A Guide of Ubuntu

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Ubuntu is a free and open-source Linux distribution operating system software that is based on
Debian. Ubuntu is a member of Linux family. It is work on open-source model with some proprietary
drivers. It is Available in More than 55 languages. Ubuntu is officially released in three editions:
Desktop, Server, and Core (for internet of things devices and robots). All the editions can run on the
computer alone, or in a virtual machine. Ubuntu is a popular operating system for cloud computing
with support for OpenStack.

Ubuntu is released every six months, with long-term support (LTS) releases every two years. The latest
release of Ubuntu is 19.04 ("Disco Dingo"), and the most recent long-term support release is 18.04 LTS
("Bionic Beaver"), which is supported until 2023 under public support and until 2028 as a paid option.
Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd and the community under a meritocratic governance model.
Canonical will not charge licence fees for Ubuntu, now or at any stage in the future. Canonical's
business model is to provide technical support and professional services related to Ubuntu. The
Marketing target of Ubuntu is Cloud computing, IoT, personal computers, servers.

Each Ubuntu release has a version number that consists of the year and month number of the release.
For example, the first release was Ubuntu 4.10 as it was released on 20 October 2004. Version
numbers for future versions are provisional; if the release is delayed the version number changes
accordingly. The Latest release of Ubuntu on 18 April 2019 as Ubuntu 19.04.

What is Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is a complete Linux operating system, freely available with both community and professional
support. The Ubuntu is available free of charge and the people have the freedom to customize as per
their needs. The Kernel type of Ubuntu is Monolithic and Userland is GNU. The default user interface
of Ubuntu is GNOME (GNOME is a free and open-source desktop environment for Unix, Linux like
operating systems). The Official website of Ubuntu is www.ubuntu.com

Ubuntu is suitable for both desktop and server. The current Ubuntu release supports Intel x86 (IBM-
compatible PC), AMD64 (x86-64), ARMv7, ARMv8 (ARM64), IBM POWER8/POWER9 (ppc64el), IBM Z
zEC12/zEC13/z14 and IBM LinuxONE Rockhopper I+II/Emporer I+II (s390x).

Ubuntu includes thousands of pieces of software, starting with the Linux kernel version 4.15 and
GNOME 3.28, and covering every standard desktop application from word processing and spreadsheet
applications to internet access applications, web server software, email software, programming
languages and tools and of course several games.

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Features of Ubuntu
 A default installation of Ubuntu contains a wide range of software that includes LibreOffice,
Firefox, Thunderbird, Transmission, and several lightweight games such as Sudoku and chess.
 Many additional software packages are accessible from the built in Ubuntu Software (Ubuntu
Software Center) as well as any other APT-based package management tools.
 The default file manager is GNOME Files, formerly called Nautilus.
 Ubuntu operates under the GNU General Public License (GPL) and all of the application
software installed by default is free software.
 In addition, Ubuntu installs some hardware drivers that are available only in binary format,
but such packages are clearly marked in the restricted component.
 Ubuntu is built on Debian's architecture and infrastructure, and comprises Linux server,
desktop and discontinued phone and tablet operating system versions.
 32-bit i386 processors have been supported up to Ubuntu 18.04, but users "will not be allowed
to upgrade to Ubuntu 18.10 as dropping support for that architecture is being evaluated.
 Ubuntu is a secure operating system by default. With a built-in firewall and virus protection
software, Ubuntu is one of the most secure operating systems around. And the long-term
support releases give you five years of security patches and updates.
 Most network ports are closed by default to prevent hacking. A built-in firewall allows end-
users who install network servers to control access. A GUI (for Uncomplicated Firewall) is
available to configure it.
 You can create professional documents, spreadsheets and presentations on Ubuntu with
LibreOffice. Ubuntu also includes Chrome, Opera and other browsers for web browsing. You
can also use Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, Hotmail, POP or IMAP for Email.

What is GNU/Linux?
Linux is an operating system, a series of programs that let you interact with your computer and run
other programs. The most important part of an operating system is the kernel. In a GNU/Linux system,
Linux is the kernel component. The rest of the system consists of other programs, many of which were
written by or for the GNU Project. Because the Linux kernel alone does not form a working operating
system, we prefer to use the term “GNU/Linux” to refer to systems that many people casually refer to
as “Linux”.
Linux is modelled on the Unix operating system. From the start, Linux was designed to be a multi-
tasking, multi-user system. These facts are enough to make Linux different from other well-known
operating systems. However, Linux is even more different than you might imagine. In contrast to other
operating systems, nobody owns Linux. Much of its development is done by unpaid volunteers.
Development of what later became GNU/Linux began in 1984, when the Free Software Foundation
began development of a free Unix-like operating system called GNU.
The Linux kernel first appeared in 1991, when a Finnish computing science student named Linus
Torvalds announced an early version of a replacement kernel for Minix to the Usenet newsgroup
comp.os.minix.

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Linux users have immense freedom of choice in their software. For example, Linux users can choose
from a dozen different command line shells and several graphical desktops. This selection is often
bewildering to users of other operating systems, who are not used to thinking of the command line or
desktop as something that they can change.
Linux is also less likely to crash, better able to run more than one program at the same time, and more
secure than many operating systems. With these advantages, Linux is the fastest growing operating
system in the server market. More recently, Linux has begun to be popular among home and business
users as well.

The Directory Structure

Ubuntu adheres to the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard for directory and file naming. This standard
allows users and software programs to predict the location of files and directories. The root level
directory is represented simply by the slash “/”. At the root level, all Ubuntu systems include these
directories:
Directory Content
bin It is a place for most commonly used terminal commands, like ls, mount, rm, etc.
boot It contains files needed to start up the system, including the Linux kernel, a RAM disk image and
bootloader configuration files.
dev It contains all device files, which are not regular files but instead refer to various hardware
devices on the system, including hard drives.
etc It contains system-global configuration files, which affect the system's behavior for all users.
home User home directories
lib It contains very important dynamic libraries and kernel modules
media It is intended as a mount point for external devices, such as hard drives or removable media
(floppies, CDs, DVDs).
mnt It is also a place for mount points, but dedicated specifically to "temporarily mounted" devices,
such as network filesystems.
proc Virtual directory for system information
root It is the superuser's home directory, not in /home/ to allow for booting the system even if
/home/ is not available.
run Run-time variable data
sbin It contains important administrative commands that should generally only be employed by the
superuser.
sys Virtual directory for system information
tmp It is a place for temporary files used by applications.
usr It contains the majority of user utilities and applications, and partly replicates the root directory
structure, containing for instance, among others, /usr/bin/ and /usr/lib.
var It is dedicated to variable data, such as logs, databases, websites, and temporary spool files.
srv Data for services provided by the system
opt It can be used to store additional software for your system, which is not handled by the package
manager.

