Sams Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours

Sams Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours provides new users a tutorial approach to learning how to use Linux -- and it provides readers who are already familiar with Linux insights into the features of the latest version of Red Hat Linux -- the most popular distribution among Linux users in the United States and overseas. The book covers all the most important topics for the reader who wants to get Red Hat Linux up and running and productive as quickly as possible. Written by Judith Samson, the principal of a Linux consulting company, the book assumes no prior knowledge of either Linux or the Red Hat distribution. Everything is explained using simple terms in a careful, step-by-step manner. The book's CD includes a complete Red Hat Linux starter kit, including the most recent version of the Red Hat distribution.

Linux seems to have slipped a bit from the public eye, but it's still very much on the radar screens of people who care about low-cost, high-quality operating systems for utility servers and power users' workstations. The release of Red Hat Linux 7 and the Linux 2.4 kernel have moved its ease of use and functionality up a couple of notches. A team of three writers has documented the OS and some of its core applications for Linux novices in Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux in 24 Hours. The book focuses on Red Hat Linux as a platform for individual users. Although that--as opposed to network services provision--is not Linux's strong suit, stand-alone Linux operations are a great way to get experience in advance of a more ambitious deployment.

This book takes the form of a series of exercises that novice users can perform as they explore the Red Hat Linux way of computing. The authors employ a style that's typical of books that document command-line environments: they intersperse input and output listings with plain-English comments about what each means. Tables list options, procedures guide readers through controlled situations, and tips give details on odds and ends. Perhaps best of all, this book comes with Red Hat Linux 7 on a CD-ROM, which saves you the trouble of downloading it or buying it separately. --David Wall

Topics covered: Red Hat Linux 7 and the Linux 2.4 kernel, explained in beginners' terms, with an eye toward stand-alone operation, instead of networking. The authors give specific guidance through file-system navigation, use of the GNOME environment, and system configuration. Additionally, there's coverage of simple Internet connectivity via a modem and PPP, as well as simple local area network (LAN) setup.