LINUX IN THE WORKPLACE
How to Use Linux in Your Office
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LINUX
IN THE
WORKPLACE
H O W T O U S E L I N U X
I N YO U R O F F I C E
SSC, Publishers of Linux Journal
An imprint of No Starch Press, Inc.
San Francisco
PRESS
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LINUX IN THE WORKPLACE. Copyright ©2002 by Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. (SSC)
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the
prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.
E Printed in the United States of America on recycled paper
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10--05 04 03 02
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Co-publishers: William Pollock and Phil Hughes
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Library of Congress Cataloguing- in-Publication Data
Linux in the Workplace / SSC.
p. cm.
ISBN 1-886411-86-7
1. Linux. 2. Operating systems (Computers) I. Specialized
Systems Consultants.
QA76.76.O63L5455 2002
005.4'32--dc21
2002001102
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Introduction
xvii
Chapter 1
Learning about the Pieces
1
Chapter 2
Logging In and Moving Around
5
Chapter 3
Managing Files
21
Chapter 4
Getting Organized
45
Chapter 5
The OpenOffice Suite
71
Chapter 6
Alternative Office Software
97
Chapter 7
Working with Graphics
117
Chapter 8
More on Graphics: The GIMP
135
Chapter 9
Communication: Working with
Email, Usenet News, and Faxes
153
Chapter 10
Accessing the Web
187
Chapter 11
Customizing Your Desktop
217
Chapter 12
Making Job Backups
257
Chapter 13
Using the Command Line
267
B R I E F C O N T E N T S
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Brief Contents
vii
Appendix A
OpenOffice Default Key Bindings/
Keyboard Shortcuts
293
Appendix B
What Does What: Matching
Your Task with the
Appropriate Program
301
Appendix C
Creating and Maintaining a
GPG Key for KMail
305
Index
309
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C O N T E N T S I N D E T A I L
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Why This Book Is Different
xviii
1
L E A R N I N G A B O U T T H E P I E C E S
What Is Linux?
1
The Roots of Linux
2
Linux Performance
2
Linux Distributions
3
Ways of Communicating with Linux: Text and Graphical
3
What Is KDE?
3
What Else Is Included?
4
2
L O G G I N G I N A N D M O V I N G A R O U N D
Logging In and Out
5
Changing Passwords
6
Logging Out
7
A Word about Root
7
The Landscape of the KDE Desktop
7
Menus, Windows, and Toolbars
8
Other Mouse Uses: Moving and Copying
10
Navigating Your Desktop
11
The Panel
11
The Desktop
17
Navigating with the Keyboard
19
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Contents in Detail
ix
3
M A N A G I N G F I L E S
Making the Konqueror File Manager Your Friend
22
The Location Bar
22
The Konqueror File Display
23
Accessing Files on Removable Media--CD-ROM and Floppy DiskDrives
24
Menus and Toolbar Buttons
25
Window Menu
31
Accessing Man Pages
32
Working with Files
33
Creating New Folders and Files
33
Moving Files
34
Opening Files
35
Right-Clicking Files
37
Changing Permissions
42
Middle-Clicking
43
Using File Compression
43
4
G E T T I N G O R G A N I Z E D
KOrganizer
45
Configuring KOrganizer
46
Menus and Toolbars
51
Printing from KOrganizer
52
Using the To-Do List
52
Scheduling Events
56
Importing, Exporting, and Archiving in KOrganizer
59
KPilot
60
Syncing with KPilot
61
KPilot Files
61
Configuring KPilot
63
KArm: Time Management
65
Working with Tasks
65
Configuring KArm
66
KNotes
67
Working with KNotes
68
Configuring KNotes
68
KJots
69
Using KJots
69
KCalc
69
Using KCalc
70
Configuring KCalc
70
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x
Contents in Detail
5
T H E O P E N O F F I C E S U I T E
Introduction to OpenOffice
72
Writer: Working with Text
74
Creating a New Document
74
Opening an Existing Document
75
Formatting Your Document
76
Inserting Graphics into Your Document
80
Saving Your Document
81
Creating Document Templates
81
Printing Your Document
82
OpenOffice Calc: Spreadsheets
82
Creating a New Spreadsheet
83
Deleting or Moving Data
83
Using Formulas and Functions
84
Formatting Your Spreadsheet
85
Making a Chart
86
Saving Your Spreadsheet
87
Working with Multiple Pages in One Spreadsheet
87
Printing Your Spreadsheet
87
OpenOffice Impress: Presentations and Slideshow
88
Fine-Tuning Your Presentation
90
Saving and Exporting Your Presentation
90
Exporting as a Web Presentation
90
Printing Your Presentation
91
Viewing Your Presentation
91
OpenOffice Draw for Graphics
92
A Sample Draw Document
92
Keyboard Shortcuts in the OpenOffice Suite
95
6
A L T E R N A T I V E O F F I C E S O F T W A R E
KOffice
97
Navigating KOffice
98
KWord
98
Creating a New KWord Document
99
Opening an Existing Document
100
Using Frames
101
Formatting Your Document
103
Inserting Graphics into Your Document
106
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Contents in Detail
xi
KSpread
107
Creating a New Spreadsheet
107
Opening an Existing Spreadsheet
107
Entering Data
108
Using Formulas and Functions
109
KWrite
110
AbiWord
111
Starting AbiWord
111
The AbiWord Screen
112
Working with Files
112
Setting View Options for Productivity
113
Formatting
114
Setting Tabs and Margins
114
Using Styles
115
Using SpellChecker
115
Adding Links
116
Setting Preferences
116
7
W O R K I N G W I T H G R A P H I C S
KPaint
117
The Toolbar
118
Color
120
Document Information
121
Scanning
122
xscanimage
122
Scan Mode Options
123
Scanning Resolutions
126
Moire Patterns
127
Kontour
127
Getting Started with Kontour
127
Grab `n Go with KSnapshot
129
KView
130
Getting Started with KView
130
Playing with KView
131
gv
133
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xii
Contents in Detail
8
M O R E O N G R A P H I C S :
T H E G I M P
Getting Started
136
The Toolbar
136
File and Xtns
137
Color Menu
137
Dialog Menu
137
Selection
139
Smart Selection
139
Move, View, and Crop
141
Transform, Flip, and Text
141
Color Picker, Bucket, and Gradient
142
Pencil, Paintbrush, Eraser, and Ink Tools
142
Airbrush, Clone, and Convolver
143
Dodge and Burn and Smudge Tools
143
Finally, Let's Work with The GIMP!