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Device Names in Linux

Linux disks and partition names may be different from other operating systems. You need to know the
names that Linux uses when you create and mount partitions. Here's the basic naming scheme:
 The first floppy drive is named /dev/fd0.
 The second floppy drive is named /dev/fd1.
 The first hard disk detected is named /dev/sda.
 The second hard disk detected is named /dev/sdb, and so on.
 The first SCSI CD-ROM is named /dev/scd0, also known as /dev/sr0.
The partitions on each SCSI disk are represented by appending a decimal number to the disk name:
sda1 and sda2 represent the first and second partitions of the first SCSI disk drive in your system.
Here is a real-life example. Let's assume you have a system with 2 SCSI disks, one at SCSI address 2
and the other at SCSI address 4. The first disk (at address 2) is then named sda, and the second sdb. If
the sda drive has 3 partitions on it, these will be named sda1, sda2, and sda3. The same applies to the
sdb disk and its partitions.
Note that if you have two SCSI host bus adapters (i.e., controllers), the order of the drives can get
confusing. The best solution in this case is to watch the boot messages, assuming you know the drive
models and/or capacities.

Some Useful Ubuntu Shell Commands

Since Ubuntu is based of Debian most of this commands will work on Debian based systems too. Also,
some commands will work on other Linux based distros like Redhat, Arch etc. On a Linux environment,
commands are the best ways to do or prefer over the graphic user interface. Because, Linux itself has
an intention to teach the user, how an operating system works. There for commands are very
important, here goes the most 20 Useful Ubuntu Shell Commands with examples.

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1. ls: list directory contents

This command will show you the list of files in your current directory.
Syntex: # ls
2. cd: Change Directory
This command will allow you to change directories.
Syntex: # cd
3. pwd: print the current/working directory
This command will allow you to know in which directory you are located.
Syntex: # pwd
4. mkdir: make/create directory.
This command will allow you to create directories.
Syntex: # mkdir
5. rmdir: remove the directory
This command will delete an empty directory.
Syntex: # rmdir
6. rm: remove/delete file.
This command to remove or delete a file in your directory.
Syntex: # rm
7. mv: rename or move a file/directory
This command will move a file to a different location or will rename a file.
Syntex: # mv
8. man: Manual pages for shell commands.
This command is used to show you the manual of other commands.
Syntex: # man rm
9. cp: Copy Files
This command will make a copy of a file for you.
Syntex: # cp r_test.txt r1_test.txt
10. shutdown: Shutdown the computer from terminal
This command shutdown the computer
Syntex: # shutdown -h or # init 0
11. adduser: Addition of new user
This command creating the new user in /home directory
Syntex: # adduser ravi
12. passwd: Change password for user
This command change the password of specific user
Syntex: # passwd ravi
13. tar: Creates and extracts files from a tape or disk archive
This command stores and extracts files from a tape or disk
Syntex: # tar cvzf ravi.tar.gz *

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14. tar: Creates and extracts files from a tape or disk archive.
This command stores and extracts files from a tape or disk.
Syntex: # tar xvzf ravi.tar.gz
15. find: find searches the file located at /
This command searches the directory tree rooted at each given file.
Syntex: # find / -name ravi.txt -print
16. grep: print lines matching a pattern
This command searches the named input files for lines containing a match to the given pattern.
Syntex: # grep ravi losarwar*
17. chown: change file owner and group
This command is used to changes the user and/or group ownership of each given file.
Syntex: # chown ravi ravi.tar.gz
18. chgrp: change group ownership
This command is used to change the group of each file to group.
Syntex: # chgrp ravi ravi.tar.gz
19. chmod: change file mode bits
This command changes the file mode bits of each given file according to mode
Syntex: # chmod 777 ravi.tar.gz
20. ifconfig: configure a network interface
This command is used to configure the kernel-resident network interfaces
Syntex: # ifconfig

Ubuntu Desktop Interface

Ubuntu is a free desktop operating system and it is based on Linux. Linux comes in many shapes and
sizes, with Ubuntu being the most popular iteration on desktops and laptops. Ubuntu desktop
provides multiple desktop to users. GNOME is a default Ubuntu 18.04 desktop environment but you
can install and use some other desktop environments. The 8 Best Ubuntu Desktop Environments
(18.04 Bionic Beaver Linux) is as per given below.

1. GNOME Desktop
GNOME 3 desktop is a default Ubuntu 18.04 desktop so it comes with the installation of your
operating system. GNOME project points out various features of this desktop. GNOME 3 offers a
focused working environment, which makes you more productive. It is designed with attention to
detail and recommended for users that store documents using online services. It integrates very
well with online accounts so you can access your data from one place.

2. KDE Plasma Desktop

KDE Plasma desktop is a widget-based environment which makes it very flexible. You can move,
add or remove anything you like to make your experience as good as possible. Plasma is fast and
efficient. It uses only few resources and is full of well designed features.

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3. Mate Desktop
The MATE Desktop Environment is based on GNOME 2 and preserves its traditional metaphor. It
features an intuitive, comfortable to use and attractive desktop environment. This desktop is the
first choice for many users that liked GNOME2.

4. Budgie Desktop
Budgie is a desktop environment that is based on GNOME. It's design is modern, it focuses on
efficiency, simplicity and elegance. The usability is also emphasized in Budgie, which makes the
desktop seem familiar and intuitive. It in many ways resembles a desktop of a mobile operating
system such as Android but at the same time looks a lot like GNOME. It is not overly configurable
and is not recommended for handling of virtual desktops.

