Exploring the JDS Linux Desktop

by Tom Adelstein, Sam Hiser

The Java Desktop System ™, from Sun Microsystems, is a modern system for all kinds of users, novice through expert. As an unusually robust, well-integrated desktop system, it may become the first to fulfill the promise of mass adoption for open source. JDS brings Linux and other open source software up to a level of usability that makes them suitable for the enormous base of Personal Computer users including office workers, students, mobile and home users. It behaves pretty much the way a Windows or Mac user would expect, but with many more powerful features. JDS has seen widespread adoption in the United States, Britain, China, and elsewhere. This book is the ideal guide to it is clear and direct, but loaded with insights from authors who have spent time working with, supporting, and enhancing the system. Tom Adelstein is an award winning polymath system designer; Sam Hiser is a respected business consultant with an itch that led him to become the marketing project lead for OpenOffice.org. Both are advocates for open source and founders of the Open Government Interoperability Project, members of the Open Source Software Institute and contributors to the JDShelp.org project. This book carefully covers such housekeeping chores as setting up networking, updates, and backups. Then it enters into great depth concerning the key productivity tools every user email, web browsing, instant messaging, word processing, spreadsheets, and slide presentations. A number of chapters and appendices concerning useful tools, including things you can add to your system, rounds out this remarkably useful book. It has plenty to offer the new user as well as the seasoned Linux professional.

406 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

How did I become an author? First, I starting writing early in life, pursued the craft at school, majored in English literature, worked as a writer-for-hire, obtained expertise in other fields, learned to accept rejection and kept at it. Foremost, I treat writing as a craft, something that has a standard body of knowledge or a cerebral side as well as the dominant creative side.

After college, I knew that 8 cents a word per printed page would not get me through the week financially. I retraced some footsteps and entered the business world. I spent several years as a busy investigative reporter and member of the Computer Press Association, specializing in computer security before it became a fad, so I went into the field very early and found I had a knack for it. I embraced community software development over the Internet. Not long ago, I specialized in government system development and achieved notoriety as a result. Eventually, I joined a consulting and advocacy group and have seen and done things people can't begin to imagine. I went from a part-time to full-time author in 2003.

In 1985, the Longman Pearson Group, Chicago published 'How to Read Analyze and Select Private Real Estate Offerings' which became a breakthrough in my career. I've also published with Macmillan, New York and O'Reilly Media, Cambridge and Sebastopol, CA as you can see in my list of books on the left of this page. I've also penned over 100 articles as an investigative journalist which were published in Forbes, Government Computing, Linux Journal, Investment Advisory Monthly, and O'Reilly Technical Media among others.

I segued back from Non-Fiction to Suspense and brought a lot of experiences to the projects. Many of my books aren't listed on this page either because they're no longer in print or Author Central doesn't compute the ISBN numbers. Contact me through twitter or my blog and I'll complete the list for you. If you live in France, Russia, Turkey, Serbia, Japan or Korea, then I can point out places to find titles.

Reviews

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spam. In a book form. A shameless promotion of a pretty useless software toy. Of course, that was hard to see back in 2004. But 12 years later the "the first to fulfill the promise of mass adoption for open source" is deadish. The Sun OS is used by few. Linux support is discontinued. And the base is a lie like this book: the Java desktop is not based on Java, but on Gnome.