Linux in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition (O'Reilly Nutshell)
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Spotlight Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 3.98Customer Rating: 2
Summary: Disappointing -- for an O'Reilly title
Comment: This book is long on the classical Unix-of-yore (awk, sed, five different shells) but short on really useful 'hard' Linux stuff. Many configuration commands, networking, etc are missing. There's a big overlap with my five-year-old Unix V reference, also published by O'Reilly.
Similarly, I think the large Perl section is misplaced in a Linux reference book. If you need this level of detail, you get one of the camel books.
Also, the index leaves something to be desired -- and that's a big minus for a pure reference book like this. Indeed, as some other reviewers have noted, once you know which command to use, man pages will in many cases be just as convenient.
Customer Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent reference, better than the man pages
Comment: This book was listed as an optional textbook for a Unix (Linux) class that I took, but I quickly realized that there was nothing optional about it. I had to have it. I use this book often since Linux's man pages can be somewhat cryptic to a new user like me. The author does an excellent job of explaining the commands and options in plain english.
Obviously since this is a reference book (basically a Linux dictionary) you will not read it cover to cover. Instead you will find yourself constantly referring back to it, looking up new things you haven't seen before or old things that you can't quite remember. Having this book on your shelf is sort of like having a good Webster's dictionary, it's a must.
Customer Rating: 5
Summary: Highly Recommended
Comment: ~~
Although not for "Newbies," of my dozen or so Linux books, "Linux In a Nutshell" is the most thourougly concise (is that a contradiction of terms?) of them all.
A virtual "Bible" of commands, options, and information.
This book will stay alongside your computer while the others will remain on your bookshelf.
~~ Lloyd W. Cary ~~