Comments on: Best books for getting started with Linux

By: Ed Borasky

Ed Borasky — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:17:56 +0000

I think the best way to learn Linux is to download one of the Big Three (Ubuntu, openSUSE or Fedora) LiveCDs and boot it! Then head to the forum for that distro and start asking questions.

By: stormy

stormy — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:17:34 +0000

In this case, the friend is trying to make an old laptop useful again. I believe he’d use it when traveling to check email (on the web), upload photos from the camera, web surfing, maybe some spreadsheet stuff, …
The question is interesting in general. And we assume that we know what desktop Linux users will do … and I think we tend to assume they’ll do the same things they do on their Windows box. But it might be interesting to show them additional things they can do.

By: Psycho

Psycho — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:10:51 +0000

Impossible to answer without knowing what your friend is planning to do with Linux. You might as well ask “my friend wants to buy a computer, which one should he get?”

By: anonim

anonim — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:06:12 +0000

Linux cookbook: http://www.amazon.com/Linux-Cookbook-Carla-Schroder/dp/0596006403/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232985842&sr=8-1

By: Don Marti

Don Marti — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:48:15 +0000

You might want to go for a distribution-specific book for the first-time user. Less explanation of differences among distributions, more room for substantial material. Mark Sobell has done Red Hat and Ubuntu versions of his book.
Here’s Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols on
The best five books for Linux beginners

By: David King

David King — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:19:53 +0000

I would not recommend “Linux in a Nutshell”. I found it to be an unhelpful collection of man pages, together with lists of common commands. My wife was given this book by a friend, and she found it completely useless as a Linux beginner.

By: Dave Morley

Dave Morley — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:47:44 +0000

You may wish to consider Linux for dummies.
It’s very basic but also informative and answers a lot of the questions that new linux users tend to have. Another would be the official Ubuntu Book too for similar reasons.