[ILUG] Choice of books for a relative beginner

[Brian]

Ciaran Johnston wrote:
> Hi folks,
> A friend of mine has enquired about suitable books for ridding himself of
> the MS shackles, and has suggested these as ones he is interested in:
> 
> The Linux Cookbook: Tips and Techniques for Everyday Use - Michael Stutz
> &
> Debian GNU/Linux Bible - Steve Hunger
> 
> Has anyone any experience of these books, and any other recommendations
> for a relative beginner in Linux but a long-time computer user?
> 
> Thanks,
> Ciaran.

I always find it hard recommending books to people where I have no idea 
of their technical background, you can point someone to man -k and off 
they go, other's need for dummies like books and lots of hand holding.

Is this friend moving away from a MS server environment ?

What will he use Linux for Desktop/Server ?

Lets take the desktop, what's a half decent Linux Distro for the desktop 
that's fairly easy to install with a nice GUI install? 
Fedora,SuSE,Mandrake...

Take a look at the documentation provided with the distro and online 
information, maybe look into their communities are they active/helpful.

You don't need shelves full of books to make Linux work for you.

A better idea might be to actually start using Linux and then deciding 
on books based on your experience using the OS to guide you on what you 
would like to learn more about.

Cheers

Brian