Introduction

Welcome to the world of Linux!

You're reading this introduction, so it's likely that you've heard the hype: Linux is a fast, powerful, stable operating system that is used more and more every day, in business, in government, in education, and in homes. Linux powers a large portion of the servers that form the backbone of the World Wide Web and the Internet. Linux can be found operating manufacturing equipment, point of sale equipment, automotive equipment, personal data management equipment, and even a variety of equipment at government agencies like NASA. Vendors, too, are now heavily invested in Linux; large companies such as IBM have adopted Linux as the basis for entire large-scale computing product lines.

This book will help anyone wanting to use the Fedora Core family of Linux operating systems for any of these purposes. Its real target audience, however, is somewhat more accessible: the ever-growing body of daily computer users, business owners, and network administrators who want to use Linux to do everyday work of all kinds. This book assumes that you have no previous experience working with Linux; it presents all the information you need to get acquainted and become productive with Fedora Core 4right away.

This book is organized into easy-to-digest chapters that are intended to operate as lessons. Each of these lessons begins with a list of topics you'll cover as you work your way through the chapter; each lesson is designed to instruct you in one major topic related to using Fedora Core 4. As you progress through the lessons presented here, you'll learn to install Fedora Core 4 for yourself; to perform everyday tasks, such as Web browsing, word processing, and file management at the command line and on the desktop; and to troubleshoot and administer a Linux PC or small Linux server.