By Matt Welsh, Matthias Kalle Dalheimer, Lar Kaufman
August 1999
Pages: 752
ISBN 10: 1-56592-469-X |
ISBN 13: 9781565924697
(Average of 11 Customer Reviews)
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This book has all the information you need to understand, install, and start using the Linux operating system. It includes an installation tutorial, system maintenance tips, document development and programming tools, and guidelines for network, file, printer, and Web site administration. New topics in the third edition include KDE, Samba, PPP, and revised instructions for installation and configuration (especially for the Red Hat, SuSE and Debian distributions).
Full Description
- KDE, a desktop that brings the friendliness and ease-of-use of Windows or the Macintosh to Linux
- Samba, which turns Linux into an office hub that serves files and printers to Microsoft systems
- PPP, the most popular software for logging into remote systems over phone lines
- Revised instructions for installation and configuration, particularly covering the Red Hat, SuSE and Debian distributions
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Book details
Third Edition: August 1999
ISBN: 1-56592-469-X
Pages: 752
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 11 Reviews)
Featured customer reviews
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, September 30 2002
This is an outstanding book on linux. I've been a Windows system admin for over 8 years and just started looking into linux because it interested me and because as a system admin you need to have a broad knowledgebase. We were in need of a bug tracking system and we didn't have the money or time to purchase one. It was suggested to me that we look into bugzilla and a little more than 1 week later with the help of this book and the bugzilla documentation I was able to setup redhat 7.3 running apache and bugzilla. This book was invaluable in my short learning process. While there is no way i can call myself a linux admin(YET!) I can say this operating system has found another convert. I can see myself using it in other mission critical areas. My favorite command from my last exploit with linux.
find bugzilla -print | xargs chown apache
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, March 07 2002
a quick refreshment for penguins! probably better than what i have learned so far.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, September 17 2001
An excellent introductory book on Linux.
Three months ago, I didn't know much about computer and even doubted my ability to run Linux. Since then, I have read through the book ( with a lot of patience since many sections are very detailed. ) and at the same time, tried myself. As the authors put lots of effort in explaining what is happening, how to config, how to use the most useful commands and tools, I can follow most as the authors wrote in the book.
But the road was not royal, in fact, quite painful. Since I tried to install Red Hat 6.2 on the IBM Thinkpad, I found many problems : No USB support in Red Hat 6.2 (so, no USB mouse can be used), the video chipset too new for the X Windows System in RH6.2 ( so I have to download an newer version from the Web and config it ) , etc . With the author's precise and detailed explanations, I tried to solve the problems and after a few failure, I succeeded.
Although Linux is not as user-friendly as MS Windows, it is wonderful. There are so many open source projects available in the web. And Linux is a road to this world. And hopefully, RUNNING LINUX is a road to Linux.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, September 05 2001
I bought this book because I thought it would help me
to run my linux-PC. At least that is what the title
suggests. However, for this purpose, it was an absolute
waste of money.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, June 06 2001
Have had this book for well over a year now and continue to find it usefull. Between this and the nutshell book most of what anybody will do is covered. The only other books that are as usefull are the Walnut Creek paper versions of the online documentation.
The real bonus of the book was it's readability. With most books you look up what you need. But with this one I found my self reading it like a novel. I have heard this comment for others also. Why would you do this you ask? It is so much easier to look up a solution when I have a good idea where to start looking.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, January 25 2001
I picked this one up at the library. Overall I think it's quite useful, but I feel that it could be written on a more practical level. In many cases I think it uses 2 pages to explain what could be done in only one.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, December 22 2000
I have at least 50 O'Reilly books purchased over the last 7 years. Some of the earliest were my first introduction to Unix and are quite well-worn, e.g. Unix in a Nutshell, sed & awk, Learning the Korn Shell. Their worn quality is as endearing as old comfortable jeans. Since then a few other books, e.g. Programming Perl, have proven just as useful and are now just as well worn and just as appreciated. I had sort of gotten where I expected all O'Reilly books to be like this, and to become sort of instant, well-worn classics. But over the last few years I've gotten some disappointments, books that just didn't have that combination of information, clarity, depth that I'd come to expect (however unrealistically).
Well, finally to get to the point, Running Linux is a book in the classic O'Reilly tradition: informative, clear, occasionally humorous, and perhaps most importantly deep in its coverage of topics. I think I've had it less than 6 months but it looks and feels like I've had it years. That's how much I've read and reread it. Anyone who runs Linux should be thankful for this book.
Keep up this kind of good work!
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, December 18 2000
This book is great!!! I have been using UNIX and Solaris for a couple of years and making the transition to LINUX was easy. Anyone who wants to use LINUX should buy this book.
