"Running Linux" claims on its cover to be "One-Stop Shopping Guide to Linux." They aren't far off. With information ranging from installation to programming tips to TCP/IP, it packs a lot of information into a rather compact binding.

I have only one complaint about "Running Linux." Unfortunately, the book really glosses over some basic Unix system administration and commands that are absolutely necessary for the beginner to be able to be productive with the book and the operating system. If this is your first book on Linux, I strongly recommend getting a companion volume such as a command reference or novice Unix System Administration tutorial. Use "Running Linux" to get concepts, then consult the companion volume when you sit down at the computer to make things work. You will have a lot more fun and a lot less frustration in the long term.

Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about the book. I found it extremely helpful. The text is very readable and well organized. I highly recommend it for all Linux users!

136 of 151 found the following review helpful:

dissappointed: much dated material and not enough depth  Feb 25, 2001

After reading all the glorious reviews I could only believe this was the book I needed, being a relative newbie. Although I have found much usefullness in the book, I am disappointed nevertheless and will be looking for another.

My main complaints with this book are:

1) The back cover states that, "_Running Linux_ explains everything you need to understand, install, and start using the Linux operating system." Then the author states several times in the book that if you are new to unix/linux you may want to buy a book on the subject!

2) This Third Edition, published in 1999, reads like an older edition at times. For example, I doubt that Chapters 2 and 3 regarding installation are useful to anyone installing a modern ditro, except maybe Debian. In fact these chapters would probably only be confusing - with their descriptions of installing from floppy, etc.

3) The book also goes to great length to point out Linux's superiority over all things Microsoft, and it's not always accurate in this dubious endeavour. Sometimes it seems hardly a page goes by without one of those petty, unprofessional jabs at MS that are unfortunately so common in Linux writing. If I thought Microsoft were god, I wouldn't be Running Linux.

As an example of 2) and 3) consider paes 49-50. The author describes that in a dual boot situation with W95 it's better to install W95 first because W95 has a nasty habit of overwriting the MBR. He then goes on to say, "We don't know whether Windows 98 will demonstrate the same cavalier behavior as as Windows 95." This book was published in 1999 so why doesn't he know? He then conveniently fails to mention that many Linux distros will not only overwrite the MBR, they will also erase the entire hard drive including other OS's partitions. (dated material and misleading evangelism).

4) As other reviewers have pointed out, the book is simply not detailed enough for admins or power users. Considering it's not all that great for newbies either, then what is it good for?

I could go on, but I think you get the point. My feeling is that in 1995 this was _the_ Linux book to have, and it's reputation has earned it a lot of sales, but it's just not the right book for today, not for newbies and not for experienced users.

33 of 33 found the following review helpful:

Beginners Guide to Workstations  Feb 04, 2000

First, if you're setting up a Linux Server then this book is not your best choice. If you're completely new to Linux and want to learn as much as possible about all of it's functionality in general then this book is for you. This guide takes you through the paces and shows you all the bells and whistles that come with Linux but really only touches on network administration tasks. Great book for workstation users (i.e. if your NOT the sysadmin!) but if you're looking for more specific networking information then I suggest other books such as DNS and BIND, Linux Network Toolkit, TCP/IP Administration and others specific to sendmail and apache and linux networking!

36 of 37 found the following review helpful:

Very good; perhaps newbies might look at other options too  Dec 21, 1999
By Kieran Healy
I recently migrated from win95 to linux. This is a very good reference book, typical of the high quality of O'Reilly publications. But I agree with the reader from Indiana: Michael Kofler's ``Linux: installation, configuration and use'' (2nd ed) is perhaps a better choice for installing and configuring linux, especially if you're migrating from Windows.

I get the sense that a lot of people who praise this book highly already know linux well, and so find it easier to read. If O'Reilly books have a weakness, it's that they tend to be written for people who already know a good deal about the subject. (Their Perl books are a good example.) The really high praise often comes from advocates who already know the subject, and want you to love it as much as them. But the style can sometimes make it more difficult for a newbie to get a grip on the basic concepts .

That said, though, this is still a great book. I get the feeling that as I get to know linux better I'll rely on this book more than Kofler's. But new users should be aware of Kofler's book -- it's better at getting you through the nuts and bolts of installation and the inevitable early teething problems.

32 of 33 found the following review helpful:

You want this one on your bookshelf!  May 24, 1999

This was the first Linux book that I bought, which I found to be useful, but often a little too advanced. I therefore ended up buying several other books (Linux Secrets and Red Hat 5.2 Unleashed - these contained a lot of immediately practical info I needed). However, now that I've been using Linux for a while I find myself continually coming back to Running Linux for additional info often not found in other books. People complain about it being out of date and not having a CDROM. These are the resons this book is so good - it doesn't deal with all the distribution specific issues - these can be found in the documentation that comes with your distribution. Instead it supplies a plethora of information on a wide range of Linux topics that don't chage much over time. In addition, Matt Welsh is perhaps the best technical writer I've come across.

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