Press Release
October 27, 1999
O'Reilly Publishes McCarty's Learning Debian/GNU Linux
SEBASTOPOL, CA--Constructed by volunteers adhering to strict Open Source
guidelines, the Debian distribution of Linux is a remarkable software
achievement.
Bill McCarty, a university professor who has taught Linux to hundreds
of students, wrote a book specifically for users new to Linux and Unix
systems. McCarty's book,
Learning Debian/GNU
Linux (O'Reilly, $34.95) is now available in bookstores.
Unabashedly for beginners, this new book includes the full Debian
distrubution on the accompanying CD. McCarty takes the mystery out of
Linux and reveals it for the robust, flexible operating system that it
is. "At one time, one had to know a good bit about computers to get a
Linux system up and running. But, that's much less true today.
Essentially every modern operating system--including MS Windows--is based
on Unix," says McCarty. "Writing for those unfamiliar with Unix
involves helping the reader see that Unix lives inside MS Windows.
That's what I've tried to do in this book: to build a bridge between
the familiar world of MS Windows and the seemingly unfamiliar world of
Unix."
In the spirit of the Open Source Movement, and following in the
footsteps of
Open
Sources: Voices from the Revolution,
"Learning Debian
GNU/Linux will be downloadable over the Internet," said Mark
Stone, executive editor for the open-source group at O'Reilly &
Associates. "The book text will be available under the Open Publication
License, which allows the text to be freely modified and
redistributed."
"Debian is more than an engineering project. It's a social project as
well," said Stone. "Debian follows the principles of the Open Source
Movement very closely, coming only with software that is completely
open-source."
McCarty's newest book will also be available in a new distribution
package put together by O'Reilly, VA Linux Systems, and SGI. Together,
VA Linux, SGI and O'Reilly are sponsoring the introduction of the
Debian GNU/Linux operating system to major retail stores. The package
will include a CD of 1440 open-source software packages, along with
Bill McCarty's
Learning Debian
GNU/Linux. In addition, the package will
include a demo CD version of Loki Entertainment's "Myth II:
Soulblighter" game software. Proceeds from Debian GNU/Linux sales will
be donated to Software in the Public Interest, a non-profit
organization for open-source projects including Debian. This Debian
package will be available direct from
valinux.com,
and through major retail and online stores.
"Debian's developer community is already the largest in the Linux
world; all that it has needed to make it more accessible to new users
is better documentation, packaging, and distribution," said Tim
O'Reilly, CEO of O'Reilly & Associates. "This distribution will jump
Debian into the first rank, not just for hard core Linux developers, but
for everyone."
Online Resources
Learning Debian/GNU
Linux
By Bill McCarty
Includes Debian GNU/Linux on CD-ROM
1st Edition, October 1999 (US)
ISBN: 1-56592-705-2, 344 pages, $34.95 ($US), Includes CD-ROM
About O'Reilly
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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