I've been learning linux on and of for about 2 years now, and have learned most by trial and error and through the help of the LinuxQuestions community (a big "thank you" to all of you!).

However, I've come to the conclusion that I'm not learning nearly as much nor as fast as I'd like to and that although there are numerous online resources I still prefer paper for any reading longer than, say, 3 paragraphs (plus it's a lot easier to carry around than my desktop

I'd like to find a book that can help me learn to master my linux, assuming that I'm not a complete Noob, but would still like to learn things from the beginning AND get to really understand/control them.

I'm looking forward to rading your suggestions.

Linmix

Check out our reviews section where members review and rate books: http://www.linuxquestions.org/reviews/index.php

linmix; got one so am recommending it! Linux Complete by sybex pub. 2nd
Customizing and Upgrading Linux, 2ed by Wiley pub; author,s L. & A. McKinnon among a few others that are textbooks. available at N&B, & Computer Books Direct book club.

Well I'd say that judging from the link posted by the trickykid, the "rute user" is looking "fav"!

Probably because it's downloadable as well as available in hard copy, get both!

Personally I also hate reading bloody great chunk's of text off screen, hence that instead of using the various online stuff to learn html, xhtml and css, I've opted for this one which was indirectly recommended by one of the blokes from my LUG (who happens to be a web developer). But his comment was that he'd alway's got on well with wrox publications.

I know that's not what you're looking for, but it highlight's the point of personal recommendations. Hence my comment about "rute user", 3 reviews (to date), all favourable.

regards

John

In addition to Rute, I would also highly recommend O'Reilly's Running Linux. It's top notch -- J.W.

Linux Administration Handbook

bigjohn (or anybody who might know) it says it's available for download, but I haven't been able to find a working link, only got the index page (which looks good BTW). Can anybody provide a link? I'm not likely to find it in any bookshops around here so I'll have to order it and I do like to know exactly what I'm ordering

P.S. the wrox book looks interesting... might just put it on my list of 'suggested presents'

Rute URL = http://www.icon.co.za/~psheer/book/index.html.gz

-- J.W.

Thanks. I'll try again later. It appears the server is too busy to be able to spare me some bytes.

Rute's book is so clear! and covers very usefull ground. I also have "running linux" and it's not as good.

I'm more and more interested in Rute. I'm still trying to download it, but I keep getting "server busy". I got a sample chapter though and it looks great. One question though, I was reading about kernel compilation and it says something like "slower systems with 4 MB of RAM... " isn't that a bit old??? Is the book outdated? Will I miss anything newer?

i used linux two years , i can do all things under linux, i give you a suggestion that "do it is better than lern it" .

I agree, but I need to figure out WHAT to do and HOW to do it first.

linmix; am a newbie too, but recommend reading everything & any thing relating to linux in the manner of comprehending with knowledge prior to doing any thing. how ever if u r familiar with w,s there is very little to compare what & how to do between w & linux. advise do not attempt doing
what w does with linux not the same. unless u have done dos even then there is slight differences. remember linux,s beginnigs are mainly server
& mainframe systems. u will notice at install of os it will ask if u would want to setup a server, network or single user. so be careful of any choices with-out prior knowledge!

linmix, Here's what's been thrown up by amazon (.co.uk), I'm pretty sure that you could get it cheaper, presuming that amazon have a spanish branch - I'd guess that it'd be cheaper.

As for age, if you see the details, it's shown as republished in 2002 - I understand that Paul Sheer originally wrote it some considerable time ago, but going by the date, it should have been updated.

Irrespective of that, it would appear (as far as I can tell) that most of what's there still hold's pretty much correct. Obviously, even in the 2 years since it was last reproduced, stuff will have changed, but I'd suspect that it's still pretty accurate/up to date for most linux practices/procedures

regards

John

p.s. The link in my sig isn't actually the downloadable version, but the web site itself (I think!)