Book Review of:
Using Caldera OpenLinux
Special Edition

From the July, 2000 issue of PC Alamode Magazine
by Jacquelyn Sykes

If you’re an experienced user Special Edition Using Caldera OpenLinux is worthy of a place on your shelf. The overall organization and layout of the book makes it very readable and helps you keep your place. It covers every aspect of Linux. The authors, who work for Caldera, are experts, especially in networking. They believe that Caldera OpenLinux shines in the networking arena.

What this book is not
This is not a book for the inexperienced computer user nor is it an installation guide. The authors do tell you how to install Caldera OpenLinux in general terms but the Caldera manual gives more details. I didn’t have any problems installing Caldera OpenLinux ver 2.3. (I believe I didn’t have problems because my system is several years old, Caldera’s Lizard is easy to use, I gathered my system information before I began the install and my brother had me do several trial installations on one of his computers.)

This book isn’t a step-by-step instruction manual. While you will find numbered steps in many areas, you will frequently encounter narrative instructions. It’s not a Linux command reference either. The authors only tell you about the most common and useful commands. You won’t find a separate glossary although the authors define some terms as they go along.

So, what is this book?
The authors wrote this book "to give you the tools that you need to migrate to Linux with as little pain as possible." They warn you that there is a learning curve and that they won’t coddle you. To be honest, I haven’t read the entire book yet. It’s over 1200 pages and most of the material is completely new to me. In addition, I’ve been trying the different programs and utilities out as I read about them. Since the book is so heavy I can’t pick it up and read it everywhere. At times, it reads like a college text. At other times, it’s simple to read. This book is easier to read and understand if you have an excellent computer vocabulary as well as moderate knowledge of networking and programming. (I know just a little about the last two areas.)

One aspect of the book I like, is the way they introduce a topic, give general background, and then go into specifics. The only problem I have is their use of cryptic examples. Sometimes I have a vague idea of what the example means. A few times, I’ve come across information in a later chapter that gives the background I need to understand an earlier example. It’s possible that once I’ve read the whole book then all the examples will make sense.

They sprinkle web addresses and references to other parts of the book throughout so you can find further information easily. However, I found one occurrence when they didn’t do so. On page 107 in a section titled Creating a Printer on the Desktop they say, "For the examples that follow, it is assumed that your OpenLinux printing system is configured and operational (meaning that the lpd print daemon is running)." If they followed their usual practice they would refer you to Chapter 14, Printing, on how to configure your printing system. This time they didn’t. This sentence is also a good example of their unstated assumptions about their readers’ knowledge. Up to this point in the book they haven’t introduced daemons, let alone the lpd print daemon. (Actually, I still haven’t come across a discussion of daemons. I’ve read the first 250 pages completely and portions of other parts of the book.)

If you’re really new to Linux, I recommend that you read the chapters in order. The authors have organized the material in the order in which you need it. This also means that the simpler material is covered first.

Much of the material covered applies to all distributions of Linux, not just Caldera OpenLinux. How well does this book teach you to use Linux? I don’t know the answer yet. Some tasks I’ve learned quickly and easily. Other tasks I still haven’t mastered. At this point, I don’t know if it’s because I’m using Caldera OpenLinux ver 2.3 instead of ver 2.2, I’m not following the instructions properly or if my installation has been corrupted. In the first few days after installation KDE mysteriously closed down and restarted on its own several times. My whole system also froze solid.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything in the book on what to do if you experience a system crash. I had to turn off my computer without logging out properly. I still haven’t found anything in the book about this situation.

Another area I haven’t found any information on is creating an emergency, rescue or boot disk. I installed Linux on my second hard drive and didn’t want to set up a dual boot or worry about the physical location of the Linux partitions. So, I wanted to boot into Linux from a floppy disk. (My brother told me how to make a bootable floppy.)

What does the book cover?
The 1232 pages contain seven major parts consisting of 42 chapters, 4 appendixes, and an index. The beginning pages contain a title page with Contents at a Glance and a 16 page Table of Contents. At the very front of the book is a tear-out booklet.

The tear-out booklet contains 3 pages summarizing the install procedures, a page with keyboard shortcuts and a comparison of several Linux & MS-DOS commands, a page showing the location of KDE utilities, a page of frequently asked questions and a page with Linux Web addresses. Since Special Edition Using Caldera OpenLinux is so thick and heavy, this is very useful.

What do the Parts cover?
Part I, Introduction to OpenLinux, contains two chapters which discuss the history of Linux, the various distributions available, and how to install Caldera OpenLinux 2.2. I highly recommend you consult Caldera’s Getting Started Guide for more detailed information before you install Caldera OpenLinux. If it’s not on the CD-ROM, you can download it in Adobe Acrobat format from Caldera’s web site.

