While this guide won't make you an expert in Linux, it will explain how to get Red Hat Linux to work and how to do basic things with it. Organized into 24 lessons that take about an hour apiece, this book helps you ensure that your system can handle Linux and walks you through the process of installing Red Hat Linux and the Xfree86 windowing system. Ball's coverage of installation is rather weak, through paying only cursory attention to this confusing process. From there, however, Ball hits his stride in detailing the ins and outs of file-system commands, shells, Internet connections (by PPP), various Internet tools, and administration. For example, in the lesson on graphics programs, Ball explores the most popular graphics program of recent memory: the GNU Image Manipulation Program, affectionately known to its users as the GIMP. Similarly, he covers the popular but cryptic Emacs in his lesson on text editing. In brief, this book introduces you to Linux and the world of Unix tools in a palatable, easy-to-follow way.