From the Back Cover
How to Use Linux shows people that Linux can be used productively, that it is a viable alternative operating system for home and office computers, and that is does have the applications and environment to support productive activities. It will show that Linux is "not just for nerds or computer geeks," and that it has a LOT to offer. The book focuses on those graphic elements and important tasks available during an X Windows session. It demonstrates how to use the default X11 window manager as well as how to perform critical actions using selected graphic X11 tools.

About the Author
Bill Ball is a technical writer, editor, and magazine journalist, and has been working with computers for the past 20 years. He first started working with Linux, starting with kernel version .99, after moving from BSD4.3 Machten for the Apple Macintosh. He has also published Linux PPP network connection guides for local ISP's in Northern Virginia. He has taught desktop publishing, served as an Apple Federal Support Coordinator, and was once a bulletin board system operator. He is the author of two other highly successful Linux books: Sams Teach Yourself Linux in 24 Hours and Using Linux.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   9 of 11 people found the following review helpful: Good for those of you trying to weane yourself from Windows., May 17, 2000 By  Jon Leslie "Jon" (Lilburn, GA USA) - See all my reviews This is not a very bad book but it is extremely outdated. Caldera v2.3 is the newest version and as the reviewer below stated...download that version to use. I find this a nice guide for those of you that would like to try Linux for the first time and are either wanting to get away from Windows products or are even trying out a OS for the first time ever. It is a visual guide as stated, in color, yet the newer Caldera will allow you to skip all the X terminal and command line prompt garbage in the first few chapters, so you can jump straight to KDE pretty much. Caldera is not the most popular distro of Linux available, but it is a nice start for the beginner and this book will tell you enough to give you a working knowledge of the GUI functions it has using the KDE interface. ...Even still, this a decent price for a starter kit. Not that great...but definitely serviceable.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: This book is NOT a general guide to Linux!!, March 16, 1999 By  brian@meadows.pair.com (Southern New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews The title of this book is very misleading, IMHO. OK, so the blurb it says it concentrates on the graphical environment, and you'd better believe it! Almost everything it does is under X-Windows and the K desktop environment. It concentrates on APPLICATIONS, not the operating system. Look at the specs for the book, and you see it's 300 pages. Well, 50 of these pages tell you how to use Star Office, 24 of them are an installation guide for Caldera's OpenLinux, even eight of them deal with running Caldera's DR-DOS programs! I could go on, but I think you'll have got the idea. *IF* you want to use Caldera OpenLinux (a copy of which comes on the included CD-ROM), and want to have your Linux system work like something resembling a Windows system, then this may well be the book for you. However, if, like me, you want a basic grounding in the Linux operating system itself, then forget it, this is NOT the book for you. My copy is on its way back to Amazon just as soon as I can get it to the Post Office!  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you?