The Linux success story is well known: firmly established as an operating system in widespread use, its worldwide installations are still increasing at phenomenal rates. Much of this success has been on the server side, but more and more PC users are turning to Linux on the desktop, as well. For those grounded in Microsoft Windows or older versions of Apple's Macintosh OS, the first look at Unix-style operating system can be daunting. Learning Red Hat Linux provides a clear, no-nonsense introduction to the popular Red Hat distribution of Linux.

The third edition of Learning Red Hat Linux will ease into the world of Linux, guiding you through the process of installing and running Red Hat Linux on your PC. Written in a friendly, easy-to-understand style, this book contains all you need to get started, including the complete Red Hat 8.0 distribution on CDs. With new tutorials covering OpenOffice Tools and the desktop, this book is excellent for first-time Linux users who want to install the operating system on a new PC or convert an existing system to Linux.

• Preparing your system for installing Linux
• Installing and configuring your Linux system and the two popular desktop environments, GNOME and KDE
• Linux fundamentals: understanding the basic concepts
• Using Linux productivity tools like Open Office
• Configuring and administering a multi-user Linux system
• Connecting to the Internet
• Burn CDs and sync a PalmPilot
• Setting up a networked workstation
• Setting up Internet services
• Understand and write shell scripts so you can peek under the hood and extend the power of Linux

Since the release of its first edition, Learning Red Had Linux has guided many a PC user into the world of Linux. By the time you've finished this book, you'll have set your computer to create nicely formatted documents, spreadsheets or even graphically appealing presentations, integrated your computer into your local network, set up your e-mail, and even accessed the Internet using the ISP of your choice. You'll need nothing else to get started.

Contents

• Why Run Linux?
• Preparing to Install Red Hat Linux
• Installing Red Hat Linux
• How Linux Works
• Using the GNOME and KDE Desktops
• Using Linux Applications
• Conquering the bash Shell
• Installing Software Using the RPM Package Manager
• Configuring and Administering Linux
• Connecting to the Internet
• Setting Up a Networked Workstation
• Setting Up Internet Services
• Advanced Shell Usage and Shell Scripts