Preface

Many Linux books resemble someone’s throwing a bunch of high-performance car parts on the floor and saying, “Go ahead and build a Porsche.” Although it’s true that the parts you need for power computing are in Linux, you still need to know how to put them together. Red Hat Fedora Linux 3 Bible takes you through those steps.

Who Are You?

You don’t need to be a programmer to use this book. You may be someone who just wants to use Linux (to run programs, access the Internet, and so on). Or you may simply want to know how to administer a Linux system in a workgroup or on a network.

I assume that you are somewhat computer literate but have little or no experience with Linux (or UNIX). You may be migrating from Microsoft operating systems to Linux because of its networking and multiuser features. You may be looking to start a career as a computer technician or network administrator and find that spending a few dollars for an entire operating system and book is more economical than taking those technical classes offered on late-night television. Or you might just think a “free” operating system is cool.

In any case, after you peruse this book you should have a good idea how to run applications, set up a small network, connect to the Internet, and configure a variety of server types (Web servers, print servers, file servers, and so on). This book represents a great first couple of steps toward your becoming someone who can set up a home network or a small office network and maintain a group of computers.