Book excerpt: What is this book about? Red Hat Linux 9 is a powerful, flexible open source operating system. Its popularity is growing, both in home use and in corporate environments of all sizes. Its user interface makes it every bit as accessible as other operating systems, and its open source pedigree opens the doors to a mind-blowing amount of free software. This book guides you through that difficult time that comes just after you've installed a new operating system, by giving you the confidence to open your wings and fly with it. We'll take you through the installation, we'll get you working, and by the end of the book you'll have a well-configured, stable, secure operating system and a world of possibilities. What does this book cover? In this book, you will learn how to Install Red Hat Linux 9 using the included 2 CD-ROM distribution from Red Hat Use Red Hat Linux 9 to connect to networks, printers, and the Internet Get working — using Office applications, Web browsers, multimedia applications, and so on Get the most from Linux — by understanding Linux's powerful file system and command line interfaces Set up and configure a Web server, a mail server, a file server, and various other types of servers Secure your machine against unauthorized use — both from the Internet and from internal threats Modify your machine to suit the way you work — installing software to create a tailored working environment Who is this book for? This book is for you if you're using (or planning to use) the Red Hat Linux operating system for the first time. It offers the simple, plain-speaking guidance you need as you begin to explore the vast potential of open source software. The book assumes that you're familiar with using Microsoft Windows, and aims to help you make the jump from Windows to Linux by introducing it in those terms. No previous knowledge of Linux is assumed.