Now
a days so many people are using Ubuntu operating system on their
personal computers but a many of them don't know how to use the
commands in the terminal to know so many things about their operating
system. In Ubuntu we can perform tasks by using Graphical user
interface(GUI), Command line interface(CLI). By using terminal we can
perform a lot of tasks through the terminal, but we can do somany
tasks with administrator priviliges. So in order to perform action
with administrator priviliges we have to type sudo and
the action needed to be performed beside it. Here sudo will
give us administrator priviliges. We can use gksudo
command
in the terminal while opening a graphical application. If you want to
install a program/ package as fast as possible then we can use the
terminal instead of Synaptic manager or Software center, We need to
enter the command like this in the terminal:
sudo apt-get install package
In Linux versions we get text
editors, Office programs, photo viewer, Fire fox and many other
programs along with the installation of Linux based versions. Latest
versions of Ubuntu are released with a gap of six months every time
i.e. released on April and October. We can find the version of ubuntu
we are using by entering a command in the terminal:
lsb_release -a
The default desktop environment
present in Ubuntu operating system is Unity. It is compatible with
GTK platform used by Gnome. And Gnome 3 is the new desktop
environment replacing the Unity. We can get it by using the below
commands in the terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository
ppa:gnome3-team/gnome3
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get install gnome-shell
The Hardware requirements for
installation of Ubuntu are given here in brief. Ubuntu Precise
Pangolin runs with as little as 384 Mb RAM.Netbooks can run Ubuntu
Precise Pangolin, which has been optimised for that platform.
The installation takes between
3-4 Gb hard drive space, and 8 - 10 Gb will be needed to run
comfortably. (However, at least 25-30 Gb will likely be needed for
routine usage.)
If you have an older computer
with less memory than this, consider Lubuntu (if 160 Mb RAM or
greater), PuppyLinux (if 256 Mb or greater), or DSL (if minimal RAM,
limited hard drive space, running from a USBdrive, or running from
within another OS). If you want to install Ubuntu along with other OS
then you will have to create a separate drive for Ubuntu as the
installation requires formatting of complete partition.
A Gnome 3.4 interface
gnome-shell can be installed, and a choice (from the Login Manager)
of running in Unity or Gnome 3 will then be available:
sudo apt-get install gnome-shell
A user interface resembling the
classic Gnome 2 interface (used in Ubuntu Lucid Lynx and earlier
versions) can be installed. (This installs the gnome-shell modules as
well.) A choice of running Unity or Gnome as the desktop environment
will then be available from the Login Manager.
sudo apt-get install
gnome-session-fallback
You can change Grub settings
from Startup Manager, a GUI that is able to manage settings for Grub
(Grub Legacy), Grub 2, Usplash, and Splashy. Installation:
sudo apt-get install
startupmanager menu
To run it follow the procedure
mentioned:
Menu -> System ->
Administration -> Startup Manager
We can update our Ubuntu with
the help of terminal in this way:
sudo apt-get install
update-manager-core
sudo do-release-upgrade
But before performing this
backup your system for safety. If some thing goes wrong we can get
back opur OS to its normal state. Its better to upgrade your Ubuntu
in a serial order.
Software packages and programs
are freely available for download at multiple online sites with
standardized structures, called repositories. There are repositories
officially sanctioned and monitored by the Kubuntu/Ubuntu developer
community, while other repositories are independently provided,
without official sanction or supervision (and should be used with
caution). To add a repository to your Ubuntu type the command below
in the terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository
ppa:user/ppa-name
If add-apt-repository is not
available on your system, then install it with the package:
sudo apt-get install
python-software-properties
You can also add the
repositories from the synaptic manager also. To do it follow the
below steps:
Menu -> System ->
Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager -> Settings ->
Repositories
To remove a repository use the
below command in the terminal:
sudo apt-add-repository -r
ppa:user/repository
Instructions for installing
packages from the command-line Terminal:
sudo apt-get install packagename
Remove packages:
sudo apt-get remove packagename
To remove all dependencies use:
sudo apt-get autoremove
Search for packages:
apt-cache search <keywords>
Update the apt package database
after adding/removing repositories:
sudo apt-get update
To upgrade packages:
sudo apt-get upgrade
To upgrade the entire
distribution :
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
We can also install .Deb packges
through command-line interface in simple steps.
To install a downloaded Debian
(Ubuntu) package (.deb):
sudo dpkg -i packagename.deb
To remove a Debian (Ubuntu)
package (.deb):
sudo dpkg -r packagename
To reconfigure/Repair an
installed Debian (Ubuntu) package (.deb):
sudo dpkg-reconfigure
packagename
Aptitude is a terminal-based
package manager that can be used instead of apt-get. Aptitude marks
packages that are automatically installed and removes them when no
packages depend on them. This makes it easy to remove applications
completely. To use Aptitude, replace apt-get with aptitude in the
command line.
For an ncurses-based graphical
user interface, type :
sudo aptitude
Repair
broken packages
If a package installation fails
(which can cause a Package Manager to freeze or become locked), or if
a package has unsatisfied dependencies causing a similar condition,
then run one (or both) of the following commands from the
command-line terminal:
sudo apt-get install -f
sudo dpkg --configure -a
