I am looking for resources for expanding my linux knowledge, preferably a book, but good online tutorials would be good as well.

I have been using linux for some time and have learned from manuals, tutorials and answers on this and other forums how to handle basic and even not so basic things. But when faced, for instance, with the need to install an application that comes only in the form of a source code or binary files, not as package, I am not sure, or don't know, what to do.

Most general linux books I have seen are heavily focused on the needs of highly non-technical users without any knowledge at all, and dedicate a lot, if not all, of their space to using specific applications or performing tasks such as "browsing the web".

So I would be glad to get some recommendations for books that don't do that, but, on the other hand, are still aimed at beginners; and for other general resources I can use to expand my knowledge (most of the online tutorials I found were focused on solving this or that problem rather than providing more general tools and knowledge).

Thanks in advance.

The root of all software builds: Make.

I suppose the way things go is like this:

Read / Refer to your linux Bible type book, which explains general stuff thats gets you moving in the right direction;
(My FC3 unleashed book has a whole section on compiling from source)
In fact the book has sections on all kinds of things
Look at the documentation that comes with your system;

Look on the web;

Read the man & info pages, some of these seem quite technical, but aren't impossible;

So checkout the man pages for yum, rpm - yum takes care of dependencies while rpm does not.

Also investigate using apt or synaptic, which is GUI tool for installing.

I can't help but recommend buying one of those Linux Bible type books - well worth it.

i quite like:

Title: How Linux Works
Author: Brian Ward
Publisher: No Starch Press
ISBN: 1-59327-035-6

It covers all sorts of administrative things such as setting up samba shares, compiling a kernel, Networking setting up your machine for a router, Cups etc etc etc.

The ORiely books also seem pretty good to me from what I have read of them.

Thank you all for you advice and suggestions.

I wouldn't get distro specific books as they will tend to become out dated a little while after being published. General Linux books are ok because the whole system doesnt change too much within the same kernel release.

Online material is much better for distros etc as it can be easily kept upto date