Do you read?

Do you read? There’s a good chance you do, and that you read a lot. Digging into your favorite operating system often requires it, what with man pages, user forums, HowTos and, of course, Penguin Shell as the most fertile basis for learning the subtelties of Linux. It makes sense, then, that Penguin Shell should today introduce a new semi-regular feature - The Essential Linux Library.

It’s seldom that an author has the privilege of starting a new feature on such a strong note. There’s normally a period of tweaking and revising, focusing the content and filtering the overall philosophy through reader feedback. Sometimes the subject presented just doesn’t lend itself well to review or comment. We have no such problems today as we take a look at the first book on the Essential Linux Library list, “The Joy of Linux: A Gourmet Guide to Open Source.”

Written by Michael Hall and Brian Proffitt, “The Joy of Linux” takes at 10,000-foot view of the world of open source. In an easy conversational style that is at once informative, lighthearted and focused, “The Joy of Linux” pulls the reader seamlessly from one chapter to the next. Personally, I don’t often read for extended periods, preferring instead to get to the point or to find the solution and move on. I nearly finished this essential Linux book in a single sitting.

The authors’ personal descriptions of their first exposures to Linux are almost charming in their honesty. They have faced down the same hurdles we’ve all faced when moving from that other OS. The following description of one of the authors’ second day in the UNIX world is a calming reassurance that those hurdles exist for everyone:

By the time I got around to learning how to read my e-mail, there was a harried and terse missive from “Staff” explaining to all and sundry that their friendly support people had take great efforts to prepare an attractive, beige guide to everything we’d ever want to know about UNIX, including how to make it act more like DOS if we’d just bother to read it. These e-mails came out periodically, each sounding as bitter and frustrated as the last.

Whenever you get an e-mail like that from your own tech-support people, it’s the sound of a newbie editing his first configuration file. If it makes you feel any better, if you happen to be a Linux newbie, there are lots of people in the same boat. As a thing becomes more popular, well, more people have to learn it, right? The operative word there is learn. And it’s not getting any easier.

Aside from an insightful and honest view into the world of open source, “The Joy of Linux” places a heavy emphasis on the value of “The Linux Community.” As with any community, the real value of the Linux community is its two-way interaction - learning from others and sharing what you’ve learned with those who step onto the newbie path. In summing up the responsiblity of that open information exchange, the authors note:

Being a good Linux citizen involves treating the information these people have as a valuable resource you don’t want to waste or hoard. Remember to be self-sufficient when you can, and remember that by accepting something with no strings attached, you still ought to keep a sense of obligation to honor the spirit in which help was given by doing the same when it’s your turn.

“The Joy of Linux” is, in the end, as much about Linux history and the open source philosophy as it is a hands-on user manual. While it provides some detail and direction into core Linux functions, the real value is its honest, articulate and often humorous take on the Linux movement. If you’re new to Linux, that approach may prove far more valuable in the big picture than an extended nuts-and-bolts HowTo-type missive. It puts an unforgettably warm and inviting framework around the adventure on which you’ve embarked.

That’s one man’s opinion. If you’ve experienced “The Joy of Linux,” feel free to share yours here. I’ll include them in the GnomeVOICE section in coming weeks.

Tony
Steidler-Dennison