Review of ‘How Linux Works’

TBR writes “This is a very different introduction to Linux. It’s unflashy, concentrates on the command-line and digs around in the internals rather than on GUI front-ends that take the place of more familiar MS Windows tools. In part this is because the book is aimed at the would-be sys admin or power user rather than those looking for a desktop system as a (better) slot-in replacement for Windows.

Given this target audience the book is heavy on instilling an understanding of how things work rather than just listing sequences of commands with complex and unexplained parameters. The same goes for system configuration – the book concentrates on file settings, (and where the files live), rather than on tools like graphical tools like YaST and so on.

Starting with the basics of using the shell, navigating through the file system and using text editors the book moves on to take more detailed looks at disks and devices, the Linux boot process, essential utilities, network config, shell scripting, development tools, SAMBA and much, much more. The reach of the book really is very broad, especially given the relatively small size of the book (slightly less than 350 pages).

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