Linux on a Dell Inspiron 3700/7000/7500

Recommended Reading

Note:This section is getting outdated. I recommend that you visit http://www.linux-notebook.org/books/ instead and click on the topic of interest. On each page, there is an option to sort by customer rating. Use that and you'll see which books are the most highly rated.

Here are a variety of books, some of which you may want to consider reading if you're looking for more information or need more detailed help on one of the topics below. If you've read a good book (especially Linux-related ones) which you'd like to recommend, drop me an email with the title and author of the book, and I'll add it to the list below! Again, by purchasing any of the following books through the links below, you will help support this page and keep it up to date.

• Linux
• Linux in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference by Ellen Siever, O'Reilly Staff, Andy Oram (Editor)
  This is a great quick reference book. Commands are alphabetically indexed. Coverage of common shells (bash, csh, tcsh) and editors (vi, emacs, sed, ex). This is not a book that a novice Linux user would want to use to get started.



• LINUX: Installation, Configuration, and Use [2nd edition] by Michael Kofler
  Teaches the basics of Linux. Beyond installation and configuration of Linux, this book also covers topics such as Xwindows, Emacs, Bash, Tcl/Tk, LaTex, and GIMP. There is also a command reference chapter. Covers RedHat, Debian, and SuSE distributions. This book complements Running Linux [3rd edition] (see below). Together, they cover all important aspects of setting up and maintaining a Linux system.



• Running Linux [3rd edition] by Matt Welsh, Matthias Kalle Dalheimer, Lar Kaufman, Matthew Welsh, Kalle Dalheimer
  Essential guide to installing, configuring, and using Linux. Includes an installation tutorial, system maintenance, and information on how to rebuild the kernel. Other covered topics include KDE, Samba, and PPP. Emphasis on RedHat and SuSE distributions. This book complements LINUX: Installation, Configuration, and Use [2nd edition] (see above). Together, they cover all important aspects of setting up and maintaining a Linux system.



• LaTex
  • A Guide to LATEX: Document Preparation for Beginners and Advanced Users by Helmut Kopka, Patrick W. Daly
    Contains all the information you need to get up and running with LaTeX. Includes examples and appendix on most of the features of LaTeX.
  
  
  
  • The LaTex Companion by Michel Goossens, Frank Mittelbach (Contributor), Alexander Samarin (Contributor)
    After you have a basic understanding of LaTex and are able to create basic LaTeX files, this is absolutely the next book to read. It is full of examples that show you how to use additional LaTeX packages to enhance the presentation of your documents and do things you didn't think were possible with LaTeX.
  
  
  
  • The LaTex Graphics Companion: Illustrating Documents With Tex and Postscript by Michel Goossens, Sebastian Rahtz (Contributor), Frank Mittelbach
    Excellent reference on graphics and fonts within LaTeX. Lots of example solutions to graphics and font problems. Covers general drawing packages, as well as specialized tools for different scientific fields.
  
  
  
  • The LaTex Web Companion: Integrating Tex, Html and Xml by Michel Goossens, Sebastian Rahtz
    From Booknews, Inc:
    Describes tools and techniques for transforming LATEX sources into Web formats for electronic publication, and for transforming Web sources into LATEX documents for optimal printing. Contains chapters on portable document format, the LATEX2HTML translator, translating LATEX to HTML using TEX4ht, direct display of LATEX on the Web, markup languages and style sheet languages, and MathML. Includes a glossary.
  
  
  
• Perl
• Learning Perl (2nd Edition) by Randal L. Schwartz, Tom Christiansen, Larry Wall
  This is an excellent starter book which teaches you the basics of Perl. After reading this book, you will understand why Perl is so useful for text, report, and CGI processing. You will be able to write useful scripts to automate mundane routines that you may currently be doing by hand. This book also serves as a stepping stone to more developer-oriented books.



• Perl Cookbook by Tom Christiansen, Nathan Torkington, Larry Wall
  Well documented examples/receipies of common tasks and "real" programs. For those who learn by example and/or need some guidance on accomplishing a particular task.



• Programming Perl (2nd Edition) by Larry Wall, Tom Christiansen, Randal L. Schwartz, Stephen Potter
  Developer-oriented book on the gory details of Perl, written by the creator of perl.



• Samba
  • Samba Black Book: A Hands-On Reference for Integrating Linux and Nt Using Samba by Dominic Baines
  
  
  
  • Teach Yourself Samba in 24 Hours by Gerald Carter, Richard Sharpe (Editor), Jerry Carter
  
  
  
  • Using Samba by Peter Kelly, P. Donham, Andy Oram (Editor), David Collier-Brown