Rating: 
Summary: I think the test content is excellent BUT
Review: But the Fedora Core 1 included on the two CD's in the back of the book do not install. I get an error message stating the hardware is not supported. This is interesting because I downloaded Fedora Core 1 from the Fedora website (all 3 disks) and they install easily without a glitch. Hardware I am using is based on a VIA EPIA Eden 533MHx CPU with 256mb RAM. If you buy the book for the CD's I think you will be better off downloading the actual CD images from Fedora.
Rating: 
Summary: Holds Your Hand To Migrate Away from Windows-centric World
Review: Grant opens the book by clearly stating that he intends the book for "people who have read or heard about Linux and are wondering whether or not they are ready to deal with it, perhaps being held back by the Linux-is-for-geeks stereotype."
If you are looking for a detailed, uber-geek, inside out understanding of Linux there are more appropriate books than this one. Grant does an excellent job of accomplishing his goal though- introducing Linux to the uninitiated and sharing enough knowledge for someone to effectively use the operating system without becoming a certified expert in it.
Grant walks the reader through installing and configuring the Fedora Linux that comes on CD with the book. He provides clear, understandable, step-by-step instructions to help you delve into the world of Linux. The book is project-based and teaches the reader how to do most common tasks in Linux.
The only caveat would be that it is Fedora-centric. The book focuses on the version of Linux it comes with, but for the intended audience and goal I think this serves the purpose well. If you want to see what Linux is about, check out Linux For Non-Geeks.
Tony Bradley is a consultant and writer with a focus on network security, antivirus and incident response. He is the About.com Guide for Internet / Network Security (http://netsecurity.about.com), providing a broad range of information security tips, advice, reviews and information. Tony also contributes frequently to other industry publications. For a complete list of his freelance contributions you can visit Essential Computer Security (http://www.tonybradley.com)
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for people having difficulty making the transition
Review: I am one of the embarrassed few who find making the transition to Linux from Windows/Mac very difficult. I have spent many hours at the bookstore trying to find a book that explains the basics before moving onto more complex issues. This book was the only one that I found that truly accomplishes this goal.
Aside from the authors talent to explain things very clearly, he also posesses a good personality which comes through in his writing. It's much more enjoyable reading personal real-life Linux experiences: humorous and otherwise, than reading a dry dull procedure book. He lets readers know that we're not alone with the struggles of making a full transition to Linux.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a clearer understanding of what Linux is, and how it can be of use to you in your everyday computing needs. From using the Graphical User Interface to typing in commands, this book explains everything at a beginner's level. Highly recommend!
Rating:
Summary: Up, Running and Ready to Go
Review: I had been thinking about trying out Linux for some time, but was reluctant to do so, as most of what I read made it seem too difficult. Ditto for the books I looked through on the bookstore shelves. Having entered the world of computers at a late stage in my life, I thought I'd give "Linux for Non-Geeks" a try after seeing somewhere on the Internet that the book started out as a set of instructions for the author's mother, a group of which I am a proud member. Fortunate for me, because the book is really easy to follow, has lots of illustrations, and, as the subtitle states, is project-based, which I think is an easy way to go about things. I also liked the bits of humor laced throughout the book, which makes it less dry than the average computer book. The fact that the installation disks are included is a big plus. I've just gotten the system installed, I've got myself online, and am now raring to go on!
Rating:
Summary: Great Linux book
Review: I have only hands-on education in computers, no formal training. I have become fascinated with them over the years of using Win 98, ME, and XP. About 2 years ago I wanted to get into Linux. I bought the RedHat Linux 8 Bible and got it installed on my computer. It went OK, but I could never, ever, ever, . . . , I mean never, get connected to the Internet. Since the net is a large part of the fun, I was left with a RedHat 8 OS that I didn't know how to use. After months of trying, I gave up & went back to XP.
Just got this book a couple of weeks ago, and compared about 6 different Linux books in the bookstore. This one is the clear winner if you want to "migrate" from Win to Linux.
Well written and well organized, the book goes into more detail than the others on actually performing many required tasks in setting up and running the Fedora Core 1, successor to RedHat 9.
Within 24 hours of purchase I was surfing the net, playing games, listening to music, etc. Most importantly, the author assumes that you know nothing about Linux and nothing about what's under the hood of your machine, regardless of your current OS. I realized last night that I actually now know how to download & install tar.gz files, not to mention RPM's. I'm having a tremendous amount of fun staying away from M'soft, all thanks to this book.
Having first-hand experience with several "fatter" Linux books, this is definitely the one I would recommend to those who have no programming/sys admin background.
Rating:
Summary: Good for "Pre-geeks" too
Review: I initially dismissed this book because the publisher's comments made it sound too basic for my needs. However, after taking a look through it at the store, I changed my mind and got myself a copy. I have been using a Linux system for a while now, so I already knew the basics, but was curious about learning a little more. I suppose you could say I wanted to learn how to get started as a "geek." Fortunately, the author does not leave out people like me, because the book also works well as a primer for using commands, learning how to compile programs, and setting up a wireless card. The book also finally made it clear to me how to install fonts, which (to be honest) had been a point of confusion for me. There's also a great chapter on setting up APT, which is something I had been wanting to do for some time. All in all, the book has been a great help to me. I also liked the interestingly placed references to Vonnegut's "Sirens of Titan" snuck in here and there.
