Customer Reviews

Beginning Ubuntu Linux (Books for Professionals by Professionals)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've owned and used the first two editions of "Beginning Ubuntu Linux". Third Edition. All three are thick books that contain considerable useful information. All you need to quickly get up and running with Ubuntu. Along with the "Linux Bible", it is the best introduction & transition tool into the Linux world.

No book is perfect. Both books contain some wordy sections but readers will come with different experiences and knowledge areas. So, I am reluctant to say which pages should be deleted. I came to "Ubuntu Linux" from years of experience with Windows 3.1 to XP and a solid knowledge of PC hardware & external components. There are about 100 pages I didn't need but I suspect there are other people who need some, part of, or all of those 100 pages.

I find the background information invaluable, even though I already knew much of it.
Here and there I obtained information and explanations that enhanced my already extensive understanding of PC hardware and what Operating Systems do.

The author does an excellent job of explaining the important differences between Windows and Linux. He begins with a discussion of the important differences between Windows and Linux file structures, which significantly speeds readers understanding of how to use Linux. Simply telling us that Linux treats everything as a file, including external components, hard drives, digital cameras, printers, etc., saves the beginner a lot of headache.

I highly recommend "Beginning Ubuntu" for new comers to Linux and for those who have some knowledge and experience. If you are completely new to Linux, I recommend you also consider buying "Linux Bible" as well.

If you jump into using Linux having first consulted both books, you are extremely likely to stick with Linux long enough to learn why so many people love Linux and would never consider moving back to Windows. Countless people, fed up with Windows, try Linux and very quickly return to Windows because they could not find a "C" prompt. The basic early section of "Beginning" will insure you are not one of these people.

I seriously doubt you will toss out Ubunbu Linux & Linux in general if you have "Beginning Ubuntu Linux". Instead, you will preservere long enough to learn the beauties of Linux computing..

Especially delightful is the built in security, the absence of huge security programs that rob ram memory and processor resources (slow down you PC) and waste your time keeping you from doing things you wish to do, absence of a goofy Registry that is responsible for most Windows crashes (another big time waster and expense).
Gone will be time wasting hard drive defrag sessions, as Linux design doesn't promote constant file fragmentation.

I was looking for a reference book that I could read without having to spend hours at the computer surfing the Web. Linux has progressed to the point where minimal command line interaction is necessary and installation has now become an easy task. I've been a PC user since the late 70's and have primarily learned by reading books and manuals. This book was exactly what I was looking for as a starting point for learning to use Ubuntu. I found it a plus that the book contains a DVD with all the Ubuntu distributions which saved me time from having to download them. All in all I would rate this book a good read/reference.

The manual was semi-useful. There is a characteristic that would be buyers need to understand. Ubuntu is a moving target by being constantly being improved/upgraded. This makes a manual on a specific version have a limited value. The version of Ubuntu provided with the manual is out dated. The manual is useful for some basic details. It doesn't seem to make much distinction between different versions of Ubuntu. It's subtitle is over-blown to the point of being misleading, it certainly won't take a person upto a professional level. It also does not address basic differences between out of the box programs and the umteen variations that can be put together in the process of customizing your own installation of Ubuntu. If it is used as a somewhat sideways introduction to the possibilities of open source programming and some basics, it works reasonably well.

A lot of people are switching from windows to Ubuntu and this is the perfect book to get you started. It covers all programs / tools a beginner should know about Ubuntu and linux from bash scripting to multimedia programs; it also covers extensively all the aspects of Ubuntu.

I am new at Linux and I did quite a lot of research on which one is the best book for someone who is new at Linux and wants to learn about it. I went to bookstores took a good look at all the other Linux books and I think this book is more complete than the others, some other books for example tell you how to hook up to wireless internet but do not tell you how to react when you find an obstacle like this one. No doubt this book is a great bargain for the buck.

Easy to read, fun and comprehensive Linux book. One of the best writing styles I've seen (and believe me, I read a lot) Author(s) do not assume you're a guru so if you're new to Linux like me, you will not miss anything. I've tried Linux years ago (I'm a SQL/Windows administrator for a Worldwide IT company) and finally decided to explore UBUNTU following some friend's recommendation; glad I did it.

Book has been divided in 6 parts:

1. Linux introduction: some history and background about Linux
2. Installation
3. Starting guide (a kind of tutorial)
4. Shell
5. Multimedia
6. Office tasks
7. Keeping your system running
8. Appendixes

If you're avid of knowledge or do not have a server to play with you can skip 1 and 2 and start reading 3. But today is easy to find any cheap laptop and download Virtual PC so you can start having fun with it.

The real "meat" resides in 4 and 7 (Chapters 3-17 and 29-33) Authors explained in a "human being" way, basic Shell and Linux admin concepts, which are heavily based on command prompt and commands. But do not feel intimidated at all; they explained everything so well that you will start to "hate" Windows and your "old fashion" way to work with computers.

There is a chapter dedicated to Office (the Linux counterpart to MS-Office) so if you're serious in upgrading from Microsoft, will help you migrate and transition all your Office documents in a quick and secure way.

There is also a chapter for Digital Photos and GIMP (the free Photoshop counterpart) It is true this is a basic chapter, kind of an intro, but enough for me and any other to start using the program and enjoy its benefits; wish book was in color, though.

I still do not believe UBUNTU will replace Vista or XP market short term, but since last time I played with Linux, developers has made lot of improvements. I own a Dell Inspiron Laptop and was able to dual boot with Vista with no issues at all (I'm amazed, UBUNTU recognized all drivers and hardware) . You need to have a bit of previous experience with systems in order to dual boot safely (I ran a backup of my Windows Data anyway, like pictures and documents) but newbies or people new to Operating System can follow the book's instructions and will feel pleasure and confidence during the process.

This is a good starting point for anyone interested in learn new technology or focus in something different than Microsoft. During these difficult times, any extra thing that you can put on your resume or brain, worth the money! :=)

I was just a novice at Ubuntu before I read this book. Now I can move around in Ubuntu a great deal better than before I read the book. The book is easy to understand and subjects are easy to find. What more can you want. I highly recommend it. StephenSodaro.com

As a user of Unix many years ago, I found this quite helpful in updating my knowledge. Offers a good overview of ubuntu without being too lost in the forest of Unix software. Alos found "Ubuntu Kung Fu" by one of these authors aslo extremely useful on how to do specific things in ubuntu.

Great Book. I'm teaching myself Linux with it!! I'm an advanced beginner with Windows and I've found everything I need to know to use Linux in the book. Linux is a whole new world to explore and I'm having lots of fun with it. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn Linux.

Good book with much information, but you still must use the forums to get the latest data on Ubuntu Karmic.