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.