5. Xfce Desktop
Xfce's main feature is that it is a lightweight desktop environment. Therefore, it offers stable, fast
operation by being low on system resources. At the same time it is still visually appealing,
configurable and user friendly.

6. Xubuntu Desktop
Xubuntu is an elegant desktop environment which works well also on older hardware. It is user
friendly, easy to use and comes with the Xfce desktop environment. It is designed for users who
want the most out of their computers. It has rather modern look and offers efficiency for daily use.

7. Cinnamon Desktop
Cinnamon desktop is another fork of the GNOME desktop. Cinnamon is used primarily with the
Linux Mint distribution but it is also suitable for Ubuntu 18.04 and other Linux distributions.
Cinnamon has a rather conservative design and is similar to Xfce and GNOME 2. It is uncomplicated
to learn and from this reason might be a good choice for someone who is new to Linux.

8. Unity Desktop
Unity was originally developed by Canonical Ltd. for Ubuntu and it was designed to make better
use of limited size screens such as netbooks. It features a vertical application switcher called the
launcher and a horizontal top menu bar which saves a lot of space.
Unity was, however, abandoned in favor of GNOME 3, which is now the default desktop
environment in Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. Some users that are used to Unity might be, therefore,
interested in how to switch from GNOME to Unity in Ubuntu 18.04.

Installing Ubuntu on Your Existing Computer

There are three primary ways to install Ubuntu on your computer:
 Replace your existing OS with Ubuntu
 Install Ubuntu alongside your existing OS
 Run Ubuntu from a USB stick
Replacing your existing operating system will run the fastest and smoothest on your computer, even
though doing so requires a full commitment to leave your old OS behind.

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You can install Ubuntu on your system with existing Windows or macOS. This option, known as a dual
boot installation or dual-booting, will install Ubuntu on your computer alongside Windows or macOS.
Whenever you start your computer, you will have the option to choose with operating system you
use.

Install Ubuntu on Your Computer Using a USB Flash Drive

After downloading the ISO file, you can use a highly-reusable USB flash drive to get the job done. If
you’re not ready to take the plunge, you can opt to run Ubuntu from your USB stick. This installation
requires the least commitment from you and your computer, but it will probably affect the quality and
speed of Ubuntu’s performance. That said, there are some alternative Linux operating systems that
you may find better suited for running off a USB drive.

Getting Started Ubuntu

When you sign into Ubuntu for the first time, you will see a screen that looks like this.

This is the Ubuntu desktop. While Canonical has added a few of its own elements of charm, the
interface you see is not exclusive to Ubuntu. It’s actually known as GNOME. Some important elements
of Ubuntu desktop are as follow.

Top Bar
The bar across the top of the screen provides access to the Activities overview, the currently open
application’s menu, date & time, and system indicators such as battery life and network connectivity.

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Dock
The dock occupies the left side of the screen. It shows currently open apps plus shortcuts to your
favorites.

Activities Overview
The Activities overview is where most of the magic happens. You open the overview by clicking the
Activities button in the top bar or moving your mouse to the top-left corner of the screen.

App Drawer
The app drawer appears at the bottom of the dock. When clicked, it lists all of the apps installed on
your computer in a grid of icons.

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Search
A search bar appears at the top of the Activities overview. You can open apps, load files, issue
commands, and perform numerous other actions by typing into this area.

Workspaces
Workspaces appear on the right side of the activities overview, across from the dock. Think of
workspaces as multiple desktops that all exist virtually on the same computer.

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Navigating the Top Bar

The first item on the top bar is the Activities button. Clicking here opens the Activities overview. Next
is the application menu. Here is where you go to adjust an app’s settings, such as changing the default
download folder for a web browser or changing fonts in a text editor. In the middle you will find the
date and time. Clicking here pulls up a calendar and displays notifications.

The far right corner holds system indicators. There are individual icons showing battery life, network
connectivity, sound, Bluetooth, and more. However, clicking on any of these indicators opens up a
single menu that will let you toggle volume, change your network, restart your computer, and perform
other tasks.

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Navigating the Dock

A dock containing your apps lines the left side of the screen. Unlike most other GNOME desktops,
Ubuntu’s dock is always visible regardless of whether the Activities overview is open. Click on an app
icon to launch software. If an app opens that isn’t already on the dock, a new icon will appear. When
you open an app, a red indicator appears next to the icon on the dock. If you open another window, a
second dot appears. The indicator maxes out at four windows.

Right-clicking an app icon allows you to perform app-specific functions such as opening a new window
in Firefox or pausing music in Rhythmbox. This is also how you remove an app stored on the dock or
pull up background information about a piece of software.

Navigating the App Drawer

The app drawer, found in the lower-left corner, arranges all of your installed apps into a grid. The
experience is similar to what you may have encountered on a smartphone or tablet.
Scroll up or down to switch between pages of apps. Some appear in groups, which is useful for
preventing many rarely-used apps of a similar nature from cluttering up the entire app drawer.

Navigating the Activities Overview

Clicking on the Activities button opens the Activities overview. The overview screen shows all of your
open windows.
A search bar sits at the top of the overview screen. You can click the bar to perform a search, but you
don’t have to. If you start typing without clicking on the bar, the overview will immediately start
showing search results. You can search for apps, files, folders, and settings. You can even look for new
software in the Ubuntu Software app.

Navigating Workspaces
Workspaces appear along the right-hand side of the overview screen. Initially, there are only two
workspaces stacked vertically, but new ones appear automatically as needed.
You can move windows from one workspace to another by dragging them around, either from the
center of the overview screen or from another workspace.

