Linux for the Rest of Us

alvinc writes "Mark Rais' new book Linux for the Rest of Us is an excellent choice for beginning Linux users. It also has enough solid, fundamental information to be a refresher for experienced Linux users. The book's philosophy is that Linux is a viable alternative OS that is also fun, and this viewpoint is reflected in the narrative's friendly tone." Read on for the rest of Alvin's review. Update: 03/26 20:51 GMT by T : Since bn.com isn't stocking this book, author Marc Rais wrote to suggest that you can order this book straight from the publisher. Linux for the Rest of Us author Mark Rais pages 108 publisher Eagle Nest Press rating 8 reviewer alvinc ISBN 0972679006 summary A gentle introduction to Linux.; may have some relevant tips for experienced users but should be invaluable to novices.

The author uses many anecdotes and personal experiences which give the instruction a real-world feel and which also gives it a human element. I enjoyed the occasional tongue-in-cheek humor as well.

The book is very concise, written in a quick guide format, which I found more user-friendly than some of the larger, intimidating tomes available on the subject. The 108 pages are densely packed with information with step-by-step instructions on installing, formatting hard drives for dual boot use, using the bundled graphics and text editors, and configuring a Linux machine for use as a server. It includes essential elements in a quick reference format in the manner I would draw up my own cheat sheets.

I think the book would also make a great gift for new users. Its small size encourages browsing by people who may be hesitant about taking the plunge into Linux. It is a practical way for Linux fans to encourage others to try Linux.

There are a few shortcomings, but these are the exception rather than the rule. Initially I was a little dismayed that the author did not spend more time on the desktop environment and describing some more features of KDE/Gnome etc. I would have also liked for the author to help guide beginners with tips for other useful programs such as Evolution.

One of the strongest aspects of this book, aside from overtly doing new Linux users a huge favor by helping them along the tricky steps, is that the author includes a healthy dose of real-world experiences.

And real-world experiences are indeed included, as I slowly realized that although the author, Rais, was both very gentle and down to earth in tone and writing, his experiences with Linux and technology are significant. His subtle remarks throughout the book about how he helped set up Linux servers with colleagues almost hides the point that some of these servers were involved in serving content to staging servers for some high profile sites, including Netscape.com and aol.com.

I would have enjoyed some further anecdotes about the author's own experiences. He includes a number of useful tips from his experience, but as I read the section "Stories from the Field" I felt like the author probably had a lot more to share and only for sake of brevity did not include more.

Rais maintains a very helpful and encouraging tone, which is rare among users as experienced as he is. The author obviously knows Linux well and still walks the reader through the subject matter much as a mentor would.

The book is also a substantive reference of sorts, enabling easy lookup of critical line commands or troubleshooting errors. It's limited in scope in some areas, and few Linux experts would pick this up as a reference, but as a tool to encourage hesitant new users, it is beneficial.

Linux for the Rest of Us is convenient, easy to read, and inexpensive. Also, note that all proceeds (after tax and print costs) are to be donated to charity.

You can purchase Linux For the Rest of Us from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.

Comments

A festivus for the rest of us!

[boy_afraid]

A festivus for the rest of us!