Ebook: Linux Bible 2010 Edition: Boot Up to Ubuntu, Fedora, KNOPPIX, Debian, openSUSE, and 13 Other Distributions

Christopher Negus is the guru of Linux. He's written widely on the subject and I've learned from everything of his that I have read. He does push the envelope on occasion, though, and this is one of those times.

Negus tries to cover the essentials and differences between 18 Linux distributions. First of all, the differences aren't all that great. Second, there is only so much you can do in 816 pages, especially when you attempt to cram directions for using Linux for gaming, multimedia, word processing, using the shell, programming Linux and so on.

It's just too much to accomplish well.

But that doesn't mean this edition of Linux Bible isn't worth buying.

Beginning users may find the fairly detailed instructions on using certain aspects of Linux to be helpful. Please note that I specify beginning users - there really isn't much here for anyone beyond the beginner stage.

Negus' writing is, as always, crisp and clear. The book is well organized and, blessedly, Wiley did not use its idiotic gray ink schema. (Wiley has taken to printing some books with ink in about 80% gray which renders them essentially unreadable for more than a few minutes at a time.)

The idea here had some merit: provide a birds-eye view of 18 Linux distributions. But it is an idea that works better in theory than in practice.

Anyone beyond rank beginner status will be served better by many of the numerous distribution or language specific books on the market.

Jerry