Rating:
Summary: This is the one
Review: I knew the ins and outs of Windows XP well enough to understand its many flaws when I assumed I wouldn't need a book as apparently basic as this one to understand Linux. I could have saved myself some money, however, if I had started with this book instead of the reams of command lists I purchased before it. Styled as a workbook, its warm and humorous tone anticipates emotional reactions such as fear or frustration on the part of the user, and even applauds simple successes. I wasn't left staring blankly at desktop full of mysterious applications. Instead I was guided in steps through various functions of the Fedora core, which I find superior to the SuSE distibution I was using. I think the greatest strength of the book is the author's natural talent with language, which is not only vital in computing, but in translating the meanings of the Linux world into plain English. Documentation for these systems being rare and obscure, this book should serve as model for those who want to assist the migration of adventurous computer users from Windows.
Rating:
Summary: To the Point and Easy to Follow
Review: I started out in Linux with Mandrake because everyone said it was the easiest distribution for beginners, but, although the installation was pretty easy, it was nothing but endless quirks and headaches after that. There also weren't any books out there for it, so I had to try the generic Linux books, but they are useless for a real beginner - don't even understand half of them. Anyway, I decided to give Fedora a try because there are so many books for it, and that's how I ended up trying Grant's book.First of all, I have to say that I like Fedora. It seems to work well, the programs that come with it seem to be set up normally, and it is pretty easy to use. I also prefer its nicely set up GNOME interface to KDE. Well, as for the book, I think it is really great. It is basically what I needed - a clear and step by step guide that matches the distribution comes with it. Though there is a little more information on customizing the desktop than I thought necessary (but then to each their own), the other points seemed well balanced: hardware setup, printers, Internet, and so on. The middle sections of the book covered things that seem kind of geeky (despite the title) to me, though these topics (commands, compiling programs, etc) are covered in a very easy to understand way, so no harm done. The chapter on using APT was really great because I had a really hard time installing RPMs with Mandrake. And the font installation instructions were also very useful and easy to follow. The last group of chapters are pretty much overviews of software types, and the one on Music is the most useful, which is fine as the others (graphics and office applications) don't really need much explanation, though I would have liked to see a bit more information on how to use the GIMP. Of course, this is a minor point because what is covered in the book is basically everything I wanted to know to get started - 99.2% perfect!
Rating:
Summary: /me Shrugs.
Review: I thought, with the reviews of this book, that I would have no problem grasping linux. Well I was wrong. The first half this book doesn't go indepth enough for a beginner. It left me baffled in many parts and had to look up the solutions on my own online and also had to recieve help from friendly people in IRC. Many of the webpages listed by the write are no longer usable or are down. Trying to follow projects without the websites that he specifies is a nightmare for a beginner. The second half of the book I felt was more of a filler and wasnt useful for learning linux. But maybe I feel that way because I didnt expect half the book to be about games and programs that play music. It did get me started and it did leave me with more than my foot in the door.
Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to Fedora and Gnome
Review: I was interested in this book because I know a lot of people who are scared of Linux, and thought a book like this would be great for them. It didn't disappoint!
But before I go any futher with this review, you have to understand that the Linux world is full of different distrubutions, window managers, applications, and other options, of which no book could completely cover. So this book chose to focus in on a small, user-friendly portion of the linux world. This is a book that leads the user through the steps of installing and using Fedora Linux (sponsored by Red Hat) and using Gnome.
To put this book through a decent review, I decided to install Fedora Core 2 on my laptop. The book comes with 2 Fedora Core 1 cds, but I wanted to be more up to date, and I wanted the kernel source (I am a geek afterall), my decision to use FC2 isntead doesn't matter much.
I was very pleased with how the author went through they basic non-technical side of linux, then every single step of the Fedora install (even dual booting with Windows!). He takes the user through the basic applications in Gnome, described several different methods of installing software. He introduces the user to the command line in a very non-scary way, and shows them that it's not as difficult as it might seem. He gets into installing fonts, burning cds, using your digital camera, image editing, listening to streaming media, printing, and all sorts of things that even impressed me about linux. The author also leads the reader through "projects" which commonly involve actually downloading a program and installing it, so the reader can get used to the process.
Looking at this from a Non-Geek standpoint, I think I'd be happy with this. The only trouble is that it's quite specific to Fedora and Gnome, but to someone who has never used a computer, or only used basic tools in Windows, I don't think this would be a problem, especially since no book could possibly cover everything, and big books scare people off.
Looking at this from a Geek standpoint, wow, Linux has come so far! I've been using Linux for a few years, each year brings new advances, I was excited when I could finally use my digital camera in Linux. A book like this puts all these great acheivements into one place, and really furthers my belief that it's ready for " J. Random End-User Aunt Tillie."
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