Rating: 
Summary: Excellent guide for all Linux users
Review: Anyone who uses Linux will benefit from this handy pocket guide which lists general Linux commands for various tasks, ranging from directory operations, file commands, locating files, doing backups, controlling various processes, to working on the Internet (web browsing, Usenet news, email, and network connections). There are lots of commands listed here. No, this is not a general reference book by any means (and there are lots of Linux reference books around), but it is just the thing when you need to look up a specific command fast. All commands are listed with their syntax and a brief explanation of what they do.The book discusses in a little detail about Fedora, Red Hat's "free Linux OS." It also goes into some descriptions about running a shell, logins and logouts, filesystems, and home and system directories. Again this book covers the basics and it assumes the readers already have a decent knowledge of Linux. Since Linux does so many things and it's next to impossible to remember every single command, a book like this is handy to have on your desk when you can't remember a specific command.
Rating:
Summary: Handy Linux guide for beginners and power users alike
Review: Barrett's compact book (191 pages) covers the most frequently used commands in Fedora Linux. He has done an excellent job of covering the most useful commands with their most useful arguments. The book begins with a brief introduction to Fedora Linux, shell and command structure. Next, the commands are arranged in logically related groups beginning with login & logout and ending with audio & video commands, with file system, shell, installing software, basic file operations, directory operations, file viewing, file creation & editing, file properties, file location, file text manipulation, file compression & packaging, file comparison, disks & file systems, backups & remote storage, file printing, spelling operations, viewing processes, controlling processes, users & their environment, working with user accounts, working with groups, basic host information, host location, network connections, email, web browsing, usenet news, instant messaging, screen output, math & calculations, dates & times, scheduling jobs, graphics & screen savers in between. This is followed by an easy to understand tutorial on shell scripts. There is an excellent index. The book is technically accurate. I found only one questionable term - 'superusers'. Since Linux allows only one superuser ('root'), the word 'superusers' may cause confusion by suggesting the possibility of multiple superuser accounts. This short and handy guide will be an excellent book to sit next to (or on top of) your system so that you don't have to use man pages to look up commands and squint your eyes to read the folded lines. It is also a great book for a new Linux user so that he or she doesn't have to pore over huge reference books for day to day Linux use.
Rating:
Summary: Something for everybody ....
Review: I have just received the "Linux Pocket Guide", and am very pleased about the way it can and does help me, and it will definitely help others too. The `door' to the inner workings of Linux, can be painlessly pried open after all!
For a Linux novice such as myself very useful and informative - there is enough information - and more importantly - with examples, to whet the appetite, but not to drown the reader in mind-boggling detail. The 'Man' or 'Info' pages are enough to put a newbie off for life. The supplied URLs to other informative sources are also very useful.
This guide also helps to dispel some of the mystique that perhaps some *nix wizards like to project around the subject - that is my sad experience in many News-Groups, when asking questions of established `Gurus'.
I would be very interested to see more such works in various - for Linux newbies at least - other Linux `problem' zones.
For Windows fugitives/Linux novices - and even for slightly forgetful experts - a *must* have .....
Rating: 
Summary: Buy it
Review: I was often reluctant to buy this kind of books. Often because I think the same info can be found on the Internet. But in the case of this book, I liked it. The presentation is easy to carry with you, choose a topic and see the commands related to the topic. There is nothing new in the book, but it is a good and quick reference guide to new users in Linux and old users. In my own case, I have 4 years using Linux and I found some interesting topics inside. It is a nice reference guide to have at hand at any time working on Linux.
Rating:
Summary: Great things in small packages...
Review: I've always been more of a GUI-type user, and even the old DOS commands never did much for me. But now that I'm moving into the world of Linux, I need to understand the power of the command line. To that end, I got a review copy of the Linux Pocket Guide by Daniel J. Barrett (O'Reilly). I have a feeling this will become a dog-eared favorite on my bookshelf.
Normally I'd list a chapter breakout, but there's just too many "chapters" here to do so. Suffice it to say that if it's a shell command in Linux, it's in here somewhere. The great thing is that you get the command and a list of the useful options, along with the syntax in less than half a page (and the book is small!). So instead of hauling down the large volume and scrolling through multiple pages, you can get right to the command you need with the options you're probably looking for.
For a beginner like me, it will help to make me more comfortable with many of the basics of command line work. For experts, it will be the quick reference for that particular option that you can't remember the capitalization rules for...
Short, concise, easy to understand, and packed with meat... What more could you want in a reference manual? This is a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Worthwhile reading for beginners and advanced users
Review: I've been using Linux since 1996, and this book still gave me some new tips and information to make better use of my Linux system.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: If you are a competent computer user and want to switch to Linux but don't really know anything about it, you NEED this book!
Basically, it tells you how to do all the things that everyone assumes you already know how to do: text editing, basic text manipulation, finding files, managing files, changing permissions, using groups, &c&c.
If you have installed Linux but are now wondering, "How do I delete a folder?" go buy this book!
Rating:
Summary: Great Linux Guide that is Short and Sweet! Worth the $!
Review: It's no secret, there's a lot of books about Linux on the market today. Linux is HOT!! But it's also no secret that a lot of publishers have been jumping on the bandwagon churning out Linux books just to get a piece of the action. This Oreilly pocket guide is everything you would expect from an Oreilly book: thorough, succinct, and worth the money. The book has a great structure, covering the basics and then going into commands. The commands are organized in functional groups. So if you want to do some user administration, just thumb to that section and all the relevant comands are at your fingertips. There's enough detail about each command that you can actually use it. The author also often tells you how the command is "usually used," which is helpful. There's even some basics sprinkled in about programming and shell syntax. It's awesome that they actually put useful stuff in a pocket guide! Whether you're an advanced administrator or a beginner, this book is worth the investment. It has enough info to be a quick reference, but it's clearly written enough to be a primer for beginners. ENJOY!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Linux Guide that is Short and Sweet! Worth the $!
Review: It's no secret, there's a lot of books about Linux on the market today. Linux is HOT!! But it's also no secret that a lot of publishers have been jumping on the bandwagon churning out Linux books just to get a piece of the action. This Oreilly pocket guide is everything you would expect from an Oreilly book: thorough, succinct, and worth the money. The book has a great structure, covering the basics and then going into commands. The commands are organized in functional groups. So if you want to do some user administration, just thumb to that section and all the relevant comands are at your fingertips. There's enough detail about each command that you can actually use it. The author also often tells you how the command is "usually used," which is helpful. There's even some basics sprinkled in about programming and shell syntax. It's awesome that they actually put useful stuff in a pocket guide! Whether you're an advanced administrator or a beginner, this book is worth the investment. It has enough info to be a quick reference, but it's clearly written enough to be a primer for beginners. ENJOY!!!
Rating:
Summary: Keep it near the computer
Review: The Linux Pocket Guide is filled with useful command descriptions that should prove beneficial to all. I really appreciated the examples and the task-oriented reviews. In addition, it provides information on file system layout, on the shell, on basic shell scripting, and even on basic commands in emacs and vim. While Linux has nearly escaped from requiring command-line understanding at all, I believe all users will need or have an opportunity to be benefited by the command-line at some point, and I think this book is an excellent resource.
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