Product: 0596009305

Linux in a Nutshell, now in it’s fifth edition, is one of the classic works of Linux documentation. Much has changed with Linux in the two years since the fourth edition was published, and Linux in a Nutshell reflects those changes with several major changes to the book, while keeping the parts that worked from previous editions.

What’s new?

Linux in an Nutshell has grown since the early days of the first edition, not the least of which is the number of pages the book comprises of (924 pages). Linux in an Nutshell reflects the constantly evolving and morphing changes that comprise the Linux distributions of today. Both GNOME and KDE are radically different from their 2003 versions, so the authors wisely decided to remove those chapters from this edition. They also removed the chapter dealing with FVWM. (I’ve never understood why GUIs are documented in a Linux book anyways, as the GUI is the component most succeptible to change.) TCSH is no longer covered in this edition, favoring expanded coverage of both bash and ksh. Reflecting the changing needs of revision control in the Linux community, the authors also decided to drop the chapter on RCS in favor of a new chapter on Subversion. Not all changes involve deletions, though. The chapter for package management now includes yum and up2date (both methods for keeping a Linux machine updated from a remote repository), as well as updates for the newer versions of RPM and apt. Many of the commands have also been updated to reflect new functionality (one useful command I found as a result of this book is diff3, which compares three different files at the same time), while others have been removed because they’re not generally useful (imake, anyone? :) ).

What’s good?

Linux in a Nutshell is quite simply an excellent reference for useful commands in Linux. The layout makes it easy to find a command in a hurry. The command descriptions are informative, and the command line options are well balanced to provide just the right amount of information without overloading the reader with useless functionality. The specialized chapters for vi, Emacs, sed, awk, bash/ksh, CVS and Subversion go into more depth than the other commands, and give an excellent insight into the methods, capabilities, and pitfalls of each of these commands.

What’s the verdict?

If you’re currently using an older edition of Linux in a Nutshell, it’s time to upgrade. Linux in a Nutshell remains true to the original spirit of the Nutshell series, while expanding to reflect the realities of the current Linux distributions. Beginners and experts alike will find this book informative, useful, and well-thumbed. It’s a difficult task to take Linux and distill it into under a thousand pages, but the authors have once again risen to the task to make a reference that everyone will enjoy using.
Rating: 5
0596009305
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