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Rating: 
Summary: For those wanting to learn Linux
Review: As Fernández points out, Debian is not very good for beginners, with the book or not (at least I think that what it was, my spanish isn't the best.) So, for those wanting a usable practical operating system Debian is not for them. For those I would recommend Corel Linux (a Linux distribution that gives Debian a GUI face.) In fact my computer has 3 OS's now; Windows 95, Corel Linux and Debian. If your like me and want a way to learn Linux, Debian and this book are a good way, because Debian puts no fluff on anything and this book helps you wade through it. It is true that this book doesn't really help you with any specific problems that comes up (though he does have warnings throughout the book) but he does his best to tell you where to look.I gave the book 5 stars, because I do not see how he could have done it better.
Rating: 
Summary: A good first book
Review: For an absolute beginner this is ok. However too much reliance is given to the How-to's and internet for problem solving, a PS2 mouse works with /dev/psaux which wasn't easy to find out. The installation guide is pretty good, you will appreciate it the first time you install linux, but if you enjoy playing and try different distro's you won't need it very quickly. The introduction to sysadmin is equally useful at a basic level for a home machine. So if you haven't tried linux this is as good a start as any I have read, but you only need one beginner's book, then i believe the Rute Manual which has now been printed is the way to go.
Rating:
Summary: To the point. Easy to follow. Great for Windows users.
Review: I have downloaded and installed several Linux distributions (Red Hat 6.1, Caldera 2.3, etc.) in my search to find one that I like. I am also reading the book, "Running Linux, 3rd ed." which is teaching me the ins and outs of Linux. Debian GNU/Linux works for me because the book leads you step by step through the installation, plus it is setup more like traditional (non-commercial) distributions, which I am reading about in "Running Linux". Together, both books and the included CD, have me up on a simple home LAN where I can print from Windows machines, through my Linux server, and share files too. Not only that, but I understand it! Yes, Linux does require a bit of time on your part to learn some of the Microsoft type things you use to take for granted, but you'll sleep better knowing that pointless lock-ups are a thing of the past.
Rating:
Summary: READ FOR FREE ON THE WEB
Review: I have to agree with the Reader from New York. I received the book as part of the boxed set from the VALinux CD distribution. So, at a minimum, the price and material can't be beat! But, in addition to the "xf86config" misnomer, the reader is also told to use the SHIFT-ALT-+ key combination to reduce the size of the virtual desktop. Well, as a newbie to Linux, as well as Debian, I must have looked like a trained monkey hammering away on that key combination, until I thought, "Maybe there was a misprint or misquote." And yes, the CTRL-ALT-+ combination worked just fine. By the way, the monkey was, of course, rewarded immediately with a reduced virtual desktop and a banana. This is just one of several "small" errors in the book; however, to a Debian system newbie, the errors are annoying. Also, the flow throughout the book was choppy, at best. Although the book and its flow start out well, providing sufficient detail to install successfully the Debian system without too many problems, by Chapter 5 the book has lost any useful level of specificity. I understand that once you get into the X Window environment, your choices for a window manager are numerous but sticking with two or three window managers, throughout the remainder of the book, would have been beneficial to the reader. By the book's ending, the flow has jumped around so much that the reader can easily become overwhelmed and confused. Much like the middle of the book, the level of specificity is limited so that you can easily become lost in any LAN, WAN, or web server profile installation. I found myself constantly referring to the Debian "HOW TOs" for additional and more helpful information. Better-presented books are available at the price level associated with this book. Overall, the book was misleading in that its usefulness began promisingly but ended disappointedly. If the level of specificity and flow found in the first four chapters had been carried throughout the remainder of the book, a higher rating would have been given.
Rating: 
Summary: Good intro book
Review: I highly recommend the book, especially if you can get the 'boxset' that I got, which comes with a VALinux distribution CD, a small install guide and this book, plus a demo game CD for the price of the book. I installed on an old laptop w/o CD-ROM, which the book assumes the user has. The install section is well written and easy to follow, but assumes that the user is using the CD. The biggest problem that I have is using dselect, the "add new programs" of the Debian distribution, because the CD is assumed again. I haven't even read the XWindows sections yet, which are a full 1/3 of the book. It does have lots of information that I'm sure I will be refering back to for some time now. A newbie book is always a good start and usually a good reference. If you have an old system (even w/o a CD - you can download Debian and make 8 install floppies very easily) get this book and get started with Linux. It really isn't difficult.