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Start Applications
Move your mouse pointer to the Activities corner at the top left of the screen to show the Activities
overview. This is where you can find all of your applications. You can also open the overview by
pressing the Super key. There are several ways of opening an application once you’re in the Activities
overview:
 Start typing the name of an application — searching begins instantly. (If this doesn’t happen,
click the search bar at the top of the screen and start typing.) If you don’t know the exact
name of an application, try to type a related term. Click the application’s icon to start it.
 Some applications have icons in the dash, the vertical strip of icons on the left-hand side of
the Activities overview. Click one of these to start the corresponding application.
 If you have applications that you use very frequently, you can add them to the dash yourself.
 Click the grid button at the bottom of the dash. You will see the frequently used applications
if the Frequent view is enabled. If you want to run a new application, press the all button at
the bottom to view all the applications. Press on the application to start it.
 You can launch an application in a separate workspace by dragging its icon from the dash, and
dropping it onto one of the workspaces on the right-hand side of the screen. The application
will open in the chosen workspace.
 You can launch an application in a new workspace by dragging its icon to the empty workspace
at the bottom of the workspace switcher, or to the small gap between two workspaces.

Quickly running a command

Another way of launching an application is to press Alt+F2, enter its command name, and then
press the Enter key. For example, to launch Rhythmbox, press Alt+F2 and type ‘rhythmbox’
(without the single-quotes). The name of the app is the command to launch the program. Use
the arrow keys to quickly access previously run commands.

Log out, power off or switch users

When you have finished using your computer, you can turn it off, suspend it (to save power), or leave
it powered on and log out.

Log out or switch users

To let other users use your computer, you can either log out, or leave yourself logged in and just switch
users. If you switch users, all of your applications will continue running, and everything will be where
you left it when you log back in.
To Log Out or Switch User, click the system menu on the right side of the top bar, click your name and
then choose the right option.
The Log Out and Switch User entries only appear in the menu if you have more than one user account
on your system.

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Lock the screen

If you’re leaving your computer for a short time, you should lock your screen to prevent other people
from accessing your files or running applications. When you return, raise the lock screen curtain and
enter your password to log back in. If you don’t lock your screen, it will lock automatically after a
certain amount of time.
To lock your screen, click the system menu on the right side of the top bar and press the lock screen
button at the bottom of the menu.
When your screen is locked, other users can log in to their own accounts by clicking Log in as another
user on the password screen. You can switch back to your desktop when they are finished.

Suspend
To save power, suspend your computer when you are not using it. If you use a laptop, GNOME, by
default, suspends your computer automatically when you close the lid. This saves your state to your
computer’s memory and powers off most of the computer’s functions. A very small amount of power
is still used during suspend.
To suspend your computer manually, click the system menu on the right side of the top bar. From
there you may either hold down the Alt key or click the power off button, or simply long-click the
power off button.

Power off or restart

If you want to power off your computer entirely, or do a full restart, click the system menu on the
right side of the top bar and press the power off button at the bottom of the menu. A dialog will open
offering you the options to either Restart or Power Off.
If there are other users logged in, you may not be allowed to power off or restart the computer
because this will end their sessions. If you are an administrative user, you may be asked for your
password to power off.

Install & Remove software

In Ubuntu operating system, you can easily install a software or a program and remove existing
installed programs. You can also create a startup disk.

Install additional applications

An application is software that has a graphical user interface (GUI). The Ubuntu development team
has chosen a default set of applications that we think makes Ubuntu very useful for most day-to-day
tasks. However, you will certainly want to install more applications to make Ubuntu more useful to
you. To install an application, you can use Ubuntu Software.
Applications are available in two formats: snap packages and Debian packages. An application
available as a snap package is from now on referred to as a snap. Some applications are available in
both formats. In such a case in Ubuntu Software the snap will be listed first.
You may also wish to install software that does not have a GUI. To install such software, you can use
Synaptic. Note that Synaptic does not list snaps. Follow the given below steps to install an application:

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 Click the Ubuntu Software icon in the Dock, or search for Software in the Activities search bar.
 When Ubuntu Software launches, search for an application, or select a category and find an
application from the list.
 Select the application that you want to install and click Install.
 You will be asked to authenticate by entering your password. Once you have done that the
installation will begin. The installation usually finishes quickly, but could take a while if you
have a slow Internet connection.

Remove an application
An application is software that has a graphical user interface (GUI). You can use Ubuntu Software to
remove applications that you no longer use.
Applications are available in two formats: snap packages and Debian packages. An application
available as a snap package is from now on referred to as a snap. Some applications are available in
both formats. In such a case in Ubuntu Software the snap will be listed first.
You may also wish to remove software that does not have a GUI. To remove such software, you can
use Synaptic. Note that Synaptic does not list snaps. Follow the given below steps to remove an
application:
 Click the Ubuntu Software icon in the Dock, or search for Software in the Activities search bar.
 When Ubuntu Software opens, click the Installed button at the top.
 Find the application that you want to remove by using the search box or by looking through
the list of installed applications.
 Select the application and click Remove.
 Confirm that you want to remove the application.
 You will be asked to authenticate by entering your password. After you have done that, the
application will be removed.

Create a startup disk

In this context a startup disk is a USB flash drive from which you can startup and install Ubuntu. The
capacity of the USB flash drive must be at least 2 GB. Any data on the USB flash drive will be lost when
you create the startup disk. It's assumed that you have downloaded an Ubuntu ISO image. Follow the
given below steps to create a startup disk from an Ubuntu ISO image:
 Open Startup Disk Creator via the Activities search bar.
 If the ISO image is in your Download folder and there is just one ISO image, Startup Disk
Creator will have selected it, otherwise select the correct ISO image.
 If your computer has just one USB flash drive, Startup Disk Creator will have selected it,
otherwise select the correct drive.
 Click Make Startup Disk.
 Click Yes to confirm. The process should take ten minutes or less.
 When the "Installation Complete" window opens click Quit.

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Files, folders & search

In Ubuntu operating system, you can easily browse, Copy or move files and folders. You can also
Delete or rename files and folders. You may also arrange files any name, size or type.

Browse files and folders

Use the Files file manager to browse and organize the files on your computer. You can also use it to
manage files on storage devices (like external hard disks), on file servers, and on network shares.
To start the file manager, open Files in the Activities overview. You can also search for files and folders
through the overview in the same way you would search for applications.

