Sams Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours [Paperback]

Judith Samson (Author), Dallas Releford (Author), Jason Byars (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sams Teach Yourself | Publication Date: December 22, 2000

Sams Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours provides new users a tutorial approach to learning how to use Linux -- and it provides readers who are already familiar with Linux insights into the features of the latest version of Red Hat Linux -- the most popular distribution among Linux users in the United States and overseas. The book covers all the most important topics for the reader who wants to get Red Hat Linux up and running and productive as quickly as possible. Written by Judith Samson, the principal of a Linux consulting company, the book assumes no prior knowledge of either Linux or the Red Hat distribution. Everything is explained using simple terms in a careful, step-by-step manner. The book's CD includes a complete Red Hat Linux starter kit, including the most recent version of the Red Hat distribution.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Linux seems to have slipped a bit from the public eye, but it's still very much on the radar screens of people who care about low-cost, high-quality operating systems for utility servers and power users' workstations. The release of Red Hat Linux 7 and the Linux 2.4 kernel have moved its ease of use and functionality up a couple of notches. A team of three writers has documented the OS and some of its core applications for Linux novices in Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours. The book focuses on Red Hat Linux as a platform for individual users. Although that--as opposed to network services provision--is not Linux's strong suit, stand-alone Linux operations are a great way to get experience in advance of a more ambitious deployment.

This book takes the form of a series of exercises that novice users can perform as they explore the Red Hat Linux way of computing. The authors employ a style that's typical of books that document command-line environments: they intersperse input and output listings with plain-English comments about what each means. Tables list options, procedures guide readers through controlled situations, and tips give details on odds and ends. Perhaps best of all, this book comes with Red Hat Linux 7 on a CD-ROM, which saves you the trouble of downloading it or buying it separately. --David Wall

Topics covered: Red Hat Linux 7 and the Linux 2.4 kernel, explained in beginners' terms, with an eye toward stand-alone operation, instead of networking. The authors give specific guidance through file-system navigation, use of the GNOME environment, and system configuration. Additionally, there's coverage of simple Internet connectivity via a modem and PPP, as well as simple local area network (LAN) setup.

From the Author

When I had been approached by many people from many different walks of life inquiring about the Linux operating system I decided there was definitely a need for a book on Linux of this magnetitude. People these days are looking for a bargain and something that can increase their knowledge of this world. You will find both a bargain and a way to increase your knowledge as well as increasing your value to your employer in STY Redhat Linux 7.0. It is a book that takes you from the beginning to the place you ought to be. When you finish this book you will have a working knowledge of what the Linux system is and how to use it in many applications.

Dallas G. Releford

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Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Sams (December 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672318458
• ISBN-13: 978-0672318450
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,698,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It does what it claims in the title, January 23, 2001

By 

muttwalker (MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours (Paperback)

Well, it pretty much does what it says in the title. I bought the book, read the first two "lessons" or chapters and after following the directions, I had a fully functioning Linux system. Because I didn't have a spare computer to practice on, I had to partition my hard drive. Windows (or DOS) is now running on one partition and Linux is running on another. When I start or re-boot my computer, I then choose which operation system to use. The software you need to make the partitions, change the way your system boots and of course, install Linux is all included on the first of two CDs included in the book.

I ran into a few snags when I performed the installation, but in each case it was because I didn't follow the directions closely enough, so it's not the authors' fault that I messed up, but my own. Your mileage may vary. (HINT: Make sure you have a 'hard' modem and not a 'soft' modem.)

If you are curious about Linux (as I was) and want to try it yourself, then this book is a bargain. But don't be fooled by the title--it seems to imply that you can learn Linux in a day, but they (the authors) mean that you can learn Linux in 24 hour-long lessons. Still, you can read the first two chapters, follow the steps and have Linux up and running in one day as I did.

I'm not finished with all 24 of my 'lessons,' but the book is proving to be a very valuable guide.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Learn what could be the first product in a revolution, December 28, 2000

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours (Paperback)

With all due respect to the power of the United States Department of Justice, the real threat to the power of Microsoft is not the fickle bludgeon of a legal apparatus but the tsunami-like power of the market. To a sophisticated group of developers fed up with inefficient and buggy software, the open source model offers more than just an alternative. It is a way to create software using a distributed form of quality control that simply does not or cannot exist in a traditional development process. The leading element of the open source movement is the operating system Linux, which provides a degree of stability unheard of in the Microsoft world. I recently received a message from a former student where he informed me that their Linux server had not been rebooted in one and a half years.
Given the power and force behind this movement, it is clear that knowledge of Linux is one of those skills where demand will continue to dramatically rise. To benefit from this change, a book like this one is necessary. Using it, it is possible to start from ground zero and begin using and appreciating Linux in less than a day. Two CD ROMs are included which contain Red Hat Linux version 7 and many other programs and utilities that are used with Linux. Granted that the software can be obtained over the web, the presence of the CDs helps make the book a true bargain. For the sake of simplicity, the CDs alone are probably worth the cost of the book.
That aside, the lessons are efficiently organized and teach you what is needed to get up and going with Red Hat Linux with no unnecessary asides. While I am not a fan of the Microsoft monolith, nothing infuriates me more than when I am reading about an alternative product and have to wade through diatribes about the "bad guys." To their credit, the authors avoid stepping into that pile of goo.
The wise and wizened warriors understand that things come and go on a regular cycle and not all new things are really new or lasting. However, Linux is more than just a lasting thing. It may be the initial product in an entirely new way of creating and marketing software. In these circumstances it bodes well for your future if you know Linux and this book is a good place to start.

4.0 out of 5 stars 24 Useful Chapters, May 19, 2005

By 

Bob "Bob" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sams Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours (Paperback)

If you are able to install Linux like a pro already then this book it not for you. However, if you want something that guides you and teaches you the basics of Red Hat (in about 24 hours or a few days), then I can recommend this book to you!