Part II, Using OpenLinux, contains six chapters, which cover the K Desktop Environment (KDE). KDE is a graphical interface just as Macintosh OS and Windows 95/98 are graphical interfaces. In fact, you can choose to have your desktop look like a Windows, Macintosh or even a BeOS desktop. On the other hand, you can have it look like a KDE desktop. Chapters include Introduction to the Desktop (KDE), Navigating the Desktop, Customizing Your Desktop Environment, KDM (KDE Desktop Manager), KDE Applications, and Koffice. For the most part, these chapters start with the basics and explain everything so well that almost anyone with some computer experience could follow along. A few times, they do use an example I didn’t understand. I found the KDE Applications chapter most useful since several programs of the same type are included in a full install. This chapter gives a brief description of each one and when and why you might want to use it over the others.

Part III, OpenLinux System Administration, contains 11 chapters, which cover file systems, users, installing applications, how to set up and use your printer, drives, and the Linux Kernel. Chapters include: Understanding the Linux File System; Users, Groups, and Permissions; Running DOS Programs; System Initialization Under OpenLinux; Customizing Your Shell Environment; Printing; Software Package Management; How to Build/Rebuild a Package; Building Custom Kernels; Kernel Modules; Disk Drives and File Systems and Boot Loader. This part gets very technical.

Part IV, Networking with OpenLinux contains 16 chapters that tell you how to network with Linux. I haven’t had a chance to read this part yet but it appears to cover everything you need. Chapters include: Understanding TCP/IP Fundamentals, Network Administration, Advanced Network Features, Connecting to an ISP, Email Setup, Domain Name Server (DNS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), The Web Server, IP Masquerading, Firewalling, IP TCP Wrappers, Sharing Files via NFS, NetWare and OpenLinux, Microsoft Windows and OpenLinux, ARP, BOOTP, and DHCP, and Setting Up a Sample Network.

Part V, X Windows, contains four chapters, which cover the X Window System. "The X Window System handles the screen and low-level graphics for graphical applications." KDE runs on top of X Windows. Chapters include Configuring X, Dissecting the XF86Config File, Customizing X, and Controlling X Resources.

Part VI, Etc, contains two chapters which cover the encryption programs Pretty Good Privacy and Secure Shell as well as multimedia programs such as Open Sound System, Real Player and Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Part VII, Appendixes, contains four sections. Appendix A, Commonly Used Commands, provides a very short introduction to Linux commands. I would have liked a fuller description of syntax and parameters. Both Appendix B, Hardware Compatibility Lists, and Appendix C, Loadable Module Parameters, are reference lists to help you set up your Linux system properly. They are not all-inclusive. If you have recent hardware components, you may need to go to the web to get the latest information. Appendix D, How to Find Other Linux Information, provides six and a half pages of web addresses covering various aspects of Linux.

The Index contains 90 blue banded pages. Although it is visually appealing, I had difficulty finding information using it. If the book contains a chapter or a major section on a topic, those pages will not be listed in the index. A good example is printing. You won’t find the chapter listed in the Index. I don’t know if the book doesn’t cover some of the topics I looked up or if the authors use terms I don’t know.

Included software
One CD-ROM contains the free version of Caldera OpenLinux 2.2 along with Partition Magic, Caldera Edition and BootMagic. It also includes Word Perfect 8 and Netscape Communicator 4.5.

Installing the included software
I didn’t install Caldera OpenLinux 2.2 from the included CD-ROM. I installed Caldera OpenLinux 2.3 from another source instead. I didn’t have enough time, before I had to turn in my review, to learn how to install additional applications in Linux. I intend to install Word Perfect 8 later.

Software requirements
CPU: The book doesn’t mention this at all. I’ve been told that you need a computer with at least an Intel 386; an Intel 486 is much better. With those chips, you may have problems running the graphical environment. It either won’t run or will be so slow you won’t want to use it. Hard Drive space: 500 MB to 1 GB depending on your intended use. RAM: 16-MB minimum for the Lizard Install. If you use the older, non-graphical method, you only need 8 MB. CD-ROM drive: this is a must; no speed requirement is mentioned.

Bottom Line
Overall, I can recommend this book to any experienced computer user who wants to learn Linux and is willing to make the time investment to read and absorb this book. You will gain muscle tone as well just by hefting this book around.

Because computer books are so expensive and we all have different needs, I’m including a list of other Caldera OpenLinux books available now or in the near future (as of March 2000):

Caldera Open Linux Bible

Caldera Open Linux Secrets

Caldera OpenLinux 2.3 Unleashed

Caldera OpenLinux for Dummies

Installing Caldera OpenLinux

Caldera OpenLinux Installation and Configuration Handbook

Vital statistics

Special Edition Using Caldera OpenLinux

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You can get it for less locally at BookStop (Sunset Ridge Shopping Center, N. New Braunfels, San Antonio) and CompUSA. You can buy it from Amazon.com for $31.99 plus shipping.

Jacquelyn Sykes hopes to meet the challenge of learning to use Linux and GIMP. GIMP is a high-end drawing and image manipulation program, which has been favorably compared to Adobe Photo Shop. And it’s free! An irresistible attraction to a self-confessed graphics junkie.

Book Review of: Using Caldera OpenLinux Special Edition

Book Review of:
Using Caldera OpenLinux
Special Edition