Amazon.com Review
Linux, like all Unix variants, was built for networking above all. As a result, its networking features are flexible and reliable--and daunting to Linux newcomers who aren't familiar enough with terms and concepts even to know what to look for in the documentation. Bryan Pfaffenberger does a service to people new to Linux networking with
Linux Networking Clearly Explained, an assume-nothing guide to local area networks (LANs) and Internet connectivity under the open-source operating system. Pfaffenberger shows how to do everything--file sharing, printer sharing, inter-machine backups, and Internet connection sharing--that most home and office computer users want to do with their LANs. He explains how Linux fits into an environment of diverse equipment, showing how to make Linux machines talk to Mac OS units and Windows computers.
The book begins with the most important sort of networking: dialup connectivity to an Internet service provider (ISP) via a dialup connection with KPPP for the K Desktop Environment (KDE). Later chapters focus on sharing resources--including the KPPP Internet connection and Internet connections provided by high-speed equipment--among computers interconnected as a LAN. Red Hat Linux 6.1 is used in the examples, but they apply equally well to other Linux flavors. --David Wall
Topics covered: The practicalities of building LANs under Linux and doing useful work with them, Internet connections via KPPP, TCP/IP configuration, Network File System (NFS), Samba for interaction with Windows, AppleTalk for talking to Mac OS machines, and backups with tar and cron.
From the Back Cover
"Bryan Pfaffenberger details the configuration and use of GNOME (as well as Enlightenment and KDE) in greater detail than anyother Linux book out there" David Wall of Amazon.com on
Linux Clearly ExplainedBryan Pfaffenberger and Michael Jang bring their focused, step-by-step approach which made
Linux Clearly Explaineda success to the task of networking with Linux.
Linux Netowrking Clearly Explainedwalks you through the creation of a TCP/IP-based Linux-driven local area netowrk, beginning with a "sandbox" installation involving just two or three computers. Within the sandbox system, you will learn how to implement all the major network services, including DNS servers, network information services (NIS), a network file system (NFS); and the most important TCP/IP services, including email, Web, and newsgroups. You will learn to setup AppleTalk and Windows NT domain servers to enable your network to support both Macintosh and Windows systems. When you have mastered all the fundamentals of system and network administration, including handling user accounts and ensuring security, you will go 'live' with an Internet connection.
Linux Networking Clearly Explainedis a passionate advocate for end users to gain the knowledge needed to create network installations for small businesses, for workgroups within an enterprise, and for families in high-tech homes.
Topics include:
* Essential networking concepts and hardware
* Configuration and use of NFS and Damba
* Compatibility with Macintosh and Qindows systems
* How to establish high-speed Internet connections to your network
* Creating Web servers and intranets with an introduction to Apache
* Maintaining and troubleshooting Linux networks
* Firewalls and security