This book is informative and well written. However, it is getting very old, and therefore it is NOT a good source if you are going to take the LPI Linux exam! If you go to the LPI.org site, you will see that the objectives for passing (for instance) the 101 test have changed a lot since the book was written. Only two objectives out of five are essentially unchanged (GNU, Unix Commands, filters, and the chapter on Devices, Linux Filesystems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard). However, 60% of the test has changed and now include The X Windows system, Linux installation and package management, and hardware and architecture. These were previously part of the 102 test.
Another problem with the book is the large number of typos in the command examples, and that as the chapters have been moved around between the 101 and 102 sections, several test and review questions have remained in the wrong chapters. There is a large list on the errata page, and I have found many more.
It could be that I am using a non-standard distro (Mandrake), but many of the commands listed in the book have changed. For instance "top -q" does not work, there is no such parameter. "rm -d" is obsolete on many distros, you should use "rm -r" instead.
However, the greatest problem with this book is that it no longer covers what is part of the LPI exams. I think O'Reilly should add a "deprecated" warning to this book on the homepage, as you would likely fail if you went to the test prepared with only this book. I had been studying the book for a couple of weeks until I felt rather sure I was going to pass the test. When I booked a time to take the test, I noticed I had to check wether to take the Debian or RPM version of the test. I didn't think much of it until there was three days left before the test. I started thinking, hang on, isn't RPM part of exam 102, why did I have to check that for 101? I decided to go the LPI homepage where I got quite a shock. Stupid of me not to do it earlier, but still. I now have one day left... but I think it will work. Google is my friend.
:-)
Summary - good but dated book if you want to learn Linux. As a guide to pass the LPI test it is terrible.
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