Re: [tlug] State of "Linux" documentation [was: Books]

["Josh Glover" <jmglov@example.com>]

2008/6/8 Kenneth M. Burling Jr. <burlingk@example.com>:

> On Sat, 2008-06-07 at 17:19 +0900, Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
>
>> Scott Robbins writes:
>>
>>  > Well, one problem is that a book on say, RedHat, isn't going to help
>>  > that much with Ubuntu.
>>
>> You're kidding, I hope.  If that's really true, how sad.
>
> Why would it be sad?

Because a book that does not teach you UNIX in such a way that you can
swim on any UNIX flavour is not worth the paper it's printed on or the
electrons it takes to transmit it, that's why.

Yes, there are differences in Linux distros, but if you learn RPM, apt
(or whatever the Debian system is properly called), and one
pgksrc-style packaging system, you pretty much know how to deploy
software. And most Unices should handle init scripts and system
configuration in one of two ways. Networking is universal (ifconfig,
route, and iptables or ipf), so you just need to know where the
configs are likely to be. Blocks and devices need to be in there
somewhere. If the book teaches you that stuff and the UNIX philosophy
behind the binutils, you should be pretty set. All the rest can be
learned on the job in the first week.

This is how a Linux book should proceed, basically. Which means that
the market really only needs one or two good Linux / UNIX books, so
99.99% are rubbish, which makes Steve sad.

-- 
Cheers,
Josh