Running Linux, Fourth Edition

by Matthias Kalle Dalheimer, Lar Kaufman, Matthias Kalle Dalheimer

You're about to begin your first Linux installation. Or, you may have been using Linux for years and need to know more about adding a network printer or configuring for ADSL. Running Linux , now in its fourth edition, is the book you'll want to reach for. Widely recognized in the Linux community as the getting-started book that people need, it answers the questions and tackles configuration issues that frequently plague users, but are seldom addressed in other books. Running Linux has everything you'll need to understand, install, and start using Linux. The book doesn't draw the line at the OS, or the shell, or the GUI, or even at the point of essential applications. Rather, the authors, experienced Linux enthusiasts, have anticipated problem areas, selected stable and popular solutions, and provided clear discussions and instructions to ensure that you'll have a satisfying experience using Linux. The discussion is direct and complete enough to guide novice users while still providing the additional information experienced users will need to progress in their mastery of Linux.The fourth edition of Running Linux delves deeper into installation, configuring the windowing system, system administration, and networking. New topics include applications ready for prime time, basic security and firewalling, package management on Debian, sound configuration, ADSL, the GNOME desktop, the Postfix mail transfer agent, and the popular LAMP configuration that combines Apache, MySQL, and PHP. A solid foundation text for any Linux user, the book also includes additional resources for dealing with special requirements imposed by hardware, advanced applications, and emerging technologies. Whether you are using Linux on a home workstation or maintaining a network server, Running Linux will provide expert advice just when you need it.

Genres: Reference, Technical, Nonfiction, Computer Science, Technology, Computers, Programming

750 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1995

Reviews

[Dale Pearl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very useful, particularly if you have ever used the internet. Nothing in is book is relevant, current or a fresh perspective. Every single line of this book can be found by going to www.google.com and typing in what you want to know. There are no clear examples given, tips, techniques or anything of value that would give the target audience a purpose for which to buy this book. I give the book a two star because I love Linux and just maybe someone who doesn't know what the internet or what google is could possibly find this book remotely useful.

[Carl · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book came out only four years after the first kernel was released. Linux was on v1.1 when this was published, before mint, Ubuntu, fedora, etc. had been developed. No doubt there are easier ways to learn how to run Linux on your computer. However there is a lot of interesting historical information on its early development, and some of the command line instructions are still relevant. I’d recommend the introduction if you want to learn history and context, but for someone who has little technical background and no appetite for decoding jargon your best bet is downloading ubuntu22 on a memory stick and playing around with it. I wouldn’t recommend unless you have used it before or are a drone who finds technical guides fun. The author writes with an upbeat, light hearted tone so it is better than most books in the genre.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose this wouldn't be a slog and a half if it wasn't the edition that's 13 years out of date making it Neolithic in software/ hardware terms. You're probably better off at this point just running a VM and trying to install from scratch. Top level nerd points for pulling that off plus you'll be waay more up to date.

[Sean Peterson]

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