Ubuntu Hacks: Tips & Tools for Exploring, Using, and Tuning Linux (Hacks)

List Price: $29.99 Discount Price: $6.00

Customer Reviews:

Well Worth the Price [Posted on 2008-02-25]
I did not read this book cover-to-cover. I bounced around reading the chapters that interested me. Good stuff.

The book contains useful detail regarding common problems or tasks. It contained some answers that I needed at the moment, which left me pleased. I recommend combining Hacks with another general-overview Ubuntu book.

Some books contain numerous errors. I am too new to Ubuntu to review the accuracy of the step-by-step procedures in this book.

You don't need to wait for the 2nd Edition. [Posted on 2008-03-06]
"Ubuntu Hacks" shows its age, but still packs a lot of useful information. The authors chose to base their hacks on the 6.06 LTS (Long Term Support) version of Ubuntu, which is supported by Canonical until June 2011. As of this writing, Canonical has released version 7.10 and is actively working on the next version, Herdy Heron.

Still, this book remains about 90% accurate (IMO). In most of the places where it is no longer accurate things have actually become easier to accomplish in the newer versions. For example, it is much easier in 7.10 to enable restricted drivers than it was in 6.06.

Highs:
* Focused on how things are done in Ubuntu.
* Still useful despite its age.
* Something for every level of user, but newer users will get more out of it.

Lows:
* True experts in Ubuntu may find themselves skipping a few chapters. I was able to find helpful tidbits in chapters I thought I could skip, however.
* The various authors have wildly different writing styles. A couple of the hacks could have had more information or detail, but most were well-written.

Overall, I recommend this book if you are seriously considering or already using Ubuntu as your primary OS on any machine. Ubuntu has been compared to Mac OS X in its look and feel. "Ubuntu Hacks" can be compared to a slim version of "The Macintosh Bible" for Ubuntu.

Outstanding book [Posted on 2008-04-15]
Well worth the money. This book is clear, informative, accurate, and well-written. Used in conjunction with "The Official Ubuntu Book", someone new to Ubuntu Linux will be up and running in no time, and able to do some very useful tweaking. This book addresses many practical issues to turn the standard Ubuntu install into a much more versatile machine. Very helpful for the basic administrative tasks as well. Highly Recommended.

Good, but out-of-date [Posted on 2008-05-30]
Information presented is solid for an older distribution, but is not relevant for v8.04. Ubuntu has made significant changes in the installation , partitioning, and setup areas - none of which are covered in this version of Ubuntu Hacks. Most serious is the omission of problems using the partition manager with ntfs partitions.

A Favorite Computer Book - Highly Recommended for Techies & Newbies [Posted on 2008-09-04]
There are numerous reasons to recommend this book, but it looks like many reviewers have covered the material. I just want to note that I constantly reference and use this book, and I am always recommending it, to friends !

I own a lot of computer books, most of which are for Linux, and this has become one of my favorites. Any time I thought, "There must be a way to....." I later found the answer in this thorough book. Highly Recommended for Techies & Newbies, alike.

I started with Ubuntu Linux Bible, which is good for general info, and those *completely* new to Linux but also shows differences between other Distributions of Linux and Ubuntu. That book is good, for beginners.

Then I read Hacking Ubuntu: Serious Hacks Mods and Customizations (ExtremeTech), and Ubuntu Linux Toolbox: 1000+ Commands for Ubuntu and Debian Power Users, to really get into the operating system, and understand where all the goodies are located.

The GNOME (default) desktop is nice, but many features are hidden...thus the need for books, to unlock the potential. It is a good idea to also install KDE, and upgrade to Kubuntu, for more power.

By the time I began reading Ubuntu Hacks: Tips & Tools for Exploring, Using, and Tuning Linux (Hacks), I had a good grasp of the system, and I had tested many installations, dual boots (with Windohs, etc.).

You may need a couple of the books mentioned, if you are new to Ubuntu, and particularly if you are new to Linux. However, with the above books, even if you create a "dual boot" system....you may find yourself rarely booting into Windohs.

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