Many people still believe that learning Linux is difficult, or that only experts can understand how a Linux system works. Though there is a lot of free documentation available, the documentation is widely scattered on the Web, and often confusing, since it is usually oriented toward experienced UNIX or Linux users. Today, thanks to the advancements in development, Linux has grown in popularity both at home and at work. The goal of this guide is to show people of all ages that Linux can be simple and fun, and used for all kinds of purposes.

Everybody who wants to get a "CLUE", a Command Line User Experience, with Linux (and UNIX in general) will find this book useful: It was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter. For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration.

Initially hosted by The Linux Documentation Project, the guide aims to be the foundation for all other materials that you can get from TLDP. As such, it provides you with the fundamental knowledge needed by anyone who wants to start working with a Linux system, while at the same time it tries to consciously avoid to re-invent the hot water. Thus, you can expect this book to be incomplete, subject to change and full of links to sources of additional information on your system, on the Internet and in your system documentation. The author proves that in a Linux environment, however, these remarks needn't provoke negative associations.

It might seem scary at first, but Linux is not difficult to install. So the book starts with exactly this task, and guides you through the installation process by means of a handy checklist. Once you have finished this, the difficult work is done. Using your new setup, you can now start to explore your system, using basic functions and commands at first, on which rest the foundations of the Linux system. Gradually these basics are combined and extended, while never becoming too technical. Before you realize it, you'll know a whole lot more about the Linux file system, processes and daily tasks, all the while taking care not to discourage the reader. The author is very aware that the reader might well be an ex-Windows user and therefor provides a lot of information about Linux-MS Windows compatibility, especially when she gets to the subject of networking. It is every user's right to customize their environment, and Linux provides the platform of choice to make yourself at home. Here, too, supporting MS Windows applications or alternatives for these applications receives a great deal of attention, lest the reader would suffer from nostalgia. Being of European origin herself, the author is familiar with the problems of non-native English speaking readers and describes issues that can arise when localizing the system.

Because updates are all-important for the security of your system, several mechanisms for manually and automatically keeping the system up to date pass the review. And of course the subject of backups is discussed, with various solutions from burning CDs to moving your data to another machine. Talking security, there are also a couple of sections about network security issues, such as determining whether your system has been compromised and what to do if this should be the case.

To top it all off the guide comes with a glossary of the most frequently used commands, a readinglist and a list with links to interesting sites that could not be given a place within the book itself.

This guide is stuffed with real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. We hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.