Books: A User's Report
January 2001
by Elizabeth Zinkann
Linux applications continue to become more sophisticated and popular. They are as diverse as the community who utilizes them. Whether you prefer Applixware, Star Office, Word Perfect, GNUCash, PHP, mySQL, or the Gimp (to name a very few of the available applications), the Linux operating system offers a variety of tools and utilities. Two applications (or at least some documentation about them) are highlighted in this month's column. I also included a book about firewalls and security, and a visual guide to Linux. Specifically, this column includes reviews of: Gimp Pocket Reference by Sven Neumann, translated by Sven Riedel (O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.); Building Linux and OpenBSD Firewalls by Wes Sonnenreich and Tom Yates (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.); Linux Music & Sound by Dave Phillips (Linux Journal Press, No Starch Press); and Master Red Hat Visually by Michael Bellomo (maranGraphics/IDG Books).
Gimp Pocket Reference
Sven Neumann
Translated by Sven Riedel
O'Reilly & Associates, Inc.
ISBN 1-56592-731-1
97 Pages
$9.95
http://www.oreilly.com/
Many administrators find themselves suddenly thrust into the world of graphics and Web design. The journey from the shell prompt to creating graphics and user interfaces can cause culture shock. A colleague recently admitted that opening the Gimp (GNU Image Manipulation Program) confused him. He much preferred recompiling the kernel or setting up a network to resizing and optimizing images, with or without magic wands. The set of icons that greet the Gimp user are relatively straightforward once you know their functions and capabilities. Several excellent references are available for the Gimp user, including: The Artist's Guide to the Gimp by Michael J.
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