New users are flocking to Linux literally by the millions. Yet most of these new users draw from Microsoft Windows as their primary computing experience; for them an operating system from the UNIX family is an unfamiliar experience. In Learning Red Hat Linux, Bill McCarty has written a book aimed specifically at this new audience. Learning Red Hat Linux will guide any new user of Linux through the installing and use of the Red Hat® version of the free operating system that is shaking up the commercial world of software. It demystifies Linux in terms familiar to Windows users and gives readers only what they need to start being successful users of Linux. Built around the popular Red Hat distribution of Linux, Learning Red Hat Linux takes the reader step by step through the process of installing and setting up a Red Hat Linux system, and provides a thorough but gentle introduction to the basics of using Red Hat Linux. Because the book is written specifically for the enclosed CD, the reader needs nothing else to get started with this exciting new operating system.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 38 Ratings

Excellent how-to oriented, bare bolts book - 2003-05-07
Reviewer Rating:
Excellent O'Reilly how-to oriented book containing the bare
bolts on installing Red Hat 8 with lots of pointers to more
information on hardware compatibility, additional software
packages, etc. It is *not* an in depth tour of Linux, rather,
it's a "how to get started" oriented book for those familiar
with Windows (or other OSes) but not necessarily with
Linux.

Included freebie: The book bundles Red Hat 8 on two CDs,
so you'll have the media in hand to get started quickly.
Also has an appendix on boot loader issues (useful if, as
many of us will want to do, one needs to dual boot Linux
and some other OS).

BTW, be sure you purchase the latest, 3rd edition (just
out this month). Among other updates, it includes R.H. 8 CDs
and information instead of the previous edition's R.H. 7.2
media and info.

for the uninitiated - 2004-01-21
Reviewer Rating:
If you are new linux or are thinking of building out a linux box then this is a decent place to start. The basics of unix style administration are explained about as plainly and simply as possible. One short coming of the book is the lengthy discussion of installation which admittedly used to be a harrowing experience 5 or so years ago (seemingly the main argument against the adoption of linux by microserfs), but in the hands of Red Hat has become nearly as painless a process as any windows install and therefore is not that necessary. The only other problem with this book is that the version of Red Hat is 8.0 (3rd edition) i believe and only has some middle variant of the 2.4 kernel (2.4.17 i think), this is not necessarily bad but the 2.6 kernel is out and Red Hat has a new approach to the desktop with its Fedora build. Only buy this if you are completely new to linux and want to learn the basics.

Looking for a shallow spot to wade into Linux? - 2002-09-17
Reviewer Rating:
This book is an excellent primer book for beginners jumping into Linux. More specifically, Red Hat Linux version 7.2 though they are currently working on 7.4 beta. The author presents the chapters logically beginning with step-by-step installation and leading into familiarizing you with the more useful applications available. I would have wished for a more thorough look into Samba and Apache but that may have been out of the target audience they were aiming for. There is information dealing with setting up networking, DHCP service and modem configuration. By the way, you might as well toss out your winmodem and obtain a hardware modem (external is the best) as the author does not mention the difficulty when trying to get one to work. You also get one full chapter dealing with shell commands which should wet anyone's appetite to learn more. Overall, not a bad book to begin with. Seasoned Linux professionals need not apply.

Great Book - 2002-07-03
Reviewer Rating:
The first thing that impressed me was the way Learning Red Hat Linux was written. It read more like a novel then a technical manual/book, and I found myself excited to see what was on the next page. The book is a quick get-you-started guide that explains what you need to know then moves on and does not spend too much time dilly-dallying.

There were some things that were skimmed over, but the author pointed out web sites that went into more detail. The chapter on shell scripting was a great introduction. For novice Linux users it is a great way to get your fingertips wet with the powerful command line, and shell scripting. The book quickly explains how to set up samba, ftp, email, Apache and SSH, as well as an introduction to the RPM package manager.

Added bonus was the two Red Hat 7.2 CD's so I didn't have to download them.

Microsoft OS readers should NOT pickup up this book, it will make you want to format your OS and install Linux, it did for me!

Don't buy unless you want an expensive, basic install guide - 2003-02-18
Reviewer Rating:
This book is no different from RedHat installation manuals/information that can be read on the web for free. Horrid as a reference manual. Buy 'Running Linux' instead. ISBN 156592469X. Regret that I ever bought this book. In addition it is old (RedHat 7.2 and not 8.0).

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