Rating:
Summary: Good intro book
Review: I highly recommend the book, especially if you can get the 'boxset' that I got, which comes with a VALinux distribution CD, a small install guide and this book, plus a demo game CD for the price of the book. I installed on an old laptop w/o CD-ROM, which the book assumes the user has. The install section is well written and easy to follow, but assumes that the user is using the CD. The biggest problem that I have is using dselect, the "add new programs" of the Debian distribution, because the CD is assumed again. I haven't even read the XWindows sections yet, which are a full 1/3 of the book. It does have lots of information that I'm sure I will be refering back to for some time now. A newbie book is always a good start and usually a good reference. If you have an old system (even w/o a CD - you can download Debian and make 8 install floppies very easily) get this book and get started with Linux. It really isn't difficult.
Rating: 
Summary: It's ok, but could have been better...
Review: I used the book to install debian linux. I must say that this book does help a lot in making the installation easy. The only thing that one must do extra work is when installing the linux on newer machines (especially with the Windows Me already running). I just wish that Bill McCarty does a little more elaboration on /dev files and troubleshooting. Anyway it is a good book.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for all users
Review: There are way too many computer book authors who simply do not know how to write. Bill McCarty is not one of these. He has written an erxcellet book that eplains debian on a very basic level. This is a good book because it delivers exactly what it promises to deliver. It is an introduction to linux and it encourages new users to "have fun" and "be patient." It is outdated, though. For Linux, a good book needs to be more recent that 2000 to be relevant. This book is older than that. The effective birthday of Debian was in 1993. Highly recommended book!
Rating:
Summary: Seasoned Unix user
Review: This book is aimed for the very novice Linux user, who comes for
the first time to the world of Unix. From that perspective this book
could deserve one start more, but not more. The starting chapers covers
the installation process with screen prints from the debian installer and
they can't get clearer than that. But, In my opinion they do not add
any value to the book, because the Debian installation dialogs are
almost self explanatory and you don't need a book to show the
pictures. The part of the installation could have better server on concentrating
on setting up multi-boot system with various Win32 (Win9x,NT,2000)
combinations. THAT would have certaily deserved a star. Setting up the X server is not "piece of cake", and the book
should definitely have devoted much more pages on it. You can almost
bet that you can't get X server working properly from Debian
installation with all those varoous video/3D cards and different
monitors (just count how many combinations are there). This chaper
is ESSENTIAL for any new Linux user that wants to see Graphical GUI.
Well, therte is not much information what to do if X fails to start.
(Btw, GNOME window manager is presented, not KDE) Other Chapters in the book are average, medicode tratment of the
topics wich are by no means specific to Debian system: Use
administration, system services, learnign to use the basic shell
commands. The Networking part may be appropriate in the US market, where
Modem (PPP) connections are in majority, but for European users,
the ISDN, LAN, WAN, Cable Modem are more for hte present. The book
only coves PPP and LAN. Authors should have covered ISDN as well,
because that's much harder than modem PPP. In short, This is 2 start book. You're better served with something
more in depth book that a) you can refer all the time to get
problems solved b) or goes more deeper on the details of the specific
Linux distribution. This book does not give you very good overview what is so special
with "debian". You're much more better served with Michael Kofler's "Linux" book,
which gives in depth discussion and comparision of various Linux
system. It's one of the best Linux books around.
You can use it with Debian as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Stuck midstream without a paddle
Review: This book was for my second foray into the Linux world. I have tried the Slackware distribution, and liked it, but I was looking for a convenient desktop-station version, but not one of the more commercialized versions. McCarty does an outstanding job of walking one through the intricacies of installing the Debian system, and the included CD (while not completely up to date) will put enough on your computer to make it reasonably easy to fill out your system directly from the Internet. There were a couple of small flubs in the book, but nothing that a little consideration couldn't solve. I love the Debian system, and I would recommend this book to any newbie who wants to start running Debian/GNU Linux.
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