SUSE Linux 10.0 Unleashed [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Mike McCallister (Author)
Key Phrases: bootloader code, creating dynamic websites, root apache, Red Carpet, Back Abort, Control Center (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Master the newest version of SUSE Linux with SUSE Linux 10 Unleashed. This comprehensive guide to SUSE Linux includes a DVD with the full version of SUSE Linux 10.0 and provides you with intermediate and advanced information to guide you through the installation, management and maintenance of your SUSE Linux 10.0 system. You will gain expert insight into the most important topics, including:

• Configuring with YaST2 and SaX2
• Launching your desktop
• Productivity tools
• Using the Internet and creating websites
• Secure file transfer
• Managing users and data
• Keeping your system current
• Setting up networks and Samba
• Managing databases

Learn how to make the most of your SUSE Linux 10.0 system with the help of SUSE Linux 10 Unleashed.

About the Author
Mike McCallister has spent the last decade making computing easier for the full spectrum of user levels and experience. He is currently a technical writing consultant with Compuware. Mike has run a SUSE Linux desktop at home since version 5.3 and knows firsthand how far the distribution has come over the years. He is the author of Computer Certification Handbook, and his technology stories have been published in places such as Linux Journal, Java Developer's Journal, Internet Voyager, and Isthmus. He is a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication and the National Writers Union. He can also be found occasionally at Milwaukee Linux Users Group meetings.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Sams; Pap/Dvdr edition (November 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0672327260
• ISBN-13: 978-0672327261
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.9 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #498,825 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment., January 3, 2006

By	Unhappy Reader (Washington DC USA) - See all my reviews

I have used other books in the Unleashed series before, notably ASP.NET Unleashed which is one of the best books on programming of any kind I have ever read.

SUSE Linux 10.0 Unleased however, is a disaster in comparison. I began to get nervous when I saw that many of the screenshots were for version 9.3 and did not match the screens in version 10.0 either in terms of look or functionality. It got worse as I tried running some of the sample scripts and found numerous errors and omissions.

It became apparent the the author and editors of this book couldn't be bothered to go through the book starting with the installation and run through the examples given in each chapter to see if they worked. Many examples were dependent on packages that were not installed by default during the installation process. Sometimes the author gave information on what packages the examples were dependant on but other times he didn't.

Another major problem I had with the book was its failure to mention on the outside covers of the book that the included DVD only contains a subset of the applications included on the SUSE Linux 10.0 disks from Novell and the 64-bit version of the operating system is missing entirely. These annoying facts are buried deep in the text of the book.

This book may be of some use to you if you already know SUSE Linux but if you are an advanced windows user and programmer trying to make the transition to Linux, it is just plain frustrating.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for beginners, February 6, 2006

By	Scott Suhmann (Vineland, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After reading the prior review about transitioning from windows to linux I wanted to revew the book. I went to borders to read it for myself. The book is accurate in its claims, though I have to say I am a bit mixed.

The book states it is not for beginners. That I would agree with. It is written for someone already familiar with linux and it regular operation. So for the review regarding transitioning from windows to linux, I would agree.

Here is what I am mixed on. The book shows the basic (and I mean basic) commands needed to perform a simple task (such as listing files in a directory), then makes blanket statements such as "be sure to execute some_command or install some_file" without stating how to find the command, how to run it, or why. From that I would gather someone familiar with linux would understand, but if they understand already then why do they need the book.

The other possibility is that this book is this authors methods for doing his setup. In which case I think it provides enough overview to help someone to do the same, but once again that person would already need the basic linux skills.

As a result I don't think the book is appropriate for me (being another person who is transitioning from windows to linux). I did find another book Linux Bible 2006 Edition : Boot Up to Fedora, KNOPPIX, Debian, SUSE, Ubuntu and 7 Other Distributions (Bible). This seems to address my needs better, it does not go into more advanced topics like this book does, but it does explain the "how to" so far. I am also ordering SUSE Linux 10 Bible (Bible) since I want a desktop machine and something that is server capable. Maybe I will come back to this Unleashed book in the future.

I would certainly say it is meant for someone with more experience.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Need intermediate Linux skills immediately? Here u go, January 17, 2006

By	Yoshiro Aoki (Vancouver, BC / Osaka-Kobe, JP) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"SuSE Linux 10 Unleashed" is a clearly written book that allows for plowing at the speed of light through it, though with some bumps along the way. There are many references throughout regarding the book's CDs, but there are no CDs. It's a single DVD. There are thus examples of inconsistencies (and prior editions) here and there. And some software mentioned in the text must be loaded from the DVD first, so be aware. Chapter 14 (Creating Websites) would have been better after chapter 26 (Managing Apache). Resizing partitions (in ch.18) is in theory correct but in practice a bit lacking. In fact, attempting to shrink a reiserfs will toss a warning your way explaining that partition shrinking is not well tested. The book did not catch this, and overall glossed the partitioning subject over a bit. Also, the Apache server installation (ch.26) would have better advised users to obtain the package from YaST -> Network Services -> HTTP Server rather than going the Software Management route. Otherwise, readers might not pick up BIND (as I saw it in my experiments, anyway).

The book touches on a very wide range of technologies, so the coverage of a specific piece may be on the light side (Samba, for example, is but a page), but thankfully, this is not always the case.
4 stars.