Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Good, but not excellent
It's a nice book if you already know DB2 9 pretty well and just need to refresh some details to pass the IBM exam 731.

It's not so nice for a DB2 beginner, because you cannot read it 'linearly': from the very first chapters you get references to material described much later in the book.

The introduction is 90% taken from the book on exam 730 by the same author. Maybe there's nothing wrong with it, but there are numerous references to exam 730 in the text of Chapter 1. Copy+paste, I think...

Regular
Fast shippin'...
Book was very dirty, and it seems like used :(
Book has recycled sheets... which I hate!

Just what you need
This is Just what you need to get thru exam 731. Easy to read. Covers all the topics you face in the exam

Great Book for 731 Exam
Review for DB2 9 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows Database Administration: Certification Study Guide

This is the best book for preparing for Exam 731. I have used Roger Sanders' books in the past (viz. for v8 exams - 700 and 701). This book, like the other ones, is lucidly written and easy to understand. Also, since this is an exam preparation book; he has sample questions after every chapter. There is a 150 question set at the end of the book for practice that goes through all the main concepts (with answers too !!). If you preparing to get DB2 v9, buy this. (Also, for reference purposes you can check this out: Understanding DB2(R): Learning Visually with Examples (2nd Edition) )

Great book for V9 UNIX/Linux/Windows Certification
I just received the book & started through it and already know it will be a great resource.Thanks! ... Read more

Product Description
The biggest factor in a company's decision to go with Linux is overcoming thesupport issues. Adopting Linux successfully means taking on a differentapproach to support. Since Linux is open source, there are different methodsto get the support that companies need. This includes deeper skills on how toinvestigate problems, how to get help from the open source community (i.e.how to ask for help on usenet) and how to resolve problems in-house withoutthe extra cost of a consultant. This book should be an essential part of everycompany's Linux adoption plan to keep the total cost of ownership (TCO)down and improve the ROI of their Linux strategy. It is also a book thatadvanced Linux professionals running their own Linux systems will be able touse to troubleshoot. This book gives the staff the basics they need to diagnose most problems that they will face and will go into the nitty-gritty on the toughest problems. It also points users to the appropriate resources so that they may get help quickly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A must for hardcore hackers
I started dabbling with linux last year after a problem installing software caused my Windows XP system to crash, requiring a rather time consuming re-install.Coupled with the numerous security concerns and performance issues, as well as an interest in learning how to program, I decided to switch over to linux.

Switching from linux is not an easy process, but if you want to learn about the ins and outs of that machine on your desk, running Linux will help.

That is where this book comes in.This book is less about troubleshooting/recipe book per se, but a book that integrates often separated areas from a good computer science curriculum--operating system concepts, hw/OS interaction, software engineering, and the lost art of debugging.

The author goes into extensive detail about the linux system, how to use built in tools such as the GCC compilers, the GDB (GNU debugger), and even how to read C source code, and how that C source gets translated into assembly. He also describes how different assembly optimizations can make debugging difficult.

Further detail is discussed in the chapters devoted to the memory heap and the memory stack, where high level programming constructs are mapped into the actual hardware registries, and the host of things that can go wrong.

If you are a serious C hacker/hobbiest like me, or a paranoid security professional,then this book is a must.

The high art of problem investigation and software debugging
(long review)

I have just finished reading through the book Self service Linux from Wilding & Behman.
Let me point out, that when I read the description first I thought that it would be a troubleshooting & performance tweak guide.
However when I read through the first chapters I believed hat the title should say "Troubleshooting (GNU) Linux using Compiler and Debugger".
Finally after I read the whole book I decided thebook deserves a different title something like

"The high art of problem investigation and software debugging". - I explain why below.

O.k the title issue out of the way lets focus on the contents of the book.

Table of Contents
Preface.
1. Best Practices and Initial Investigation.-(40p)
2. strace and System Call Tracing Explained. -(50p)
3. The /proc Filesystem. -(30p)
4. Compiling. -(30p)
5. The Stack. -(40p)
6. The GNU Debugger (GDB). -(80p)
7. Linux System Crashes and Hangs. -(20p)
8.: Kernel Debugging with KDB. -(10p)
9.: ELF: Executable and Linking Format. -(85p)
Appendix A: The Toolbox. -(13p)
Appendix B: Data Collection Script. -(12p)
Index. -(10p)


You can already conclude just by looking at the TOC that most is compiling and debugging related stuff.
So to make it clear, this book is NOT for the faint hearted neither is it for beginners. It is for the professionals class room, Power users,
Sysadmins, engineers etc. which either have 3-5 years Linux experience, are in need of a thorough understanding or are looking into developing software.

This is also backed up by the fact that Wilding has 15 years experience writing software and Behman 10 years
experience with (GNU) Linux alone.

Now, if you think 10 years back (1996) you will probably remember that GNU Linux was not that major yet.
So you can assume that Wilding and Behman carry "some" pioneer spirit which is reflected in their book all the way by
the rich details in every single chapter.

The book doesnt loose a lot of time and explains in Chapter 1 (The Intro) an overview of the investigation methods
and also spends an extra 10 pages for the symptoms versus cause explanations with its possible solutions.
That described experience alone can be an invaluable and a BIG timesaver.
If I may make a recommmendation: Make sure you read Chapter 1 thoroughly and DONT SKIM OVER IT !!
I made the mistake and skimmed over it. Almost at the end of the book I realised that many of the questions that
came up for me where caused by not having read the first Chapter thoroughly enough.

Having never done an strace before I found the strace chapter to be very detailed *almost a bit overwhelming for a second chapter.
Developers and senior IT professionals might feel here right at home. I found that the book is overall very detailed and contains so much information that I have
to admit I did not crasp all on the first read ;-). Especially the chapters about Compiling, the GDB and ELF are incredible detailed
and very thoroughly describe many steps which are absolutely necessary investigating software issues.
It is this thoroughly prepared "learned lessons" which the authors describe which makes the book so valuable.

Many people out there may have some experience with debugging and compiling and the typical three commands
"configure or make config, make and install", may have read the one or the other howto.
It is this book which takes those bits and puzzle peaces and allows you to put it together to see the whole picture
of how the software stuff works on the inside of your box.

Instructors and Teachers might use the book for prepareing tutorials and howto*s for classrooms or study courses.
There is enough info inside to make lots of them. It is also a very nice self study book.
The book is very readable, which is especially surprising considering the complex topics Wilding and Behman
are takling.

I personally enjoyed most the chapters about the /proc filesystem and the ELF. However Ihave to admit that ELF
(the default format for shared libraries and executables) is by no way a simple topic and I had to take a break several times in
order to be able to stay focused and remind me where I am. f.e. In the ELF chapter Wilding and Behman describe 17 of 29
Section names and types * which is a lot *.
They do not only describe their functions, but also their correlations and their importance in the debugging process. A this isnt enough,
Wilding and Behman step you through several debugging process and documented almost each single step I could think of - a gesture
which is very helpful, not only for beginners. They also explain the symbol resolution thats going on internal of the ELF files.
Finally they even explain 2 interception methods, including one showing you how to attach to a running process and debugging it !!

I could feel that this book is written with a lot of passion for a great topic. This is not only a compliment for the authors but also for the team behind the book.
The book is a VERY VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION - not only but - especially for junior members in the open source community.
I also believe that it is a very nice text for the classroom or selve study courses.

If you read until here, chances are high that you will like the book.


Summary:

Its nice to see such a thoroughly prepared text about compiling and debugging which is so readable.
The book allows anybody who has read a few howto's and was wondering how this all relates to each other, to finally get the big picture.
On top of it, Wildman and Behman put a lot of "best practices" tips and advices in the book.

Soo, to sum it up in one sentence:

FINALLY an easy understandable and very readable book about debugging and compiling. If you want to get only one book about compiling and debugging, this is it !


Note: This review was edited to remove some mispellings, however you may still find some typos in the text.