Reasons for purchase
- Reasonable price
- Lots of information
- Distro neutral; the authors cover the general aspects of LINUX for any distrobution.
- Covers other areas of LINUX such as commands, system admin., editors, and trouble shooting.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, November 01 2000
This is the first Oreilly I had ever read, not the mention the first book I had ever read about Linux, and it was all I needed to get started. Really an excellent and useful book. Thanks!
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, September 15 2000
Running Linux is by far the best intro book for Linux that I have found. The strong points of this book are many; here are a few:
- Not distribution specific - the book covers the topics in a way that applies to any and all distributions. The authors have somehow managed to avoid the pitfall of being too general to apply. They give a very good discussion to the topics as well as specific examples for the most popular distributions, showing where they differ. The result is a thorough understanding of the principles, enabling the user to apply their knowledge immediately while providing a strong foundation for future learning.
- Diverse and thorough range of topics - I was amazed to find such a vast diversity of topics covered in one book. Before reading this book, there were some noteworthy gaps in my knowledge of a Linux system. I found that most of these were filled upon completion of the book. For example, I had only a vague idea how to use a Makefile, let alone hack one or write my own. I was surprised to find a strong introduction to Makefiles in Running Linux. I was also surprised to find topics covered in the book that I was completely unaware of before reading the book (e.g. TEX and groff text processing).
- Accessible to the average user - this book begins each topic from the ground, assuming nothing about your current knowledge level. It does not, however, attempt to "dumb-down" the topics, teaching you why you do things as well as how. This happy medium is often missing from books as thorough as this one.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about their Linux system. It is useful as both an introduction and installation guide to Linux and as a comprehensive presentation of a wide variety of topics.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, May 31 2000
i cant say enough good things about O'Reilly books. They are easier to read, more thorough, and more useful than any others I've bought. my only problem is that some times I need info on something they dont cover and i have to grudgingly buy a book from another publisher. I've only half finished Running Linux and I've learned more from it than I did from the three Linux newbie books I read previously... Excellent book if your looking for a place to start with linux this is the one...
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, October 26 1999
Submitted by Grant Kim [Respond | View]
this is pretty good book for a linux newbie(like me!) the book covers various useful stuffs ranging from basic commands to linux sys administration Though i read just six chapters, i feel i can understand this wonderful os.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, June 05 1999
Submitted by Sinsen krysset [Respond | View]
I have read the first edition (from 1994?). That one helped a lot.
What i liked about it was that it was not distribution specific.
Especially when i had problems with X, i turned to thist book and it told me how to write a configuration file for XFree86. I boorowed this book from a friend and i decided to by the second edition. But now i am confused. I would rather wait for the 3. edition but if that one is distribuiton specific then i'd rrather by the second edition.
I run either small ditribuitins like Trinux( www.trinux.org) for its security tools or Debian (www.debian.org).
I would find it sad if O'Reilly neglected Debian or made "Running Linux" ,3. edition valuable to only those distrubutions using RPM. As i said earlier : I would like a book that concentrated on "hacking" Linux, one that went under the hood, so that when things go wrong you could get the information you needed to edit configuration files for hand and compiling from sourcecode.
Running Linux, 3rd Edition Review, March 11 1998
Submitted by Christopher Greene [Respond | View]
This book is an absolute must for the administrator considering using Linux in the real world or the person wanting to begin to 'really' know the workings of Linux.
Taking the reader from the beginning, a non-Unix user is made to feel very at ease with Linux and comfortable in an understanding of how to use it.
By presenting the reader with the basics and an overall understanding of Linux, this book is an excellent step to more advanced and thorough literature on Linux. A job well done.
