Rating: 
Summary: save your dough
Review: The author relies on web sites unrelated to the book to help install linux. Why buy the book then? I would look up linuxmall and all the other sites before buying this clunker.
Rating: 
Summary: Review the right book!
Review: The negative reviews are all for the first (Red Hat) edition. The second (Caldera) version isn't out yet. By the way, I bought the shrink wrapped version of the Caldera OpenLinux 2.2 and installed it. It was fairly painless, but a few choices made at installattion time makes my installation less useful than it could be. I'm hoping this book will help me fix my mistakes, and help others avoid them. Still, Linux peacefully co-exists with Windows 95 on my computer (which is now dual-boot). Caldera's OpenLinux 2.2 isn't yet going to kick Windows off most desktops, but for anyone at all interested in Linux, it is an awesome package.
Rating:
Summary: One of the worst computer books I have ever used
Review: The only thing worthwhile about this book is the Caldera OpenLinux CD that accompanies it...Do not buy this book.The biggest problem with the book is that it is inaccurate. One example: it lists 16 Megs RAM as the suitable amount to run OpenLinux. Installing with that little is virtually impossible; running the stuff he begins to talk about in the book with 16 Megs is absolutely impossible. The book's organization defies any rational learning scheme -- and the chapters do not build from beginning to end, as one would expect. For example he suggests using a text editor in the third chapter to modify something and refers the reader to something like chapter 10 to find out what text editors might be around. He mentions using the PICO editor but doesn't mention how to install it or where to find it -- it's part of PINE and remained on the CD when I installed. He uses xminicom to check on modem installation, but as far as I can tell it's not included on the CD or in the install. Immediately after installing, he launches into a discussion of configuring x11 -- fine, but the default install automatically puts the user into KDE. In addition, configuring x11 seems unnecessary and the discussion mere filler. What he is saying is sometimes decipherable but where important, it often is not. I have no idea why the chapters are arranged as they are. They are not discrete and are packed with redundant and trivial things. This book does a disservice to readers and probably to Linux.
Rating:
Summary: Not Recommanded
Review: This book is quite complete, but lack of details in guides. I don't think it's very good for beginners.
Rating:
Summary: bad
Review: This book is terrible. I thought that an introductory book would be just that; yet, after that chapters on installation, this one tells you nothing. Almost every time it discusses a topic it says 'look at the manuel page' or 'look at the web page' for the information needed to use the function. Sometime, the book tells you to edit some file, without ever explaining how to use any of the editing programs. I brought this up to the publisher( with other concerns) and was instucted on how to get a refund. but after two months of waiting, I've give up. DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A very useful book
Review: This book-CD kit is probably one of the most terrible deals you get when you're looking for a starter kit. 1. The software is out of date. 2. PQ's PartitionMagic CE sometimes errors out during the partitioning process. 3. The book is more of an enemy than a teacher. The installation preparation on Chapter 1 regarding Windows 9x states that the Caldera Linux program group will be installed when you insert the CD. Actually, you have to select the first option once the Caldera menu comes up. Next the book says you can partition you primary drive to 300 MB, 500 MB, or 1.0 GB. Actually, you can only select 300, 1.0 GB or the maximum free disk space - 100 MB. This is, to say the least, VERY CONFUSING! Chapter 3 mentions the XFree86 configuration. It says to hit CtrlAltF2 to go from KDE to console to edit the configuration. It never tells you how to get back--nowhere in the book. And "startx" or "kde" does not work. You have to "shutdown -r 0" and relogin. My KDE has scrolling screen. Nowhere does the book shows how to turn this feature off. As for sound goes, you'll have to swim in a shark-infested water with your bare self if you have PnP card. Time and again, the book spits out a topic but never gets into it. It just ask you to read such and such, in this and that, directory (not file but directory). One of the HOWTOs states that you need to recompile the kernel. Nowhere in the book mention this process. [BTW, there is no such file as /usr/src/linux, and "make xconfig" or "make menuconfig" or "make config" just doesn't work.] Ok, if the source rpm aren't automatically installed, you'll have to install it if you need to recompile. rpm command does work. But kpackage and lisa does not work like what the book says. lisa doesn't work at all (Caldera's bug?) Just about every topic in every chapter is missing something. It's not a tutorial. It's not a guide. It looks like separate pieces of scrapped newspaper from different days fastened together by sticky rice. It omits so many basic yet important topic. Instead of teaching, it seems to assume that all you want is that outdated CD! This book should be titled "Frustrating Yourself for 24 Hours or More with COL and BB." Hey, the current title is hideously correct: You'll have to teach yourself by taking classes or get another book--because this kit doesn't do that.
Rating:
Summary: nearly 100% useless
Review: This book-CD kit is probably one of the most terrible deals you get when you're looking for a starter kit. 1. The software is out of date. 2. PQ's PartitionMagic CE sometimes errors out during the partitioning process. 3. The book is more of an enemy than a teacher. The installation preparation on Chapter 1 regarding Windows 9x states that the Caldera Linux program group will be installed when you insert the CD. Actually, you have to select the first option once the Caldera menu comes up. Next the book says you can partition you primary drive to 300 MB, 500 MB, or 1.0 GB. Actually, you can only select 300, 1.0 GB or the maximum free disk space - 100 MB. This is, to say the least, VERY CONFUSING! Chapter 3 mentions the XFree86 configuration. It says to hit CtrlAltF2 to go from KDE to console to edit the configuration. It never tells you how to get back--nowhere in the book. And "startx" or "kde" does not work. You have to "shutdown -r 0" and relogin. My KDE has scrolling screen. Nowhere does the book shows how to turn this feature off. As for sound goes, you'll have to swim in a shark-infested water with your bare self if you have PnP card. Time and again, the book spits out a topic but never gets into it. It just ask you to read such and such, in this and that, directory (not file but directory). One of the HOWTOs states that you need to recompile the kernel. Nowhere in the book mention this process. [BTW, there is no such file as /usr/src/linux, and "make xconfig" or "make menuconfig" or "make config" just doesn't work.] Ok, if the source rpm aren't automatically installed, you'll have to install it if you need to recompile. rpm command does work. But kpackage and lisa does not work like what the book says. lisa doesn't work at all (Caldera's bug?) Just about every topic in every chapter is missing something. It's not a tutorial. It's not a guide. It looks like separate pieces of scrapped newspaper from different days fastened together by sticky rice. It omits so many basic yet important topic. Instead of teaching, it seems to assume that all you want is that outdated CD! This book should be titled "Frustrating Yourself for 24 Hours or More with COL and BB." Hey, the current title is hideously correct: You'll have to teach yourself by taking classes or get another book--because this kit doesn't do that.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK!!!
Review: WoW! This book has Caldera OpenLinux 2.2, and covers getting hooked up to the Internet in a LOT of detail! I got my connection up in no time at all by using the easy directions (i really kppp)...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for the Linux "Newbie"
Review: ~~~ I have "Sams Teach Yourself Linux in 24 Hours, Starter Kit, 2nd Edition" and as a Linux "Newbie" I find it an EXCELLENT book in all regards. Simply put: it WORKS! For those who would criticize it, I recommend that YOU go ahead and write a better one. In the meantime I will be enjoying Linux and all it's powerhouse programs with the help of Mr. Bill Ball's book. Thank you Mr. Ball!! ~~~ Lloyd W. Cary
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