Required reference for power users and administrators
Whether you are a power user or a Linux system administrator if you like to work through and resolve problems yourself then you will want a copy of this book.The purpose of the book is to provide the reader with a best practices manual and guideline for how to approach and resolve problems in Linux.The first chapter is an introduction that includes the four phases of investigation and determining the difference between a symptom and a cause.From there the author leads the reader through how to use various tools to locate exactly what is happening.The rest of the book examines the details of the Linux system and includes items like using strace to trace system calls, using the information in the /proc filesystem to troubleshoot a problem, compiling the Linux kernel and how to deal with various compilation problems, the GNU debugger (a particularly good chapter), dealing with Linux crashes and hangs, using KDB to debug kernel problems, and the executable and linking format.Appendix A is a listing of common utilities for resolving problems, when to use them, and where to find them.This is a very good resource to keep handy when you are looking for the right tool but really don't know what it is.Self-Service Linux is highly recommended for all Linux power-users and administrators.

Will likely have a long shelf life...
If you build software targeted for the Linux operating system, odds are you're going to run into a sticky problem now and then.You'll need to know how to debug either your program or the Linux kernel to see what's going on.This book can help you with that chore...Self-Service Linux - Mastering the Art of Problem Determination by Mark Wilding and Dan Behman.

Contents:Best Practices and Initial Investigation; strace and System Call Tracing Explained; The /proc Filesystem; Compiling; The Stack; The GNU Debugger (GDB); Linux System Crashes and Hangs; Kernel Debugging with KDB; ELF: Executable and Linking Format; The Toolbox; Data Collection Script; Index

This book has some pretty heavy-duty stuff it covers.It starts out with a well-thought-out methodology for debugging a system problem.These first 40 pages are like gold, and they'd be well-applied by *any* system developer, not just a Linux programmer.You'd think that developers would already know this stuff, but sadly it seems like a lost art all too often.From that point, things get deep into the different techniques for debugging problems specific to different areas of Linux.You many not need all the different sections, in that it may just be *your* program, not a problem with the kernel.But having all the information on debugging techniques in one place should cut down on a lot of research time, and will lead to much quicker system resolutions.

As Linux continues to grow in the market, I see the need for solid debugging skills to also be on the rise.This book will likely have a long shelf-life...

nice chapter on explaining GDB
Wilding and Behman take us deep into diagnosing problems that can arise under linux. It seems best suited for an experienced developer or sysadmin. The issues it deals with tend to require this. For example, in many instances, the text gives example assembler code, for the x86 architecture. Most programmers, even when debugging, simply do not need to know the assembler version of their code. Or how the stack works.

However, for those of you who do, the text can be very useful in explaining what really happens under the bonnet, when you compile and run a program.

The book's cover suggests that it can also be useful to power users. I'm somewhat dubious of this. The most that a latter user might do or can do is to hand over a core dump or a screen capture of some diagnostics, to a programmer. Where the latter is the one who avails herself of this book.

The book devotes an entire chapter to the GNU debugger, gdb. More readable than the official GNU documentation on gdb. Given gdb's widespread use across of linux, and indeed over most versions of unix, this chapter may be the most helpful in the book, to some readers. It's a usage exposition that is distinct from a reference manual. Also, given the wealth of user interfaces these days, the text shows how to use a UI front end to gdb, called the Data Display Debugger. While some gdb purists might scorn this, and revert to their trusty command lines, others will welcome the DDD.

If you have been looking for help on gdb, the book is a good answer. ... Read more

Product Description
With Unix, 4th Edition: Visual QuickStart Guide, readers can start from the beginning to get a tour of the Unix operating system, or look up specific tasks to learn just what they need to know. This task-based, visual reference guide uses step-by-step instructions and plenty of screenshots, and includes three years worth of new material based on the latest Unix developments. This reference guide details all Unix commands and options along with tips that put those commands in context. Leading Unix authorities Deborah S. Ray and Eric J. Ray leverage their expertise as technical writers and working in the industry (Sun Microsystems) as they take readers step-by-step through the most common Unix commands and options. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Transaction
Item arrived on time and in condition described.I would purchase from this seller again. ... Read more

Product Description

You need to maintain clients, servers and networks, while acquiring new skills. Foundations of Cent OS Linux: Enterprise Linux On the Cheap covers a free, unencumbered Linux operating system within the Red Hat lineage, but it does not assume you have a Red Hat Enterprise Linux license. Now you can learn CentOS Linux, the most powerful and popular of all Red Hat clones, keep maintaining your network at work, and become an RHCE, all just for the cost of this book.

• Introduces CentOS Linux and Fedora clients as equals to Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Sets up CentOS as a secure, high–performance web services back end
• Prepares you for the RHCE examination, but does not assume an RHEL installation

What you’ll learn

If you want to use CentOS servers professionally and attach Red Hat clients, you need to know as much as a Red Hat engineer. This book has been written by two RHCEs who use CentOS 90% of the time, so after studying this book, you will know as much as an RHCE. And if you still want to take RHCE examinations, you can!

• Install and configure CentOS servers.
• Attach Fedora clients.
• Design servers with security built in from the ground up.
• Integrate Fedora clients and CentOS servers.
• Set up directory services.
• Learn to use virtualization techniques.

Product Description
*The first start-to-finish guide to patching Linux systems in production environments *For Red Hat, Fedora, SUSE, Debian, and other leading distributions *Comprehensive coverage of apt, yum, Red Hat Network, YaST Online Update, Zenworks Linux Management, and other tools *High-efficiency techniques that minimize impacts on networks, users, and administrators The Start-to-Finish Patch Management Guide for Every Linux(R) EnvironmentTo keep your Linux systems secure, reliable, and productive, you must stay current with patches and updates. But, until now, it has been difficult to find usable, trustworthy guidance on managing patches in Linux production environments. Linux Patch Management fills that gap, offering Linux professionals start-to-finish solutions, strategies, and examples for every environment, from single computers to enterprise-class networks. Michael Jang presents patching solutions for Red Hat, Fedora, SUSE, Debian, and other distributions. He systematically covers both distribution-specific tools and widely used community tools, such as apt and yum.This book's streamlined patch management techniques minimize impacts on users, networks, and administrators, and address applications as well as the underlying OS.Whatever your role in managing Linux systems, Linux Patch Management will reduce your costs, enhance the availability of your systems, and dramatically improve your personal efficiency. *Consolidating patches on a Red Hat network, including cached updates, as well as patching systems based on RHEL rebuild distributions *Working with SUSE's update systems, including YaST Online Update and Zenworks Linux Management *Making the most of apt commands and the GUI-based Synaptic Package Manager *Configuring apt for RPM distributions such as Fedora and SUSE Linux *Creating repositories that can manage gigabytes of patches on diverse Linux systems *Updating networks of Linux computers without overloading WAN or Internet connections *Configuring yum clients, including coverage of emerging GUI tools such as Yum Extender Bruce Perens' Open Source Series is a definitive series of Linux and open source books by the world's leading Linux professionals.Bruce Perens is the primary author of The Open Source Definition, the formative document of the open source movement, and the former Debian GNU/Linux Project Leader.Series Editor Bruce Perens is an open source evangelist, developer, and consultant whose software is a major component of most commercial embedded Linux offerings. He founded or cofounded Linux Standard Base, Open Source Initiative, and Software in the Public Interest. As Debian GNU/Linux Project Leader, he was instrumental in getting the system on two U.S. space shuttle flights. A(c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Terrific resource!
Although I'm very proficient on the Linux distros that I use every day, I always seem to have a new Linux system enter the environment that I'm unfamiliar with and must maintain or visit a site that uses a distro that my only interaction with was to patch on my last visit (...now how did I do that again?). Trying to remember all of the patching idiosyncrasies of each distro used to be a daunting task until I found this book. Linux Patch Management has been a Godsend. It is one of just a handful of books that I keep on my desk because I always seem to need it.
And besides being an incredibly useful guide to patching rarely visited systems, it also helps outline various patching strategies for the enterprise. It gives detailed instructions on setting up local patch repositories and proxies to help you control your environment's systems as well as provide a substantial time and bandwidth savings.
From single unfamiliar systems to enterprise-wide system management, this book has something for everyone and is written with just the right amount of information. A must have.

Patching solutions for Fedora, Debian and other distributions, covering all kinds of tools and applications
Michael Jang's Linus Patch Management: Keeping Linux Systems Up To Date provides Linux users with complete patches for all kinds of environments: a feature Linux administrators will find essential. Here are patching solutions for Fedora, Debian and other distributions, covering all kinds of tools and applications. Whether you're updating networks and configuring clients or working with apt commands, if you're a Linux administrator, you must have this patch reference on hand.

