Customer Reviews

Hacking Ubuntu: Serious Hacks Mods and Customizations (ExtremeTech)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book along with the Ubuntu Linux Bible. While I appreciate the latter, I consult the former regularly. In fact, this is the quickest I've ever consumed a technical book. "Hacking Ubuntu" is a great practical guide with excellent sample commands and scripts which don't just point you to a possible fix but actually resolve the problem. For example, I installed Xubuntu 7.04 on a Vaio laptop. When I went to configure my WLAN connections, my only displayed encryption option was WEP. I have WPA-PSK configured on my router. I flipped thru the book to the wireless network section and quickly saw the solution to getting WPA configured for each of the 2 NICs in my laptop (an integrated Intel and add-on D-Link).

More importantly, Krawetz includes the code you need to enable WPA support each time you boot the PC. While I might have been able to ferret all this out via hours of searching Google and Ubuntu forums, Krawetz's thoughtful presentation provided me with the necessary fix in 5 minutes. I was also able to use the sample code to write a short script to re-establish the LAN connection when I bring the laptop out of hibernation.

The rest of the book is equally helpful; it's chockful of practical tips. This book makes the difference between installing and muddling thru Ubuntu and installing, tweaking and making your Ubuntu install your own. Highly recommend for any Ubuntu user.

At the time I started to read Hacking Ubuntu, I had a fully functioning Gentoo system at home running on a desktop and a partially functioning Gentoo system running on an old laptop. When I finished reading Hacking Ubuntu, I have a fully functioning Kubuntu system on my desktop and two functioning Edubuntu systems on a couple of laptops. Needless to say I am a convert.

After spending many frustrating nights trying to get Gentoo installed on the laptop I decided to give Krawetz's book a chance. Following the information in the first chapter of the book, I installed Edubuntu on my desktop and laptop without any problems. I have gone through the book several times during the last week. I will now be rereading the book with an eye towards tuning system performance and security.

What I liked most about the information in the book is the practical nature of the layout. The four sections logically follow one another and basically mimic the journey most of us have had when using Linux: installation, setup, tuning, and security. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the humor. I have read too many of these informational geek books that lacked or approximated a sense of humor. The humor in "Hacking" is genuine and greatly appreciated.

As an experienced HP-UX administrator, I recommend the book for the information on the various tools and utilities that are applicable across operating systems. Part IV, Securing Your System, has advice that is almost completely agnostic with respect to a particular operating system and easily translates from Ubuntu to Gentoo to HP-UX or even to Windows.

Finally, I highly recommend this book to anyone with a desire to explore Ubuntu in greater detail. Again, all the information in the book is practical and easily applied. I do not know how many times, over the last week, I referenced this book to solve an issue on another system; this speaks volumes to the value of the information available in this book.

I recently wrote up a list of my recommended Linux texts, and I was obliged to add "Hacking Ubuntu."[...]
With "Hacking," I was expecting something like "how to turn your Ubuntu box into TiVo." Instead, Neal's book has provided a slew of scripts and configurations of the most useful customizations that I've never even thought about. Who would have dreamed up a way to change the background color of the desktop based on CPU usage?

One of the reasons that I'm so impressed by the book, is that while it requires some Linux technical skills, it balances complexity with utility. It's the sort of book that makes it really interesting and useful to be working with Ubuntu. I owe Dr. Krawetz a big thank you.

This book is a gem. Most other Linux books are heavy with theory but don't get you where you need to go. By contrast, this book is chock full of really practical mods (hacks) that are easy to do, yet provide great enhancements to the usability and security of your new Ubuntu system. If you're new to Ubuntu, get this book!

Well explained , easy to use and above all useful. This books helped me to switch to Ubuntu Linux which is now my main operating system. Without this book I am not sure I could have done it.

The popularity of Ubuntu has given rise to a deluge of Ubuntu books. Most are of an introductory nature; this is one of the few that rises to the level of a system administrator's needs.

The choice of content is excellent and, perhaps more importantly, the narrative is effective in building a cohesive understanding of the software systems that comprise Ubuntu. In this, it is clear that this book has benefited from having a single, expert author following a rational path of exposition.

Good, solid information above and beyond what you can pick up anywhere on the net. The problem with any DIY guide, from cookbooks to construction manuals, is that there isn't the opportunity (or the need) to utilize all the different recipes. Having said that, this book is well worth you time.

This is a wonderful compendium of modifications and enhancements for Ubuntu, but it is definitely not for the beginner or the faint of heart. This is the real thing for power users!

This book was packed with great tips and tricks.

I am only an intermediate Ubuntu user, and I run it on an old 600MHz Gateway PC, but I was able to do all of the hacks in the book that I tried.

The book was concise, informative, and easy to read. I would highly recommend it to any experienced Ubuntu user.

Don't be fooled by the book's cover. Just basic setup stuff and a few tweaks. Nothing hardcore. Good book for hacker "wannabe's" new to Linux.