Media reviews
"While this book is written in a style that can be easily, and enjoyably, read from cover to cover, it also serves as a desktop reference. Whether you are using Linux on a home workstation or maintaining a network server, Running Linux provides an excellent resource that can be dipped into for expert advice just when you need it. No matter your level of experience, it deserves to be on your bookshelf." -First Monday, June 2001
"The best distribution agnostic title is Matt Welch's readable Running Linux which every Linux user should own." --Steve Patient, amazon.co.uk
"Running Linux, by Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman, is a gentle welcome to Linux that shows you around, points out some places where you may want to spend some time, and tells you where to find good detailed guides. Over time, Running Linux has become my first choice for broad questions. (Linux in a Nutshell is my choice for details like utility program options.)" --Jeff Taylor, Dr Dobbs Electronic Review of Computer Books April 2001
"Amazon Best of 2000: Computer Networking"
"This is a pretty complete book for people who are not totally ignorant of setting up and tinkering with computers and operating systems. It shows a method to use Windows to pry loose information from your hardware. It pretty much goes through the steps to create and maintain a usable Linux system." --Ruurd Pels, Dr Bobs Book Reviews, December 2000
"For beginners the best choice is the classic "Running Linux". There are other good starting guides, but this one does the best job of capturing the spirit of Linux while providing essential guidance." --Gene Wilburn, Computer Paper, December 2000
"widely accepted as the book on Linux for the new generation-it has achieved international acclaim and survived the battering of the flame wars, which is saying something.! It's an easy book to read that takes you through just about everything you need to know to get a broad overview of what Linux is and how it works."--Rob Fenwick, PC Answers, Dec 2000
Ideal for the absolute novice."-Rob Fenwick, PC Answers, Dec 2000
First Place, Linux Magazine's Editor's Choice Awards, 2000
"If you're a user that's fairly new to Linux, this book will help you get up to speed quickly. If you're a die-hard Linux fanatic, you'll love this book as a reference for those long nights when you can't quite remember the syntax to a command you last used five years ago. Buy it, read it, but be careful about loaning it out! My copy disappeared for a month." --Linux Magazine, Dec 2000
"A good core for configuring and running a Linux system." --Dr. John Joyce, Scientific Computing, Oct 2000
"Back this book up with a good command reference (Linux in a Nutshell is solid), and you'll be well on your way to Linux mastery. --David Wall, Amazon.com
"This is the third edition of a deservedly popular book. It is as comprehensive a guide on the subject a you can expect to find. . .if you are looking for a comprehensive guide to setting up, running and maintaining a Linux-based system, it is hard to go wrong with this book. It will get the beginning user on the road to becoming a power Linux user and includes information that will prove useful long after system setup and configuration." --Keith Schengili-Roberts, Computer Paper, April 2000
"This is a book for hands-on people, who want to know what to do and why they have to do it. Obviously, any O'Reilly book has high standards to live up to. More,
Running Linux has inherited the mantle of "Linux Installation and Getting Started"; readers of my last review two weeks ago, will know in what esteem I still hold this work. I am glad to be able to say that it has a worthy successor. The core attitude is still there: that you must know what you are doing. There is no attempt to hide behind GUI hand-holders, whether installers or system administration tools or what have you. Instead, you sit down at your new Linux box, and you learn through trying out stuff that's in this book. In a nutshell, the decision here is a no-brainer. If you are new to Linux, buy this book, full stop, period, end of story. If you've been using Linux for some time, chances are there will still be something in here that's new and useful to you." --Paul Dunne, Kiro5hin, May 2000
"You can't go wrong with this book. Whether you're a novice, or like me, have been kicking around in the Linux pool for awhile, you will find yourself referring to a passage or two on occasion for advice or just to refresh your memory on a solution to a tricky problem." --SLUG reviews, May 2000 "I recommend the superb Running Linux, 3rd Ed., by Matt Welsh, Lar Kaufman and Matthias Dalheimer (O'Reilly & Assoc., 2000). These guys understand Linux backward and forward; theirs is one of many Linux titles but by far the best of them. I've done three Linux installations now, and I wouldn't have wanted to be without this book for any of them." --Paul Gilster, Raleigh News Observer, April 17, 2000
First place in the Linux Book category of the Linux Magazine Editor's Choice awards.-September, 2000
"Running Linux" from O'Reilly books continues to be one of the most popular and recommended introductions to the world of Linux. With over 150,000 copies sold and in it's 3rd edition, this book deserves a place on your shelf. The value of "Running Linux" is tremendous if you don't know much about Linux and want a quick but thorough overview. But even if you're extremely knowledgable about Linux, this book would make a handy reference to refresh your memory about a variety of topics. While a single book can't possibly answer all you're questions, I can guarantee that it will pique your interest if you haven't loaded a Linux distro yet and are wondering what all the fuss is about. This book rates as a "must have" if you're only going to buy one book to discover the world of Linux." --Signal Ground, September 2000
"Obviously, any O'Reilly book has high standards to live up to. More, "Running Linux" has inherited the mantle of "Linux Installation and Getting Started"; readers of my last review two weeks ago, will know in what esteem I still hold this work. I am glad to be able to say that it has a worthy successor. The core attitude is still there: that you must know what you are doing. There is no attempt to hide behind GUI hand-holders, whether installers or system administration tools or what have you. Instead, you sit down at your new Linux box, and you learn through trying out stuff that's in this book, In a nutshell, the decision here is a no-brainer. If you are new to Linux, buy this book, full stop, period, end of story. If you've been using Linux for some time, chances are there will still be something in here that's new and useful to you." --Paul Dunne, www.kuro5hin.org, May 2000
"Running Linux...is often hailed as the one book that all Linux users, neophytes and experts alike, should read. Now in its third edition, the book continues the pedigree it has acquired while reasonably keeping up with the massive changes in Linux. If you're new to Linux, get this book. If you're an expert who will be helping anyone else get Linux up and running, I highly recommend getting this book to lend out as needed." --Mark Bashaw, 32bitsonline, June 19, 2000
(For 1st Edition):
"Armed with this book I can see that my UNIX/linux problem days are almost over....I can tell you it's been what I've been waiting for all along." --David W. Alie, December 1994
"I received the book today, and am thrilled. As a fairly 'long time' linux user, I thought I'd not really get a lot from this book, but having it in my hands and skimming, I've found three or four commands, or tips that I wondered about in the past. Actually, I've found that it's a very good book, and well formatted. The text and subjects are, of course, quite timely, and written with a USERS viewpoint...always important to a reader. This isn't thrown together to take advantage of an incredible market, this book is written by a user, for users, with first hand knowledge of users problems. Ideal. Excellent." --John L. Clarke,III, Linux Systems Administrator, March 1995
"I have read LI&GS online, but getting Running Linux (~600 pages) is one of the best guides I have seen on HOW to set up a system. Matt and O'Reilly have done the typical great job." --David (Fuzzy) Wells,Information Systems Director for the Space Warfare Center, Analysis and Engineering Directorate, Falcon AFB, CO March 1995 (My feelings only represent MY feelings and are not an official endorsement by the Air Force or the US Government.)
