There have been several attempts to document the use of Linux as a desktop, and most have been less-than-stellar for folks making the switch. When I learned that O'Reilly was going to cover Red Hat Enterprise and Fedora, I was interested as they have a history of keeping us techies happy – how would they do with a book that was targeted at the great masses of non technical mundanes giving Linux a spin?

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

Why Run Linux? gets the book started with an explanation of the benefits of having Linux on the desktop, and also provides an introduction to open source in general. It attempts to explain the difference between both RH Enterprise and Fedora, and aims to help you make the decision on which to install (first, at least).

Preparing to Install Linux provides the worksheet needed to solve the bumps incurred by poor hardware drivers, minimum requirements, and multiple partitions. Installing Linux actually walks you through the process of setting up Linux for the first time, and does provide some information regarding multiple operating systems and possible incompatibilities that could result.

How Linux Works answers those burning questions after you boot into Linux for the first time, and covers account creation, the responsibilities (and inherent risks) associated with root privileges, and dealing with X. Using the GNOME and KDE Desktops gets us started with both desktops, and includes some help getting acclimatized with their differences and native applications.

Using Linux Applications provides an overview of using some of the more popular software packages out there: OpenOffice.org, Ximian/Novell Evolution, gnome-pilot, and CD Creator. Conquering the bash Shell covers one of the most common obstacles to the uninitiated: the bash shell. Handy advice is given for customizing your shell as well as pointers to some very useful features.

Installing Software Using the RPM Package manager attempts to explain the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) tool. Love it or hate it, you must gain more than passing knowledge of RPM and its eccentricities to manage Red Hat systems. Configuring and Administering Linux is a nice walk-through of the included system management tools provided by these distributions, and illustrates their basic usage.

Connecting to the Internet is also one of the biggest hurdles for the new Linux user, and provides a background to networking that most folks need quite desperately; and also shows some common applications and their usage: Mozilla, gFTP, wvdial, and broadband network configuration. Setting Up Network Services gives assistance to the ambitious people who desire to have a home LAN, and walks through the configuration of SAMBA, DNS and Apache; and then goes much further (in a good way) by documenting the use of SSH, configuring a basic firewall, and using NMAP to check your security efforts.

Advanced Shell Usage and Shell Scripts is required reading for anyone wishing to really get the most out of Linux “under the hood”, by providing examples on how to really use the shell to your advantage: filename globbing, shell aliases, virtual consoles, shell scripts, redirection and piping, and , and interacting with X.

There are some handy appendixes provided for some reference, including Linux Directory Tree, Principal Linux Files, Managing the Boot Process, and Linux Command Quick Reference.

STYLE POINTS

The writing style provides good reading, and includes plenty of screenshots and examples to help us along.

ALL IN THE CODE

There is not much code to discuss, although what code is provided is clear and gets the intended point across.

THE LOWDOWN

The book is a great reference for people trying out Linux on the desktop for the first time, but there were a few nits that I had with the content. When reading through the beginning of the book I was expecting to glean enough information to feel confident in choosing which distribution to choose – but that feeling never arrived. Of course I know which distributions I like but to the uninitiated this could be a one-try-only affair, and it is quite important to them to know that their efforts are not wasted on an install that will be repeated immediately.

My second nit is repeated reference to the licensing debates over KDE's use of the Qt library. Yes, this was a major reason that the GNOME project was initially started, but is largely irrelevant to a Linux newcomer. It is also hotly debated whether Red Hat does or does not provide real support to the inclusion of the KDE desktop, and is a matter that is probably best left to the discussion forums and mailing lists!

The included CDs are especially nice to the folks without broadband, however the breakneck pace of the releases from the Fedora project is impossible to keep aligned with the print world - Fedora Core 1 “Publisher's Edition” shipped with the book, but Fedora Core 3 is already in test releases at the time of this writing.

All in all this is a good book to get a look at Linux, as well as some help understanding the Red Hat environment (be it Enterprise or Fedora). If you are looking to give Linux a try on the desktop, this book is a good start – and also allows that as you gain experience, you will have more detailed needs from which to choose more focused books (such as Apache, PostgreSQL, etc.).

Reviewed by: Mitchell Pirtle