Beginning Ubuntu Linux: The Best of the Fusion Authority

I am new at Linux and I did quite a lot of research on which one is the best book for someone who is new at Linux and wants to learn about it. I went to bookstores took a good look at all the other Linux books and I think this book is more complete than the others, some other books for example tell you how to hook up to wireless internet but do not tell you how to react when you find an obstacle like this one. No doubt this book is a great bargain for the buck.

I've owned and used the first two editions of "Beginning Ubuntu Linux". Third Edition. All three are thick books that contain considerable useful information. All you need to quickly get up and running with Ubuntu. Along with the "Linux Bible", it is the best introduction & transition tool into the Linux world. No book is perfect. Both books contain some wordy sections but readers will come with different experiences and knowledge areas. So, I am reluctant to say which pages should be deleted. I came to "Ubuntu Linux" from years of experience with Windows 3.1 to XP and a solid knowledge of PC hardware & external components. There are about 100 pages I didn't need but I suspect there are other people who need some, part of, or all of those 100 pages. I find the background information invaluable, even though I already knew much of it. Here and there I obtained information and explanations that enhanced my already extensive understanding of PC hardware and what Operating Systems do. The author does an excellent job of explaining the important differences between Windows and Linux. He begins with a discussion of the important differences between Windows and Linux file structures, which significantly speeds readers understanding of how to use Linux. Simply telling us that Linux treats everything as a file, including external components, hard drives, digital cameras, printers, etc., saves the beginner a lot of headache. I highly recommend "Beginning Ubuntu" for new comers to Linux and for those who have some knowledge and experience. If you are completely new to Linux, I recommend you also consider buying "Linux Bible" as well. If you jump into using Linux having first consulted both books, you are extremely likely to stick with Linux long enough to learn why so many people love Linux and would never consider moving back to Windows. Countless people, fed up with Windows, try Linux and very quickly return to Windows because they could not find a "C" prompt. The basic early section of "Beginning" will insure you are not one of these people. I seriously doubt you will toss out Ubunbu Linux & Linux in general if you have "Beginning Ubuntu Linux". Instead, you will preservere long enough to learn the beauties of Linux computing.. Especially delightful is the built in security, the absence of huge security programs that rob ram memory and processor resources (slow down you PC) and waste your time keeping you from doing things you wish to do, absence of a goofy Registry that is responsible for most Windows crashes (another big time waster and expense). Gone will be time wasting hard drive defrag sessions, as Linux design doesn't promote constant file fragmentation.

A lot of people are switching from windows to Ubuntu and this is the perfect book to get you started. It covers all programs / tools a beginner should know about Ubuntu and linux from bash scripting to multimedia programs; it also covers extensively all the aspects of Ubuntu.

Anybody who have heard about Linux would be aware of Ubuntu which is a very popular flavor of Linux created by the South African firm Canonical founded by the space tourist Mark Shuttleworth. In fact, they set the precedent of supplying free CDs of this very popular OS to any one interested in installing and trying out Linux on their machine. Recently, I got hold of this wonderful book named "Beginning Ubuntu Linux - From Novice to Professional" authored by Kier Thomas. Being a Ubuntu user myself, I was pleased to see a Linux book specifically concentrating on Ubuntu, finding its way to the book stores. This book is aimed at people who are new to Linux and who wish to start their Linux journey by installing Ubuntu on their machines. The book's 600 pages are divided into 7 parts each concentrating on a particular topic. And there are in total, 34 chapters and 4 appendices. The first part of the book concentrates on giving a firm foundation to the readers as to what Linux is all about, its history and the benefits of using Linux over any other operating system. From here, the author moves into explaining how to install Ubuntu on ones machine which forms the basis for the second part of this book. This part is divided into 3 chapters, one each dealing in pre-installation steps like partitioning ones hard disk, the actual installation steps and the equally important part of the most common issues faced by users before, during and after the installation and their solutions. In fact, the author lists over 18 problems that any user could encounter and gives their possible solutions. The third part of the book which contains 6 chapters focuses on giving a fly-by tour of different aspects of Ubuntu Desktop, its various elements like menus, panels, virtual desktops and applets. I especially liked the section which listed the Microsoft Windows desktop functions and their equivalents found in Ubuntu. There is a special chapter titled "Ubuntu replacements for Windows programs" which could be an eye opener for any one interested in embracing Linux. In fact, the whole book is geared towards neophytes who are hoping to take their first steps in Linux. Part 4 aptly named - "The Shell and Beyond" - contains 5 chapters where the author gives a sound introduction to the shell in Linux as well as takes the reader through the most useful and commonly used commands which would help a user save time. This part of the book contains a chapter on the Bash shell where the author explains the uses of the command line and how one can benefit from it. I really liked the table giving the DOS commands and their equivalents in Linux and also the section on how to disable the graphical desktop and boot into the console. And surprisingly the author explains how to do it the command line way which I found really interesting. This section is full of useful tips for people who have an affinity for the command line - like creating aliases, getting more help on the command usage, t

I always thought Linux was an operating system mainly for computer geeks and highly technically-oriented people, which I definitely am not. Back in December of 2005, I did a search for a desktop Linux operating system and Ubuntu stood out, Ubuntu is probably the easiest desktop distro for the beginner to learn Linux with. I ordered 5 free CD's from Ubuntu, installed on an old 500 MHz, 256 Mb ram with no problems; it automatically detected all the hardware on my pc and I was up and running in no time. I did extensive reading of resources off the internet relating to Ubuntu and Linux to learn how to use my new "toy". Man, was I in for a big surprise, Ubuntu is a powerful operating system and I've been able to do about anything with it that I can do with my Windows XP pc. If I had this book when I first installed Ubuntu, it would have saved me countless hours of researching and reading all the resources I found scattered on the internet. The book comes with an installation CD containing the latest stable version of Ubuntu. I'll admit, you can learn a lot from the internet, but this book has what you'll need to get the most out of Ubuntu, all in one handy reference manual. I highly recommend that anyone interested in trying Ubuntu to get this book and visit the Ubuntu forums, there's a wealth of information there. If you're wondering, Ubuntu can be installed alongside Windows(dual-boot) during the installation process(Ubuntu needs approx. 5 Gb HD space to install on). I recommend anyone interested in trying out Ubuntu to download the LiveCD .iso or order the free cd's. The LiveCD runs from ram memory and doesn't touch your hard drive in any way; and, if the LiveCD works on your system, then your hardware is compatible with Ubuntu(Ubuntu supports a wide range of hardware) and installation onto your HD shouldn't be a problem. This book will get you up and running Ubuntu in no time at all, as well as serve as a hand reference guide to tweak and configure your system to suit your preferences. Ubuntu 8.04 LTS(Long Term Support), aka Hardy Heron, is the latest release of Ubuntu and in my 2 years of using Ubuntu, it is definitely the best version of Ubuntu yet. I have obtained and read through Edition Three of "Beginning Ubuntu Linux", which is written for Ubuntu 8.04, so it is up-to-date with the latest information you'll need in getting Ubuntu installed and configured on your computer. Just as with earlier editions, the 3rd edition of the book is well-organized, well-written, and the instructions are easy to follow, with illustrations that you can refer to as you're installing or configuring Ubuntu. The authors have obviously invested a lot of time and testing in the writing of this book, the information is accurate and complete for the average user to get the most out of their Ubuntu experience. Beginning Ubuntu Linux Edition Three will guide you through getting Ubuntu installed and will prove to be a handy resource that