(For 2nd Edition):
"...the finest all-around general-purpose Linux overview currently available." --Michael Stutz, Linux Journal, August 1998
"My favorites (Linux books) come from O'Reilly & Associates: Running Linux and Linux in a Nutshell." --Nick Cook, Amazine Computing, July 1998
(For 1st Edition):
"There has been an increasing thirst for information about Linux which hasn't been fully quenched by a book...until O'Reilly & Associates got together with Lar Kaufman and Matt Welsh, the Coordinator of the Linux Documentation Project and the author of Linux Installation & Getting Started, to take on this project. Unostentatiously titled Running Linux, this book is a perfect blend of polished knowledge, organized in an easy-to-grasp package, like most books in the O'Reilly line.
"Running Linux covers everything you need to install, use and understand the Linux operating system. This cornucopia includes in-depth installation and configuration instructions, tutorial and discussion of programming tools for system and program development, information on system maintenance, network administration guidelines, and everything in between.... "Running Linux offers helpful installation and configuration information to make setting up XFree86 a bit easier. This project alone has been known to cause rashes and other stress-induced ailments, but reading the keep-it-simple approach in Running Linux can help keep you healthy...
"In short, this book answers the questions the novice users are too afraid to ask, and the questions gurus won't admit they don't know."
--Linux Journal, review by Grant Johnson, June 1995
"Running Linux is an introductory book on Linux. It begins by describing what Linux is, where to get it, and how to install it (a souped-up version of the first author's Linux Installation and Getting Started). This is followed by an introduction to Unix for beginners (it even explains how to use ls) and a guide to the essentials of system administration. The remaining chapters include very brief introductions to some major tools (X, vi, emacs, TeX) and programming languages (C, perl, make, shell), and some starting information on the most commonly used networking packages (basic TCP/IP, kermit, elm, WWW browsers and UUCP). The appendices provide information about on-line Linux resources and the GNU copyright, and there is an annotated bibliography.
"What can one say about such a collection? Almost all this material is available elsewhere, but it's nice to have it all in the one volume: having to wade through printouts of manuals or HOWTOs is likely to be off-putting for the beginner, and the existing books on Unix system administration are aimed more at people running large time-sharing systems than home users. "While one can quibble about the choice of material (arguably introducing troff and TeX in an introductory book is unnecessary, and I would like to have seen a guide to the Linux file-system modeled on that in the Linux File-system Structure Standard), it is obviously based on the likely needs of the majority of users. The presentation is clear and easy to follow, and Running Linux is recommended for anyone without Unix system administration experience who is running (or wants to run) Linux. It contains enough information for a smart user to bootstrap themselves into a capable Linux user, so if you're converting a friend from DOS be sure to give them a copy! Running Linux will do much to assist the spread of Linux." - Disclaimer: I requested and received a review copy of Running Linux from O'Reilly & Associates, but I have no stake, financial or otherwise, in its success. Copyright (C) Danny Yee 1995 URL http://www.anatomy.su.oz.au/danny/book-reviews/index.html
"Welsh and Kaufman's book is invaluable for users who have progressed beyond a basic installation and want to learn how to use their Linux system... Welsh and Kaufman do an excellent job of making their book appeal to Linux users from novices to experienced level. However, the book would be most useful to intermediate-level users--those who have managed to get their system up and running and navigate around it with basic commands. For these users, Running Linux, 2nd Edition's detailed explanations and logical step-by-step tutorials are a great first step into the more advanced Unix world." --Borders.com, July 1999
