Also worthy of note are the chapters on installing software, as well as archiving and unarchiving files. There is some great basic information that Linux users will need to know in here and is presented clearly and concisely.
Because of the nature of free and open-source software, there are certain things that either are not turned on by default, or that may or may not be completely kosher in your region. For example, installing Flash support for your web browser or RealPlayer to manage streaming content are not included by default, but are just a download away. Other things, like support for MP3 files and commercial DVDs, involve getting your fingers slightly dirty, but only ever so slightly. The book provides a nice walk through for all these items, as well as ideas for other pieces of handy software that you might want to check out.
I have read one of Rickford Grant's previous Linux guides (Linux Made Easy, which you can find reviewed here), and remember being less excited about both the featured Linux distro, as well as a slightly more elevated level of hand-holding. Ubuntu Linux For Non-Geeks fixes both of those problems, and is highly recommended for both new Linux users and new computer users in general. It will safely explain what the heck is going on with this whole “Linux” thing, but after that can still be used as a valuable resource tool while you get up to speed with the various applications and settings inherent to Linux.
Article comments
1 - Aladdin Sane
(Warning: Pedantry alert.)
Thanks, David. Your review was well worth reading, because it utterly failed to be 'dry.'
Some opinions from a long-time CLI (Command Line Interface) user:
You used the phrase "common functions" in reference to the CLI. What you meant was "common commands." The distinction is vital for a few reasons:
1) Most CLI's have functions, but they are not "newbie-friendly," in other words functions are for advanced CLI users.
2) Naming consistency and convention. It was very very hard in the 70's/early 80's to learn how to use a PC. One big hurdle as a teenager trying to learn was that the engineers who wrote the manuals were notoriously inconsistent in their English usage. Sometimes they still are. As a reader of reviews I hope to find these ambiguities absent, for the sake of the newbie and "future history."
Next, you used the slang term "distro" without first using the proper term "distribution" and at least defining it in this context.
Finally, I say that this review, and the book it reviews, are a necessary part of a Linux advocates' toolkit. Thanks!
2 - David R Perry
Hi Aladdin,
Thanks for the feedback, and those are good points to keep in mind going forward.
DP