What's available, and where can you get them?
I was looking for a specific book on Linux commands the other day, as a kind of relearning and getting back to the CLI exercise, after I realised I had been spending far too much time using the GUI way of navigating and controlling Linux.
After some Googling, I was quite surprised as to how many free ebooks are available for Linux. Naturally, there are loads for other systems, programs and whatnots, but since it was Linux I was searching for, they were the ones that cropped up.
Anyway, I thought I'd share a few of the fine examples I found with you.
Linux Succinctly
Jason Cannon
goo.gl/283qZL
Linux Succinctly is an interesting book that helps you get to grips with the basics of Linux, specifically the command line, directory structure and so on. You'll need to sign up for a free account before you can download it, but that's not a big deal.
Bash Guide For Beginners
Machtelt Garrels
goo.gl/wNtFby
Linuxtopia has an enormous collection of online books and tutorials for anyone to browse through. This one focuses on Bash scripting, common shell programs, script debugging and much more. It's quite an achievement and one that's very easy to read too.
Getting Started Guide To Linux
Stefan Neagu
goo.gl/5sXRQN
Make Use Of often has some decent guides on its site, one of which is this handy getting started guide. It's looking a little old these days and tends to deal in distros that have since been updated many times over, but the core essentials are there on how to get a distro, burn it to disc or write to USB and how to install it. If you're a beginner, this is quite a useful resource.
Rute User's Tutorial And Exposition
Paul Sheer
goo.gl/pu2GhX
Rute User's Tutorial and Exposition is an excellent book that goes into great depths covering Linux system administration for Red Hat and Debian systems. Both new users and more advanced administrators can get quite a lot from this book, and those studying for Linux-related exams would also find this a useful and handy reference.
Advanced Linux Programming
CodeSourcery LLC
http://goo.gl/KWGwtU
As the title suggests, this is a more advanced look at developing within Linux. If you already know C and can find your way around Linux, then I imagine this would be a great reference. If you're just starting out, there's plenty in here to keep you busy for weeks.
Needless to say, these are just the tip of the iceberg; there are hundreds more out there waiting to be read and absorbed by hungry minds.
All of this makes me wonder what else is out there and what reading material to recommend to someone who's starting out in Linux or who is after something a little more specific. True enough, it's easy to simply Google a question, but more often than not you'll get an overinflated answer or something completely wrong. That's where a good book comes into its own and can help guide you to the path of enlightenment.