Only for begginner sysadmins !
For a begginner-to-intermediate sysadmin this book is a valuable resource, but for the professional already administering hunderds or thousands of servers it is of no real use.

Great summary of all your options!
A major difference between the different linux distrubutions is their Patch Management (or application management) implementation.I have found that most books pick one (or two) distro's and move forward into their topic--this book covers all of the major patch management solutions.

This book covers the full spectrum from a single machine environment, to setting up an environment that manages multiple machines, in a well organized easy to read format.

I would of appreciated a direct pro/con comparison of the different solutions--but that would just start a flame war.

I'm still a little unsure
My first reaction to this was negative.What the heck do you need a book on this subject for - aren't the man pages enough?

Then I waffled a little - maybe it is nice to have the 10,000 foot overview of all of this, mixed in with some useful advice.

I'm still not sure. If you are managing multiple systems or are a consultant who is apt to run into most anything, this could be very helpful.For the average Linux user, maybe not: in my experience such people either leave their systems alone (no updates at all) or are themselves expert and keep their systems perfectly current - the latter probably don't need this.

But I still have that nagging doubt.For my own machines in my own office, I vacillate horribly.I always do the updates after an initial install, but often I ignore them after that unless it's some very serious security issue that I can't ignore.I do this because I don't want to break my systems and often I just don't have time to stage and test things..but on the other handsometimes I get religious and keep on top of a box weekly.

So.. I remain unsure of this book's value to me, but I'll keep it around as insurance. ... Read more

Product Description

Some might say we all want Linux with an OS X GUI. Mac for Linux Geeks will assist you step by step in migrating from Linux–based systems to OS X. Dual booting, virtualization, and building out the Linux environment on OS X are discussed in detail, along with a comparative view of well–known Mac tools and their open source equivalents. Written for daily use, this concise and dependable guide will steer you across the technical landscape from your chosen Linux flavor to the OS X promised land.

• Live with OS X, but work with Linux tools.
• Make the OS X–Linux hybrid a reality.
• Use Mac tools where possible and free software where appropriate.

Product Description
The Linux Security Cookbook includes real solutions to a wide range of targeted problems, such as sending encrypted email within Emacs, restricting access to network services at particular times of day, firewalling a webserver, preventing IP spoofing, setting up key-based SSH authentication, and much more.With over 150 ready-to-use scripts and configuration files, this unique book helps administrators secure their systems without having to look up specific syntax. The book begins with recipes devised to establish a secure system, then moves on to secure day-to-day practices, and concludes with techniques to help your system stay secure. This cookbook's proven techniques are derived from hard-won experience. Whether you're responsible for security on a home Linux system or for a large corporation, or somewhere in between, you'll find valuable, to-the-point, practical recipes for dealing with everyday security issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Good in 2003 ... Dated in 2009
I picked this book up since it had a chapter on iptables however after reading more I found that this book is quite dated.Someone who is still running a 2.0 or 2.2 Linux kernel might get something out of it, but times have changed in the past 6 years!

Pensacola LUG review book
The Linux Security Cookbook is a good hands-on guide to the major aspects of securing your Linux box. This book offers many quick reference guides to pieces of software for securing or testing your system and goes through many different means of fortifying your box including:
-controlling system access with firewalls
-monitoring your network
-using SSH and SSL
-intrusion detection systems
-authentication and cryptographic keys
-encrypting files and email messages
-system security probing

The recipes in this book allows administrators to learn quick and easy ways to secure their systems including over 150 ready-to-use scripts and configuration files without having to look up or research specific syntax.

This book is definitely a quick hands-on guide to securing and monitoring your system and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good source of guides and ready-to-use scripts and configurations.

Excellent resource on Linux security
At fewer than 300 pages, the initial size of the Linux Security Cookbook may seem to be meager to cover such a broad subject.But what the book lacks in size, it makes up in content.

While many security books may waste the reader's time by spending hundreds of pages on introductory subjects; chapter 1 of the Linux Security Cookbook goes straight into using and configuring Tripwire.

The book then goes into fundamental topics such as firewalling with iptables/ipchains, authentication, access control, file control, email security and more.

If you are interested in Linux security, this is a well-written and well-organized book, filled with valuable and timely information.

Good book for quick reference...
I read this book from cover to cover and consider it a great effort by the authors to cover many security issues related to not just Linux, but most *nix operating systems. Here's a chapter by chapter review of what I've observed in the book:

Chapter 1 - System Snapshots with Tripwire

I liked the discussion of Tripwire and its configuration options. The sections on "Ultra-Paranoid Integrity Checking" were great! A decent introduction to Tripwire and some of its features.

Chapter 2 - Firewalls with iptables and ipchains

The difference between "Drop versus Reject" targets was good. So many books have info on iptables, but none discusses these issues. Also the point made about dropping ICMP messages was good. Quick to learn and implement recipes presented in this chapter.

Chapter 3 - Restricting Access by Remote Users

Recipe 3.7 was very neat. Allowing users to access a service only by port-forwarding over ssh allows the administrator to restrict access by user names. A smart way of imposing restrictions!
Also, in recipe 3.9, I liked the authors' approach to finding if xinetd is compiled with libwrap support.

All recipes regarding tweaking xinetd were good. It isn't always possible to look at all the configurable options with xinetd, and the authors did a good job in mentioning a few useful options.

Chapter 4 - Authentication Techniques and Infrastructures

Quick tips with PAM, openssl and kerberos. I couldnt get some of the recipes to work on my machine, but got most openssl stuff to work.

Chapter 5 - Authorization Controls

I liked this chapter the best. The discussion on sudo was enlightening, and I was able to effectively tweak most recipes to my needs. The man page would never have provided me with such a good explanation. Thanks to the authors for this chapter.

Chapter 6 - Protecting Outgoing Network Connections

Two of these authors had written the snail book and I expected nothing less than a very useful recipe session on SSH. The most useful recipe here was setting up public key authentication between an openssh client and an ssh.com server and vice-versa. I had always wanted to do this but didnt have a clue until I read these recipes. All recipes have strong technical content and are well written. The recipe on running cron jobs with ssh was
amazing. The authors teach how to be creative, rather than merely
explaining facts and methodologies.

Chapter 7 - Protecting Files

I liked all recipes on GnuPG especially neat hacks like maintaining encrypted files with vim, encrypting backups etc..

Chapter 8 - Protecting Email

I tried out a few recipes and got them to work with my configuration. Pretty impressive stuff! The difference between SSL and STARTTLS daemons was very well explained. I havent seen a consolidated discussion on this topic thus far and was really happy to see things explained clearly in just one sidebar. I couldn't get the imap/ssl recipe working for my settings, inspite of spending quite some time. Perhaps a few screen-shots
made available via the website would've been of greatest help..

Chapter 9 - Testing and Monitoring

Recipes on Cracklib, using find for setuid/setgid files and the discussion on the 'find' command are very well written. Though this stuff has been mentioned in most security books/magazines, a consolidated treatment here is nice to note. nmap truly deserved the long section and I was able to learn a few facts I didnt know about nmap until now. The recipe on examining local network activities covered the best tools in business -
netstat, lsof and rpcinfo. Sniffing network traffic, using tcpdump, ethereal and dsniff provide a good refresher and ready-to-use recipes.

Overall, Linux Security Cookbook is a very useful book for quick
reference. It covers a wide range of security topics and issues related to not just Linux but most Unices. The recipes provided here are well written and ready to use. I have found many tips related to sudo, SSH, xinetd, encryption and network security extremely useful. Full credit to the authors for bringing out such a comprehensive book on Linux Security.

Not up to par
I've been reading "Linux Security Cookbook".I fully understandthe goal of this book is to provide lots of little bits of wisdom,not a full fledged security book.I think that's pretty cool.HoweverI'm finding that a lot of the recipies, if you will, are either notwell explained, the equivalent of reading a real cookbook witohutknowing what it means ot 'fold the blueberries into the batter'.Theycould easily have spent more time explaining things so we didn't needto go read/re-reading the man pages just to understand the book.
... Read more

Product Description

Your one-stop guide to Linux--fully revised and expanded

Get in-depth coverage of all Linux features, tools, and utilities from this thoroughly updated and comprehensive resource, designed for all Linux distributions. Written by Linux expert Richard Petersen, this book explains how to get up-and-running on Linux, use the desktops and shells, manage applications, deploy servers, implement security measures, and handle system and network administration tasks.

