Book Review: Point & Click Linux! By Robin Miller

crouse · Site Admin Joined: 17 Apr 2025 Posts: 11833 Location: Iowa

USA Linux Users Group
Book Review
Reviewer: Crouse

Book:Point & Click Linux! "Your Guide to Trouble-Free Computing"
By Robin Miller

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Book Website: http://www.pointandclicklinux.com
Prentice Hall Website: http://www.htmltr.com/title/0131488724
Suggested Retail $29.99
ISBN: 0-13-148872-4
Published: Nov 9, 2025 -- Copyright 2025
Dimensions 7x9-1/4
Pages: 288

I'm not so sure that this book is as much of a review, as it is so much my own personal endorsement. The book isn't real thick, and this review isn't real long, but if you ever wanted to know where to start in your quest to learn Linux, read on.

First off, this book is designed for those new to Linux. Not for guru's... there are already plenty of books for you guys! This one is for people wanting to dip their toes in the Linux water. Lately there have been a few books that have catered to the "I don't even know what Linux is" group, but this is probably the best I've read to date. Almost a pictoral book, it uses images and pictures on almost every page to help the reader know what they should look for. Not only does the book have an easy to read format with visual guides galore, it also includes a DVD that has step by step directions that you can watch on your dvd player. Besides the DVD and the book, you also get a "Simply Mepis" Live Linux cd. This cd will allow you to run Mepis virtually, without installing Linux. This gives you a chance to play with Linux without messing up your current system at all. Once your ready to try installing Linux to the hard drive, it's a simple matter of a few mouseclicks and it installs. Step by step instructions for doing this are in the book.

There are plenty of in-depth books on command line stuff, and programming linux, and system administration and other "scary" stuff like that, this book isn't like that. Very simple, straightforward and practical. Step by Step explanations that are clear and easy to follow. With this book, and enclosed install cd and tutorial dvd, I do believe it's the "Linux on the Desktop" realized at last. So simple, even grandma can do it, or in this case, my youngest daughter. I installed this for my daughter on her new computer for Christmas, and she loves it. I gave her the book too. If you've EVER wanted to try Linux but were afraid it was too complicated, buy this book. Quite possibly the best investment for your computer you will ever make.

You can thank me later. Wink

JP · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2025 10:23 am Post subject:

Thanks for the review crouse
I have a question about the Simply Mepis that came with the book. Did you find that it ran good and ran fast, or was it rather slow and buggy? I'm just curious if a commercial disk was better than the one I downloaded. Confused

_________________
Dell Box - Arch Linux
Dell Lappy - DreamLinux 3.5 - Default OS
Mepis 8.0 - Backup

crouse · Site Admin Joined: 17 Apr 2025 Posts: 11833 Location: Iowa

Ran excellent. Similar to Knoppix as a live cd, ran much faster once installed though.

_________________
Veronica - Arch Linux 64-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
Archie/Jughead - Arch Linux 32-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
Betty/Reggie - Arch Linux (VBox) 32-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
BumbleBee - OpenSolaris-SunOS 5.11

richard · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2025 7:17 pm Post subject:

JP · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2025 7:34 pm Post subject:

THX crouse maybe I'll give it a spin on the hard drive instead of the 'live' CD. Also, it may be just this box. None of the distro's seem real fast on it, I just thought SM was exceptionally slow and buggy. Once again, Thanks for the review. Very Happy

_________________
Dell Box - Arch Linux
Dell Lappy - DreamLinux 3.5 - Default OS
Mepis 8.0 - Backup

crouse · Site Admin Joined: 17 Apr 2025 Posts: 11833 Location: Iowa

richard · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2025 8:53 pm Post subject:

[quote="crouse"]

JP · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2025 11:44 pm Post subject:

Well, guess what guys, .... I installed it to HDD, it's nothing at all like I experienced with the 'live'CD install a while back. I've been reading so many of richard's posts about Pro, I opened this up and couldn't find my Firefox! Surprised

I've been Gypped!! Mad

Then I went back to the web site and saw that it was Mozilla, not Firefox in Simply Mepis Embarassed

. I'll be all right when I get better...(the wife says that's IF I get better! Laughing

)

Thanks for your persistence richard and masinick, and thanks for your review crouse. It's actually a better distro than I had given it credit for Embarassed

. JP

Richard, since this is debian-based, can I "apt-get install firefox" and then once I get it configured, can I "apt-get remove mozilla", or is that a bad idea?

One thing I have found out about this distro that I don't like... just a minor annoyance, really.... my wheel mouse won't work with Mepis. I like to scroll with the wheel, instead of using the scroll bar. Smile

_________________
Dell Box - Arch Linux
Dell Lappy - DreamLinux 3.5 - Default OS
Mepis 8.0 - Backup

mr_ed · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2025 3:56 am Post subject:

JP, yes.

Do
apt-get update
apt-get install mozilla-firefox
apt-get remove mozilla

_________________
Desktop: Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon"
Laptop: Ubuntu 7.04 "Feisty Fawn"

crouse · Site Admin Joined: 17 Apr 2025 Posts: 11833 Location: Iowa

ahhh just installed ProMepis 2025 Beta 3

I LOVE THIS DISTRO Very Happy

_________________
Veronica - Arch Linux 64-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
Archie/Jughead - Arch Linux 32-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
Betty/Reggie - Arch Linux (VBox) 32-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
BumbleBee - OpenSolaris-SunOS 5.11

JP · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2025 5:02 am Post subject:

JP · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2025 5:23 am Post subject:

]b]mr_ed[/b] everything went smoothly except this -

JP · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2025 5:44 am Post subject:

mr_ed, For some reason, I can't edit my posts. It says I cannot post new topics, I can reply to topics, I cannot edit my posts, I cannot delete my posts, I can vote in polls. Any idea what's up?

After updating again, I wanted to edit the above post with this:

crouse · Site Admin Joined: 17 Apr 2025 Posts: 11833 Location: Iowa

should work .....

the metalab mirror is either down or the package is moved. I think it was a java package, i recieved the same error and it works fine.

_________________
Veronica - Arch Linux 64-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
Archie/Jughead - Arch Linux 32-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
Betty/Reggie - Arch Linux (VBox) 32-bit -- Kernel 2.6.33.4-1
BumbleBee - OpenSolaris-SunOS 5.11

JP · Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2025 6:02 am Post subject:

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