Introduction - Red Hat Linux Fedora For Dummies [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Introduction

Red Hat Linux Fedora For Dummies is designed to help you install and use Red Hat Linux. This book shows you how to do fun and interesting — to say nothing of useful — tasks with Red Hat Linux. This book is also designed to be an effective doorstop or coffee cup coaster. Whatever you use it for, we hope that you have fun.

About This Book

This book is designed to be a helping-hands tutorial. It provides a place to turn for help and solace in those moments when, after two hours of trying to get your network connection working, your dog bumps into the cable and it magically starts working.

Note: At press time, Red Hat renamed its Linux product to the Fedora Project. Throughout this book, we usually refer to the product as Red Hat Linux. You’ll probably see the product referred to as the Fedora Project in the news, on the Web, and elsewhere, but you can rest assured that the different terms, as used in this book, are referring to the same product.

We tried our hardest to fill up this book with the things you need to know about, such as how to

Install Red Hat Linux

Get connected to the Internet by using broadband DSL and cable modems or old-fashioned dial-up modems

Get connected to your Local Area Network (LAN)

Build a simple but effective firewall

Build Internet and LAN services, such as Web pages and print servers

Use Red Hat Linux to play CDs and listen to Internet radio stations

Use the GNOME desktop environment

Take advantage of useful and usable applications, such as the OpenOffice desktop productivity suite, Evolution desktop organizer and e-mail client, and streaming multimedia MPlayer.

Work with the OpenOffice desktop productivity suite to satisfy your word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation needs

Upgrade your computer and network security

Know where to go for help

Manage your Red Hat Linux workstation

You see troubleshooting tips throughout this book, and Chapter 18 is devoted to the subject. It’s not that Red Hat Linux is all that much trouble, but we want you to be prepared in case you run into bad luck.