There is a quick
tutorial in the back of Linux Toys II
to help you get started with Linux. However, if you are
new to Linux, it's a good idea to have a strong, basic Linux book you
can refer to. There are two books I've written that I would recommend
to fill that slot:
Red Hat
Fedora and Enterprise Linux 4 Bible
Since 1998, every six
months I have revised and rewritten the Red Hat Linux Bible (starting
with Red Hat Linux 6.1) to track the latest features of that popular
Linux system. That book has now evolved to track Fedora
Core and Red Hat Enterprise Linux as they are released (after Red Hat
dropped the Red Hat Linux name and separated its community-supported
and commercial Linux systems).
The latest edition Red Hat Fedora and Enterprise Linux 4 Bible
(Wiley Publishing, 2005) by Christopher Negus is, I believe, a good
book for starting with Linux that will continue to serve you as your
Linux
experience grows. The book comes with the complete Fedora Core 4
operating system on DVD, as well as a 2-CD set containing a full group
of Fedora Core 4 desktop/server software packages. As a bonus, I added
KNOPPIX to the DVD, so you can boot up and try Linux (and modify your
computer as needed) before you install Fedora to your hard disk.
The Red Hat Fedora and Enterprise
Linux 4 Bible takes you through
specific steps to install Fedora, use the KDE or GNOME desktops, and
work from the shell. It also introduces you to important applications
for writing documents, listening to music, browsing the Internet,
playing games, and doing everything you would expect a desktop system
to do. As you grow beyond the basics, however, this book will also help
you learn about Linux security, system administration, and setup for
different types of servers (Web, mail, print, file, DNS, DHCP, LDAP and
other server types).
All the descriptions are written and updated to match the software that
comes with the book. Because the software included with the book tracks
the latest Fedora Core release (the cutting edge software distribution
sponsored by Red Hat), you can be assured of always having the latest
software and descriptions available.
Linux Bible,
2005 Edition
If you want a broader
view of what Linux is and how to use it, the Linux Bible, 2005 Edition may suit
your needs. This book, updated once a year (the Linux Bible, 2006 Edition is due
out in January, 2006), describes dozens of popular Linux distributions
and
includes an even dozen of them on CD and DVD with the book. You can
learn about Debian, SuSE, Fedora, Ubuntu, Slackware, KNOPPIX, Damn
Small Linux, Yellow Dog, Mandriva, and other popular Linux
distributions.
You can boot the included CD to Damn Small Linux or the DVD to KNOPPIX.
The same CD and DVD can them be used to boot directly to a Debian or
Fedora Core hard disk install, respectively. Other distributions can be
burned to CD and installed or booted.
Because so much space is devoted to describing how to get started with
different Linux distributions, their forums, communities and other
attributes, you won't get as much depth of coverage of administrative
and server topics as you will get in the Red Hat Fedora and Enterprise Linux 4 Bible.
However, the Linux Bible will help you quickly get your hands on a
variety of Linux distributions and help you get going with Linux as a
basic desktop, programming workstation, and server (file, Web, print,
and
email server).