With full coverage of the latest platform, Linux: The Complete Reference, Sixth Edition includes details on the very different and popular Debian (Ubuntu) and Red Hat/Fedora software installation and service management tools used by most distributions. This is a must-have guide for all Linux users.

• Install, configure, and administer any Linux distribution
• Work with files and folders from the BASH, TCSH, and Z shells
• Use the GNOME and KDE desktops, X Windows, and display managers
• Set up office, database, Internet, and multimedia applications
• Secure data using SELinux, netfilter, SSH, and Kerberos
• Encrypt network transmissions with GPG, LUKS, and IPsec
• Deploy FTP, Web, mail, proxy, print, news, and database servers
• Administer system resources using HAL, udev, and virtualization (KVM and Xen)
• Configure and maintain IPv6, DHCPv6, NIS, networking, and remote access
• Access remote files and devices using NFSv4, GFS, PVFS, NIS, and SAMBA

Customer Reviews (2)

Compendium of facts, but not that useful
As someone new to Linux, I just haven't found this book to be that useful.It is indeed full of the details of managing Linux, but it's not presented with structure and explanation that helps understanding.Some authors are clearly good at putting themselves in the reader's shoes and thinking about how to present the concepts and details clearly enough that the reader can effectively act on it.With this book, it's more a matter of just comprehensively covering the material and calling it done.

Best Linux Reference
If your new to linux this book is what you want to have by your side at all times, if you have a question who to do something (as long as it is not distro or hardware specific) this book will have the answer. I choose to buy this because I have been a long time mac terminal user and decided to make the switch to linux and I knew some things wouldn't port straight over, this book has been a life saver and i think it does a better job of explain linux to the new then any other book. But don't think you can't use this book if your an avid linux user, this book servers (just as its title suggest) as a complete reference to linux, so if you looking for a book that can provide more information the the normal man pages (such as how to use it, what's going on) this book is the one to get ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

A must-have if you are serious about multimedia, even if you are not a heavy Linux user.
I got this book at a local Linux talk given by the author about a week ago. This book really opens my eyes to see how much resource there is for multimedia on the Linux platform. It's a must-have if you are serious about multimedia, even if you are not a heavy Linux user. As you see, a software dies on Windows PC when the software company (or Microsoft) stops supporting it (or the software company goes under), because you only have the binary code. But the Linux software lives on because you can always pick up the source code from the open source (that is if it's an open source project, of course. Fortunately, most of the Linux software are). Bottom line: this book does what it says ! I am very happy with it !

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Do you want to master the entertainment possibilities of Linux? If you do, then this book is for you! Author Kyle Rankin, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that takes the best of Linux's multimedia tools and shows you step by step how to use these tools to do cool things you would not have thought possible with images, audio, and video.

Rankin, begins by defining hacks that are specifically for images. Then, the author describes hacks for all things video. Next, the author shows you how to get the most out of video tools under Linux, which are some of the best in the industry. The author then gives you tips for accessing and creating your own web broadcasts. Finally, he shows you hacks to help you tweak your web browser under Linux so it can get the most out of the multimedia Web.

For the most part, this most excellent book allows you to look for hacks based on the multimedia type. More importantly, with this book, you'll be able to move quickly beyond anything you previously thought was possible, without spending a small fortune on commercial software.

Into multimedia?Into Linux?This is the book you need.
Most versions of Linux have minimal multimedia abilities without the installation of additional software.Of course there is a lot of Linux software out there that can be used to change your Linux installation into a powerful multimedia computer with amazing capabilities.And, since it is Linux, it can be done at minimal or no cost for the software.Author Kyle Rankin details how to install and configure these products in this book.To keep the information organized he breaks it up into chapters on Images, Audio, Video, Broadcast Media, and Web.Working through the hacks you soon discover everything from how to rip a CD, convert file types, and edit a sound file to how to build a MythTV system where you can record television, watch videos, listen to music, and play arcade games from one system.There's even a tip for automatically removing commercials from digitally recorded television shows.When you are trying to figure out how to get your Linux system to do something special in the area of multimedia this is the first book you will want to turn to for answers.Linux Multimedia Hacks is highly recommended.

Both newcomers and advanced users of Linux learn how to edit images, audio and video, manage music, burn DVDs and VCDs, and more
Kyle Rankin's Linux Multimedia Hacks: Tips & Tools For Taming Images, Audio, And Video covers a program which typically disappoints multimedia fans with what seems like shortcomings in playing DVDs or MP3 files. Overcome these seeming detriments with a book which tells how to tweak and build Linux multimedia entertainment systems. Both newcomers and advanced users of Linux learn how to edit images, audio and video, manage music, burn DVDs and VCDs, and much more. Linux Multimedia Hacks isn't just one developer's knowledge base: it reflects contributions from many Linux experts - even the software creators themselves.

Superb collection of easy-to-use media tricks
I've spent the last few days going over this book and experimenting with the different hacks on my Fedora Core 4 workstation. I use Fedora Core 4 almost 100% of the time at home, and I've felt the need to manipulate and use multimedia objects for a long time now, but didn't have the practical knowledge at my fingertips to do so. For example, how do I take a screenshot? This book answers this and other questions.

Now I understand how to use ImageMagick, take screenshots, and work with mplayer. I've implemented some hacks with gratifying results and experimented with bits and pieces of other hacks. For example I installed mplayer and the software bits needed to import video from a camcorder with a Firewire (1394) port. Mplayer is now running smoothly, and I'm waiting for a convenient camcorder to come my way so I can plug it into my 1394 port and let it rip. These hacks really seem to work, and they are quickly implemented. The authors of the various hacks give brief explanations that help build multimedia skills. Each hack is written with great clarity.

This book will gently introduce you to the power of scripting in Linux. Simple 1- or 2-line scripts pepper the book, and by using them you can quickly get the effects you want without having to spend long periods of time learning how to do the same thing on a GUI interface. Now, I can dump all 300+ photos from my 1 Gb flash card into a new folder and then use a script to resize them to a size small enough for a web page and for sharing with other folks. Try doing that to hundreds of photos on a GUI interface! With the suggested scripts, you can let the computer do the work, not you, and you can congratulate yourself on your smarts. Each script is carefully explained in plain language. I especially like Rankin's discussion of how to set up a digital camera and download all the photos from it automagically.

Today the Linux desktop is every more GUI-friendly. It is very easy to use; some of my friends have used it without realizing they were on Linux. I can see thumbnails of all my imported photos on Gnome -- it just works. I can expand the thumbnails into new windows with the actual photo. I can plug a compact flash card into my card reader and Gnome will recognize that, too, and offer to download the photos in the card. I can and often do edit photos with the Gimp and email them to my relatives. This books discusses all these things except possibly the emailing bit.

I began to realize that my hard drive is way too small for all the media I hope to work with. I recently ordered a 400 Gb drive to solve this problem.

This book shows you how to work with your media at no cost to you. It rolls up a lot of useful knowledge right at your fingertips. I can't think of another source of well-thought out media hacks either on the internet or in the documentation that comes with your Linux distribution. Every person wanting to work with media on Linux ought to have this book. Rankin and the other hack contributors have done a superb job. ... Read more

Product Description
A high-velocity chronicle of the open source movement-and its impact on computing, business, and culture.

The open source saga has many fascinating chapters. It is partly the story of Linus Torvalds, the master hacker who would become chief architect of the Linux operating system. It is also the story of thousands of devoted programmers around the world who spontaneously worked in tandem to complete the race to shape Linux into the ultimate killer app. Rebel Code traces the remarkable roots of this unplanned revolution. It echoes the twists and turns of Linux's improbable development, as it grew through an almost biological process of accretion and finally took its place at the heart of a jigsaw puzzle that would become the centerpiece of open source. With unprecedented access to the principal players, Moody has written a powerful tale of individual innovation versus big business. Rebel Code provides a from-the-trenches perspective and looks ahead to how open source is challenging long-held conceptions of technology, commerce, and culture.Amazon.com Review
Everyone in computing has heard of Linux--hundreds of millions use it every day. Every Net user accesses Linux systems dozens of times during any Net session. Yet, because people associate products with companies, Linux--with its thousands of largely anonymous volunteer developers and free availability--is a difficult fit with our world view.