Exploring the contents of folders

In the file manager, double-click any folder to view its contents, and double-click or middle-click any
file to open it with the default application for that file. Middle-click a folder to open it in a new tab.
You can also right-click a folder to open it in a new tab or new window.
When looking through the files in a folder, you can quickly preview each file by pressing the space bar
to be sure you have the right file before opening it, copying it, or deleting it.
The path bar above the list of files and folders shows you which folder you’re viewing, including the
parent folders of the current folder. Click a parent folder in the path bar to go to that folder. Right-
click any folder in the path bar to open it in a new tab or window, or access its properties.
If you want to quickly search for a file, in or below the folder you are viewing, start typing its name. A
search bar will appear at the top of the window and only files which match your search will be shown.
Press Esc to cancel the search.
You can quickly access common places from the sidebar. If you do not see the sidebar, press the menu
button in the top-right corner of the window and then select Sidebar. You can add bookmarks to
folders that you use often and they will appear in the sidebar. Drag a folder to the sidebar, and drop
it over New bookmark, which appears dynamically, or click the current folder in the path bar and then
select Add to Bookmarks.

Copy or move files and folders

A file or folder can be copied or moved to a new location by dragging and dropping with the mouse,
using the copy and paste commands, or by using keyboard shortcuts.
For example, you might want to copy a presentation onto a memory stick so you can take it to work
with you. Or, you could make a back-up copy of a document before you make changes to it (and then
use the old copy if you don’t like your changes).

These instructions apply to both files and folders. You copy and move files and folders in exactly the
same way.
 Copy and paste files
 Cut and paste files to move them
 Drag files to copy or move

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Delete files and folders

If you do not want a file or folder any more, you can delete it. When you delete an item it is moved to
the Trash folder, where it is stored until you empty the trash. You can restore items in the Trash folder
to their original location if you decide you need them, or if they were accidentally deleted. Follow the
below steps to send a file to the trash:
 Select the item you want to place in the trash by clicking it once.
 Press Delete on your keyboard. Alternatively, drag the item to the Trash in the sidebar.
The file will be moved to the trash, and you’ll be presented with an option to Undo the deletion. The
Undo button will appear for a few seconds. If you select Undo, the file will be restored to its original
location.
To delete files permanently, and free up disk space on your computer, you need to empty the trash.
To empty the trash, right-click Trash in the sidebar and select Empty Trash.

Permanently delete a file

You can immediately delete a file permanently, without having to send it to the trash first. To
permanently delete a file, Press and hold the Shift key, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Because you cannot undo this, you will be asked to confirm that you want to delete the file or folder.

Rename a file or folder

As with other file managers, you can use Files to change the name of a file or folder. To rename a file
or folder:
 Right-click on the item and select Rename, or select the file and press F2.
 Type the new name and press Enter or click Rename.
 You can also rename a file from the properties window.
When you rename a file, only the first part of the name of the file is selected, not the file extension
(the part after the last).

Valid characters for file names

You can use any character except the / (slash) character in file names. Some devices, however, use a
file system that has more restrictions on file names. Therefore, it is a best practice to avoid the
following characters in your file names: |, \, ?, *, <, ", :, >, /.

User & system settings

In Ubuntu operating system, user and system setting features provides the wide range of system
settings, such as Date & time, Color management, Keyboard, Mouse & Touchpad, User accounts,
Display & screen, Region & Language, Online accounts, Sharing Settings, etc.

User accounts
Each person that uses the computer should have a different user account. This allows them to keep
their files separate from yours and to choose their own settings. It is also more secure. You can only
access a different user account if you know their password. You can following set towards user
accounts.

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 Add a new user account

 Change your login screen photo
 Delete a user account
 Log in automatically
 Change your password
 Choose a secure password

Add a new user account

You can add multiple user accounts to your computer. Give one account to each person in your
household or company. Every user has their own home folder, documents, and settings. You need
administrator privileges to add user accounts.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Users.
 Click on Users to open the panel.
 Press Unlock in the top right corner and type in your password when prompted.
 Press the + button, below the list of accounts on the left, to add a new user account.
 If you want the new user to have administrative access to the computer, select Administrator
for the account type.
 Administrators can do things like add and delete users, install software and drivers, and
change the date and time.
 Enter the new user’s full name. The username will be filled in automatically based on the full
name. If you do not like the proposed username, you can change it.
 You can choose to set a password for the new user, or let them set it themselves on first login.
 If you choose to set the password now, you can press the generate password icon to
automatically generate a random password. Now Click Add.
If you want to change the password after creating the account, select the account, Unlock the panel
and press the current password status.

Delete a user account

You can add multiple user accounts to your computer. If somebody is no longer using your computer,
you can delete that user’s account.
You need administrator privileges to delete user accounts.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Users.
 Click Users to open the panel.
 Press Unlock in the top right corner and type in your password when prompted.
 Select the user that you want to delete and press the - button, below the list of accounts on
the left, to delete that user account.
 Each user has their own home folder for their files and settings. You can choose to keep or
delete the user’s home folder. Click Delete Files if you are sure they will not be used anymore
and you need to free up disk space. These files are permanently deleted. They cannot be
recovered. You may want to back up the files to an external storage device before deleting
them.

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Change the date and time

If the date and time displayed on the top bar are incorrect or in the wrong format, you can change
them:
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Click on Settings.
 Click Details in the sidebar.
 Click Date & Time in the sidebar to open the panel.
 If you have Automatic Date & Time set to ON, your date and time should update automatically
if you have an internet connection. To update your date and time manually, set this to OFF.
 Click Date & Time, then adjust the time and date.
 You can change how the hour is displayed by selecting 24-hour or AM/PM for Time Format.

Change your timezone

 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Click on Settings.
 Click Details in the sidebar.
 Click Date & Time in the sidebar to open the panel.
 If you have Automatic Time Zone set to ON, your time zone should update automatically if
you have an internet connection and the location services feature is enabled. To update your
time zone manually, set this to OFF.
 Click Time Zone, then select your location on the map or search for your current city.

