On 15 Mar, eric pareja wrote:
> Greetingks fellow penguin lovers,
>
> As a service for newbies to Linux, I thought it might be a good idea to
> compile a short list of introductory books on Linux for the complete
> newbie along with brief summaries or reviews of the books. Note that the
> list is intended for beginners and not veterans like yourself. Most
> importantly, information about availability of the book (where can it be
> found) and how much it costs in pesos would definitely be most helpful.
>
You know something, I never bought a Linux book. Never. Have a look
at the many books in my room and the only books on Linux you'll find
are old editions of the Linux NAG and SAG which I printed out myself
using my own paper and printer, and bound at one of the bookbinding
services at UP Dil's Shopping Center with my own money. And now I
never use them (see below). The books I used to learn Unix on (Unix,
not Linux) were enough to teach me the fundamentals and the
Linux-specific stuff I learned on my own from reading online documents
and soft copies that came with distributions. The books I have on Unix
that I started with were Kernighan and Pike's "The Unix Programming
Environment" and a reprint Learning Unix book from Sams publishing
whose precise title and author escape me at the moment. Neither of
these books cost more than PhP 100 when I bought them five years ago,
but sadly, I have the feeling both of these books are now out of print.
Fact is Linux is still evolving so quickly so that almost any book on it
is already obsolete by the time it reaches our shores, and in many cases
by the time it leaves the printing press. They may be helpful for
beginners to learn the fundamentals, but once that foundation is already
in place I think it would both be more productive and cheaper (but
definitely not easier) for a newcomer to learn the discipline of
reading online documents as opposed to books, as these are the most
*authoritative* references possible. They never become obsolete.
In addition, print books are not the only (nor even best) way for a
beginner to learn the fundamentals of Unix. I got that myself from an
elective offered on Unix and Networking at school five years ago...
--
Rafael R. Sevilla <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> +63(2) 8177746 ext. 8311
Programmer, InterdotNet Philippines +63(917) 4458925
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