Rebel Code puts Linux into historical and social contexts. Based largely on interviews with the main players and precise historical data (Linux kernel releases are dated to the second), it traces "free software" from its early '80s origin--with Robert Stallman's founding of the GNU Project--and takes it as far as the end of 2000--with GNU/Linux becoming a worldwide phenomenon that runs handheld PDAs, PCs and Macs, IBM mainframes, and the world's biggest supercomputers.

Glyn Moody charts every milestone in the development of the Linux kernel, from Linus Torvalds's first installation of Minix. As importantly, he follows the progress of major "free software" projects (essential to the success of GNU/Linux) from Emacs and GCC to Sendmail and XFree 86, and finishes with KDE and Gnome.

The end result is a curiously exciting and compulsively readable tale that compares with Tracy Kidder's book, The Soul of a New Machine. It's endlessly fascinating, and you'll be up reading well past your bedtime. --Steve Patient, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Penguins and other free beeings
I've read this book right after the "Just for fun" by Linus Torvalds, and the approach is somewhat different. "Just for fun" has the light weighted style of a talk show with all the inside details that make the delights of every geek fan. "rebel code" goes beyond this with a global overview of the Open Source/Free Software revolution. Everyone is there!
It also provides a deep view from the perspective of the "survival of the fittest" projects. Popping-up to the light from the mass of ideas just be absorbed on the global wave, or even disappear, all the relevant projects and participants of this movement are accurately contextualized.
This book is a must read for everyone that wants to get to know a bit more of this amazing new world that emerges from the freedom of choice in what concerns information.

Best Book on the History of Open Source
A lot is discussed in this book, and I'd agree with Eric Raymond's comment that this is the best history of the open source movement. It starts off from Richard Stallman, GNU and "Free Software Foundation" and goes to the Mozilla foundation and the new trendy name of "Open Source Movement." The best parts are the email excerpts from various mailing lists, which take you back into history when things were still being defined.

Of course, most of the book deals with Linux only but isn't that the best case for hackers?

Great Insights
I ordered this book from Amazon because I had just ordered Linus Torvald's book Just for Fun and this book was also recommended.I am glad I did.Torvald's book was really fun to read and it really created an interest in the Open Source software phenomenon that I have heard about, but had mixed feelings about it for a few years.Rebel Code added to Torvald's account, a rather complete history to the whole phenomenon. The book covered elements that I have heard in the news, but wouldn't have come to mind, like the entry of IBM, the role of Novell, Sun, etc.As each important piece of software was discussed, some seemingly small like GIMP, DNS and Sendmail, the author paused to give a short bio of the author and how they each stumbled into this FOSS world, some quite accidently. There were so many fascinating stories, I am going to hold onto this book.

The history of the development of Linux in detail
The book is mainly based on the information collected by the author from various people via e-mail, telephone or personal communication between September 1999 and September 2000, and the interview with Linus Torvalds at a critical juncture in his life, in December 1996, as well as other interviews with key players from the last three years.

The book begins with a story of Richard Stallman, who labored for years to create a Unix-like system, written from scratch that would be free. Hw worked alone at first; then he gradually received contributions from to others, including - thought neither of them knew it in 1991 - Linus, whose Linux program would provide the last major pieces still missing from Stallman's huge software jigsaw puzzle.

The book covers the GNU project from its formal beginning, when in January 1984 Stallman started working on Bison, which was a replacement for Yacc. Having limbered up with this relatively minor task, he moved on to one of the most important. One of the key elements of a Unix system is the C compiler. After an unsuccessful attempt, he returned to Emacs and released GNU Emacs in September 1984. In October 1985 he has founded Free Software Foundation and then proceeded with C compiler and the C library.

The book then describes the biography of Linus, his years at the university and his work on his operating system, his experience with Minix, quite popular at that time in academic area, and fight with Tanenbaum, the author of Minix. The book then brings out the history of the development of Linux in detail.

Besides Linux, this book covers Open Source movement in Netscape, the development of TEX, Perl, Cygnus, etc., and how big companies like IBM adopt Open Source software and contribute to its development.

I would also recommend "The Cathedral & the Bazaar" by Eric S. Raymond in addition to this book.

Must read!
The book gives a complete history of open source development starting from the earlier days of RMS and Linus. The strong point of the book is that the depth of coverage on open source history is unmatchable.My most favourite chapters are the ones that describe the early development of Linux and the history of Perl.

Reading the book gives the impression that author's bias against the RMS-style free-software. Also the author gives enough hints of his dislike for Microsoft's style of proprietary software. And towards the end, as the author starts explaining linux' entry into the corporate place, the book tends to be a bit dragging.

Overall, a must read for any open source enthusiast. ... Read more

Product Description
Ubuntu Linux--the most popular Linux distribution on the planet--preserves the spirit embodied in the ancient African word "ubuntu," which means both "humanity to others" and "I am what I am because of who we all are." Ubuntu won the "Linux Journal" Reader's Choice Award for best Linux distribution and is consistently the top-ranked Linux variant on DistroWatch.com. The reason this distribution is so widely popular is that Ubuntu is designed to be useful, usable, customizable, and always available for free worldwide.

Ubuntu Hacks is your one-stop source for all of the community knowledge you need to get the most out of Ubuntu: a collection of 100 tips and tools to help new and experienced Linux users install, configure, and customize Ubuntu. With this set of hacks, you can get Ubuntu Linux working exactly the way you need it to. Learn how to: Install and test-drive Ubuntu Linux. Keep your system running smoothly Turn Ubuntu into a multimedia powerhouse: rip and burn discs, watch videos, listen to music, and more Take Ubuntu on the road with Wi-Fi wireless networking, Bluetooth, etc. Hook up multiple displays and enable your video card's 3-D acceleration Run Ubuntu with virtualization technology such as Xen and VMware Tighten your system's security Set up an Ubuntu-powered server

Ubuntu Hacks will not only show you how to get everything working just right, you will also have a great time doing it as you explore the powerful features lurking within Ubuntu.

""Put in a nutshell, this book is a collection of around 100 tips and tricks which the authors choose to call hacks, which explain how to accomplish various tasks in Ubuntu Linux. The so called hacks range from downright ordinary to the other end of the spectrum of doing specialised things...More over, each and every tip in this book has been tested by the authors on the latest version of Ubuntu (Dapper Drake) and is guaranteed to work. In writing this book, it is clear that the authors have put in a lot of hard work in covering all facets of configuring this popular Linux distribution which makes this book a worth while buy.""
-- Ravi Kumar, Slashdot.org

Customer Reviews (31)

Why 4 and not 5 stars ?
Firstly let me say that I'm a beginner with Ubuntu and therefore it may change the way I received the book. I found the book easy to read, it presents the basics steps to get familiar with Ubuntu in a organized and progressive way.
It is not a book to learn how to program extensive and complex scripts although it presents some small examples.
Some examples are out-of-date and that is why the rate 4 but there is always a way to workaround specially looking at the forums.
It has chapters as "Package Management", "Security" and "Administration" that I found very useful and can make me save a lot of my time.
I recommend the book for newbies in Ubuntu.

Cool hacks
The book is really good, but very much in need of an update. The material is written about Ubuntu Dapper. Ubuntu Lucid, the current release, is eight releases later.

Used Books
Everyone should look at the "used" books instead of new.
The books are in great shape and at a fraction of the price.
This book was no exception.Arrived in great shape and very quickly.

I am very happy with this purchase.

ubuntu hacks
It is Oreilly which if your new means well written to the point . I like the dummy series which are good reads on what can be a mind numbing topic and I do this stuff for a living. This is good goto book nice easy or hard to do and it tells you that good explanation and examples.If you need more Debion has documentation on commands at it's website.The problem is going through all the information.

A Favorite Computer Book - Highly Recommended for Techies & Newbies
There are numerous reasons to recommend this book, but it looks like many reviewers have covered the material.I just want to note that I constantly reference and use this book, and I am always recommending it, to friends !

