This manual for new users of 64 Studio is intended to cover enough general aspects of creative work to provide a starting point for your own multi-media adventures. This will eventually include 2D and 3D graphics, animation techniques, publishing, web design, audio production and video editing, as well as many other useful bits in between.

These articles are aimed at creative people who want to be able to realise their visions without having to become technical experts in the realm of computer science before they begin. If you want choice and a highly customisable working environment, Linux supports professional quality creative tools capable of delivering top-class results. It is now possible to run a full production studio entirely on Free Software.

In this book we will be investigating the use of Free Software tools in creative environments, and hopefully overturning some ingrained attitudes about the limitations of Linux-based systems in the multimedia arena.

64 Studio is based on the Debian distribution of GNU/Linux software. This means that there is already a vast wealth of manuals, HOWTO guides and FAQs available that cover the workings of the basic operating system and many of the general applications.

Debian documentation you should read:

http://www.debian.org/doc/
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/apt-howto/
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/quick-reference/

We will focus on the minimum amount of set-up here, so we can dive straight into getting creative and having fun. Most of this guide isn't particularly 64studio-specific or even Debian-specific; it is designed to help anyone who wishes to explore the creative possibilities offered by a GNU/Linux system.

If you have just worked your way through the Install Guide and are wondering what to do next, start reading at the Configuration Guide. If you already know your way around the GNOME desktop, then dive in where you like, but bear in mind that the book is written to be read in sequence, so if there's anything you don't understand, it may have been covered in earlier chapters. Right, that's enough introductions, let's have a look at the software.

Welcome to your Creative Desktop!