Product Description

"The Linux Cookbook, 2nd Edition is your guide to getting the most out of Linux. Organized by general task (such as working with text, managing files, and manipulating graphics), each section contains a series of step-by-step recipes that help you to get your work done quickly and efficiently, most often from the command line. Nearly 50 percent larger than the first edition, this new edition includes hundreds of new recipes as well as new sections on package management; file conversion; multimedia; working with sound files (including OGG and MP3); Vi text editing; advanced text manipulation; and more. Perfect as an introduction to Linux, or as a desktop reference for the seasoned user. Covers the major Linux distributions. ..."the next best thing to having your own personal guru." -- UnixReview.com (praise for the first edition)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #370943 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 829 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Lots of newcomers to Linux, having heard from friends and publications how great the operating system is, enthusiastically set out to install and use it. They then become frustrated by the unfamiliar conventions Linux employs--"How in the world do I dial my Internet provider?!"--and give up because of the learning curve. The Linux Cookbook aims to provide new Linux users with enough instructions to get them familiar with the Linux conventions that surround everyday procedures. Using the Debian GNU/Linux distribution for his examples, author Michael Stutz combines "type this, get that" listings with text. Debian isn't the most popular Linux distribution, but it's one of the most capable and least sugar-coated. Users who want to get familiar with the command line (Stutz uses bash) will be thrilled.

There's not a lot of original wisdom in these pages; pretty much everything documented in the book appears in help files and in free online documentation. The value of this work is in formatting (it's easy to locate the instructions you need) and in commentary (the comments on procedures help enlighten the reader as to what's going on and why). Consider this an easy-to-follow HOWTO document, in book form, for users who know very little about Linux and aspire to use it for everyday workstation tasks like electronic mail, Web surfing and file storage. --David Wall

Topics covered: the "Linux Way" of getting work done, primarily with the bash shell under Debian GNU/Linux, workstation subjects (like getting hooked up to the Internet via a PPP connection on a modem) and Linux peculiarities (such as the environment's exotic text-processing capabilities) in a "recipe" format well-suited to novices.

Customer Reviews

A great reference for newbies and experts alike
Before I read this book I knew nothing about Linux; only knew that I wanted off the M*cr*s*ft merry go round before it gets fully up to speed. The Linux Cookbook gave me the confidence to install my first distro and use it (semi) effectively (still a newbie after all).

I am not a technical person; I'm the kind of computer user who's learned to do all kinds of pointy-clicky stuff in Windows over the years, but in whom the command prompt generally instills a deep desire to scream and run.

However, this book does something absolutely remarkable: it makes using the Linux OS and the command line sound reassuringly simple and practicable, and for the most part the author is right: it is far easier to get started (though not necessarily to master) than many think, and there are all kinds of things one can do without breaking one's system.

And if I can use it, I reckon anyone can!

So: The Linux Cookboook is an ideal introduction to doing all kinds of stuff from the linux command line, from connecting to your ISP to scanning and manipulating images. It does appropriate amounts of hand-holding for newbies, while offering a convenient reference tool for those more adept with the OS. The only reason I haven't given it five stars is that (inevitably perhaps) it is focussed upon one Linux distribution (Debian Linux) and some of the information, notably that involving APT and APT-GET commands, will not be relevant to those using RPM based distros like Mandrake or Red Hat. Also, there's precious little on the GUIs - but to many users, this will be a merit, since it's not the GUI but the command line that instills panic in the Windows-habituated breast.

Excellent source for beginners/intermediate users
I thought this was an excellent book. I've been using Linux now for a few months and I decided there were a few gaps in my knowledge so I decided to buy what I thought would be a good basic reference book. This is definately that. There were a lot of very basic things I didn't know. This book guides you through many things including: The shell; The X windows system; Files and Directories; Sharing files; Finding Files; Viewing and Editing Text; etc. These cover the first few chapters and the book then goes on to cover a wide array of subjects, such as sound, fonts, images, postscript, printing, games, email etc. This is not your usual bog standard text book which tells you things you already knew a la 'Linux for Dummies'. It gives you a basic understanding of how a Linux system works and how to utilise it, and it's very thorough and well written.

It also runs to about 750 pages and comes with a lot of examples and other references in the appendices. It's also worth pointing out that this book isn't specific to any one distro. Although some of the examples do refer to Debian, because the author chose it as being a truely free Linux distro, the book as a whole is for Linux, and is not distro specific.

If you, like me, have been using Linux for a while and have an understanding of the basics but feel there are a lot of gaps in your knowledge, then this book will definately help you. You will feel that you have a very good grounding if you read a few chapters from here.

Highly recommended.