I own a lot of computer books, most of which are for Linux, and this has become one of my favorites.Any time I thought, "There must be a way to....."I later found the answer in this thorough book.Highly Recommended for Techies & Newbies, alike.

I started with Ubuntu Linux Bible, which is good for general info, and those *completely* new to Linux but also shows differences between other Distributions of Linux and Ubuntu.That book is good, for beginners.

Then I read Hacking Ubuntu: Serious Hacks Mods and Customizations (ExtremeTech), and Ubuntu Linux Toolbox: 1000+ Commands for Ubuntu and Debian Power Users, to really get into the operating system, and understand where all the goodies are located.

The GNOME (default) desktop is nice, but many features are hidden...thus the need for books, to unlock the potential.It is a good idea to also install KDE, and upgrade to Kubuntu, for more power.

By the time I began reading Ubuntu Hacks: Tips & Tools for Exploring, Using, and Tuning Linux (Hacks), I had a good grasp of the system, and I had tested many installations, dual boots (with Windohs, etc.).

You may need a couple of the books mentioned, if you are new to Ubuntu, and particularly if you are new to Linux.However, with the above books, even if you create a "dual boot" system....you may find yourself rarely booting into Windohs. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is to provide security configuration recommendations for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 and 6 operating system. The guidance provided here should be applicable to all variants (Desktop, Server, Advanced Platform) of the product. Recommended settings for the basic operating system are provided, as well as for many commonly-used services that the system can host in a network environment.

Customer Reviews (1)

Hands-on Red Hat Linux Manual
This is Not a book to teach you the basics about Linux.This book is kind of study note from an experienced Linux user.Compared to those 1000 pages linux books, this book is more concise and right to the point for Linux administration. I particularly appreciate author's effore on the explanation of default Red Hat firewall, which you will not find in the other books, and SSL certificates.Recommeded.
... Read more

Product Description
What has made Ubuntu the most popular Linux distribution in recent years? It's the emphasis on ease of installation and use. It gets even easier when paired with Ubuntu Linux For Dummies. This friendly reference shows you how to run Ubuntu directly from CD-ROM and install it on a PC as a personal workstation and network server. You’ll find out how to download Ubuntu and start using it right away. You'll also discover how to:

• Connect to a LAN via a wireless and Ethernet
• Use OpenOffice.org and Mozilla Firefox drawing and editing
• Tap into multimedia, graphics and other applications using Ubuntu
• Create services for a home or small business network
• Generate and manage web pages, print services, and more
• Find helpful information about Ubuntu and Linux
• Troubleshoot and fix problems

"Ubuntu" means "humanity toward others." Operating system guidebooks don’t get any more humane than Ubuntu Linux For Dummies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Great for getting started
This book will get you started but you will need other books to really get into Linux.

Book was in great shape
The book was in perfect condition.The CD on the other hand was cracked during shipping.Luckily I already had Ubuntu Linux on my computer, so the CD being cracked didn't matter.I was very pleased with the order and it arrived before the expected arrivial date.

Unbuntu for Dummies
This book is a blessing. I'm able to learn about this wonderful new operating system on my computers and I Love it!
Thanks so much for the excellent service you provide.

Sincerely;

Gerry

Check the version before you buy
I jumped on this book because I was trying to find something that will put me on the fast track to learning Linux. However, it was for an older version of Linux. It has an installation CD with it so you can get started, but I probably should have just used the online documentation for the latest version that I already had.

Good book
This is a great learning tool for Linux newbies like myself.I highly recommend ... Read more

Product Description
Sams Teach Yourself Linux in 24 Hoursis a tutorial aimed at making the Linux beginner more effective and productive users of the operating system. Most books in this category are more of a general reference in nature and are designed to cover Linux in general. Well, every Linux distribution is different - file locations can change, commands can be a little different, etc. This means the readers of those books may not find answers specific to their installation. This book will use the effective Sams Teach Yourselfformat to instruct the reader how to: install the operating system, configure their hardware, and effectively use the tools that come with the Red Hat distribution included on the CD-ROM.

• Learn how to install Red Hat Linux by walking through an easy to follow hardware configuration
• Understand how to use Linux commands, configure your network and servers and manage users of your system
• Discover the power of X(TM) Windows
• The CD-ROM delivers Red Hat Linux V5.0--a $49.95 value-- complete with source code

Customer Reviews (50)

Very dated and thus left behind
I found this book in a cube cleanup and decided to give it a skim.

It is very dated now and I see why the person abandoned it. To give you an idea as to the age of the information;the cd is Redhat 5, the book talks about X11 window manager, using mosaic and linx, the 9600.

Overall it's ok for beginning basic commands, etc. However, you can find this information online or in newer books.

You could learn more on your own
I wasn't happy with this book. I read it a while ago and you'd be better off spending the time just playing with linux instead of reading this dated book. :/

Good if your installation doesn't run into problems
I used the cd to install Red Hat 5.0 and followed the step by step instructions in the book. I now have Linux up and running on a dual boot machine with no problems. The installation was straight forward, but I feel that had problems occured the book wouldn't have had enough detail to help me overcome them. An easy to read book that doesn't go into any real depth, but can get a new user up and running relatively quickly.

good
i want a such book as this one that can help me to learn linux quickly

A BAD BOOK. VAGUE. INCONSISTANT.WORTHLESS.
This book is a vague look at Linux that answers almost no questions and is practically useless in its mission, which is to teach newbies Linux.The auther was in a hurry to publish it and as a result is vague andmisleading, skims over important issues, and fluffs off everything else. ... Read more

Product Description

A new edition of this title is available, ISBN-10: 0137142951 ISBN-13: 9780137142958

“Since I’m in an educational environment, I found the content of Sobell’s book to be right on target and very helpful for anyone managing Linux in the enterprise. His style of writing is very clear. He builds up to the chapter exercises, which I find to be relevant to real-world scenarios a user or admin would encounter. An IT/IS student would find this book a valuable complement to their education. The vast amount of information is extremely well balanced and Sobell manages to present the content without complicated asides and meandering prose. This is a ‘must have’ for anyone managing Linux systems in a networked environment or anyone running a Linux server. I would also highly recommend it to an experienced computer user who is moving to the Linux platform.”
—Mary Norbury, IT Director, Barbara Davis Center/University of Colorado at Denver, from a review posted on slashdot.org

“I had the chance to use your UNIX books when I when was in college years ago at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA. I have to say that your books are among the best! They’re quality books that teach the theoretical aspects and applications of the operating system.”
—Benton Chan, IS Engineer

“The book has more than lived up to my expectations from the many reviews I read, even though it targets FC2. I have found something very rare with your book: It doesn’t read like the standard a technical text, it reads more like a story. It’s a pleasure to read and hard to put down. Did I say that?! :-)”
—David Hopkins, Business Process Architect

“Thanks for your work and for the book you wrote. There are really few books that can help people to become more efficient administrators of different workstations. We hope (in Russia) that you will continue bringing us a new level of understanding of Linux/UNIX systems.”
—Anton Petukhov

“Mark Sobell has written a book as approachable as it is authoritative.”
—Jeffrey Bianchine, Advocate, Author, Journalist

“Excellent reference book, well suited for the sysadmin of a Linux cluster, or the owner of a PC contemplating installing a recent stable Linux. Don’t be put off by the daunting heft of the book. Sobell has striven to be as inclusive as possible, in trying to anticipate your system administration needs.”
—Wes Boudville, Inventor

“A Practical Guide to Red Hat^® Linux^® is a brilliant book. Thank you Mark Sobell.”
—C. Pozrikidis, University of California at San Diego

“This book presents the best overview of the Linux operating system that I have found. . . . It should be very helpful and understandable no matter what the reader’s background is: traditional UNIX user, new Linux devotee, or even Windows user. Each topic is presented in a clear, complete fashion and very few assumptions are made about what the reader knows. . . . The book is extremely useful as a reference, as it contains a 70-page glossary of terms and is very well indexed. It is organized in such a way that the reader can focus on simple tasks without having to wade through more advanced topics until they are ready.”
—Cam Marshall, Marshall Information Service LLC, Member of Front Range UNIX Users Group FRUUG, Boulder, Colorado

“Conclusively, this is THE book to get if you are a new Linux user and you just got into RH/Fedora world. There’s no other book that discusses so many different topics and in such depth.”
—Eugenia Loli-Queru, Editor in Chief, OSNews.com

Customer Reviews (16)

Bad experience
This seller really disappointed me.I ordered a book from this seller on the 1st of January and have not received the book yet!I have written e-mails to the seller and I have not heard anything from the seller yet! This is a totally bad experience!

