Customer Reviews

Running Linux, Fourth Edition

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I was very impressed by Running Linux. Like many other computer professionals, I have always been a fan of O'Reilly Publishing.

"Running Linux" claims on its cover to be "One-Stop Shopping Guide to Linux." They aren't far off. With information ranging from installation to programming tips to TCP/IP, it packs a lot of information into a rather compact binding.

I have only one complaint about "Running Linux." Unfortunately, the book really glosses over some basic Unix system administration and commands that are absolutely necessary for the beginner to be able to be productive with the book and the operating system. If this is your first book on Linux, I strongly recommend getting a companion volume such as a command reference or novice Unix System Administration tutorial. Use "Running Linux" to get concepts, then consult the companion volume when you sit down at the computer to make things work. You will have a lot more fun and a lot less frustration in the long term.

Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about the book. I found it extremely helpful. The text is very readable and well organized. I highly recommend it for all Linux users!

After reading all the glorious reviews I could only believe this was the book I needed, being a relative newbie. Although I have found much usefullness in the book, I am disappointed nevertheless and will be looking for another.

My main complaints with this book are:

1) The back cover states that, "_Running Linux_ explains everything you need to understand, install, and start using the Linux operating system." Then the author states several times in the book that if you are new to unix/linux you may want to buy a book on the subject!

2) This Third Edition, published in 1999, reads like an older edition at times. For example, I doubt that Chapters 2 and 3 regarding installation are useful to anyone installing a modern ditro, except maybe Debian. In fact these chapters would probably only be confusing - with their descriptions of installing from floppy, etc.

3) The book also goes to great length to point out Linux's superiority over all things Microsoft, and it's not always accurate in this dubious endeavour. Sometimes it seems hardly a page goes by without one of those petty, unprofessional jabs at MS that are unfortunately so common in Linux writing. If I thought Microsoft were god, I wouldn't be Running Linux.

As an example of 2) and 3) consider paes 49-50. The author describes that in a dual boot situation with W95 it's better to install W95 first because W95 has a nasty habit of overwriting the MBR. He then goes on to say, "We don't know whether Windows 98 will demonstrate the same cavalier behavior as as Windows 95." This book was published in 1999 so why doesn't he know? He then conveniently fails to mention that many Linux distros will not only overwrite the MBR, they will also erase the entire hard drive including other OS's partitions. (dated material and misleading evangelism).

4) As other reviewers have pointed out, the book is simply not detailed enough for admins or power users. Considering it's not all that great for newbies either, then what is it good for?

I could go on, but I think you get the point. My feeling is that in 1995 this was _the_ Linux book to have, and it's reputation has earned it a lot of sales, but it's just not the right book for today, not for newbies and not for experienced users.

First, if you're setting up a Linux Server then this book is not your best choice. If you're completely new to Linux and want to learn as much as possible about all of it's functionality in general then this book is for you. This guide takes you through the paces and shows you all the bells and whistles that come with Linux but really only touches on network administration tasks. Great book for workstation users (i.e. if your NOT the sysadmin!) but if you're looking for more specific networking information then I suggest other books such as DNS and BIND, Linux Network Toolkit, TCP/IP Administration and others specific to sendmail and apache and linux networking!

I recently migrated from win95 to linux. This is a very good reference book, typical of the high quality of O'Reilly publications. But I agree with the reader from Indiana: Michael Kofler's ``Linux: installation, configuration and use'' (2nd ed) is perhaps a better choice for installing and configuring linux, especially if you're migrating from Windows.

I get the sense that a lot of people who praise this book highly already know linux well, and so find it easier to read. If O'Reilly books have a weakness, it's that they tend to be written for people who already know a good deal about the subject. (Their Perl books are a good example.) The really high praise often comes from advocates who already know the subject, and want you to love it as much as them. But the style can sometimes make it more difficult for a newbie to get a grip on the basic concepts .

That said, though, this is still a great book. I get the feeling that as I get to know linux better I'll rely on this book more than Kofler's. But new users should be aware of Kofler's book -- it's better at getting you through the nuts and bolts of installation and the inevitable early teething problems.

This was the first Linux book that I bought, which I found to be useful, but often a little too advanced. I therefore ended up buying several other books (Linux Secrets and Red Hat 5.2 Unleashed - these contained a lot of immediately practical info I needed). However, now that I've been using Linux for a while I find myself continually coming back to Running Linux for additional info often not found in other books. People complain about it being out of date and not having a CDROM. These are the resons this book is so good - it doesn't deal with all the distribution specific issues - these can be found in the documentation that comes with your distribution. Instead it supplies a plethora of information on a wide range of Linux topics that don't chage much over time. In addition, Matt Welsh is perhaps the best technical writer I've come across.

With its first edition dating back to early 1995, Matt Welsh's book is widely regarded as classic, to the extent this term can be applied to Linux. Mr. Welsh, now continuing his PhD studies at UC Berkeley, is a renowned Linux expert, and was actively involved in Linux development since 1992. In particular, he is known in the Linux community for starting the Linux Documentation Project, for contributing to it with Linux Installation and Getting Started (LIGS) Guide (available freely from the Internet) and, lately, for being the founding editor of the Linux Magazine.

