[Scribus] Download for Ubuntu

[John Jason Jordan]

On Sun, 9 Jul 2006 16:40:34 +0200
"Pedrie Roberts" <pedrieroberts at gmail.com> dijo:

> Now what may be a stupid question: We just got new computers for our office,
> running Linux Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger). The problem is I know absolutely
> nothing about Linux. Which version of Scribus should I download to run on
> these computers? What tricks do I need to know to install it and get it to
> work?

May I ask why Breezy instead of Dapper?

For people new to Linux your choice of Ubuntu was excellent. But Dapper was released on June 1 and is far more compatible with things you will need in DTP work. 

As for installing Scribus (and anything else) you need to become familiar with Synaptic. The following is a brief overview:

Linux comes in two basic flavors: RPM-based distributions and Debian-based distributions. Both use the same basic Linux kernel. The main difference is in how programs are installed. Programs are generally available as "packages." RPM-based distros use .rpm packages and Debian-based distros use .deb packages. There are utilities to convert one to the other, but usually whatever you want to install will be available in the format your distro needs, so conversion is rarely necessary. Ubuntu is Debian-based, so the Scribus package you will be looking for will be a file that ends in .deb. For downloading the file will be compressed as .gz or .tar or some other compression method. Ubuntu uses File Roller, which is a decompresser (sort of the Linux equivalent of Winzip). When you untar the download file it will produce a .deb file.

However, you do not generally need to download the compressed file, uncompress it, and then install it. That is because both Debian and RPM packages are maintained in repositories. A repository is a web/ftp site where the packages are available for download and installation. There are various repositories, each with a slightly different attitude. For example, Debian Main includes only packages that are completely open source and completely tested and stable. Other repositories may include more restrictive licensing requirements and/or beta and alpha versions of programs. The basic Ubuntu Breezy installation sets up half a dozen repositories which will include most everything you need. There are, however, additional repositories that you can add, although Scribus is included in Debian Main, so it will not be necessary to add repositories at this time.

To access the repositories and install programs you use Synaptic, which is one of the most awesome things about Linux. (RPM-based distros use a different, but more or less equivalent utility -- their repositories are different.) To launch Synaptic go to System > Administration > Synaptic. You will need to give it the root password, because for security reasons, on Linux only root is allowed to install and remove programs. (Root is sort of like "administrator" in Windows.)

Once Synaptic is running, scroll through the thousands of programs available until you find Scribus. Right-click on it and select "mark for installation." Having marked it, then click on Apply, and then on OK. Synaptic will go out to the repository, download the .deb file, download also any other libraries and other files that Scribus needs, decompress as needed, and install the program. You don't have to do a thing except watch it work. When it finishes you will find a launch menu item under Applications > Office. 

I believe there are also some optional templates you can install at the same time. Just mark them both for installation and Synaptic will take care of the rest.

There are also command line ways of doing the same thing. But for a beginner, Synaptic is the way to go. 

There are a ton of other things to learn about Linux, but that will at least get you started and get Scribus installed and running for you. I strongly recommend that you bookmark the Ubuntu user forums and make it a pratice to browse them daily. Once registered you can post your own questions. You will find the forums an invaluable resource.

And now, as a new student of Linux, here are some introductory lessons:

Homework assignment (1): Research and learn the difference between the Gnome desktop (the default for Ubuntu) and the KDE desktop (the default desktop on most distributions and overall somewhat more popular). Learn how to change the appearance of your desktop to suit your personal tastes. Learn about different workspaces and why they are handy.

Homework assignment (2): Research and learn about establishing user accounts and the purpose and use of the /home directory. Learn how to use the Nautilus file manager and configure its functions to your personal tastes and needs. Create personal folders for your various types of work.

Extra credit assignment: Research and learn how to install fonts, both globally (available for all users of the computer) and individually (just for an individual user).