Chose it for my class
I teach a class on Linux and chose this book for several reasons
1. price - Linux 'textbooks' run around $150
2. more than enough good material to fill a semester
3. Sobell's books are consistently the most readable I have seen - topics are explained well in a style that is interesting - a rarity in tech books

Too Much Entry Level Information
This book is not for would be admins. The writer wasted a lot of time in explaining mundane stuff. I don't understand why all those reviewers gave so much praise for this merely entry level book.

Must Have This Book!
To keep it simple...THIS IS THE BOOK!!!
You'll only need one. Learn everything in this book!
Easy to read and lots of examples.
You won't be disappointed!

Excellent resource for beginning and intermediate Linux users
I purchased this book to keep as a reference for my Linux users. I have found that is easy to use with a plethora of good practical information. It is well written and fairly comprehensive. It takes the mystery out of a lot of the more intricate Linux tasks. It explains things very well and the "How To"s are easy to follow. This is a great book for beginning to intermediate Linux users and a great reference for those that are more experienced. ... Read more

Product Description
Embedded Linux will help the user: select an Embedded Linux platform based on hardware requirements; build and boot a custom Linux kernel for the platform; remote debug programs running on the platform using GNU tools; connect data acquisition and control electronics/peripherals using the platform's serial, parallel, USB, I/O port and I2C interfaces; interface the peripherals to the kernel and applications using modules; collect, control, store and present data via open source protocols and applications; and analyze Embedded Linux vendor product offerings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

not enough info to be usefull
the book does not contain enough information to be usefull. I would recommend other books such as "building Embedded Linux Systems"

Great Reference, Odd Story format
This book is clearly the best reference I have for embedded projects under linux; future and present inclusive. The author covers USB device integration quite well, and gives a well worded approach to mounting and setting up your own usb-devfs.
Along with clear examples, the author mainly tries to format the text from an on-lookers prospective to an "embedded ski lift monitor" project- i.e. "My data from working along-side the team" Great effort there-
Another pro to this book is that there are many code samples (all but one I got working, first try) that keep the flow of the book geared towards a beginning hardware-level programmer, with teach by example in mind.
The biggest down side to the text is the beginning material about setting up the workspace environment. A friend tried the same book, and had much trouble simply because they didn't know what pitfalls to expect when installing Debian. Although, the setup does allow for multiple-processor compilations of source code. A Great plus, and another reason for me using the book as a reference.

Out of all the good and bad, this book earned the 4 star rating and with honors. If you want a place to begin embedded systems, and aren't weary of installing a fresh copy of an older model of Debian, have at this book!
Hope this helps-

Slightly Out of Date but still well worth the purchase
As of 4/2004,the book relies on a free distribution of Hard Hat linux that is no longer available on Montavista's site (as they charge $25K for a single seat, I guess they felt they were giving too much away ;-) HOWEVER:Hollanaugh has copies of them with all of his scripts on his site, so look for them there. His scripts are also now modified to point to the new locations.Though even this distribution is somewhat out of date, this book does a pretty reasonable job of getting you through it all.I found finding free (useful, current) distributions of embedded linux very hard to find but eventually did.. Check out www.denx.de and store.yahoo.com/snapgear/snemlidi.html for current multiplatform distributions.The denx distribution ELDK appears to have morphed from the original Hard Hat distibution as many of the utilities still exist, I used this and was able to "generally" follow along. It's a more recent distribution and supports more platforms (at least for the PPC).I would definately repurchase this book again..
His site is:
http://www.embeddedlinuxinterfacing.com/overview.shtml

Most Excellent Introduction and Objective Methodology
Dr. Hollabaugh has certainly shed useful light on the concept of embedded linux.He intelligently sets the stage and walk you through real steps for deploying a fully embedded linux control and monitoring system.The diagram, table, and code examples will leave you with a very clear understanding of the subject matter (providing you have some background with linux development).Personally, I was totally captivated and found myself extremely happy that I have chosen this book to help thrust foward my own intelligence of embedded linux.This book and website....has become a primary reference for future embedded linux application.

Great book
Hey embedded Linux developers,

This book is great. The simple examples clearly illustrate how to get a development system up and running, then how to develop simple device drivers to exercise hardware. I learned from these examples and put them to work on my project immediately. I read the other reviews below and don't know why they didn't like this book, did they even read it?

Its a great book, buy it now (its the best [money]spent on embedded Linux available).

Satisfied Customer ... Read more

Product Description
The open source nature of Linux has always intrigued embedded engineers, and the latest kernel releases have provided new features enabling more robust functionality for embedded applications. Enhanced real-time performance, easier porting to new architectures, support for microcontrollers and an improved I/O system give embedded engineers even more reasons to love Linux! However, the rapid evolution of the Linux world can result in an eternal search for new information sources that will help embedded programmers to keep up!

This completely updated second edition of noted author Doug Abbott's respected introduction to embedded Linux brings readers up-to-speed on all the latest developments. This practical, hands-on guide covers the many issues of special concern to Linux users in the embedded space, taking into account their specific needs and constraints.

You'll find updated information on:
. The GNU toolchain
. Configuring and building the kernel
. BlueCat Linux
. Debugging on the target
. Kernel Modules
. Devices Drivers
. Embedded Networking
. Real-time programming tips and techniques
. The RTAI environment
. And much more

The accompanying CD-ROM contains all the source code from the book's examples, helpful software and other resources to help you get up to speed quickly. This is still the reference you'll reach for again and again!

* 100+ pages of new material adds depth and breadth to the 2003 embedded bestseller.
* Covers new Linux kernel 2.6 and the recent major OS release, Fedora.
* Gives the engineer a guide to working with popular and cost-efficient open-source code. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good Embedded introduction book
I can not say that it's the best book I have ever read but I think it's simple to read.
A lot of pictures make the steps easy to follow, the CD is also helpful. Furthermore, the develop is done on an old PC.
This make the starting point easy and cheap but at the same time make also the limitation of the book.
Some important topics are not discussed due to the development board.

As first reading, I can recommend it but you need a second reading.

As second reading I would recommend "Building Embedded Linux Systems"

Not very helpful
The author uses old technology for a book published in 2006. He's too focused on his project and neglects to explain the over all picture. I didn't get much out of it.

Lack of details
It's a very good introductory book. It has a good organization of topics and brings a lot of references for further reading.
There are few things I dislike and hope that may be fixed in future editions.
There are examples that don't work at first because some includes are missing such as the parport.c example that I had to add a #include. Some other examples depend on tasks that might be difficult to achieve like running a kernel 2.6 on Red Hat 9.0 (I had to read a lot of forums to execute this task properly).
The price is high for a book that has less than 400 pages.

... Read more

Product Description
The new edition of Understanding the Linux Kernel takes you on a guided tour through the most significant data structures, many algorithms, and programming tricks used in the kernel.Probing beyond the superficial features, the authors offer valuable insights to people who want to know how things really work inside their machine.Relevant segments of code are dissected and discussed line by line. The book covers more than just the functioning of the code, it explains the theoretical underpinnings for why Linux does things the way it does.The new edition of the book has been updated to cover version 2.4 of the kernel, which is quite different from version 2.2: the virtual memory system is entirely new, support for multiprocessor systems is improved, and whole new classes of hardware devices have been added.You'll learn what conditions bring out Linux's best performance, and how it meets the challenge of providing good system response during process scheduling, file access, and memory management in a wide variety of environments.If knowledge is power, then this book will help you make the most of your Linux system. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Real-World OS Nuts and Bolts
This book doesn't just talk about Linux; it talks about how a modern OS sitting on a modern architecture functions, in real detail.I have seen many OS texts, and this one is unique in that it does not attempt to teach theory, or academic examples.Want to understand scheduling, interrupts, file system abstractions, address spaces?Read this. Even if you don't use or care about Linux particularly.It will demystify these critical topics, which you can then apply to whatever platform or code you're working with, especially if you work with kernel or related components.