144
Layers
144
Retouching Photos
146
More Retouching
149
Filters
151
Script-Fu and You
151
9
C O M M U N I C A T I O N :
W O R K I N G W I T H E M A I L ,
U S E N E T N E W S A N D F A X E S
KMail
153
Configuring KMail
155
Using KMail
161
Using the KMail Address Book
169
Other Features of KMail
171
Email with Netscape
175
Other Email Agents
178
Usenet
178
KNode
179
Usenet News with Netscape
182
Faxing
183
K Send a Fax
183
KFax
184
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Contents in Detail
xiii
10
A C C E S S I N G T H E W E B
Konqueror in Detail
188
The Basics of Getting Around
188
Getting to Know Your History
190
Searching the World Wide Web
191
Setting a New Home Page
193
Using Bookmarks
194
Using Plugins
202
Saving Web Pages and Images
204
Printing a Web Page
205
Other Options
206
Customizing Konqueror
206
Konqueror Browser Setup
207
Cookies
209
Crypto
211
User Agent
212
Other Applications
213
FTP and KBear
213
Netscape
213
Opera
213
Building Web Content
214
Using Save to Make HTML
214
Using Quanta Plus
214
11
C U S T O M I Z I N G Y O U R D E S K T O P
Using the Control Center
217
File Browsing
219
File Associations
219
File Manager
221
Quick Copy & Move Plugin
222
Information
222
Look & Feel
223
Background
224
Color
225
Desktop
226
Fonts
228
Icons
229
Launch Feedback
230
Menu Settings
230
Panel
231
Screensaver
234
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Shortcuts
235
Style
237
Taskbar
237
Theme Manager
238
Window Behavior
239
Window Decoration
241
Network
242
Email
242
News Ticker
242
Peripherals
244
Mouse
244
Personalization
246
Accessibility
246
Country & Language
246
Crypto
247
Konsole
247
Passwords
247
Session Manager
247
Spell Checking
247
Power Control
247
Sound
248
System Notifications
250
System
250
Adding Icons
251
Panel Buttons
252
Desktop Icons
253
Adding Icons to the K Menu
255
12
M A K I N G J O B B A C K U P S
The Ark Archiver Backup Utility
258
Burning Data to CDs with KOnCD
260
Preparation
260
Starting Up
262
Backing Up Files
263
xiv
Contents in Detail
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Contents in Detail
xv
13
U S I N G T H E C O M M A N D L I N E
Terminal Windows
268
Konsole
268
xterm
270
The Shell
271
Shell Choices
271
Shell Prompt
272
Control Characters
272
Pipes and Redirection
273
Command-Line Format
275
Command-Line Editing and Shell History
276
Command Completion
276
Shell Expansions
276
Quoting
277
Conventions
278
File Hierarchy
278
Naming the Pieces
278
Moving About
279
File Manipulation Utilities
279
ls--Listing Directory Contents
279
cp--Copy Files
280
mv--Rename or Move Files
281
rm--Remove Files
281
mkdir--Create a Directory
282
rmdir--Remove a Directory
283
Text Editors
284
Emacs
284
Joe
284
vi
284
lpr--Send File to a Printer
284
File Attributes and Permissions
285
How Permissions Work
285
chmod--Change File Permissions
286
chgrp--Change File Group
286
Information
287
file--Guess File Type
287
man--Online Documentation
287
Sorting and Searching
288
grep--Searching for Strings in Files
288
find--Locating a File
289
locate--Locating a File
290
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Contents in Detail
System-Related Commands
290
ps--Process Status
290
top--Ongoing Process Status
291
df--Display Free Disk Space
292
du--Display Disk Space Usage
292
Conclusion
292
A
O P E N O F F I C E D E F A U L T K E Y B I N D I N G S /
K E Y B O A R D S H O R T C U T S
OpenOffice Writer
293
OpenOffice Calc
295
OpenOffice Impress
297
OpenOffice Draw
298
B
W H A T D O E S W H A T : M A T C H I N G Y O U R T A S K
W I T H T H E A P P R O P R I A T E P R O G R A M
301
C
C R E A T I N G A N D M A I N T A I N I N G A G P G K E Y F O R K M A I L
Generating Your Key
305
Posting Your Key to a Keyserver
306
Signing Other People's Keys
307
Keysigning Events
307
OpenPGP and GPG Documentation
307
Index
309
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