Ubuntu Reference Page

Linux Applications that I like to use with Ubuntu

GParted (GUI partition management)
Bluefish (web authoring) User Guide
gFTP (file transfer protocol)
gThumb (image editing and management)
gimp-gap (animation package for GIMP)
Agave (web color picker)

rdiff-backup (excellent backup application)
gmail-notify (configuration instructions)
VLC (play commercial DVD videos)
Mplayer (Movie Player - plays some media that VLC won't)
MEncoder (command line tool that can convert jpeg files into video)
motion (video capture and motion detection)
Audacity (audio editing)
ubuntu-restricted-extras (support for MP3 playback, M$ fonts, Java runtime environment, Flash plugin, and DVD playback, et al)
K3B (CD burning - Better than Brasero!)
NoScript addon for Firefox (Instructions)

This Reference tells how to fix playback of commercial DVD

This makes VLC work properly:
"sudo /usr/share/doc/libdvdread3/install-css.sh"

GNU Cash - Article
Unetbootin (create bootable Live USB)
Kdenlive (video editing
recordMyDesktop
Thoggen (DVD backup utility)
K9 Copy (Archive commercial DVD)

very good help file

Google Earth
Google Chrome (web browser)
Blender (3D content creation)

Ubuntu Server Applications

Other Linux Applications

The most amazing (and undocumented) feature of Ubuntu!

Command Line - file management

ls list files
ls <option>

ls -a (include hidden files)
ls -d (list directories only)
lshw (list all installed hardware)
lsusb (list usb ports)

pwd present working directory
cd change directory

go to root: cd /
go to home dir: cd~
go up one dir: cd ..

cp copy file

syntax: cp Source Destination

rm remove files and directories

rm [OPTION]... FILE...
Option: -R removes directories and their contents recursively

mkdir make directory
chmod change permissions on files

Syntax: chmod [option] [mode] file
Options: -v verbose, -R Recursive
Mode: (example) 644 First digit is for users, second digit for groups, third digit for others
Value for each digit is a sum of permissions: read 4, write 2, execute 1

chown change user and group ownership of files

Syntax: chmod [option] [owner:group] file/directory
Option: -R Recursive
Example 1: sudo chown carl:carl webpage.htm
Example 2: sudo chown carl:carl /media/share

dd Copy a CD to a disk image

dd if=/dev/cdrom of=image.iso

How I fixed...

Command Line - system admin

sudo apt-cache search "search parameter" search repositories for applications
sudo apt-cache show gthumb show attributes for specified application
sudo apt-get install gthumb install application and dependencies
sudo apt-get remove gthumb remove application

sudo apt-get --purge remove gthumb removes configuration files too

sudo apt-get update updates package list
sudo apt-get upgrade actually updates installed packages
both at once:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y dist-upgrade
aptitude package management interface for server
shutdown [option] [when]

options: -r (restart), -h (halt system after shutdown)
when now, 20:15 (at 8:15 PM), 12 (in 12 minutes)

wget download file from web

syntax: wget http://www.site.com/filename.deb

dpkg command line package manager

Reference: LINK
Example: dpkg -i somepackage.deg

Key Configuration Files

/etc/fstab mount partitions at boot

/etc/apt/sources.lists Repository list
/boot/grub/menu.lst grub boot menu list
/etc/X11/xorg.conf zzz

Key system log files

/var/log/syslog general system log
/var/log/auth.log system authentication logs
/var/log/mail.log
/var/log/messages
/var/log/dmesg kernel ring buffer messages

Video

motion

/etc/motion/motion.conf
Commonly modified parameters:

videodevice
input
rotate
height
width
framerate
threshold
pre_ & post_capture
target_dir

Next item
another item