Linux Clearly Explained

Linux Clearly Explained acknowledges that graphical user interfaces (GUIs) are here to stay, and that a large percentage of folks moving from Windows to Linux will want to stick with GUIs wherever possible. Unlike many Linux books, which emphasize the command shell, this one focuses on Red Hat Linux 6 and hypes the Gnome windowing system that ships with that distribution. Bryan Pfaffenberger details the configuration and use of Gnome (as well as Enlightenment and the K Desktop Environment--KDE) in greater detail than any other Linux book out there.

Linux Clearly Explained deserves plaudits for its careful, easy-to-follow installation instructions. Pfaffenberger shows how to create Linux partitions with Disk Druid; then he walks along with you as the Red Hat installation routine does its thing. (Red Hat 6 and WordPerfect for Linux 8 appear on this book's companion CD-ROMs, by the way.) From there, it's almost all Gnome: Pfaffenberger tells how to set up accounts, manage files, and run applications under the GUI. He also explains how to establish a PPP connection with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) over a modem, and provides a bit of documentation on Netscape Communicator. There's also some information on the Bash shell, and it's quite good, but this book is clearly meant for desktop Linux users who will use Gnome when they can. --David Wall