This manual is aimed at people wishing to dive into the depths of their GNU/Linux system, and who want to exploit its huge capabilities. It is made up of three parts:
In The Linux System, we introduce you to the command line and its various uses. We also discuss text-editing basics, which are essential under GNU/Linux.
In the first chapter (Chapter 1, Basic UNIX System Concepts) we introduce the UNIX paradigm while speaking more specifically of the GNU/Linux world. It discusses the standard file-manipulation utilities as well as some useful features provided by the shell. Then comes a complementary chapter (Chapter 2, Disks and Partitions) which discusses how hard disks are managed under GNU/Linux, as well as partitioning. It is very important that you fully understand the concepts discussed in these chapters before going on to Chapter 3, Introduction to the Command Line.
The next chapter covers text editing (Chapter 4, Text Editing: Emacs and VI). As most UNIX configuration files are text files, you will eventually want or need to edit them in a text editor. You will learn how to use two of the most famous text editors in the UNIX and GNU/Linux worlds: the mighty Emacs and the modern (!) Vi.
You should then be able to perform basic maintenance on your system. The following two chapters present practical uses of the command line (Chapter 5, Command-Line Utilities), and process control (Chapter 6, Process Control) in general.
In Linux in Depth, we touch upon the Linux kernel and the file-system architecture.
We explore the organization of the file tree in Chapter 7, File-Tree Organization . UNIX systems tend to grow very large, but every file has its place in a specific directory. After reading this chapter, you will know where to look for files depending on their role in the system.
Then we cover the topics of file systems and mount points (Chapter 8, File Systems and Mount Points). We define both of these terms as well as explain them with practical examples.
The next chapter deals with file systems (Chapter 9, The Linux File System). After presenting the available file systems, we discuss file types and some additional concepts and utilities such as inodes and pipes. The following chapter (Chapter 10, The /proc Filesystem) introduces a special GNU/Linux file system called /proc.
Chapter 11, The Start-Up Files: init sysv presents the Mandrakelinux boot-up procedure, and how to use it efficiently.
In Advanced Uses, we finish up with topics which only brave or very skilled users will want to put into practice. We will guide you through the necessary steps to build and install free software from sources in Chapter 12, Building and Installing Free Software. Reading through this chapter should encourage you to try it out, even though it might look intimidating at first. Finally, the information provided in the last chapter (Chapter 13, Compiling and Installing New Kernels) will help you acquire total GNU/Linux autonomy. After reading and applying the theory explained in this chapter, you can start converting Windows users to GNU/Linux (if you haven't started yet!).