>Hi
>Thank you.
>I am new to LINUX. Could you please recommend any books for me to start installing, condigure and etc LINUX?
>
>Thank you

If you install using a boxed set of Mandrake, SuSE or RedHat you won't need to read any books on installing. Just put the boot CD in the CDROM, boot, answer a few questions (language, timezone, keyboard preference, monitor resolution, user account name and password, root passowrd,,,, then go with the default install. When it comes up you will be running KDE2 for slightly older distros, and KDE3 for the latest ones. KDE3 is a GUI desktop equal or superior to W2K or XP. You won't have to resort to the command line anymore often than users of W2K or XP have to use a DOS box.

You can download a free set of three ISOs from Mandrake, burn them onto CDs, and then use them to install.
ftp://ftp.tux.org/pub/distributions/mandrake/iso/
or, if you want to try the new Mnadrake 9.0beta before it turns to R1
http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/ftptmp/1030159320.d354b67f674a6d964daa63d232875e07.php
(Actually this page has dl links for the 9.0b3, the 8.2 7 CD set, and the 8.2 ISO set)


So your test plunge cost only a little time and about a $1 worth of CDs. BTW, that CD set, or a boxed set from the Mandrake, for example, are GPL and can be loaded leagally on as many PCs as you wish, even if you don't own them.


Note that there is a large watershed between running Linux from the command line and from a GUI desktop. Three or four years ago the command line was king. Since the release of KDE2.x the GUI has taken over the daily operations of most Linux desktop installations. KDE3 will push the KDE desktop share from 70% to probably above 85%, IMO. I say this to let you know that there are a LOT of books from the old command line paradigm floating around in the vendor channels and most of them are out-dated. Keep that in mind when you check the publishing date of a book. Anything more than 1.5 to 2 years old is outdated. Some would say that anything older than one year is out-dated.

For example: to mount a CDROM the older sources would say
# mount -t iso9660 /dev/sd0 /cdrom
or, using the /etc/fstab (FileS TABle),
$ mount /cdrom

and to unmount it:
# umount /cdrom


But, running Mandrake 8.2, I insert the CD in the CDROm drive and it mounts automatically. When I am done with it I hit the eject button (or click the eject option on the CD icon) and it unmounts automatically. So, there is nothing to write about beyond what I've just written. Same with floppies except, like WinXX, you have to wait until the light goes out before you eject the floppy.

Specific apps come with their own instructions/help files, etc...



Here is reading material about Linux:
From http://linux.oreilly.com/
'Linux in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition'
'Running Linux, 3rd Edition'

http://www.linux.org/books/ has some good books.

Here is a nice online help: http://www.dsl.org/cookbook/cookbook_toc.html
(mostly command line stuff, but interesting)


Last, but not least, is the Linux Documentation Project (LDJ)
http://www.tldp.org/
The online "howtos" conver a very wide range of topics on technogolgy, topology, down to specific app instructions.
The mini index gives you an idea of the vast range of topics covered:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/mini.html

Have fun!
JLK