CentOS Bible

This is one of the first, if not the first comprehensive guide to the CentOS Linux operating system. Linux guru Tim Bornocyzyk, thoroughly covers the topic whether you're a Linux novice or a regular who now wants to master this increasingly popular distribution.

First find out how to install and configure CentOS. From there, you'll cover a wealth of Linux and CentOS tools, functions, and techniques, including: how to work in the GNOME and KDE desktop environments; how to use the Linux shell, file system, and text editor; how to configure CUPS printers, Samba for file and printer sharing and other features using GUI tools; and more. CentOS (Community ENTerprise Operating System) is a Linux operating system maintained by a small team of core developers based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) Lead author Christopher Negus is the bestselling Linux author of such books as Fedora 10 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Bible and Linux 2009 Edition Bible; he is also a member of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux training team Tech edited by key member of the CentOS development team, Ralph Angenendt, and foreword written by lead CentOS developer, Karanbir Singh. Learn how to set up users, automate system tasks, back up and restore files, and prepare for the latest security issues and threats; also learn how to use and customize the desktop menus, icons, window manager, and xterm; and how to create and publish formatted documents Explores available Linux multimedia applications for graphics, audio, video and CD burning The DVD includes complete copy of the most current CentOS Distribution ? CentOS 5.3

For getting the most out of CentOS Linux, this is the book you need to succeed.

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

User review
Many Errors and Dated Content
I was really tempted to rate this book two stars, but I gave it three because I'm only 117 pages into the book and I hope it will get better.

First, the book has many errors. These are not typos, but content errors that have caused me great frustration and time wasted. I am new to CentOS, so my learning curve is steep. For the beginner, this can be very frustrating. The book is written for CentOS 5.3, but teaches concepts from older versions of CentOS. I'll give some examples of errors from only one chapter - chapter 3:

P. 81 - `Using the Fast User Switch applet, you can switch between different desktop users without shutting down the current desktop.` There is no fast switch applet installed or available in a package for download. I googled this and couldn't find anything.

p. 86 - Talks about the following applets for the gnome desktop: Deskbar, CPU Temperature, Moon Data, and Network Traffic. None of these applets exist in CentOS 5.3 and are not available packages (except Network Traffic i.e. gnome-applet-netspeed, which must be downloaded separately, but the book doesn't tell you this).

p. 106 - `Under the 'Link to Device' submenu,,.` However, the book doesn't tell you where this sub-menu is. You have to infer this from a vague reference at the top of the page. Little stuff like this just wastes the learner's time.

p. 117 - `You may need to run system-config-mouse to get the mouse working properly after this.` There is no `system-config-mouse` in CentOS 5.3! Again the wasted time and frustration trying to find something that isn't there.

I hope these errors are not a preview of what is to come.

User review
Included DVD Only for 64-bit CPU?
At least that is what the message to use a 32-bit installation version means to me (on my 32-bit Athlon).

The book is quite explicit about being able to install from the included DVD to a 32-bit 400Mhz+ CPU system. Actually, page 16 describes using the `CentOS Live CD` that `comes with this book` to try it out. Then page 17 proceeds to describe how to install from the `installation DVD` (requiring at least a 400 Mhz Pentium 2, so definitely not 64-bit). Here's some rather conclusive evidence, the contents of the `.discinfo` file on the DVD:

1237641529.260981
Final
x86_64
1,2,3,4,5,6,7
CentOS/base
/home/buildcentos/CENTOS/5.3/en/x86_64/CentOS
CentOS/pixmaps

Apparently Wiley (the publisher) was pretty slipshod about the media packaging for this book at least.

I am going to poke around the DVD to see if there are parallel 32-bit and 64-bit install files/scripts, etc, but probably will end up downloading a 32-bit iso from the CentOS site directly. The main reason I got the book is due to what seems to be a rather comprehensive Linux (RedHat focused I assume) admin guide for about all the types of Linux-based apps and packages I can think of (aside from the JBoss I am setting this up for, but then that is why my employer is paying RedHat for me take their class ;-).

Also, as I was searching around for errata to explain this issue, I landed on the Wiley site for an electronic download (pax, Kindle) that requires `Adobe Digital Editions` software to view. Guess which operating system is not supported ,,. right, Linux. Such irony!