Running Linux [Paperback]

Matthias Kalle Dalheimer (Author), Matt Welsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0596007604 | ISBN-13: 978-0596007607 | Edition: 5th

You may be contemplating your first Linux installation. Or you may have been using Linux for years and need to know more about adding a network printer or setting up an FTP server. Running Linux, now in its fifth edition, is the book you'll want on hand in either case. Widely recognized in the Linux community as the ultimate getting-started and problem-solving book, it answers the questions and tackles the configuration issues that frequently plague users, but are seldom addressed in other books.

This fifth edition of Running Linux is greatly expanded, reflecting the maturity of the operating system and the teeming wealth of software available for it. Hot consumer topics such as audio and video playback applications, groupware functionality, and spam filtering are covered, along with the basics in configuration and management that always have made the book popular.

Running Linux covers basic communications such as mail, web surfing, and instant messaging, but also delves into the subtleties of network configuration--including dial-up, ADSL, and cable modems--in case you need to set up your network manually. The book can make you proficient on office suites and personal productivity applications--and also tells you what programming tools are available if you're interested in contributing to these applications.

Other new topics in the fifth edition include encrypted email and filesystems, advanced shell techniques, and remote login applications. Classic discussions on booting, package management, kernel recompilation, and X configuration have also been updated.

The authors of Running Linux have anticipated problem areas, selected stable and popular solutions, and provided clear instructions to ensure that you'll have a satisfying experience using Linux. The discussion is direct and complete enough to guide novice users, while still providing the additional information experienced users will need to progress in their mastery of Linux.

Whether you're using Linux on a home workstation or maintaining a network server, Running Linux will provide expert advice just when you need it.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

One of the best books on Linux, the UNIX-compatible operating system for personal computers. In the tradition of all O'Reilly books, Running Linux features clear, step-by-step instructions that always seem to provide just the right amount of information: covers everything you need in order to understand, install, and use the Linux operating system, including X Windows, TCP/IP, Perl, Tcl/TK, the gcc C and C++ compilers, and most Internet services such as email, SLIP, and WWW. For intermediate to advanced users. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Read the full review for this book.

Switching to Linux is like moving to a new city -- you don't know where things are, what they are called, or how to get there. In short, you don't know enough to ask the right questions, and probably have a job or some work you want to get done. Running Linux, by Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman, is a gentle welcome to Linux that shows you around, points out some places where you may want to spend some time, and tells you where to find good detailed guides. I read the first six chapters, and every article in print or on the Web I could get my hands on, before installing Linux on its own partition. (I had started with Dragon Linux's IronWing, an eight-floppy distribution that uses the MS-DOS file system. It is a low impact way to try out Linux.) --Jeff Taylor, Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books -- Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 974 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 5th edition (December 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596007604
• ISBN-13: 978-0596007607
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #453,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Computers & Technology > Operating Systems > Unix > Shell
  • #98 in Books > Computers & Technology > Operating Systems > Linux > Networking & System Administration

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Beginners Guide to Workstations February 3, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

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!

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for Linux users July 27, 2000

By "mcopple"

Format:Paperback

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!

138 of 154 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars dissappointed: much dated material and not enough depth February 25, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

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.