Linux for Dummies (1st ed) - Softcover

Craig; Witherspoon Jon Witherspoon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0764502751 ISBN 13: 9780764502750

Publisher: IDB Books, 1998

Synopsis

LINUX is a sleek, fast, and free operating system, with all the versatility of the UNIX operating system it was based on, but without the headaches. With LINUX For Dummies by your side, you can take charge of your computer's capabilities with confidence, without a Ph.D. in computer science. LINUX is made for tinkering with, and this book will have you under the hood and out again in no time. Craig and Coletta Witherspoon are authors and consultants, and Jon Hall is the Executive Director of Linux International. Together, these computing and networking experts show you how to Decide what hardware and software will suit your needs Install and configure LINUX on your machine Understand the LINUX command system and make it work for you Select a shell program you like and find out about using the point-and-click environment of X-Windows Configure and tailor useful utilities and software to your needs Take LINUX on the Internet and set up your own Web server Find sources of LINUX information and applications online Plus, the bonus CD in the back of the book includes setup software for Red Hat LINUX 5.0, the acclaimed and easy-to-use LINUX operating system from Red Hat Software.

About this title

Review

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 the Author

Please note the fact that the reviews associated with this book are from the first edition, on. You'll have to look at the base of each review to see what edition the reviews actually reply to. You'll find that many apply to the first and second edition of this book. For the third edition, the author team was replaced, and the book was rewritten from the bottom up using reader feedback to help guide the new version. From there, we updated for the fourth edition by using the third edition's reader feedback. At the time I (the author, Dee-Ann LeBlanc) wrote this, there were in fact no reviews posted about the fourth edition. Posting reviews or emailing the author is a great way to help us know what you want to see in the next edition, so please let me encourage you to do either! --Dee-Ann LeBlanc

About this edition

• Publisher: IDB Books
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0764502751
• ISBN 13: 9780764502750
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 360