29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Close to outstanding, but omissions hurt, November 15, 2009
This review is from: Beginning the Linux Command Line (Expert's Voice in Open Source) (Paperback)
Some day learning Linux will be painless. Truly painless dentistry is like to arrive first.
Linux is an extravagantly rich environment. The more I penetrate its mysteries, the more I comprehend why Linux fanatics are fanatics: Linux is beautiful, Linux is stable, Linux is overflowing with useful features and tools, Linux is stable, Linux is free.
But for the newcomer, Linux is overwhelming, especially at the command line. "Linux In A Nutshell", the bible of all Linux commands, runs to hundreds of pages, each filled with arcane language.
Many authors have attempted to make Linux more readily accessible for the beginner. Often such books are merely lists of the commands needed to get started, accompanied by brief explanations. Some, on the other hand, attempt to be encyclopedias of Linux. Others, like "Beginning the Linux Command Line" try to convey what the beginner most needs - just enough information to make them comfortable in a Linux environment, just enough commands to get them started on various tasks and just enough explanation so the reader understands what they are doing and, more importantly, why.
"Beginning the Linux Command Line" is one of the more successful entries in this genre. It begins with a concise, but substantial history of the development of Linux, what he command line environment is and why it is often better, what the shell is, how commands entered at the command line are executed, what MAN pages are and how to use them. That last point about MAN pages becomes the Achilles heel of the book, but more on that later.
Par for the course, "Beginning the Linux Command Line" presumes that the user will be administering a system, which I guess is true even for a desktop environment. The progression of topics is logical, though some might disagree with the precise order. Performing essential command-line tasks; administering the Linux File System; working with text files, managing partitions and logical volumes; managing users and groups; managing permissions; managing software; process and system management; sysem logging; configuring the network; configuring a file server; working with the kernel (which is an excellent chapter) and an introduction to Bash Shell scripting. This is a lot more information than the very new, very basic user needs at the outset and can be intimidating just by a perusal of the table of the contents. I would suggest that the authors would have been better served by breaking the book into sections, i.e. "for the beginner", "intermediate users" and so on.
The writing is excellent. Technical issues are dissembled in clear English with few diversions or distractions. Straight-forward examples are abundant. The author has a touch and seems aware of when less will do and where more is needed. Sander van Vught is an outstanding technical writer.
However, the book has a failing, a significant one in my eyes, but definitely not a showstopper. The author sometimes omits information that I feel should be in the book. For example, in an otherwise highly detailed explanation of the MOUNT command, the author inexplicably decided to omit discussion of the -o options which, in my opinion, are extremely important and easily misunderstood by the beginner. Instead the reader is referred to the MAN pages. MAN pages are often incomprehensible to the newcomer.
Choices like that keep "Beginning the Linux Command Line" from being a standout in my opinion. Even so, the book is an excellent introduction to using the Linux command line.
Jerry
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stepping on the field ready to play, March 11, 2011
This review is from: Beginning the Linux Command Line (Expert's Voice in Open Source) (Paperback)
I've been a windows admin for many years and my Linux skills come and go (more go than come). I picked up this book in a brick & mortar store with a cup of joe and I was done the 1st 4 chapters in no time. What an easy read and I felt the cobwebs clear and new commands become part of my lexicon.
I couldn't WAIT to have the book in hand and I didn't want it on my iPad (I love to write in the margins and dog ear pages on technical books), so I PAID for it. It was worth every penny. I got home and worked through every command (new and old alike). I'm a better admin because of it. I'm no pro, but I feel much more confident about maneuvering around the command line; more that I ever had before.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Starting Linux, February 24, 2011
This review is from: Beginning the Linux Command Line (Expert's Voice in Open Source) (Paperback)
If like me you are starting Linux with just a DOS and Windows background, then this book will be invaluable. It details many of the Linux commands and gives plenty of examples. It provides essential reading, if you are to get to grips with the mind-bending details of the different Linux systems. It includes good sections on administering file systems, and also on scripting.
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