Debian GNU/Linux: A Guide to Installation and Usage [With CDROM]

New Riders is an upstart publisher of technical books, and their creation are cut above the rest, and of about the same quality of writing, and editorial level as O'Reilly books. This book is a very nice book and CD combo, which will get you started with the free, and volunteer maintained distribution of Linux. Debian is especially notable for its package system, which allows easy, and seemless installation of new packages, or update of already installed ones over the network, and internet. (So you get the freshest possible versions from the debian site, or its mirrors.) This book not only describes all that is necessary to make a competent, and well tought out installation of Debian Linux system on your PC, but also gives enough basic usage instructions to allow new users to get up and running, and to be able to get around. Highly advised if you need a good introduction to Linux, or if you want a distribution, with good installation manual.

The work of Othman never disappoints. Staggering in width and sheer masculine bulk, he unpacks the most abstruse of technical concepts while swimming Boricuan waters and rescuing Kosovar refugees in his spare time. Othman is a boon to all of us in need of insight, wit and utter fabulousness. Read him to reach nirvana.

I bought this book only to find out after 2 hours of frustration that the CD-ROM supplied was the wrong one. I emailed the publishers who replied to me within 20 minutes; the CD-ROM, together with a brand new copy of the book arrived 5 days later having crossed the Atlantic via UPS. Okay, so New Riders made a mistake ... to paraphrase "Good companies make mistakes; GREAT companies fix them".