UNIX for Dummies by John R. Levine  (28)  $14.95

LINUX for Dummies Quick Reference by Phil Hughes  (6)

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Amazon.com
Geared to casual users who want to install Linux on a personal machine--in other words, hobbyists--Linux for Dummies walks the reader through installing, configuring, tuning, and using each version of Linux. While the book includes a useful comparison of various Linux distributions, the companion CD-ROM holds Red Hat Linux 5.0 and the book uses that distribution in its examples.

This clearly written text begins by helping you prepare your system for Linux, going so far as to recommend you get it a special hard disk. The authors then show you how to install the system--including the mechanics of selecting file systems and setting up hardware--and then help you log on for the first time.

Next, Linux for Dummies explains elementary commands, including those used to traverse directories and to copy and move files. The book then explores storage issues, detailing how to install and configure a new hard drive in excellent detail. Shells, such as bash and X Windows, get cursory coverage (but adequate, considering the purpose of the book). Linux for Dummies also includes information on certain applications (including vi and emacs) and a guide to tuning and customization that sadly lacks much about shell programming. Internet services, including WAIS, FTP, and Gopher, get their due, but the Apache Web server gets slighted. Overall, this is the best user-lever Linux guide available.

From Library Journal
The Linux operating system has grown out of a free Unix-compatible kernel written by Linus Torvalds. Free means the user is free to run, copy, distribute, study, change, sell, and improve the software as long as the source code is always included in the next release, which means that those who follow are able to do the same. Since Linux is multitasking and processing, it supports multiple users doing multiple actions. And because Linux is designed for running on cheap, slightly out-of-date hardware, Linux has proven valuable to libraries of all sizes who can not afford constant, costly upgrade fees for new software. If you are interested in exploring Linux, these three books serve as a great combined-use package. The Sobell book is voluminous?it includes his original book from last year, A Practical Guide to Linux (LJ 9/1/97), along with a copy of Caldera OpenLinux Lite and much more on the CD-ROMs. The IDG books will be invaluable late-night resources in those magical moments when things go wrong. For a really nice introduction to Linux in libraries, check out On the Cheap: Linux at and consider subscribing to linux4lib, a majordomo discussion list at .
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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First Sentence:
Understanding Linux requires a radical shift of thought regarding the way that you acquire and use computer software. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
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