Mouse & Touchpad

You can easily set the setting of Mouse & Touchpad, such as Adjust the speed of the mouse and
touchpad, Adjust the double-click speed, Click, drag, or scroll with the touchpad, Use your mouse left-
handed, ect.

Adjust the double-click speed

Double-clicking only happens when you press the mouse button twice quickly enough. If the second
press is too long after the first, you’ll just get two separate clicks, not a double click. If you have
difficulty pressing the mouse button quickly, you should increase the timeout.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Click on Settings.
 Click Universal Access in the sidebar to open the panel.
 Under Pointing & Clicking, adjust the Double-Click Delay slider to a value you find comfortable.
If your mouse double-clicks when you want it to single-click even though you have increased the
double-click timeout, your mouse may be faulty. Try plugging a different mouse into your computer
and see if that works properly. Alternatively, plug your mouse into a different computer and see if it
still has the same problem.

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Use your mouse left-handed

You can swap the behavior of the left and right buttons on your mouse or touchpad to make it more
comfortable for left-handed use.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Click on Settings.
 Click Devices in the sidebar.
 Click Mouse & Touchpad in the sidebar to open the panel.
 In the General section, click to switch Primary button to Right.

Use alternative keyboard layouts

Keyboards come in hundreds of different layouts for different languages. Even for a single language,
there are often multiple keyboard layouts, such as the Dvorak layout for English. You can make your
keyboard behave like a keyboard with a different layout, regardless of the letters and symbols printed
on the keys. This is useful if you often switch between multiple languages.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Click on Settings.
 Click Region & Language in the sidebar to open the panel.
 Click the + button in the Input Sources section, select the language which is associated with
the layout, then select a layout and press Add.

Display & Screen

A computer monitor emits blue light which contributes to sleeplessness and eye strain after dark.
Night Light changes the color of your displays according to the time of day, making the color warmer
in the evening. To enable Night Light:
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Click on Settings.
 Click Devices in the sidebar.
 Click Displays in the sidebar to open the panel.
 Click Night Light to open the settings.
 Set the Night Light switch to ON. The screen color will follow the sunset and sunrise times for
your location. Click the Manual button to set the times to a custom schedule.

Change the resolution or orientation of the screen

You can change how big (or how detailed) things appear on the screen by changing the screen
resolution. You can change which way up things appear (for example, if you have a rotating display)
by changing the rotation.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Choose Settings and Click Devices in the sidebar.
 Click Displays in the sidebar to open the panel.

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 If you have multiple displays and they are not mirrored, you can have different settings on
each display. Select a display in the preview area.
 Select the resolution or scale, and choose the orientation.
 Click Apply. The new settings will be applied for 20 seconds before reverting back.

Resolution
The resolution is the number of pixels (dots on the screen) in each direction that can be displayed.
Each resolution has an aspect ratio, the ratio of the width to the height. Wide-screen displays use a
16∶9 aspect ratio, while traditional displays use 4∶3. If you choose a resolution that does not match
the aspect ratio of your display, the screen will be letterboxed to avoid distortion, by adding black bars
to the top and bottom or both sides of the screen. You can choose the resolution you prefer from the
Resolution drop-down list. If you choose one that is not right for your screen it may look fuzzy or
pixelated.

Native Resolution
The native resolution of a laptop screen or LCD monitor is the one that works best: the pixels in the
video signal will line up precisely with the pixels on the screen. When the screen is required to show
other resolutions, interpolation is necessary to represent the pixels, causing a loss of image quality.

Scale
The scale setting increases the size of objects shown on the screen to match the density of your
display, making them easier to read. Choose from 100%, 200%, or 300%.

Change the desktop and lock screen backgrounds

You can change the image used for your backgrounds or set it to be a solid color.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Click on Settings.
 Click Background in the sidebar to open the panel.
 Select Background or Lock Screen.
 There are three choices displayed on top:
o Select Wallpapers to use one of the many professional background images that ship with
GNOME. Some wallpapers change throughout the day. These wallpapers have a small
clock icon in the bottom-right corner.
o Select Pictures to use one of your own photos from your Pictures folder. Most photo
management applications store photos there. If you would like to use an image that is
not in your Pictures folder, either use Files by right-clicking on the image file and selecting
Set as Wallpaper, or Image Viewer by opening the image file, clicking the menu button
in the titlebar and selecting Set as Wallpaper.
o Select Colors to just use a flat color.
 The settings are applied immediately.
 Switch to an empty workspace to view your entire desktop.

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Startup Applications
You can configure what applications should be started at login, in addition to the default startup
applications configured on the system.
 Open Startup Applications via the Activities overview. Alternatively you can press Alt+F2 and
run the gnome-session-properties command.
 Click Add and enter the command to be executed at login (name and comment are optional).
For example, to make Firefox start automatically, it's sufficient to type firefox in the Command
field and confirm with Add.

Sharing Settings
The Sharing Settings in GNOME help you control what is shared over the local network, or through
other technologies such as Bluetooth.
 Set the display name for your computer: You can change the name your computer uses to
display itself to other computers or devices, on the network or over Bluetooth.
 Control sharing over Bluetooth: You can enable Bluetooth sharing to receive files over
Bluetooth in the Downloads folder.
 Share your desktop: You can let other people view and control your desktop from another
computer with a desktop viewing application. Configure Screen Sharing to allow others to
access your desktop and set the security preferences.
 Share your music, photos and videos: You can browse, search and play the media on your
computer using a UPnP or DLNA enabled device such as a phone, TV or game console.
Configure Media Sharing to allow these devices to access the folders containing your music,
photos and videos.
 Share your personal files: you can allow access to the Public folder in your Home folder from
another computer on the network. Configure Personal File Sharing to allow others to access
the contents of the folder.

Online accounts
You can enter your login details for some online services, such as Google and Facebook, into the Online
Accounts window. This lets you use applications to access online services like email, calendars, chat,
and documents.
 Add an account
 Remove an account
 Why add an account?
 Control which online services an account can be used to access
 Online services and applications
 Why is my account type not on the list?

