Why Linux Desktop Hacks?
The term hacking has a
bad reputation in the press. They use it to refer to someone who
breaks into systems or wreaks havoc with computers as his weapon.
Among people who write code, though, the term
hack refers to a
"quick-and-dirty" solution to a
problem or a clever way to get something done. And the term
hacker is taken very much
as a compliment, referring to someone as being
creative, having the technical chops to get
things done. The Hacks series is an attempt to reclaim the word,
document the good ways people are hacking, and pass the hacker ethic
of creative participation on to the uninitiated. Seeing how others
approach systems and problems is often the quickest way to learn
about a new technology.
Linux Desktop Hacks is composed of a variety of
methods to help you get the most out of your Linux system. Some are
hacks in the true sense of varying difficulty. Sometimes you will
create a simple text file to add a menu option, while other hacks
require you to edit keyboard configuration files to change how your
keyboard operates. This book even shows you how to apply a patch to
source code and recompile the program to get new features. This book
also includes tips on how to exploit the power of existing program
features that you aren't likely to discover on your
own. For example, Linux Desktop Hacks will show
you how to use the KDE and GNOME file managers in ways you might
never have imagined.
|