One of the most frequent complaints new Linux users have is the lack of documentation for the most popular distributions. True, most versions have .man, or manual. pages available to the user, but those can only be accessed once the distribution is installed. Should you need installation instructions, or a good overview of a particular version of Linux, you are left to find that information on your own from on-line forums or Linux distribution sites. The only distribution that has historically offered excellent documentation is Red Hat, due to its widespread use on servers and in corporate environments. Much of that documentation is aimed at IT shops or network administrators. The average home user is not the intended audience.

Point & Click Linux
Your Guide to Trouble-Free Computing

Robin ‘Roblimo’ Miller

Prentice Hall
2005 Pearson Education, Inc.
ISBN 0-13-148872-4
$29.99 U.S. / $42.99 Canada

One of the most frequent complaints new Linux users have is the lack of documentation for the most popular distributions. True, most versions have .man, or manual. pages available to the user, but those can only be accessed once the distribution is installed. Should you need installation instructions, or a good overview of a particular version of Linux, you are left to find that information on your own from on-line forums or Linux distribution sites. The only distribution that has historically offered excellent documentation is Red Hat, due to its widespread use on servers and in corporate environments. Much of that documentation is aimed at IT shops or network administrators. The average home user is not the intended audience.

Robin Miller has written Point & Click Linux to help home users considering a change from Windows to Linux. Former Windows users require two things; enough documentation to guide them through the installation and basic use of this alternative operating system, and a distribution that is as user friendly as their former operating system. Point & Click Linux offers both. The book itself offers a wealth of information on the installation and use of the SimplyMEPIS distribution and the included software applications. It also includes a CD-ROM which will allow you to install SimplyMEPIS using the book as a guide, and a DVD with easy to follow videos that reinforce the lessons in the book. An added bonus is the free 30-day Premium subscription to the MEPIS download site, from which you can download not only the latest version of SimplyMEPIS but also over 1000 software titles to compliment your new installation.

Point & Click Linux begins with Section 1: Getting Started, which contains three chapters on understanding a bit about Linux and how to install the distribution from the included CD-ROM. Section 1 also includes a chapter on working with KDE and KWrite, which I thought would be better placed in Section 2: Linux Applications. Where Section 1 is specific to SimplyMEPIS, Section 2 provides general information on using such common applications as KPPP (a modem dialer), Mozilla and Open Office, all of which are included in the base installation. Section 3: Beyond the Basics covers downloading and installing software, dual-booting Linux and Windows and a very basic introduction to the command line.

While not intended as an in-depth manual on SimplyMEPIS or Linux, Point & Click Linux is an excellent introduction to this operating system which should answer many of the questions new users may have. It contains many screenshots that aid in comprehending concepts presented in each chapter. For the most part the book progresses logically from initial installation to more advanced usage. I would advise reading Chapter 1 prior to installing SimplyMEPIS, then read the rest of the book as needed when you first decide to explore Open Office, or if Mozilla is sufficiently different from Internet Explorer as to confuse you. If you’ve been waiting for a decent guide to Linux before testing the waters, this is the book for you.