kwm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> Douglas Triggs wrote:
> > Well, actually, I can't think of a single app that is truly Linux
> > specific (correct me if I'm wrong). That's one of the appeals of
> > Linux, it's free and standard and pretty much everything will compile
> > under it. It actually says a lot that there are four Linux books...
> > did you notice how many other OS/Flavor specific books O'Reilly
> > publishes? I only saw a nutshell book for SCO, a Be book, and a
> > handful of icky windoze books (obligatory for any major computer book
> > publisher these days, even O'Reilly, alas).
>
> Yes, I noticed the Windows books. What I'm talking about, though,
> are books that focus on one specific program. Like, I have a book
> called Mastering MS-Works 3.0. That sort of thing. I haven't seen
> anything like that yet, for Linux. The LINUX Multimedia Guide is
Well, that was my point, mostly. Just because it's useful to have a
book covering the GIMP or whatever under Linux doesn't mean it would
be any less use in, say, Solaris. I'm just arguing that
Linux-specific is an artificial distinction for almost everything that
runs under Linux. I argue that perhaps we should broaden the scope a
little.
> I feel that there are already too many general topic books
> out already. I'm choking to death on general topic books.
> They all cover the same stuff... configuring the OS. After
> you have the OS configured, you need apps for it. And with
> the apps, you need docs, tutorials, step-by-step cookbook
> how-tos, and so-forth... ?
Ah, this is exactly the point -- if it's a Linux book, it's mostly
about the OS or particular distributions. If it's about an app, it
isn't usually Linux specific. But you did bring up a very good point
which I didn't mean to minimize at all, although I fear it may look
like I did -- it would be nice to see books that do cover those apps
we want to use that haven't been covered yet, because they're newer or
whatever. Just because it's an DNS or Sendmail book doesn't make it
any less useful if you're using it under Linux.
As I see it, there's also a middle ground covering topics such as
"Graphic Design with Linux", "Musical Composition with Linux", "Web
Authoring with Linux", "Rendering with Linux", "Writing, Editing, and
Publishing with Linux" that cover a specific subset of apps (with
perhaps a section about configuring the appropriate part of the OS to
make it a truly Linux book). That's what I was trying to get at with
the "Artist's Linux Handbook" example. I think this is also what
you're looking for, and I think it wouldn't be a bad idea at all. Not
to mention that this would help people to realize that it was possible
to do all of these things under Linux. (^:
doubt
--
Douglas Triggs -- Sysadmin, Toolsmith, and Certified Crazy Person
[EMAIL PROTECTED], [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] http://www.lensflare.com/~doubt
