Learn how to customize Ubuntu 12.04's Unity with Unity Customization Guide 1.0, free 72 pages PDF book

Unity has already gained a solid amount of awareness across the internets, in the sense of being used and known by numerous users, being perceived as an "regular" Ubuntu component.

Along with its adoption, the users have been presented an easy-to-use, intuitive interface with a relatively low learning curve, almost immediately perceivable elements (Dash, launcher, panel, etc), consequently, using Ubuntu with Unity is definitely a hassle-free desktop experience, while one sticks to defaults.

In order to "heavily" tweak Unity, a certain amount of informations is required that, packed with "third-party" tools, are to deliver a solid in-depth tweakable environment.

Unity Customization Guide is a full-fledged handy book, that presents the newcomer manners and tools useful to tweak Unity, touching numerous corners of the desktop via categorized chapters with a progressive difficulty level, a "hand" (at the beginning) reached towards the freshman and (at the end) a place where completing one's already acquired Unity knowledge is to be performed.

Opening the book, introduces the user to the required tools, necessary for modeling Unity after one's likeness, such as System Settings (default), CompizConfig Settings Manager (available via Ubuntu Software Center), MyUnity (available via Ubuntu Software Center).

System Settings is presented starting with its "access-point" (the "cog" icon), followed by not only enumerating its major Unity-specific functionalities (such Appearance, Privacy, Brightness and Lock, etc), but also overall desktop-focused items, like Hardware, Backup, Details, Management Service, basically a unitary presentation of Ubuntu's System Settings, covering and exposing all of the needs and needs-places-to-be-accessed.

Being a non-default app, CCSM must be installed (in order to be used), process explained in Unity Customization Guide, process that follows the System Settings' approach, carefully explaining step-by-step CCSM's capabilities.

Customizing the Dash, launcher, panel, desktop, fonts, themes, etc, is presented in relation to MyUnity, tool useful to complete the book's stated mission, Achieve Personal Unity.

Combining funny elements, seen-across-the-web scenarios and optimized use cases, Customization Scenarios adds resolvers to frequently encountered issues, being exposed with interesting tiles, such as Beauty is Screen Deep (Scenario: Lulu is a new Ubuntu user and she is impressed with how the new Unity desktop environment looks and feels. She is happy with how everything is set up, except for one thing: she always uses the same picture of her pet “Spades” as her desktop background and she want to use it again for her Unity desktop environment; Solution: Lulu can import her favorite picture to use as her desktop wallpaper in the Look tab of the Systems Settings tool Appearance option; finally, step-by-step instructions on how to achieve the mentioned use case), Icon-Cure!, Locked and Loaded, For The Records, I Want it Off the Record, etc.

While reading the book, one can observe various attention-like messages, aiming at transmitting clear info related to various potential dangers, generated if various configuration options are misapplied or improperly handled.

The 72 pages PDF book, written and edited by Wai Moi, Charlene Tessier and Randall Ross, is available for free download on http://frenchfortunecookie.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/ubuntu-12-04-lts-...

"This guide is dedicated to Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu visionary and founder of the Ubuntu project. Thank you for making the world a better place".