Running Linux grew out of LIGS as its expanded and professionally edited version. This has its pluses and minuses. When it came out, there were hardly any other books on Linux available, so it tried to teach the reader everything, from Linux installation to Unix administration, from the command shell basics to compiling the kernel, and from using the C compiler to configuration of X Windows. Its breadth is thus encyclopedic, and yet it is surprisingly sharp at details. The third edition added all the things that happened since: KDE, GNOME, Samba... It may be my personal feeling only, but the new chapters somewhat stick out, without really growing into the tissue of the text.

More important, the book fails to recognize that the structure of new Linux users changed since 1995. At the time, it was written as a "getting started" guide, and it served its role perfectly. However, nowadays you cannot assume any more that every new Linux user is familiar with command line commands or other Unix systems. Therefore I don't think I could still recommend Running Linux as a beginner's guide.

Being one of the top-selling books on Linux, it doesn't need any particular recommendation, anyway. Still, Running Linux is a book edited to high O'Reilly standards, and written by some of the most knowledgeable people in Linux community - which is to many a definite plus compared to books written by journalists. I would say its best target population are seasoned Unix users wanting to try Linux, technically minded people in general, and CS students in particular. Others might find its learning curve somewhat steep.

These authors share a passion for LINUX and share that passion though great detail about how this freeware operating system is put together. This book is NOT a "LINUX in 21-days" or "LINUX for Dummies" quick read. What this book is however, is a must add to your library as a LINUX reference. Like the title indicates - it covers everything you need to understand if you want to run the LINUX operating system.
While the core of the book hasn't changed, this edition has updated installation, configuration and security material. Not a UNIX guru or need to brush up? The book covers all the basic UNIX commands and concepts in a simple and clear manner. I found the chapter on upgrading and building a new Kernel one of the best parts as the authors explain not just what to do but how to get a variety of hardware devices to work.
Want to play with X Windows, KDE or GNOME - they cover it. While the book tries to cover programming languages enough to help one understand how gcc, makefiles, perl, and java fit into the LINUX puzzle, to the authors' credit, they quickly point out there are many books covering these subjects and don't try to get into too much detail. They do get into detail about a subject anyone playing with LINUX must learn - security.
There is no wonder why this book is in it's 4th Edition. It's complete. There will likely be more editions to follow in the coming years as the LINUX wave keeps growing. But best to get the book now and learn LINUX, before the lawyers take over this OS.

Running Linux covers everything from the history and philosophy of Linux to installation and running applications on Linux. After the introduction, the first few chapters cover the different versions of Linux and how to install it on different hardware platforms. This is very helpful to anyone who has never installed Linux. The step-by-step tutorial to setup and configure Linux is very detailed and explains many of the common problems that could be encountered. The setup and configuration sections are generic to cover all versions of Linux, but differences of diverse vendors are covered when it varies from the generic tutorial.

A short introduction to UNIX commands and concepts is provided for users who have never used a Unix based operating system. This section applies to not just Linux, but any Unix based operating system. Common applications that are installed are each given a small tutorial. The applications covered are vi, EMACS, GIMP, etc. Linux programming tools are also each covered in a short tutorial section on several tools.

The last sections of the book cover Linux administration. Setting up new users and file premissions are discussed. Also, networking aspects of Linux and covered in various chapters about TCP/IP and e-mail. This book is a comprehensive book covering all aspects of Linux and should be required reading for anyone new to Linux.

I own the 3rd edition of this book and liked it so much that I ordered the 4th edition as soon as it came out. If you are interested in learning how to become a power linux user, this is the book for you. The book does a nice job teaching you the fundamentals of linux and system administration. And the best thing about the book is that it is distrobution independant. Unlike other linux guides that are focused toward a single distrobution this one covers the core of linux. What you learn here you can use regardless of what distro you run. The book also has some nice sections on programming tools that are availble on linux and how to use them efficiently. For example it goes into how to use CVS, and how to create linux libraries for your programs, and much more. It also does a good job covering how to set up and use basic unix/linux services like ssh, apache, and email to name just a few. And it has a great section on how to compile your own kernel, which is often a stumbling block to newbies. In order to get the fullest advantage of linux performance you must know how to compile kernels. This is really one of few truely great books on linux. It it well written, and explained in a clear and concise manner. After you have finished reading it you will find yourself picking this book up again and again as a handy reference. I recommend this book as the first linux book to read to everyone i meet that expresses interest in Linux and is new to it.

This book is an excellent reference book for administrators and/or intermediate to advanced users. If you are new to linux, skip this book and opt for the O'Reilly title "Learning Linux". There are several titles out for different distributions. The book sticks true to it's description in the "About this book" section where it describes itself as "...(giving) you enough background to find out more on your own".

I caution anyone who intends to use this book as a reference for building a new or custom kernel! The information presented isn't entirely accurate and lacks some depth. If you are new to this - pick a different source.

Overall - the book is an excellent reference book for power users and intermediate users looking to exploit the power of Linux.