Windows and workspaces

Like other desktops, GNOME uses windows to display your running applications. Using both the
Activities overview and the dash, you can launch new applications and control active windows.

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You can also group your applications together within workspaces. Visit the window and workspace
help topics below to better learn how to use these features.

Working with windows

 Find a lost window
 Maximize and minimize a window
 Move and resize windows
 Switch between windows
 Tile windows

Working with workspaces

 What is a workspace, and how will it help me?
 Move a window to a different workspace
 Switch between workspaces

Notifications and the notification list

What is a notification?
If an application or a system component wants to get your attention, a notification will be shown at
the top of the screen. For example, if you get a new chat message or a new email, you will get a
notification informing you. Chat notifications are given special treatment, and are represented by the
individual contacts who sent you the chat messages.
Other notifications have selectable option buttons. To close one of these notifications without
selecting one of its options, click the close button.
Clicking the close button on some notifications dismisses them. Others, like Rhythmbox or your chat
application, will stay hidden in the notification list.

The notification list

The notification list gives you a way to get back to your notifications when it is convenient for you. It
appears when you click on the clock, or press Super+V. The notification list contains all the
notifications that you have not acted upon or that permanently reside in it.
 You can view a notification by clicking on it in the list. You can close the notification list by
pressing Super+V again or Esc.
 Click the Clear List button to empty the list of notifications.

Hiding notifications
If you’re working on something and do not want to be bothered, you can switch off notifications.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 Click on Settings.
 Click on Notifications in the sidebar to open the panel.
 Switch Notification Popups to OFF.

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When switched off, most notifications will not pop up at the top of the screen. Notifications will still
be available in the notification list when you display it (by clicking on the clock, or by pressing Super+V),
and they will start popping up again when you switch the toggle back to ON. You can also disable or
re-enable notifications for individual applications from the Notifications panel.

Pin your favorite apps to the dash

 Open the Activities overview by clicking Activities at the top left of the screen
 Click the grid button in the dash and find the application you want to add.
 Right-click the application icon and select Add to Favorites.
 Alternatively, you can click-and-drag the icon into the dash.
 To remove an application icon from the dash, right-click the application icon and select
remove from Favorites.

Calendar appointments
This requires you to use your Evolution calendar or for you to have an online account set up which
Calendar supports. Most distributions come with Evolution installed by default. If yours does not,
you may need to install it using your distribution’s package manager.
To view your appointments:
 Click on the clock on the top bar.
 Click the date for which you want to see your appointments from the calendar.
Existing appointments will be displayed to the left of the calendar. As appointments are added to
your Evolution calendar, they will appear in the clock’s appointment list.

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Write files to a CD or DVD

You can put files onto a blank disc by using CD/DVD Creator. The option to create a CD or DVD will
appear in the file manager as soon as you place the CD into your CD/DVD writer. The file manager lets
you transfer files to other computers or perform backups by putting files onto a blank disc. To write
files to a CD or DVD:
 Place an empty disc into your CD/DVD writable drive.
 In the Blank CD/DVD-R Disc notification that pops up at the bottom of the screen, select Open
with CD/DVD Creator. The CD/DVD Creator folder window will open.
 (You can also click on Blank CD/DVD-R Disc under Devices in the file manager sidebar.)
 In the Disc Name field, type a name for the disc.
 Drag or copy the desired files into the window.
 Click Write to Disc.
 Under Select a disc to write to, choose the blank disc.
 (You could choose Image file instead. This will put the files in a disc image, which will be saved
on your computer. You can then burn that disc image onto a blank disc at a later date.)
 Click Properties if you want to adjust burning speed, the location of temporary files, and other
options. The default options should be fine.
 Click the Burn button to begin recording.
 If Burn Several Copies is selected, you will be prompted for additional discs.
 When the disc burning is complete, it will eject automatically.
If the disc wasn’t burned properly
Sometimes the computer doesn’t record the data correctly, and you won’t be able to see the files you
put onto the disc when you insert it into a computer. In this case, try burning the disc again but use a
lower burning speed, for example, 12x rather than 48x. Burning at slower speeds is more reliable. You
can choose the speed by clicking the Properties button in the CD/DVD Creator window.

Recover a file from the Trash

If you delete a file with the file manager, the file is normally placed into the Trash, and should be able
to be restored. Follow the given below steps to restore a file from the Trash:
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Files.
 Click on Files to open the file manager.
 Click Trash in the sidebar. If you do not see the sidebar, press the menu button in the top-right
corner of the window and select Sidebar.
 If your deleted file is there, click on it and select Restore. It will be restored to the folder from
where it was deleted.
If you deleted the file by pressing Shift+Delete, or by using the command line, the file has been
permanently deleted. Files that have been permanently deleted can’t be recovered from the Trash.
There are a number of recovery tools available that are sometimes able to recover files that were
permanently deleted. These tools are generally not very easy to use, however. If you accidentally
permanently deleted a file, it’s probably best to ask for advice on a support forum to see if you can
recover it.

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Sort files and folders

You can sort files in different ways in a folder, for example by sorting them in order of date or file size.
See Ways of sorting files below for a list of common ways to sort files. See Views preferences in Files
for information on how to change the default sort order.
The way that you can sort files depends on the folder view that you are using. You can change the
current view using the list or icon buttons in the toolbar.

Icon view
To sort files in a different order, click the view options button in the toolbar and choose By Name, By
Size, By Type, By Modification Date, or By Access Date.

As an example, if you select By Name, the files will be sorted by their names, in alphabetical order.
See Ways of sorting files for other options. You can sort in the reverse order by selecting Reversed
Order from the menu.

List view
To sort files in a different order, click one of the column headings in the file manager. For example,
click Type to sort by file type. Click the column heading again to sort in the reverse order.
In list view, you can show columns with more attributes and sort on those columns. Click the view
options button in the toolbar, pick Visible Columns… and select the columns that you want to be
visible. You will then be able to sort by those columns. See Files list columns preferences for
descriptions of available columns.

