Press releases

Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, 3rd Edition--New from No Starch Press: Complete Update to Best-Selling, Project-Based Book for Beginning Linux Users

Press release: June 12, 2008

Ubuntu for Non-Geeks San Francisco, CA—When it comes to the desktop Linux game, Ubuntu is the clear winner. But Linux is still Linux. Whether readers are moving from Windows or Mac OS to Linux, the transition isn't always an easy one. It takes a bit of work, and it's really nice to have someone (or something) to help you.

The third edition of Rickford Grant's best-selling Ubuntu for Non-Geeks (No Starch Press, June 2008, 360 pp w/CD, ISBN 9781593271800) makes the transition to Linux easier than ever, offering readers hands-on experience to get them up, running, and comfortable with Ubuntu, fast. This is the book that Cory Doctorow, co-editor of Boing Boing, called "A fast, crystal-clear topical tour of the amazing collective accomplishment embodied in Ubuntu." If you need a painless and useful introduction into the world of Linux, start here.

Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, 3rd Edition is a hands-on guidebook that will have readers using and customizing their system in no time. According to No Starch Press publisher Bill Pollock, "Rickford's project-based approach to learning Linux has new users interact with their operating system, rather than just look at it. Many of the projects can accomplished with just a few mouse clicks, and as readers complete the projects they're actually customizing and building their system. His is a simple yet elegant approach that really works."

Readers learn how to:

  • Download and install free software, games, and utilities
  • Connect to wired and wireless networks or transfer files via Bluetooth
  • Configure printers, scanners, monitors, and USB flash drives
  • Watch DVDs, listen to music, and even sync their iPods
  • Edit and share digital photos and videos
  • Customize the look and feel of the system
  • Tackle more advanced tasks like working with commands and using Windows applications

Whether readers have just purchased a new Ubuntu-based Dell computer and need a patient guide, or they're just looking for a pain-free way to finally make the switch to Linux, they'll find the help and direction that they need in Rickford Grant's Ubuntu for Non-Geeks.

For a review copy or more information please email nostarchpr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

About the Authors
Rickford Grant has been a computer operating system maniac for more than 20 years. From the Atari 600XL to today's Linux machines, he has been the guy behind the help desk for family, friends, and colleagues. Rickford currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he spends his working hours as a teacher and his free time cycling, writing, and annoying his neighbors with his Nyckelharpa (Swedish keyed fiddle).

Additional Resources
Sample chapter, "A New Place to Call Home" (PDF)
Table of contents overview
Detailed table of contents (PDF)
Index (PDF)
Large cover image


Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, 3rd Edition Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, 3rd Edition
A Pain-Free, Project-Based, Get-Things-Done Guidebook
Rickford Grant
June 2008, 360 pp w/CD
ISBN 9781593271800, $34.95 USD
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (www.nostarch.com, orders@nostarch.com, 1-800-420-7240).

About No Starch Press
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent computer book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment—unique books on technology, with a focus on Open Source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and LEGO. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. See www.nostarch.com for more information and our complete online catalog. (And most No Starch Press books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding that won’t snap shut.)

About O’Reilly

O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.

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