[techtalk] A good intro textbook for Linux

[Raven Damask]

Heya --

# if disclaimer
     I'm not sure whether this should be on techtalk
or grrltalk, but it seems relevant here to me.

     I teach free introductory-level networking
classes in the Washington, DC area.  For the past
several months I've done CCNA certification classes,
but I've gotten a bit bored with that (there's only so
many times I can go over the same material), and in
about a month or so, I'll be running a "Intro to
TCP/IP Networking and Linux" course.

     I know what I'm using for a textbook for the
TCP/IP half of the class -- "Demystifying TCP/IP", by
Michael Busby.  It does a pretty good job of
explaining things clearly, and even covers some of the
network-design things I wanted to show this class. 
But I'm a bit stymied when looking for an appropriate
intro to Linux textbook.

     I want to train these people to more than the
end-user level, but I don't need an uber-BOFH-admin
text, either.  Many of the students are just coming
out of tech support, and don't have much of a
background in networking.  I don't want to drown them.
 But by the end of the class, I want them to be able
to install and configure a Linux workstation, set up
ppp, and have at least a passing acquaintance with NFS
and Samba.

     I'm looking for a textbook that will cover those
topics.  I spent a couple hours in my local bookstore
checking out the offerings, and the closest thing I
could find was SAMS's "Teach Yourself Linux in 24
Hours", by Bill Ball.  I'm not so stuck on this, and
would swap it for a better alternative if I saw one.  

     The O'Reilly intro series are too basic (I was
pretty disappointed in their book on learning Debian,
which is a first for me and O'Reilly), and "Running
Linux" is too in-depth for this class, and presumes
too much basic knowledge.  One of the main problems
that I have with "24 Hours" is that it's based on
Caldera Open Linux, which I've never used.  (I'm a
Debian and Red Hat girl -- the class will probably be
based on Red Hat to give them a relatively easy start.
 I run Debian at home.)

     I would appreciate any suggestions y'all have. 
Is Caldera different enough from Deb/RH that I'd have
difficulty familiarizing myself with it in a month? 
Or is that frighteningly ambitious?  (Yes, I've been
following the distro-vs.-distro thread, and scooping
some of it up for my class.)

     Thanks in advance.

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"
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com

************
techtalk at linuxchix.org   http://www.linuxchix.org