Linux For Dummies 8th Edition [Paperback]

Dee-Ann LeBlanc (Author), Richard K. Blum (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470116498 | ISBN-13: 978-0470116494 | Publication Date: July 30, 2007 | Edition: 8

• Focusing on Fedora Core 6, this accessible guide shows newcomers how to create a full-featured Linux desktop setup that's comparable to a Windows system
• Substantially revised and updated with new material on setting up a wireless home network, recycling an old Windows computer as a Linux home-networking server, running Linux on a laptop, editing digital photos, managing and playing audio and video, using open source productivity software, and more
• The DVD features the full Fedora Core installation and Fedora Core CD ISOs; there's also a coupon for readers who prefer to get Fedora Core on CD-ROM
• A companion Web site provides installation options and information on other popular Linux distributions, including SuSE, Mandriva, Linspire, Knoppix, and Ubuntu

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Everything you need to install, run, and optimize Linux on your desktop

Here's how to start using Linux, the popular and free operating system

Want to do the same tasks you can with Windows, except for free? Linux is the alternative open source operating system that's beloved by users in the know. This newly updated guide gives you just what you need to get started with Linux — plain-English explanations, savvy tips and advice, and, best of all, the full Fedora Core installation on DVD!

• Understand core Linux tasks

• Use OpenOffice.org for common functions

• Manage and play multimedia

• Make your Linux box more secure

• Use Linux and Windows together

About the Author

Dee-Ann LeBlanc, RHCE (Red Hat Certified Engineer), is a writer, course developer, journalist, and trainer who specializes in Linux. Although these various professions may sound scattered, they in fact reinforce one another by allowing her to see what people are doing with Linux in the real world and where they need help. In the past, she has been the Linux Games editor for the Linux Journal, the Desktop editor for LinuxToday.com, and has written and held positions with a number of other Linux and technology publications such as Computer Power User magazine. She has also written numerous books about Linux. Today, she is the SplunkBase Knowledge Manager for Splunk (www.splunk.com), an IT search company. It is her job to build a community around SplunkBase (www.splunkbase.com) that fills this IT troubleshooting resource with world-class content.

Richard Blum has worked in the IT industry for more than 20 years as a network and systems administrator. During that time, he’s had the opportunity to work with lots of different computer products, including Windows, Netware, Cisco, Avaya, different flavors of UNIX, and of course, Linux. Over the years, he’s also volunteered for several non-profit organizations to help support small networks that had little financial support. Rich is the author of several Linux-based books for total Linux geeks, and a couple of Windows-based books for programmers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 8 edition (July 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470116498
• ISBN-13: 978-0470116494
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Huge gaps in the subject coverage..., October 16, 2007

By 

rmckim (Midwest US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linux For Dummies 8th Edition (Paperback)

I have 20 yrs experience with computers. I have installed other Linux variants successfully. After installing Fedora Linux per the instructions in this book - TWICE - with an fdisk inbetween installs, and following the instructions in this book, I was unable even to logon to the system - AND this book has NO LOGON TROUBLESHOOTING SECTION! Astounding. Fedora Linux (the flavor this book recommends) will prob always be Geek Linux. There are other Linux variants which are MUCH, MUCH more user friendly. This is the first DUMMIES book that I've found to be substandard. Great on opinions and generalizations, short on the details that really count.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good, but does't meet my expectations, September 13, 2007

By 

Jonathan Allen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Linux For Dummies 8th Edition (Paperback)

Well... I don't want to go in depth too much. The DVD is ok, but it only contains Fedora Core as the item description states. Fedora is ok, but it doesn't contain the mainstream programs such as Gparted (although there is a partitioner, when I became fed up with Linux the partitioner doesn't support NTFS). The reason I didn't keep Fedora is I couldn't get the resolution changed on my X1400 GPU. I was constantly running into snags but most were minor except the 1024x768 default res that I couldn't figure out how to get to 1280x800. Don't get me wrong, the book is very, very informative but the bundled software wasn't a great choice. There are other distros such as Ubuntu and PCLinuxOS that could've easily been given on multiple CD's.

Bottom line, if you are like me, and just wanted to learn more about linux than you know, this is it. But I also wanted to know more and actually have Linux for backup. Fedora isn't great, but if Windows goes blue on you and don't have time to reinstall, get you a 5gb partition and just use this for those quick days.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Missing Documentation, December 17, 2007

By 

Daniel Johnson "Fisherman" (Dayton, MN.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Linux For Dummies 8th Edition (Paperback)

This book is almost solely devoted to Fedora. Not all Linux OS are the same. I was very disappointed with the contents of the book.