Linux - Getting Down To Business

The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
Linux - Getting Down To Business
Major Keary

Until recently Linux books tended to be of a general nature. Technical information was on the shallow side, and they usually came with one or other of the popular Linux distributions on CD, which was often the main attraction for buyers. A small number of publishers catered for a Linux-literate audience, but for specific technical information it was often necessary to find online documentation.

That is changing as more publishers release specialist titles. By specialist I mean texts that are focussed on a particular field or topic; some are aimed at specialist - in the sense of professional - users, but there is a welcome increase in consumer-oriented books on particular aspects of Linux. Some of these are reviewed here.

Linux Unleashed

The fourth edition of Linux Unleashed has been written by fifteen authors who bring a wide range of specialist experience. It is not a general as previous editions.

The book's emphasis is on presenting the Linux operating system in all its detail, and covers three popular distributions: Red Hat, Debian, and Caldera. Much of the content is about using Linux, system administration,
and networking. The introductory part discusses installation issues for each of the three distributions, but assumes hardware compatibility issues have been resolved.

An excellent tutorial and reference for users who want to employ the full power of Linux, including its compilers and tools. Anyone who has to deal with help-desk enquiries, or who manages a Linux system, should have this title at hand.

Ball, Pitts, et al.: Linux Unleashed
ISBN 0-672-31688-9
Published by SAMS, 1468 pp.,
RRP $87.60 incl. GST

Linux Hardware Handbook

This is a good example of the new wave of specialist literature. It is specialist in the sense of a specific focus. The author says he has "written this book with an eye towards typical Linux consumers, not hardware professionals", and describes his intended audience as, "people who want to run Linux on their computers, but don't know if their hardware is compatible..." and "people who want to buy or build a computer to run Linux, or upgrade or expand an existing Linux computer".

Users are expected to look for particular topics in isolation, rather than read the book from cover to cover. However, it is well worth at least browsing from beginning to end for its wealth of interesting information.

The first part, Core Systems is a detailed discussion of CPUs, motherboards, memory, and cases. It covers chipsets, the range of CPUs, matching CPUs to motherboards - and motherboards to cases - and laptops. There is plenty of technical detail of the kind a Linux consumer needs.

The next part deals with storage devices; hard disks, removable disks, optical drives, tape drives, and SCSI. Then follows a part about audio and video. One chapter discusses sound cards, MIDI sound production, Linux audio drivers, and Linux audio utilities and applications. Other chapters cover audio input/output devices; video cards; video capture hardware; and monitors. The information is comprehensive and detailed, with tips and cautionary side notes.

A fourth part deals with input/output devices: keyboards and mice; parallel and serial ports; network hardware; modems; scanners; and printers. These are areas where Linux users often strike difficulties; while the information is not presented in troubleshooting format, each device type is discussed in sufficient detail to help users avoid problems as well as finding solutions.

The final part, Prebuilt Systems, discusses evaluation of off-the-shelf hardware and software, obtaining technical support, and a chapter on notebooks for Linux. Appendices provide information about Linux device drivers and a directory of hardware manufacturers.

Apart from the book's detailed content it includes in the order of 200 URLs, all listed in the index by topic and vendor under a single headword - a useful resource that could save hours of online time.

I was much impressed by the book's treatment of one topic, USB; it is the most detailed discussion of the Universal Serial Bus I have come across. If you want to use USB under Linux this is probably the best available resource for information.

Music & Sound

The Linux Journal, available online at http://www.linuxjournal.com, has its own publishing arm that releases titles through No Starch Press. A recent title from the joint venture is The Book of Linux Music & Sound, a specialist text dealing with music and other audio (such as used in games programming) under Linux.

If you want to know what is available, how to install and configure it, and how to use Linux audio capabilities, this is the definitive resource. The author - who is both a performing musician and a programmer - provides readers with a detailed guide to recording and playing digital music under Linux.

The book covers a range of software that was tested on 486-based machines with modest RAM and non-exotic peripherals (sound cards and speakers). There is an assumption that the reader already has Linux installed with some kind of sound card, and is interested in how to compose, record, edit, store, and play music and sound on a Linux system.

Much of the text is taken up with reviews of software. These all follow a common format. A short header lists essential details (name, author(s), licence holder, formats available, and a very short summary. Then follows a detailed description and notes on "Getting It, Building It", setup, using, and other relevant information. Each review ends with a summary that includes a realistic assessment. Some reviews are quite lengthy, such as that of Cecilia - a "complete music composition/production environment and front-end for Csound" - which runs to twelve pages.

