Linux Pocket Guide

How Linux Works : What Every Superuser Should Know

The Linux Cookbook, Second Edition

Linux

Linux for Non-Geeks : A Hands-On, Project-Based, Take-It-Slow Guidebook

Format: Paperback
Author: Rickford Grant
ReleaseDate: 01 March, 2004
Publisher: No Starch Press
Rating:

Good Book for Beginners
0 and I wanted to learn more about Linux command line. I have Linspire 5. The book is good if you are using Fedora Core and it was a good start for command line. I enjoyed it but it could be a little more in depth.

Great Place to Start with Linux
It is written in simple, easy to understand "non-geek" English so that the average computer user can understand what is going on. If you want to learn to use Linux for your desktop computer but are not intested in indepth technical jargon then this is the book for you. Anyone should be up and running Linux in a short time. And by running Linux I mean doing all the things you want to do on the computer. This book focuses on teaching the average home user how to do the things you want to do like customizing your desktop and icons, surfing the net, playing your CD's and mp3's, downloading and installing games and software (all for free), and much more. Even after using Linux for a few years I still use this book for reference if I need to look something up.

I would like to say one thing. I bought this book right after it was released in 2004. Since then Linux has come a long way. This book comes with Fedora Core 1 and Fedora Core is now up to release 5 (at the time of this writing). Now there is really no reason to feel like you have to have the newest release because there are lots of people still running 1 (or older versions) but if you are running a newer computer with new hardware there might be a chance that Fedora Core 1 will not have drivers for the newest stuff. I say this not to discourage anyone from buying this book, but rather to let people know that if the CD this book comes with does not work with your computer you did not waste your money. Your next best option would be to find the newest release of Fedora by either free download or buying it cheaply somewhere online. This may well solve your problem and if not check out the many forums for Linux as people are always willing to help and are very friendly. This book is still great and I highly recommend it, but it would be really nice if a new updated edition would be released.
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Linux for Non-Geeks
The insturctions in the book were clear and concise. The book is very helpful in setting up a Fedora Linux installation if the accomopaning disks were complete.

My problem was that I have only one hard drive and needed to repartition it using a partition program. (I used Partition Magic. ) When it came time to load the linux supplied with the book onto the machine, it had difficulty recognizing the partions and did not load properly. it froze up upon being loaded onto the machine for its first boot. I was forced to download Fedora 4 in order to install it properly (Fedora 4 worked just fine. ). I also downloaded the documentation including installation instructions which were clear although much broader then I needed them. I am still working my way through the projects in Linux for Non-Geeks. .