Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Linux Edition (Upgrading & Repairing) [Paperback]

Scott Mueller (Author), Linux General Store (Author), Joe DeVita (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 1999 | Series: Scott Mueller Library

Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Linux Edition addresses Linux-specific hardware issues that do not arise with Windows or DOS. Based on Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 11th Edition, this book covers Linux information such as system requirements, installation and setup, drive partitioning, kernel parameters, memory, and compatibility between Linux and components and components with each other. While Windows has a slick installation that automatically determines most of the hardware in a PC, Linux users still must struggle to identify, configure, and install the hardware in their PCs. This book is an essential reference to understand how your PC hardware works, how it interacts with Linux, and how to troubleshoot, repair, and upgrade the components in a Linux system.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs has long been a classic in IBM-compatible hardware circles. Now in its 11th edition, it continues to top the list of PC hardware reference books. With the release of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Linux Edition, Mueller and some Linux experts have adapted the classic to Linux, the latest thing in operating systems for Intel-standard microprocessors.

Truth be told, this book is not dramatically different from its Windows-centric cousin. It shouldn't be--hardware is hardware under both operating systems. The many versions of the SCSI specification, all well-documented here, are of interest to Linux users, as are the characteristics of different kinds of writable CD-ROMs. This material transcends operating systems.

Though the absence of a hardware compatibility list is surprising, such lists (more current than any that could appear in a book) exist on the Web. In addition to the hardware reference material, Mueller has chosen to include quite a bit of Linux-specific procedural data in this book. Readers get, for example, succinct statements of the shell commands that transfer an old hard drive's contents to a replacement and a statement of the settings that activate power management. The point: You probably won't find enough new material to justify buying this book if you already own the current Windows-centric version, since the hardware reference material is the same. But if you don't have a copy and plan to do mostly Linux work, you'll be delighted by this book. --David Wall

Topics covered: The physical, electrical, and logical characteristics of all classes of IBM-compatible personal computer hardware, with an emphasis on how that hardware interacts with the Linux 2.2 operating system. The author does a particularly great job with hard disks, the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) specification, and video hardware.

From the Back Cover

Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Linux Edition addresses Linux-specific hardware issues that do not arise with Windows or DOS. Based on Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 11th Edition, this book covers Linux information such as system requirements, installation and setup, drive partitioning, kernel parameters, memory, and compatibility between Linux and components and components with each other. While Windows has a slick installation that automatically determines most of the hardware in a PC, Linux users still must struggle to identify, configure, and install the hardware in their PCs. This book is an essential reference to understand how your PC hardware works, how it interacts with Linux, and how to troubleshoot, repair, and upgrade the components in a Linux system.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1387 pages
• Publisher: Que (November 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789720752
• ISBN-13: 978-0789720757
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,272,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Useful, January 10, 2000

By 

Larry anderson (Houston, Tx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Linux Edition (Upgrading & Repairing) (Paperback)

This book is Very well written. I have been a computer professional for over 20 years and find this book an excellent resource. I commend the Linux General Store and specifically Joe Divita. After calling his shop and speaking with Joe on a technical issue I am very impressed with his ability and knowledge.

4.0 out of 5 stars A great hardware guide, but a little light on Linux, July 27, 2001

By 

Timothy Walker (Orlando, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Linux Edition (Upgrading & Repairing) (Paperback)

Scott Mueller has been an authority on PC hardware for well over a decade, so it should come as no surprise that this book (like its predecessors) is a fantastic resource on PC hardware. Unfortunately, I bought it to learn more about the server-building side of Linux, and found it lacking. Owners of any relatively current version of Mueller's book (say, 8th Ed. or later) have no real need for this edition... with that book, a few HOW-TO print-outs, scissors, and glue, they could make their own!

Never the less, this book is still a great guide to hardware. The non-Windows perspective makes it an excellent complement to Minasi's or Bigelow's book, and it is fairly current (with coverage of RDRAM, DVDs, and FireWire). The CD comes in handy, too. Bottom line: if it's time to upgrade your copy of Upgrading & Repairing PCs, you might as well dual-boot.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Upgrading & Repairing PC's Linux ediiton, May 27, 2000

By 

Breton D. Rice (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Linux Edition (Upgrading & Repairing) (Paperback)

Little or no new information here. Basically the same good review of hardware. I wanted SMP processor info specific to Linux, or Memory optimization info or maybe RAID card analysis for servers using Linux. But unfortunately what is here is lots of "plug and play" info and a pargraph or two in each chapter with newbie hints. If you own a copy at all, don't bother. The only thing Linux is the penguin on the cover. If you do not own a copy at all...it is a good hardware manual.