The early chapters discuss the basics of digital sound and setting up Linux for audio. The book then moves onto soundfile editors, a number of which are reviewed. Following chapters discuss MOD (for module) files, Linux MIDI Studio, MP3, multitrack hard-disk recording and mixing, software sound synthesis, music notation programs, network audio software, Linux Digital DJ, Linux games, and operating system emulators (DOSemu, ARDI for running Mac OS programs, and WINE).

Many of the programs discussed are on a companion cd with plenty of other useful material. This is one of the most remarkable books I have seen; in the space of some 400 pages the author covers a lot of ground, discussing both music and non-music sound.

A very thorough, practical text with plenty of references to other sources of information. Not to be missed.

Dave Phillips: The Book of Linux Music & Sound
ISBN 1-886411-34-4
Published by Linux Journal Press/No Starch Press, 599 pp. + CD,
RRP $69.95 incl. GST

Linux Internals

The Linux kernel is, for ordinary users, a kind of sanctum sanctorum where the true secrets of Linux repose. Linux Internals offers a tour of the kernel up to the latest version, 2.4, in the context of IA32 (Intel X86) CPUs. Every operating system has a kernel that contains the essential operating routines used for the performance of critical system tasks; the kernel is usually hidden from the user, but in Linux its programmability is an essential feature.

The primary audience for this book is "system and network administrators, developers, and capacity planning managers", but the author adds that "it will appeal to Linux enthusiasts who have a good general understanding of hardware and software". Readers are not assumed to have a background knowledge of operating system kernels. Not everyone wants to know about the kernel but, if you do, this title provides an introduction to kernel concepts in general, and to the Linux kernel in particular. Even though the subject is technical, and does not lend itself to simple explanations, the language is clear. Readers interested in Linux - but with no formal technical background - should not be deterred.

A lot of illustrative C code is used, so it helps to have some familiarity with that language. For those who don't speak C it is still possible to get a good idea of what the Linux kernel is all about, and why the operating system is so fast and robust. For developers and other professionals who require information about the kernel and how it can be programmed, this text is one of the few that discusses the subject.

A companion CD contains the latest (at time of printing) kernels, kernel core updates, and many network driver updates.

Red Hat Certified Engineer Linux Study Guide

As the title suggests, this book is intended to provide instruction and self-testing facilities for people pursuing certification. At the same time it is a useful ongoing post-certification reference. The style is concise and assumes the reader is already familiar with Linux; not for novices approaching Linux for the first time, but well suited for ordinary users who want to expand their knowledge to a professional level.

The information is laid out in a way that makes it a good reference and resource for anyone who works on a help desk, or otherwise assists or supervises Linux installations, configurations, and administration. The answers to many problems, including hardware conflicts, will be found here.

A companion CD contains practice exam questions, timed exams, and answers that contain answers in technical depth. A well organised study guide for use in formal instruction or for self-teaching; at the same time it is a sound reference for anyone who needs a practical, in-depth knowledge of Red Hat Linux.

The subjects covered are:

Discussion topics include server partitioning; differences between installation options (workstation, server, and custom); user accounts (add, delete, change); Apache server; Squid Proxy Server; and emergency boot procedures.

Databases on Linux

Syngress also puts out a professional reference series that includes DBA's Guide to Databases on Linux, which is both a guide to the installation on Linux of seven leading databases: Oracle; Informix; Sybase; DB2; MySQL; Progress; and PostgreSQL.

An introductory part introduces Linux, compares it with other operating systems, compares leading Linux distributions, and discusses migration issues. A chapter describes a basic Red Hat installation, covering issues a systems manager would want to consider.

Following chapters each discuss one of the listed database applications. The focus is on presenting database administrators with information on installation and configuration issues. Typically, an administrator would have some familiarity with each of the systems, as well as others, but could not be expected to have at his or her fingertips the kind of specific information needed for an installation. This book fills the gap; it assumes the reader has some knowledge of the application to be installed, but requires specific information. It also provides the kind of things a database administrator needs to know in those situations where a comparison has to be made between two or more competing products.

There is another side to the book; it is a very useful resource for someone preparing for an interview where questions may be asked about her or his knowledge of database systems. It is also a valuable supplementary resource for anyone undertaking a course of study where these issues are part of the curriculum. As well as its in-depth coverage of installation and configuration issues, there is a wealth of other information about database technology in general.