UNIX SIG Notes
By Christopher J. Fearnley

Next month I will report on the Linux Conference at FedUnix which I
will be attending on December 1.  Then we will have our famous Q&A
session.

The real Linux NEWS seems to be how well Linux is catching on in the
corporate world.  Many companies are using Linux as a server. Some
companies are using it as their only or primary OS in various networked
capacities. Linux is now used for mission-critical purposes on every
continent including Antartica.  Linux is out-selling many commercial
versions of UNIX (in units delivered not necessarily profits).

The October Byte magazine review suggested that Linux had poor
documentation.  Well, maybe so in October, but there is now a 1175 page
book compiling most of the importatant Linux documentation.  There is no
shortage of Linux documentation.  There are still a few gaps in the
documentation, but they are relatively minor.  There are now at least
six books out on Linux (that is, those with ISBN numbers):

Linux Installation and Getting Started, Matt Welsh, SSC, ISBN
0-916151-71-9.

Linux Network Administrators' Guide, Olaf Kirch, O'Reily & Associates,
ISBN 1-56592-087-2 (and by SSC ISBN 0-916151-75-1).

Linux - Unleasing the Workstation in Your PC:  Basics, Installation
and Practical Use, Stefan Strobel and Thomas Uhl, Springer-Verlag New
York, ISBN 0-387-58077-8 (this is translated from the original German
edition ISBN 3-540-57383-6).

Running Linux, Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman, O'Reily & Associates, ISBN
1-56592-100-3 (not available until January).

Linux Sampler, edited by Belinda Frazier and Laurie L. Tucker, SSC,
ISBN 0-916151-74-3.

Many other books and help documents are available from the LDP (Linux
Documentation Project) and various vendors.

Besides books, E-mail help services are available:  Send e-mail with the
Subject: "help" to bcr@physics.purdue.edu for details on using the
server.  Of course, the USENET newsgroups offer Linux help to those who
can write a good question and wait a day or two for the answer to
come.  Finally, the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) offers Linux support.