Red Hat Linux 6 Unleashed

Red Hat Linux 6 Unleashed ships with its eponymous operating system on CD-ROM. Based on that fact alone, you're ahead of the game in terms of cost when you buy this book. Way ahead, in fact, considering that this book contains some of the best printed documentation of the Red Hat distribution around. The team of authors covers installation, configuration, networking (including Internet connectivity and the Domain Name Service), system administration, and applications. There are introductory guides to programming with several languages--the sections on gawk, Python, Motif, and Tcl/Tk are the best of the group. Plus, there's a good Linux command reference.

Three kinds of people will like this book: those who want to install Linux for the first time, those who want to perform intermediate-level tasks (such as compiling a kernel or setting up a network), and experts looking for new information. The book's coverage of first-time installation takes a deliberate pace, pausing often to address potential problems. The kernel-building and network configuration sections are solid. The remainder of the book is packed with enough details about everything, including the Gnome windowing system and the K Desktop Environment (KDE), to keep the gurus happy. In short, this book ranks among the best Red Hat 6 manuals. --David Wall