Ways of sorting files

 Name: Sorts alphabetically by the name of the file.
 Size: Sorts by the size of the file (how much disk space it takes up). Sorts from smallest to
largest by default.
 Type: Sorts alphabetically by the file type. Files of the same type are grouped together, then
sorted by name.
 Last Modified: Sorts by the date and time that a file was last changed. Sorts from oldest to
newest by default.

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Shortcut keys of Ubuntu

This page provides an overview of keyboard shortcuts that can help you use your desktop and
applications more efficiently. If you cannot use a mouse or pointing device at all, see Keyboard
navigation for more information on navigating user interfaces with only the keyboard.

Getting around the desktop

Shortcut Key Descriptions

Alt+F1 or Super key Switch between the Activities overview and desktop. In the overview, start
typing to instantly search your applications, contacts, and documents.
Alt+F2 Pop up command window (for quickly running commands).
Use the arrow keys to quickly access previously run commands.
Super+Tab Quickly switch between windows. Hold down Shift for reverse order.
Super+` Switch between windows from the same application, or from the selected
application after Super+Tab.
This shortcut uses ` on US keyboards, where the ` key is above Tab. On all other
keyboards, the shortcut is Super plus the key above Tab.
Alt+Esc Switch between windows in the current workspace. Hold down Shift for
reverse order.
Ctrl+Alt+Tab Give keyboard focus to the top bar. In the Activities overview, switch keyboard
focus between the top bar, dash, windows overview, applications list, and
search field. Use the arrow keys to navigate.
Super+A Show the list of applications.
Super+Page Up Switch between workspaces.
Super+Page Down
Shift+Super+Page Up Move the current window to a different workspace.
Shift+Super+Page Down
Shift+Super+← Move the current window one monitor to the left.
Shift+Super+→ Move the current window one monitor to the right.
Ctrl+Alt+Delete Log Out.
Super+L Lock the screen.
Super+M or Super+V Open the message tray. Press Super+M or Super+V again or Esc to close.
Super+H Minimize a window.
Alt+Space Pop up the window menu, as if you had right-clicked on the titlebar.
Alt+F4 Close the current window.

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Common editing shortcuts

Shortcut Key Descriptions

Ctrl+A Select all text or items in a list.

Ctrl+X Cut (remove) selected text or items and place it on the clipboard.
Ctrl+C Copy selected text or items to the clipboard
Ctrl+V Paste the contents of the clipboard.
Ctrl+Z Undo the last action.

Capturing from the screen

Shortcut Key Descriptions

Prnt Scrn Take a screenshot.
Alt+Prnt Scrn Take a screenshot of a window.
Shift+Prnt Scrn Take a screenshot of an area of the screen. The pointer changes to a
crosshair. Click and drag to select an area.
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R Start and end screencast recording.

Keyboard navigation
This page details keyboard navigation for people who cannot use a mouse or other pointing device,
or who want to use a keyboard as much as possible. For keyboard shortcuts that are useful to all
users, see Useful keyboard shortcuts instead.

Shortcut Key Descriptions

Tab and Move keyboard focus between different controls. Ctrl+Tab moves between groups
Ctrl+Tab of controls, such as from a sidebar to the main content. Ctrl+Tab can also break out
of a control that uses Tab itself, such as a text area.

Hold down Shift to move focus in reverse order.

Arrow keys Move selection between items in a single control, or among a set of related controls.
Use the arrow keys to focus buttons in a toolbar, select items in a list or icon view, or
select a radio button from a group.
Ctrl+Arrow keys In a list or icon view, move the keyboard focus to another item without changing
which item is selected.
Shift+Arrow keys In a list or icon view, select all items from the currently selected item to the newly
focused item.
In a tree view, items that have children can be expanded or collapsed, to show or
hide their children: expand by pressing Shift+→, and collapse by pressing Shift+←.

Space Activate a focused item such as a button, check box, or list item.

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Ctrl+Space In a list or icon view, select or deselect the focused item without deselecting other
items.
Alt Hold down the Alt key to reveal accelerators: underlined letters on menu items,
buttons, and other controls. Press Alt plus the underlined letter to activate a control,
just as if you had clicked on it.
Esc Exit a menu, popup, switcher, or dialog window.
F10 Open the first menu on the menubar of a window. Use the arrow keys to navigate
the menus.
Super+F10 Open the application menu on the top bar.
Shift+F10 or Menu Pop up the context menu for the current selection, as if you had right-clicked.
Ctrl+F10 In the file manager, pop up the context menu for the current folder, as if you had
right-clicked on the background and not on any item.

Click and move the mouse pointer using the keypad

If you have difficulties using a mouse or other pointing device, you can control the mouse pointer
using the numeric keypad on your keyboard. This feature is called mouse keys.
 Open the Activities overview and start typing Settings.
 You can access the Activities overview by pressing on it, by moving your mouse pointer against
the top-left corner of the screen, by using Ctrl+Alt+Tab followed by Enter, or by using the
Super key.
 Click on Settings.
 Click Universal Access in the sidebar to open the panel.
 Use the up and down arrow keys to select Mouse Keys in the Pointing & Clicking section, then
press Enter to switch Mouse Keys to ON.
 Make sure that Num Lock is turned off. You will now be able to move the mouse pointer using
the keypad.
The keypad is a set of numerical buttons on your keyboard, usually arranged into a square grid. If you
have a keyboard without a keypad (such as a laptop keyboard), you may need to hold down the
function (Fn) key and use certain other keys on your keyboard as a keypad. If you use this feature
often on a laptop, you can purchase external USB or Bluetooth numeric keypads.
Each number on the keypad corresponds to a direction. For example, pressing 8 will move the pointer
upwards and pressing 2 will move it downwards. Press the 5 key to click once with the mouse, or
quickly press it twice to double-click.
Most keyboards have a special key which allows you to right-click, sometimes called the Menu key.
Note, however, that this key responds to where your keyboard focus is, not where your mouse pointer
is. See Simulate a right mouse click for information on how to right-click by holding down 5 or the left
mouse button.
If you want to use the keypad to type numbers while mouse keys is enabled, turn Num Lock on. The
mouse cannot be controlled with the keypad when Num Lock is turned on, though.

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