows like instead of encouraging them to still find ways to get their Windows fix. Not the first 3 things I would want to present to a new Ubuntu Dell owner.
I question your number one (1) suggestion. Unless one has to send lots of document files, then saving to ODF file is better. I have found that I rarely have to send a document, and then I usually send it as a PDF, rather than an ODF file or .doc, xls, etc. file. Besides I like to store my files as ODF as they are compressed and take less space on my hard drive. An ODF file can be one tenth the size of a .doc or .xls file, so there is a good reason fro saving in ODF files.
The 1st advice is completely wrong. Instead of this, you could write a summary of open versus closed formats and let the user decide what fits him/her best.
But advising a new user to save in closed formats is totally wrong IMHO.
Totally disagree with #1: “Set OpenOffice to Automatically Save in the Microsoft .doc Format.”
ODF is an ISO open format developed using open standards. Microsoft’s binary .doc format is still deeply dependent on Windows’ APIs.
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Thanks for the links to the Ubuntu codecs, but jeez, that’s seriously expensive for those! I can buy a DVD player cheaper than either set.
.doc? No way. Stick with ODF and use export as PDF if you need to send something to the less fortunate.
Desktop shortcuts? Put them in the panel so you can see them around various windows you have open. Right-click on the panel and select “add to panel”
I would not recommend dual booting/virtualization to a newbie. They likely have no lock-in to M$ anyway. Find what works for them in the repositories. You rarely need an application that imitates some stuff that only runs in that other OS. You need stuff that helps you create, find, change and communicate data. There are many ways to do that besides running a particular application. For many individuals the purpose of a PC is to play media, write documents, e-mail and browsing. There are lots of choices in GNU/Linux.