I am a professional software developer who works in drivers and OS subsystems.Although I have some exposure to various Unix flavors, I don't use any of them regularly-- I have most exposure to the NT architecture.This book has been invaluable in shoring up my fundamentals.The Windows book that most closely resembles this is Windows Internals from MS Press, which is a great book but doesn't (and cannot) delve too far into actual internal structures.

Note, though, that this book does not aim to teach you all this good generalist stuff-- it only does that by accident.It will gloss over the intro material in some cases to get into the code, which works for the explicit charter of the text (Linux kernel specifics), but might require the reader cross-referencing with an OS text.

The only Linux kernel book you need
There are two type of programmers, those who start with papers and those who start with code. If you are like me, who start with code, this is the only book you need to learn about linux kernel and to use it as a quick reference.

mixed, other books are better
I've been reading kernel books for nearly 20 years -- this is not recommended.

Some of the chapters and explanations I liked, others I felt were dry and lacking. The code examples seem to run through a non-deterministic preprocessor -- the code is supposed to describe 2.4.18, but the code snippets don't quite match the actual code (while generally working the same way, the algorithms/loop structure are often rewritten and the macros are sometimes expanded).I find it very useful when books comment on actual code examples, this is "kinda massaged code" -- I found it very frustrating when I actually looked at the kernel tree when they had snippets in the book.

I often found it necessary to look at the actual code to give more context (but the code rarely matched verbatim -- very strange).And when they did rewrite algorithms, I found thekernel 2.4.18 source to be MORE lucid.

The explanations without code were adequate, and I found some to be illuminating.Perhaps since the book has two authors, different authors wrote different chapters?(I liked some chapters and didn't like others).

If you want a general understanding of how kernels work, Andy Tanenbaum's "Operating Systems: Design and Implementation" where he elaborates on Minix is very useful -- with a complete Minix system (Minix is more of a teaching tool, which it does well, Linus looked at lMinix and wanted a more useful system, hence Linux).

I found Robert Love's "Linux Kernel Development" very good (I read the 1st edition, still need to read the second edtion).And Linux Device Drivers (Corbet and Rubini) is very good and has excellent examples (but the examples may need some work to build on a current kernel -- had this problem with the 2nd edition).

Exceptional treatment of the Linux Kernel
If you read and understand most of what is in this book, then you will be an expert on the internals of the Linux kernel. This book goes into great detail on all aspects of the kernel. I would recommend this book, as well as "Linux Kernel Development", to be used as supplements to a college course taught on operating systemswhere Linux is used as a reference OS implementation.

The book does a good job of making complicated concepts accessible, but the reader may need to noodle over some concepts a bit more than others in order to fully grasp them. This, however, doesn't take away from the pedigogical nature of the book.

Excellent Book on OS Design

If you are interested in OS design, or intend to work with the Linux
Kernel, Understanding the Linux Kernel is a very useful look into how
and why certian decisions were made in the Linux kernel.This book
doesn't seem to leave anything out.Example code is used very well to
show exactly what the authors are talking about.This would be an
excellent book for a course on OS design.
The second edition doesn't cover the 2.6 kernel,
which wasn't out at the time the book was published, but it still
provides a great resource for kernel information.

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Product Description
Sams Teach Yourself C for Linux Programming in 21 Days presents C programming techniques in a logical and easy-to-follow sequence that helps you understand the principles involved in developing C programs. You'll begin the basics of writing a program, then move on to arrays, pointers, disk input/output, functions, and more. Learn the basics of C, including variables, constants, conditional statements, loops, pointers, data structures, input/output, and functions. This book presents C in the most logical and easy-to-learn sequence, and is geared towards programmers learning the C language for Linux. Also included will be additional material needed to develop and execute programs for Linux. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

A well rounded, decent introduction to C
I came to this book after struggling to learn C++.I found this book to be well written and understandable given that it is a programming book. The book breaks down the programs in a step by step manner which made it each smaller piece easier to understand.Although, the author avoids explaining some things early on, it is so that the reader isn't overwhelmed.

I was able to learn C from this book when I was a 10th grader in high school with only a background in BASIC. Although, there may be better books out there, this book is good to fair.

I am now a software engineer who owes some of his early education to this book.

Bad Choice
The Book: C for Linux Programming in 21 Days by Sam's is published in 2000. It is either so out of date, or inaccurate that even the first example (Hello World!), coding doesn't work. Even after following the instructions multiple times and double checking everything over. Warning their is a number of different downloads that have to be done to apply the information in these kinds of books that never get mentioned it is questionable if books like these serve any purpose other than coffee table decorations. Space too small to give lessons here. Buy only up to the minute beginning books. May things go well with you.

With out a doubt, the BEST intro to C book on the market!
Going into my first year as a computer science student, I had never programmed before in any language. After realizing how tough it was, I picked up this book that was luckily in a local book store and read the entire book cover to cover. I'm now in my final year preparing to do a Masters in computer science thanks largely in part to this book. Even though it's not a complete C reference, it definatly gets you going in the write direction. From making simple to advanced makefiles in a clear and understandable manner, to structured software development with debugging information and proper coding techniques. It is missing important information like database programming and socket programming, but the things that are missing could be picked up in a more indepth and advanced book on C programming like "Beginning Linux Programming" (big red book with the 2 guys on the cover laughing at eachother). I'd never part with my copy of Teach Yourself C in 21 Days because its a good reference for little things you may forget along the way.

Great book! Nice introduction to C in the Linux environment.
This book helped me get back with programming in C (one of the most powerful languages out there), and they did a nice job of explaining the Linux environment and how the GNU C compiler (GCC) works. I am pretty new to Linux but had no trouble getting up and running with the book.

Full of goodies, plenty of reference-
This book is beyond as good as i said in my last review, well this is an update. After finishing this book, i have an entirely new outlook on why this book is so good! I always find myself looking back for a reminder; if there's something i need a refresh or rescale on, it's got it. it teaches compiling all the way to deployment. This book is desirably the best in my GNU/Linux stash. There are so many extras in this book, you would b surprised why they priced it so low!

COVERED- Pointers (in depth), functions, all forms of data structures, GTK/GTK+, and more-

If you the reader are taking any introductory courses in programming, for goodness and gpa get this book! Especially if you have a[bad]teacher as i once did ;)

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Product Description
If you've ever wondered whether the Linux penguin knew something you should know, here's where to find out. This plain-English guide walks you through installing Linux, using the desktop and tools like OpenOffice.org, securing your system, and more. You even get to check out seven different Linux flavors and pick the one you like best.

Discover how to:

• Prepare your computer and install Linux.
• Choose and set up software.
• Connect to the Internet.
• Explore Skype® phone service.
• Use the GNOME and KDE desktops.
• Work with multimedia tools.

Includes a DVD with the full Fedora Core and Knoppix distributions plus ISO images of the other distributions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great book for introduction and beginners
I built a new computer. Use this book to load the Linux on it.Very good and step by step instruction for Windows users that know how to load windows.More instructions on how to load the applications.I would buy it again.You need another book if you want to learn more after this introduction to get you started.

helpful book
This book has been a great reference for me, I didn't know anything about Linux before and now I am much better at it.

I will never get this time back
This book is terrible and makes no sense.Yes it is written in plain english and is easy to understand, but it tells you very little actually about linux.It spends time evangelizing about open systems, it spends time telling you about how to install linux from 7 different distributions.Ok the discussions of the 7 distributions were valuable for 1 chapter, maybe 2, but that was enough.It doesn't help you learn linux to have the instructions with 7 different nuances.Just say that there are these different distributions and why, then just work with the commonalities of Linux.Of the 400 pages of this book, maybe 100 were valuable.

Pleased Overall
I've read prior books by Dee-Ann, and found her to be knowledgable; AND accessible. This book is a continuation of the flexible and expanding world of the linux distribution from a professional's point of view....and uh dumbed down so Joe Avwrage can understand....hence the title of the book AND the series LOL!
She has answered questions I've had concerning linux....and I'm happy to be reigestered to her newsletter...
She exudes a lot of preofessionalism and kindess....things not too often seen in the linux world when you are/were a newbie to linux.

disappointed
more than 4 weeks after ordering this item it has still not arrived. In stead of using their resources to speed up delivery, Amazon spends time spamming me for a review... ... Read more