[techtalk] A good intro textbook for Linux

[Raven Damask]

Heya --

> So, since I appear to be confused, what exactly are
> you looking for in a Linux book?

    "Running Linux" is what I keep by my desk.  I have
nothing against the book at all; it's tremendously
helpful.  What I'm looking for is something that I can
teach from in a systematic fashion.  "Read Chapters
Five and Six for next Monday" sort of thing.  I am
going to hold one class on how to find the answer when
you don't know what to do next -- point them at some
good online resources, and help them learn to diagnose
and troubleshoot.  But a lot of them are going to need
a cohesive explanation of how the OS works, where it
puts things when they're installed, what the
filesystem's like, etc.  I'm looking for a book that
will explain that on a basic level.

     Some of the students in this class don't have
much of a background beyond dial-up techsup -- and
they haven't really gotten into why things work, just
"make sure that TCP/IP is checked in that box" with no
understanding of what TCP/IP is.  One of the
challenging things about this class is the wide range
of backgrounds of my students.  (The head of Tech
Support, and some of the NOC gurus are in it -- and
some really new people, too.)  This has the
possibility to be a great, dynamic environment for
everyone.  But I don't want to bore my gurus, or drown
the newbies.

     I figured that one of the best ways to go about
this is basic textbook, in-depth labs.  They'll see
the errors that occur, and why.  I'm going to point
them at "Running Linux" as a good reference, but I
need something simple to start from.

     Hope that's a bit clearer.  Thanks, all, for your
interest and help.

Cheers,
Raven Alder

=====
"And I know the world is cold but
 If you hold on tight to what you
 Find you might not mind too much though
 Even this must pass away..."
 -- The Sisters of Mercy, "Some Kind of Stranger"
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