Introduction to Computers Using Ubuntu
Table of Contents
This introductory guide is a NatickFOSS project.
It is a set of web pages being revised to match Ubuntu 20.04 which was released on April 23rd, 2020.
It may be of interest to you, as it was for me, that the words have not needed to change very much, though images consistently have needed updates.
Broad usage stability is good even when details may change.
This Table of Contents page was last updated , and the guide is ready for review and revision. If you have the interest in improving any guide page, please reach out by email with suggestions, corrections and even sections of text to be added. The previous edition is still available, until this one is "ready".
Is the "computer novice" focus of these pages is still a good approach to take. It is difficult for me to assess on my own. My experience has told me that basic concepts are too easily overlooked.
"I know that, so everyone else must also know that." It is very easy to move too quickly into an advanced topic, making the (false?) assumption that the intermediate steps can be omitted. Please help on this idea as you read any page.
What is too simple? What gap has been overlooked?
Thank you to everyone who supports and contributes to this project. Thank you, too, if you read and use this guide.
Preface - You know this is where you want to start. 
Last revised: 2020-May-09 : 14 04
The Basics - Read it even if you think you know. Last revised: 2020-Jun-05 : 09 26
Word Processing 1 - Writing on your computer. Last revised: 2020-May-07 : 09 41
Word Processing 2 - Retrieving what you have written and saved. Last revised: 2020-May-08 : 16 09
Word Processing 3 - Editing what you have written and saved. Last revised: 2020-May-08 : 17 58
Word Processing 4 - Character styling for what you have written. Last revised: 2020-May-09 : 11 04
Word Processing 5 - Changing the look of a whole paragraph. Last revised: 2020-May-12 : 12 17
Word Processing 6 - Checking the spelling. Last revised: 2020-May-12 : 12 11
Word Processing 7 - Heading Styles and Tables of Contents. Last revised: 2020-May-11 : 09 27
File Storage - Where does my work go when I save? Last revised: 2020-May-13 : 09 20
File Storage Background/Theory - Magnets and spinning disks. Last revised: 2020-May-13 : 11 50
Connecting to the Internet - Wired or Wireless connections get you there. Last revised: 2020-May-12 : 15 38
The World Wide Web - Browse the information of the world Last revised: 2020-May-14 : 07 26
Default Applications - The software you get with a fresh install of Ubuntu Unity. Last revised: 2020-May-14 : 13 22
Installing Software - Installing from the Software Center. Last revised: 2020-May-14 : 13 22
Updating Software - Updating with the Software Center. Last revised: 2020-May-14 : 14 12
Spreadheets Using Calc - Working with data tables and calculations. Last revised: 2020-May-15 : 13 41
Line Graphs with Calc - Visualizing the numbers in a series. Last revised: 2020-May-15 : 14 10
Bar Graphs with Calc - Comparing things against one another. Last revised: 2020-May-15 : 14 28
Pie Graphs with Calc - Showing "parts of a whole." Last revised: 2020-May-15 : 16 08
Arranging a List with Calc - Using Calc for a contact list. Last revised: 2020-May-15 : 16 13
Live Distro on USB - Using UNetbootin to test live GNU/Linux on your PC or Mac Last revised: 2020-Aug-07 : 10 39
Hardware - What do you get when you buy a computer. Last revised: 2021-Jan-25 : 16 35
Glossary - Brief reminders of the meaning of key words found in the sections of this guide. Last revised: 2020-Jun-13 : 09 49
Credits/License - This guide is designed to share, just observe the proper licensing. Last revised: 2020-Jan-28 : 15 37
Look to the To Do page for potential sections of the guide. Your suggestions are eagerly solicited: email: algot[AT]runeman.org
Ubuntu is a compilation of GNU/Linux software put together by many developers and distributed by Canonical. Ubuntu is released every six months. The current LTS version version has Long Term Support (LTS). "Focal Fossa (20.04)" will have regular security and stable software updates for a full five years which makes it very good for those wanting a stable platform for important computer tasks. The intermediate six-month releases are only officially supported for nine months each, but will often include the most recent versions of software, sacrificing some stability for having recently added features sooner.
At the February 6th NatickFOSS meeting, it was recommended that this page show revision dates for updated pages to help those who are going to contribute to the project.
The information on this page is current as of 2024-Apr-16 : 19 05 (server time). Reviewable pages show the dates they were last revised. To show page dates, this web page uses a special kind of web page extension: "shtml" (involving something called "Server Side Includes"). The table of contents will probably be converted to a stable, simple html page without revision dates once the project is stable.
A descriptive style guide has been added to help understanding the usage of various html elements. Refer to it if you wish.
© 2013- Algot Runeman - Shared using the Creative Commons Attribution license.
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