That's not a bad thing. In fact, if you thought of this book at The Linux Command-Line Cookbook, you'd have a much better feel for where it's useful. And it is, definitely, useful. We give it a very solid 4 out of 5.

OUR RATING: 4 of 5

FIGURE B


There's a lot more server-related recipes in this cookbook. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Schroder's book has a lot more server-related information in its 553 pages. While the first Linux Cookbook, above, was a useful resource, this is probably the book you're going to be looking for.

Schroder has much of the basic Linux information you might like, but has a lot more information you'll need when setting up, backing, configuring, and maintaining Linux as a server. It's got information on configuring the kernel, removing a kernel patch, building file trees on data CDs, installing GRUB and LILO (Linux boot loaders), configuring and managing X Windows, and setting up mail and Web servers.

Given that about 20 of my all-time "how the hell do I do that?" Linux mysteries were answered easily with this book, we give Schroder's Linux Cookbook a rare 5 out of 5.

OUR RATING: 5 of 5

Well, that's what the Knoppix distribution of Linux does for you. Knoppix is a variant of Linux distributions known as "bootable distros." Knoppix is a very useful tool. First, you can begin to learn about Linux without even dedicating a partition to the process or futzing with any of your Windows files. Secondly, though, you can also carry a complete Linux distribution around on a CD-ROM, available whenever you need to use one of the very capable Linux tools to solve a sticky problem.

Knoppix Hacks, by Kyle Rankin and published by O'Reilly, shown in Figure C, gives you 100 interesting tips you can use that'll help you take full advantage of all that is Knoppix.

FIGURE C


Knoppix Hacks includes the full Knoppix distro. Roll over picture for a larger image.

I've long found Knoppix to be an indispensable tool, but I've also often found it to be something of a curiosity. I could use all tools "out of the box," but I'd always struggled with tweaking it to have and do exactly what I needed. This book explains all that, in the simple step-by-step way we've come to love in the Hacks series -- and includes a fully-bootable Knoppix distribution on CD-ROM. We give Knoppix Hacks a solid 4 out of 5.

OUR RATING: 4 of 5

FIGURE D


Are you ready to migrate? Roll over picture for a larger image.

The Windows to Linux Migration Toolkit, by David Allen, Andrew Scott, Herb Lewis, John Stile, and Tim Tuck, and published by Syngress, is a fascinating look at the process of porting your server installation from a Windows world to a Linux installation.