We wrote this to give you a better understanding of the Mandriva Linux system. In it we focus on graphical applications which allow you to perform your daily tasks, such as writing documents and e-mails, surfing the web and listening to music. We also show you how to configure your desktop to your liking, install software, and finally, we give you some tips and tricks to help you fix common — and not so common — problems.
We start off with Installing Mandriva Linux, where we discuss what you need to know before you actually install Mandriva Linux onto your system (see Chapter 1, Installation Warning, and Chapter 2, Before Installation). Then we show you how to correctly install and configure your Mandriva Linux distribution (Chapter 3, Installation with DrakX) by describing the preparation, installation and post-installation procedures.
The next part (Discovering Mandriva Linux) is an introduction to Linux basics. We discuss the Linux paradigm by comparing it to other OSes in Chapter 4, Migrating to Linux from Windows® and Mac OS® X. In order to help new users, we wrote Chapter 5, Linux for Beginners. In it we describe the first steps a new user must master and we explain concepts such as “logging in and out”, security tips, and more. The following chapter (Chapter 6, Accessing Documentation) guides you through a fairly exhaustive list of documentation sources which you can consult to attain a better understanding of Linux. A Mandriva Linux-specific section points to numerous in-house resources which you can find on the Net. We close this part by speaking about the popular KDE graphical environment (see Chapter 7, Using KDE).
We then tackle Internet applications (Communicating with the Wired World). We explain how to send e-mails using the KMail component of the Kontact suite (Section 1, “Writing E-mails and Reading News”), how to read news and RSS feeds with Akregator (Section 1.2, “Akregator”) and how to browse the web using Firefox (Chapter 9, Surfing The Web With Firefox).
The next part (Free Software Daily) discusses the OpenOffice.org suite (see Section 1, “Word Processor”, and Section 2, “Spreadsheet”), file managers (see Section 3, “Managing Your Files”) and printers (see Section 4, “Printing and Faxing from Applications”). We then explore the world of multimedia by reviewing audio and movie applications (see Section 1, “Audio Applications”, and Section 2, “Movie Applications”), as well as CD burning (see Section 3, “CD Burning”).
Finally we go through more technical aspects of the Mandriva Linux system (Configuring and Tweaking Your Box):
Mandriva Linux Control Center. This is your main graphical configuration tool (see Section 1, “MCC's Components”). With it you can configure your software sources (Chapter 13, Package Management through Rpmdrake), your hardware (Chapter 14, Hardware Setup), and your network (Chapter 15, Setting up your Network and Accessing the Web). You can also set up your general system settings (Chapter 16, Personalizing your System) such as your menus (see Section 1, “Customizing your Menus with MenuDrake”) and your start-up services (see Section 2, “Configuring Start-Up Services”). We also address more complex issues such as configuring your mount points (Chapter 17, Mount Points and Remote Directories) and general system security (Chapter 18, Securing your Linux Box). Finally, you can tune-up your boot options (Chapter 19, Boot Device Configuration).
Software Installation. Mandriva Linux offers different ways to update your system with normal software updates and security fixes. This can be done through the Rpmdrake Software Manager (Chapter 13, Package Management through Rpmdrake) which allows you to install and remove software packages, set up Mandriva Update sources as well as other media such as Cooker.
Troubleshooting. For most users, switching to GNU/Linux is a challenging experience. And this manual wouldn't be complete without a chapter dedicated to helping you solve what might go wrong during your GNU/Linux experience (Chapter 21, Troubleshooting). It gives you tips and tricks if “all hell breaks loose”: needless to say, this chapter cannot be exhaustive.