Linux Multimedia Hacks

by Kyle Rankin

Published 1 January 2005
The fact that Linux has more multimedia application choices than Mac OS X and Windows combined may come as a surprise to many, but not to those who know Linux well. In "Linux Multimedia Hacks", author Kyle Rankin showcases the best available multimedia tools so you can maximize the entertainment capabilities of your favorite OS. Included are tips and tricks for connecting to iPods, creating MP3s and Oggs, watching and making DVDs, turning your Linux box into a Tivo ala MythTV, and much more. You don't have to be a Linux server guru to make use of this book. "Linux Multimedia Hacks" takes the best of Linux's multimedia tools and with step-by-step instructions shows even novice users how to do cool and useful things with images, audio, and video. It includes entry level hacks that nearly all Linux users will want, such as installing codecs for audio and video playback and managing thousands of photographs. Later, you'll find hacks that cover a variety of advanced projects, from ripping and organizing media files with metatags, to editing video and audio tracks, to creating your own DVDs.
Basic or advanced, each hack stands on its own, so you can feel free to jump around to only the sections that interest you. The book is divided into five easy-to-understand chapters: Images: tips range from basic image edits to automated image manipulation; Audio: hacks include audio format conversion and tweaking metadata within audio files; Video: learn how to covert between video formats, plus how to create your own VCDs and DVDs; Broadcast Media: tips include how to access and create you own web broadcasts as well as watch and record TV; and Web: learn how to make your multimedia creations available to the world. As one of the most powerful multimedia platforms around, Linux has far more capabilities and features than meets the eye. This latest Hacks book gives you the technical chops to enjoy them all.

Ubuntu Hacks

by Jonathan Oxer, Kyle Rankin, and Bill Childers

Published 1 January 2006
Ubuntu Linux--the most popular Linux distribution on the planet--preserves the spirit embodied in the ancient African word ubuntu, which means both "humanity to others" and "I am what I am because of who we all are." Ubuntu won the Linux Journal Reader's Choice Award for best Linux distribution and is consistently the top-ranked Linux variant on DistroWatch.com. The reason this distribution is so widely popular is that Ubuntu is designed to be useful, usable, customizable, and always available for free worldwide. Ubuntu Hacks is your one-stop source for all of the community knowledge you need to get the most out of Ubuntu: a collection of 100 tips and tools to help new and experienced Linux users install, configure, and customize Ubuntu. With this set of hacks, you can get Ubuntu Linux working exactly the way you need it to. Learn how to: * Install and test-drive Ubuntu Linux. * Keep your system running smoothly * Turn Ubuntu into a multimedia powerhouse: rip and burn discs, watch videos, listen to music, and more * Take Ubuntu on the road with Wi-Fi wireless networking, Bluetooth, etc.
* Hook up multiple displays and enable your video card's 3-D acceleration * Run Ubuntu with virtualization technology such as Xen and VMware * Tighten your system's security * Set up an Ubuntu-powered server Ubuntu Hacks will not only show you how to get everything working just right, you will also have a great time doing it as you explore the powerful features lurking within Ubuntu. "Put in a nutshell, this book is a collection of around 100 tips and tricks which the authors choose to call hacks, which explain how to accomplish various tasks in Ubuntu Linux. The so called hacks range from down right ordinary to the other end of the spectrum of doing specialised things...More over, each and every tip in this book has been tested by the authors on the latest version of Ubuntu (Dapper Drake) and is guaranteed to work. In writing this book, it is clear that the authors have put in a lot of hard work in covering all facets of configuring this popular Linux distribution which makes this book a worth while buy." -- Ravi Kumar, Slashdot.org