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Linux & Open Source


Hedon James

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I was shopping in a newly opened Sam's Club yesterday and browsing the book selections. In the tech & magazines section I saw a "Windows 10" and "Mac" manual for user info, tips & tricks. Sort of like the "for dummies" collection, but without that branding. Sitting right next to those 2 offerings, in a prominent place & plain sight...a 3rd offering titled "Linux & Open Source".

 

Couldn't help myself...HAD to check it out. Looked at the TOC and started flipping through the chapters. I must admit I was quite impressed with the content. Aimed squarely at those beginners who don't know where to start. An overview of Linux and open source software....why it's a good thing & why folks should look into it. Then moving into presentation of many of the larger & most popular distros, such as Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, OpenSuse, etc... Also presented the various desktop environments...Gnome, KDE, xfce, lxde/last, pantheon, etc...and discussion of who might be interested in each, as well as illustrative screenshots.

 

Discussions on live media and how to install, including dual-boot setups. In plain everyday English!

 

Then presented everyday practical use cases for most common uses of everyday users. How to setup Thunderbird for e-mail and check e-mail, etc... How to use LibreOffice for Writer docs, Calc spreadsheets, Impress presentations, etc... How to install additional software from Ubuntu Software Center or Mint Software. Discussions regarding FOSS offerings and benefits of using them. Discussion on playing games in linux. Even a brief introduction to command line for those who are curious...almost presented as an "oh, I almost forgot...you can do this too, if you want".

 

Many tutorials/examples use Ubuntu as the reference, with each chapter/topic having many screenshot how-to's.

 

This is the first Linux book I've seen that I felt NAILED the introduction for a new user. It assumes you've used a computer before to perform common everyday tasks, and that's about it. Brief overview of how-tos presented in a clear and nontechnical manner. Barely mentions the command line, and certainly doesn't emphasize the importance of it, or even suggest that one might have to become proficient with it in the future.

 

I put it back, as there wasn't anything in there for me. But I think I'm going back to buy it so I can let others borrow/read it. For $23.95(?), it does a better job of presenting Linux to new users than I ever could. Instead of "pushing" what I think are "selling points", others can "pull" information THEY deem pertinent. And they can do it at a pace they're comfortable with, rather than recoiling at my information overload. That's worth the $$ to me!

 

Just thought I'd share the info of this fantastic find...and carried by a vendor nearly everyone has access to (in the USA, at least).

Edited by Hedon James
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Please post the author and the book publisher. If I want to recommend a book to buy for someone new to linux, I like to know the specifics. (I am not a member of Sam's Club so there is no way I could wander in and look over the books).

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I'll post author/publisher...maybe even screenshot once I purchase.

 

To zlim...not sure how ALL Sam's Clubs work, but you can wander into mine and gander at everything. You only have to be a member to purchase.

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