Press Release
August 30, 1999
"Linux Will Continue to Grow " says Running Linux, Third Edition Authors
SEBASTOPOL, CA -- "I started working with Linux in 1991 -- I guess that makes
me a real Linux dinosaur! Back then Linux was very small (you could
install a complete system from a couple of floppy disks) and didn't
have many features-no networking, no graphics, very little hardware
support. Still, it held a lot of promise, and did almost everything
"right." Back then, nobody imagined that Linux would be as popular and
powerful as it is today. It was just a pet project of a handful of
developers on the Internet, and while some of us had big aspirations,
the whole media blitz of last summer kind of took everyone by
surprise," says Matt Welsh, co-author of the just-released third
edition of Running
Linux.
"Most Linux development projects start exactly because someone has the
crazy idea that they can make Linux do something new and wonderful-and
usually, they succeed," says Welsh. "It seems likely that the
popularity of Linux will continue to grow in two major areas: on the
desktop, and on a large server. I also think that Linux will continue
to become rooted in the many "niche" markets which the unstable and
unwieldy operating systems coming out of Microsoft never manage to
reach. Embedded systems, Internet terminals, firewalls and proxies, and
large-scale clusters are just a few of the areas I have in mind.
Because Linux is so open and flexible, it's much easier for people to
adapt it to new application areas than something like Windows. And,
from what I hear, Windows 2000 won't be able to do any of these things
well either. So, Linux is going to be around for quite some time!"
His co-author, Matthias Kalle Dalheimer, agrees: "One place where I
really see a high potential for Linux is embedded systems, i.e.,
computers that you don't see as computers, like the ones built into
video recorders, cars, set-top boxes etc. Linux is really very
adaptable to many tasks, including real-time processing. I think that
Linux will be around in five years, only most people won't ever notice.
Then I believe that Linux will move more into the mainstream. It will
be regarded as a consumer product that you get preinstalled on your
computer, if you so chose (other options might be Windows 200x and
BeOS). This will take some of the magic away from Linux, but it will
also help getting more software and more users, which in the end is
good."
Running Linux, 3rd
Edition explains everything you need to
understand, install, and to 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 brand new third
edition include KDE, Samba, PPP, and revised instructions for
installation and configuration (especially for the Red Hat, SuSE and
Debian distributions).
What critics said about the second edition of Running Linux:
"One of the best books on Linux, the UNIX-compatible operating system
for personal computers. In the tradition of all O'Reilly books, Running
Linux features clear, step-by-step instructions that always seem to
provide just the right amount of information: covers everything you
need in order to understand, install, and use the Linux operating
system."-amazon.com June 1999
"Switching to Linux is like moving to a new city -- you don't know where
things are, what they are called, or how to get there. In short, you
don't know enough to ask the right questions, and probably have a job
or some work you want to get done. 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."-Jeff Taylor, Dr. Dobb's Electronic
Review of Computer Books June 1999
"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 novice 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's detailed explanations
and logical step-by-step tutorials are a great first step into the more
advanced Unix world."-Borders.com July 1999
Appendix B, The GNOME Project, from Running Linux, 3rd Edition is available
free online at:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/runux3/chapter/appb.html
For more information about the book, including index, Table of
Contents, author bios, and a sample, see:
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/runux3/
Running Linux, 3rd
Edition
By Matt Welsh, Matthias Kalle Dalheimer & Lar Kaufman
3rd Edition August 1999
1-56592-469-X, 752 pages, $32.95 (US)
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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