From TNPC issue #4.17...

Book Review: The No B.S. Guide to Red Hat Linux 6 by Bob Rankin

by Dan Butler
August 23, 2001

It's no secret that Linux (the free operating system that Microsoft keeps saying they aren't afraid of), can be a bit daunting. Can it replace your current desktop? Not directly. But it can come pretty close. If you have ever wanted to try Linux this book is the perfect place to start. As Bob says, this book is, "Just What You Need to Know to Install, Optimize and Use Red Hat Linux".

First the book covers Red Hat Linux 6.1. This isn't the most current version of Linux but that's not a problem as the book comes with a CD-ROM containing Red Hat Linux 6.1. Bob Rankin (of TourBus fame) lays out the simple instructions in this book that you need to have Linux up and running in no time. After he leads you through the install process Bob covers how to actually use Linux to get typical tasks done. This was very refreshing and sets this book head and shoulders above the others out there. He even branches off into some more technical areas such as bash, shell, and Perl scripting. Bob makes these scary sounding things very accessible and you'll find yourself actually doing some simple scripting and we'll bet you'll soon be coming up with all sorts of ideas on your own how this can make your PC more productive.

If you want to try Linux and have no experience in the Unix world this book is the perfect place to start. All you need to add is the computer. I recommend that you set Linux up on its own computer as opposed to setting it up in a separate partition along side another operating system like Windows.

I recommend Linux to people who like to tinker with computers and want to learn programming. So much is built into the system for free. On the other hand if all you want to do is surf the web, send email, balance your checkbook, and do simple word processing Linux is entirely capable of handling that as well. It takes a bit of time setting up and configuring but once it's there you should have a very stable system that requires little maintenance to keep going.

Here are some of the topics Bob covers in detail:
- Install Red Hat Linux in ten easy steps
- Master GNOME, the graphical interface to Linux
- The power of the Linux command line
- Connect to the Internet with Linux
- Run the Apache web server
- Write your own Bash and Perl scripts
- Access DOS files and run Windows programs under Linux

Once you're comfortable with what Bob teaches in this great book you can look into upgrading to more current distributions of Linux. The good news is that upgrading Linux is relatively painless compared to Windows. You'll be surprised how far it has come!

The list price of this book is $34.95 plus shipping. However you can follow the link below and get the book for 20% off - 28.95 + $4.00 shipping.

http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/417/tr.cgi?fbook

You can reach Dan Butler at:
mailto:danbutler@TheNakedPC.com

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