eaks the Linux book mold. True, its typesetting is substandard, and there are precious few illustrations, but the content soars.
Cornes, a senior lecturer at Staffordshire University, has assembled his lecture notes and lab exercises into a book that he considers suitable for use in an undergraduate course. For that purpose, it's perfectly suited:
Linux A-Z
's organization lends itself
to sequential reading, with topics presented in order of increasing complexity. In the hands of a capable instructor,
Linux A-Z
provides the material for a course covering all but the most advanced levels of knowledge.
But you don't need an instructor to benefit from
Linux A-Z
. The book assumes little prerequisite knowledge other than the basics of hardware and DOS. Wisely, the book establishes a strong technical foundation before discussing Linux installation.
From the topic of installation,
Linux A-Z
takes its reader through administration, networking, Internet services, and security. Cornes' writing is direct and concise, leaving the reader to flesh out details.
Sections III and higher discuss Linux programming and internals. Cornes shows none of the condescension that's typical in modern computer books. He moves quickly and leaves the reader responsible for experimenting and inventing. For example,
Linux A-Z
has a section on terminal I/O. Rather than w
arm over a tired "hello, world" program, Cornes has his students write a program that queries and displays a terminal's operating parameters.
To say that
Linux A-Z
is for everyone would be an insult to Cornes (casual Linux hobbyists should avoid this book). Later chapters covering file-system structure and run-queue organization speak only to the book's target audience. In
Linux A-Z
, Cornes provides the perfect book for the dedicated, hard-core student of OSes.
Book Review: Best Linux Book Yet
