Running Linux Review

Running Linux, Second Edition
by Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman
reviewed by hemos

Being a relative newcomer to the Linux world, I needed more assistance then one can obtain simply by reading Slashdot. Imagine my delight in finding/using Running Linux. The book will work for a variety of people , whether it be setting up Linux for the first time, or for those who feel more comfortable with Linux. The book's authors, Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman, obviously understand Linux, and more to the point, the mentality behind the operating system itself.

The book was designed along with the fine folks at Red Hat and is available both with a companion disk, or separately. For someone just setting up Linux for the first time (and how many people haven't been converted ye t?) the first option is perfect. They can not only get a fairly recent build of the OS, but also have the knowledge base provided to them that will allow them to understand Linux in a non-threatening, and more importantly, non-frustrating way.

Because let's be honest here: most of us won't be buying new copies of the books, or at least rarely. And as well, most of us get our updates through different sources. But if we are truly committed to making Linux into a viable alternative for the world at large, we will need books like these, because we need to make Linux an understandable and workable alternative for the world at large, who aren't particularly concerned with which diffs have been issued and such. Running Linux is a step in the right direction--bringing it to the people at home, bringing it to where they live at. Running Linux is a perfect book for the introductory and med-level user. Get it at Amazon.