BKRUNLIN.RVW   991004

"Running Linux", Matt Welsh/Matthias Kalle Dalheimer/Lar Kaufman,
1999, 1-56592-469-X, U$34.95/C$51.95
%A   Matt Welsh mdw@sunsite.unc.edu
%A   Matthias Kalle Dalheimer kalle@dalheimer.de
%A   Lar Kaufman lark@conserve.org
%C   103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA   95472
%D   1996
%G   1-56592-469-X
%I   O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
%O   U$34.95/C$51.95 800-998-9938 fax: 707-829-0104 nuts@ora.com
%P   752 p.
%T   "Running Linux, Third Edition"

The Intel/BIOS platform has long been the machine of choice for cheap,
desktop computing.  Among those who want "real" operating system
performance but are limited to inexpensive hardware, Linux has become
the UNIX of choice.  (So much so, in fact, that Linux is now starting
to reach not only into workstation platforms, but direct computer
marketers, and even small computer shops.)  Therefore, a basic
overview, and guide to installation, is a very much-wanted item.  The
Linux Documentation Project, and the Linux HOWTO and FAQ files,
provide a lot of this information, and one of the authors has
contributed much to those resources.

When the first edition of this book came out, it was followed closely
by a number of other Linux books.  Some seemed to be following the
text of "Running Linux" *very* closely.  I soon realized what was
happening: the authors of the other books were sticking as closely as
possible to Matt Welsh's excellent HOWTO documents.  So why not get it
from the source?  More recently, other authors have fallen back on the
old "walk readers through the programs" style, which is remarkably
unhelpful.  "Running Linux" has retained the careful, expository style
that explains to the user what is happening, rather than merely
telling the reader to press certain buttons.

Linux having originally been written for the Intel (386 and up) family
of processors, some familiarity with that hardware is assumed.  Not
much, though.  You don't have to be an MS-DOS wizard or a technical
support guru to follow this book.  If you've installed a few programs
and ever added any hardware to your computer, that is probably
background enough.  Given the variety of hardware choices, and the
range of distributions of Linux, itself, you may need to get
additional information at some point, but this book will tell you what
to get (and, usually, where to get it).  However, in this third
edition, there is more material on specific features to be found in
commercial distributions, as well as discussion of utilities like
Samba, which aids connection to Windows networks.

However, the available Linux material can help you with installation,
too.  While the work walks you clearly through the tripwires of
partitions, IRQs, DMAs and SCSIs, you may want more of a justification
to buy it.  And you shall have it.

Once you've *got* Linux, what are you going to do with it?  You need
to be a UNIX wizard to find out.  Or, you follow this book on into
UNIX commands and concepts, system management, editors, and the X
Window System, programming and networking.

The Internet section includes an introduction to the World Wide Web
that would likely let anyone put up a Web server and HTML pages (on
your own Linux system, of course).

If you have been wanting to get on the Linux (or UNIX) bandwagon and
have been wondering how, here is your guide.  If you have gotten into
Linux via an InstallFest, purchase, or some other book, and are
wondering what to do next, this book can help you there, as well.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995, 1996, 1999   BKRUNLIN.RVW   991004