The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
Linux Books for the bookshelf
 Major Keary		  

Linux Made Easy

Many Windows users regard Linux as daunting; it was, once upon a time, but is much more user-friendly these days. The problem is that some things are done differently from the Microsoft way, such as the designation of drives. Linux offers a choice of tools and desktop configurations, and various distros identify disk drives and other devices in their own particular way. However, it is possible to play around with Linux without disturbing an existing Windows installation, which is a good way of becoming familiar with those differences.

Another set of 'tools' is available in the form of books for Linux novices. Recommended are:

  • David Brickner: Test Driving Linux (O'Reilly, ISBN 0-596-00754-X), which comes with a live CD that enables a Mandrake-based version of Linux to be run with a number of applications, including the OpenOffice suite, CD and DVD burning, multimedia, Internet connectivity, the GIMP (a great image manipulation program), GnuCash (an accounting program like MYOB). The book has an excellent section on the command line; for novices it is one of the best accounts I have seen.

  • Rickford Grant: Linux for Non-Geeks (No Starch Press, ISBN 1-59327-0348) has a companion bootable 2-CD set with Fedora. This is also very good for novices; it is based on projects, such as, Installing APT and Synaptic (programs that enable download/installation of software), and Installing Fonts from Your Windows Partition. A very well written guide for ordinary users.

  • Another Rickford Grant 'non-geek' title from No Starch Press is expected soon:

  • Rickford Grant: Linux Made Easy (No Starch Press, ISBN 1-59327-057-7), is a guide to Xandros (with a copy of Xandros on CD). Xandros is an excellent distro for users who want something with a Windows-like feel. It follows the project format used by the author in his other titles. Even if you want to use some other distro, this is a great guide for Linux novices.
These titles should be available in regular bookshops catering for computer users, or they can be obtained from the Australian distributor, Woodslane, at http://www.woodslane.com.au.

Linux for Dummies

If you are new to Linux (or even moderately experienced) and would like to try some of the leading flavours, get a copy of Linux for Dummies; now in its seventh edition this well-priced book comes with a DVD containing seven distros.

The DVD is set up to either run Knoppix or for installation of Fedora, the open source version of Red Hat Linux. Knoppix can be used for a test-
drive of Linux without disturbing an existing Windows system; it is useful for assessing whether a particular machine will run Linux. Of course, Knoppix is better known as a tool for repairing a crippled Windows system.

The DVD contains the free versions of Mandriva, SUSE, Linspire, and Xandros. A little misleading is the inclusion of Ubuntu in a 'masthead' on the book cover. Ubuntu is not on the DVD, but that's no big deal: Ubuntu CDs are available on request or the latest disk image can be downloaded from http://www.ubuntulinux.org.

To use those distros it is necessary to burn them to a CD, which requires some knowledge of ISO disk images and the burning process.

Linux for Dummies gives the reader an insight into how Linux works in its various incarnations. It is essentially a how-to book, but does provide practical background information. In particular, it is a good introduction to the command line, explains how software is downloaded and installed in respect of each distro, and shows how the Linux file system is organised. There is even an OpenOffice tutorial.

If you want a practical introduction to Linux and a tour of leading distros, this book is well worth looking at; it is a practical guide and — for novices — comprehensive.

Dee-Ann LeBlanc: Linux for Dummies 7/e,  ISBN 0-471-75282-7, Published by Wiley, 422 pp. + DVD, RRP $49.95 incl. GST.

Reprinted from the October 2006 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

[ About Melbourne PC User Group ]