Linux Clearly Explained acknowledges that graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are here to stay, and that a large percentage of folks moving from Windows to Linux will want to stick with GUIs wherever possible. Unlike many Linux books, which emphasize the command shell, this one focuses on Red Hat Linux 6 and hypes the Gnome windowing system that ships with that distribution. Bryan Pfaffenberger details the configuration and use of Gnome (as well as Enlightenment and the K Desktop Environment--KDE) in greater detail than any other Linux book out there.
Linux Clearly Explained deserves plaudits for its careful, easy-to-follow installation instructions. Pfaffenberger shows how to create Linux partitions with Disk Druid; then he walks along with you as the Red Hat installation routine does its thing. (Red Hat 6 and WordPerfect for Linux 8 appear on this book's companion CD-ROMs, by the way.) From there, it's almost all Gnome: Pfaffenberger tells how to set up accounts, manage files, and run applications under the GUI. He also explains how to establish a PPP connection with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) over a modem, and provides a bit of documentation on Netscape Communicator. There's also some information on the Bash shell, and it's quite good, but this book is clearly meant for desktop Linux users who will use Gnome when they can. --David Wall
Book Description
Linux Clearly Explained is the first book to help beginners take Linux and the GNOME desktop seriously as an alternative to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Instead of dragging the reader through outmoded text-based shells and applications, Linux Clearly Explained shows you how to set up a convincing, usable alternative to the Microsoft or Mac system you're already using. By explaining the concepts of Linux usage as well as which button to click, this book gives you a solid conceptual foundation that will pay off handsomely as your knowledge of Linux grows.
Included with the book is a CD-ROM featuring Red Hat 6.0, the market-leading Linux distribution, which will help you learn how to install Red Hat Linux smoothly and optimize its performance on your system. Also included is the productivity package, Corel WordPerfect for Linux 8.0. With this free software, you'll be able to explore the beautiful new GNOME desktop - something so easy to use that any Windows or Macintosh user will feel quickly at home.
From there, you'll learn how to obtain and set up free software that will enable you to do everything you're doing right now with commercial products, including browsing the Web, using e-mail, and running office suite applications. You'll learn how to connect your computer to the Internet, how to obtain and install new software, and how to keep your system running smoothly.
Break your dependence on pricey commercial software and frequent system upgrades. Run the hottest operating system around, and explore the GNOME desktop that's posing a genuine threat to Windows dominance. With this book as your guide, you'll learn the Linux skills that will enable you to say, "Bye-bye, Bill."
Join the rebellion!
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