Linux to Go (Practical Distilled Expert Advice... to Go Series) - Softcover

Grace, Rich; Parker, Tim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0139992693 ISBN 13: 9780139992698

Publisher: Prentice Hall Ptr, 1999

Synopsis

This book brings together the essential skills, techniques, and tips Linux users and administrators need most. It's the quickest way to getting the most out of any Linux system. Learn how Linux experts save time and money with Apache and other open source technologies, and get practical troubleshooting solutions to the challenging problems Linux users encounter most often.

About this title

About the Author

Rich Grace is author of a wide variety of computing books, including The Benchmark Book and The Lingo Handbook (Prentice Hall PTR).

From the Inside Flap

Preface

Linux has seen a spectacular growth curve over the last two or three years. When mail-order companies start to preload the operating system, you know it's made it to the big leagues. According to reasonable market estimates, there are over eight million Linux users in the world. Compare that to Windows's sixty-six million, and you can see that Linux has found a considerable niche in the market.

Linux's popularity has grown as the operating system has evolved from a hacker's paradise a mere six years ago to a robust, dependable, stable operating system with a friendly GUI, commercial applications, and dedicated support on the Internet. Users are no longer faced with convoluted installation and configuration processes. They don't even have to learn much about UNIX. Since Linux can work superbly on old hardware, like the 386 and 486 you replaced with your Pentium, there's no reason not to use it.

Along with the rise in popularity there has been an outpouring of books about the subject. One author has written eight books on the subject in the last five years. Yet most of the books on the shelves deal with introductory-level material for the non-UNIX user, or special configuration and programming subjects. There are no books on tricks and tips for the user who isn't a guru, but isn't a neophyte, either. You already know Linux commands, and you have the operating system running smoothly. This book addresses where to go from the basics you already understand.

The target audience for all the To Go books are users moving beyond basic knowledge levels. The series tries to cover many aspects of the subject that may be of interest, without concentrating too much on any one subject or theme. You'll find a varied assortment in these pages. Some of the subjects in this book are likely to be familiar to you; others may not be. Many veteran Linux users know the basic UNIX commands, but don't understand subjects like file permissions, using find, or configuring X properly. Thus, we've taken the subjects that most Linux users want to know about, answered many of the most commonly-asked questions, and tried to extend the typical Linux user's knowledge about the use of the operating system. Many of the subjects in this book, such as DNS, Apache, Samba, and Usenet news, have been included because of repeated requests for information from students in advanced UNIX courses. If they are curious, you may be, too.

We cover a lot of material here, from the simple to the complex. We don't try to cover every obscure aspect of Linux. We don't try to be comprehensive. We can't possibly do that in the few hundred pages you hold. Instead, we include enough detail to whet your appetite, to start you experimenting with your system, and to expand your knowledge level considerably.

We hope you enjoy reading Linux To Go. If you have suggestions for changes or additions, we'd like to hear from you. Above all else, we hope you learn something and are able to get even more from this great operating system.

Edition details

• Publisher: Prentice Hall Ptr
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0139992693
• ISBN 13: 9780139992698
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 287