A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux 4th Edition

A great guide for those who have never used or worked with any type of Linux OS. Although it primarily concentrates on Ubuntu, it starts you off on the ground floor with the basics, including terminology and takes you step by step through choosing, installing and operating Ubuntu on a system. Since it is clearly meant for a classroom environment, it reads clearly and includes plenty of easily searchable references for those who require further elucidation. For those already versed in Linux, it may seem a bit tedious and slow but is a great refresher and provides the 'why' behind how Linux operates especially in comparison to other operating systems like Windows and OS X. For those looking to pick up an additional skillset or are looking for an introduction into the world of Linux, this book is a great start. And for those Linux pros looking to keep their basic skills sharp or learn the ins and outs of Ubuntu, this is a good book to have in your library.

I bought this book for a class I attended at a local, junior college. It's thick! Not sure how often I will use it now, but it seems to have some good information if you are interested in Ubuntu or Linux. We didn't use the whole book, and skipped around, so keep that in mind when you read this review. BTW - there are so many versions of this book that it might be frustrating finding the one that suits your needs.

well written

Let me tell you a story about this Kindle book. First, I read the reviews here, and on other sites. All were excellent, and I already had borrowed the print version from my public library, so I knew it was a great book.I searched for the best price on the electronic version, and found that Barnes & Noble Nook had it for about $11 lower than here at Amazon.Since I am running Ubuntu Linux 14.04 I needed the book to be accessible on that platform. I knew I could read a Kindle book in The Cloud from any browser, so I should have just gone ahead and bought it here. But no - I had to try saving the $11. So I installed Wine Windows compatibility layer on Ubuntu and installed the Nook PC reader. It seemed to work ok, so I went ahead and purchased the book on Nook. But when I went to my Nook library, the book wasn't there. No matter what I did, I could not download the book.Let me tell you - I tried absolutely everything to get Nook for PC to run on Ubuntu 14.04. I had read in a blog or forum post that it would run on Ubuntu 12.04, so I assumed that it would work on 14.04 - well, I was absolutely wrong!I finally opened a chat session with B&N Nook but was told that Nook PC would probably not run on Ubuntu.I have a dual-boot system, so I booted into Windows 7 and sure enough - I was able to install Nook and download the book. OK, but so what - I need the book when I have Ubuntu running, not on Windows.I next tried loading Nook PC on a completely separate Windows XP SP1 box, but it would not run there either.Finally, I went back to chat with B&N and asked for a refund. No problem. I should get the refund on my CC soon.After at least 4 hours of trying to get the book on Nook just to save $11, I went to Amazon Kindle and downloaded the Kindle PC app for Windows and installed it running Wine on Ubuntu 14.04. It ran fine; I was able to log into my account on Amazon Kindle, and download all of my other Kindle books. So I went ahead and bought this book from Amazon Kindle - like I should have done 4 hours earlier and not wasted time with B&N Nook. Sure - I paid $11 more, but I got the book, and not only that - I can read it on any computer anywhere, using Amazon Kindle Cloud reader.Now I can start learning the details of Ubuntu 14.04.Oh, and one more thing: I read in another blog/post that Barnes & Noble is dropping support of their Nook PC and Mac. So if you still want to buy books from them, you will have to read them on the Nook itself, or a tablet or phone. No thanks! I'm sticking with Kindle - even if they're not the cheapest guy on the block!

The perfect recipe for transitioning to an operating system you'll enjoy using with a good and clear conscience. I've dabbled in Linux distributions in the past and have had quite a bit of success and enjoyment using it. Sobell does an excellent job with this volume making Linux accessible to the everyday user.For the computer savvy Sobell's companion volume, A Practical Guide to Linux, Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming, is an equally well presented resource.

This book is very helpful and covers so much. It was a requirement for my Linux class for school and I'm glad I got the chance to discover this book. It is very well written with easy to read and understand instructions. I have found a few typos in some command line commands, but was able to fix it from learning from previous chapters.

Lots of old stuff like Apache, mysql and Bash but nothing on bluetooth! Did not help me solve my problem.

First off, let me say I think Linux is the very best operating system for PC's period. If some of the applications I use were not Windows only, Windows would not reside on any of my computers.In this fourth edition Mr. Sobell has written the most complete volume on Ubuntu Linux I have ever purchased. He presents this information in a wayeven an old guy like me (age 77) can easily understand. I keep it handy as a reference book.Try Ubuntu Linux, its faster,cheaper (free) than Windows and the user interface is as good or better than Windows . This is my personal opinion .I built my first computer CPM before Windows or DOS existed .

Usefull book for the novice. But in Linux you don't survive as a novice. You need to know much more about the underline technologies and tools of Linux. The book does not offer many infos about the inners of the OS. Linux is not Windows and books must be the same.

.Den Autor kannte ich noch aus meinen PC-Anfangszeiten aus seinem Werk "A practical guide to the unix system". Damals war es die "Unix Bibel" schlechthin. Inzwischen scheint ihn aber die Netzrealität überholt zu haben. Jedes Ubuntu/Linux-Wiki ist um Klassen hilfreicher als dieses Buch. Fazit leider: Rausgeschmissenes Geld!..

Excellent resource that exceeded my needs. This is a command by command description which in the future might be of need to me. Right now I need an introductory level book. I think I simply chose the wrong book for my needs.

Guida completa, precisa, notevole, che consiglio per non solo per conoscere Ubuntu, ma per sviluppare una robusta e solida preparazione su questo sistema operativo che non ha nulla da invidiare rispetto ad altri più blasonati.