This latest version of Special Edition Using Linux shows how to install, configure, use, and network the latest generation of freeware Linux operating systems. The authors focus mostly on the freeware version of Red Hat Linux 5.1, though Caldera OpenLinux 1.2 and other popular distributions also receive attention.

The book includes lots of information on how to successfully accessorize Linux with various add-ons. The authors explain how to install and use XFree 86, the popular X Windows system. They also show what you can do with various utilities.

Using Linux offers excellent coverage of networking matters. Not only do Tackett and Burnett do a great job of showing how to get the Apache Web server running under Linux, they show how to configure TCP/IP and set up a Domain Name Service (DNS). Some fluff — "how to surf the Web" material — inevitably sneaks in, but it doesn't detract much from this otherwise solid book.