Good book about linux

25 Free Books To Learn Linux For Free

Last updated February 6, 2020 By Abhishek Prakash 111 Comments

Brief: In this article, I’ll share with you the best resource to learn Linux for free. This is a collection of websites, online video courses and free eBooks.

How to learn Linux?

This is perhaps the most commonly asked question in our Facebook group for Linux users.

The answer to this simple looking question ‘how to learn Linux’ is not at all simple.

Problem is that different people have different meanings of learning Linux.

• If someone has never used Linux, be it command line or desktop version, that person might be just wondering to know more about it.
• If someone uses Windows as the desktop but have to use Linux command line at work, that person might be interested in learning Linux commands.
• If someone has been using Linux for sometimes and is aware of the basics but he/she might want to go to the next level.
• If someone is just interested in getting your way around a specific Linux distribution.
• If someone is trying to improve or learn Bash scripting which is almost synonymous with Linux command line.
• If someone is willing to make a career as a Linux SysAdmin or trying to improve his/her sysadmin skills.

You see, the answer to “how do I learn Linux” depends on what kind of Linux knowledge you are seeking. And for this purpose, I have collected a bunch of free Linux resources that you could use for learning Linux.

These free resources include eBooks, video courses, websites etc. And these are divided into sub-categories so that you can easily find what you are looking for when you seek to learn Linux.

If you are looking to build a career as a Linux SysAdmin, I recommend getting professional certification from The Linux Foundation, the organization that employs Linux creator Linus Torvalds. You can also check some inexpensive Linux courses on Udemy.

Again, there is no best way to learn Linux. It totally up to you how you go about learning Linux, by online web portals, downloaded eBooks, video courses or something else.

Disclaimer: All the books listed here are legal to download. The sources mentioned here are the official sources, as per my knowledge. However, if you find it otherwise, please let me know so that I can take appropriate action.

1. Free materials to learn Linux for absolute beginners

So perhaps you have just heard of Linux from your friends or from a discussion online. You are intrigued about the hype around Linux and you are overwhelmed by the vast information available on the internet but just cannot figure out exactly where to look for to know more about Linux.

Worry not. Most of us, if not all, have been to your stage.

Introduction to Linux by Linux Foundation [Video Course]

If you have no idea about what is Linux and you want to get started with it, I suggest you to go ahead with the free video course provided by the Linux Foundation on edX. Consider it an official course by the organization that ‘maintains’ Linux. And yes, it is endorsed by Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux himself.

Linux Journey [Online Portal]

Not official and perhaps not very popular. But this little website is the perfect place for a no non-sense Linux learning for beginners.

The website is designed beautifully and is well organized based on the topics. It also has interactive quizzes that you can take after reading a section or chapter. My advice, bookmark this website:

Learn Linux in 5 Days [eBook]

This brilliant eBook is available for free exclusively to It’s FOSS readers all thanks to Linux Training Academy.

Written for absolute beginners in mind, this free Linux eBook gives you a quick overview of Linux, common Linux commands and other things that you need to learn to get started with Linux.

The Ultimate Linux Newbie Guide [eBook]

This is a free to download eBook for Linux beginners. The eBook starts with explaining what is Linux and then go on to provide more practical usage of Linux as a desktop.

You can download the latest version of this eBook from the link below:

2. Free Linux eBooks for Beginners to Advanced

This section lists out those Linux eBooks that are ‘complete’ in nature.

What I mean is that these are like academic textbooks that focus on each and every aspects of Linux, well most of it. You can read those as an absolute beginner or you can read those for deeper understanding as an intermediate Linux user. You can also use them for reference even if you are at expert level.

Introduction to Linux [eBook]

Introduction to Linux is a free eBook from The Linux Documentation Project and it is one of the most popular free Linux books out there. Though I think some parts of this book needs to be updated, it is still a very good book to teach you about Linux, its file system, command line, networking and other related stuff.

Linux Fundamentals [eBook]

This free eBook by Paul Cobbaut teaches you about Linux history, installation and focuses on the basic Linux commands you should know.

You can get the book from the link below:

Advanced Linux Programming [eBook]

As the name suggests, this is for advanced users who are or want to develop software for Linux. It deals with sophisticated features such as multiprocessing, multi-threading, interprocess communication, and interaction with hardware devices.

Following the book will help you develop a faster, reliable and secure program that uses the full capability of a GNU/Linux system.

Linux From Scratch [eBook]

If you think you know enough about Linux and you are a pro, then why not create your own Linux distribution? Linux From Scratch (LFS) is a project that provides you with step-by-step instructions for building your own custom Linux system, entirely from source code.

Call it DIY Linux but this is a great way to put your Linux expertise to the next level.

There are various sub-parts of this project, you can check it out on its website and download the books from there.

3. Free eBooks to learn Linux command line and Shell scripting

The real power of Linux lies in the command line and if you want to conquer Linux, you must learn Linux command line and Shell scripting.

In fact, if you have to work on Linux terminal on your job, having a good knowledge of Linux command line will actually help you in your tasks and perhaps help you in advancing your career as well (as you’ll be more efficient).

In this section, we’ll see various Linux commands free eBooks.

The Linux Command Line [eBook]

This 500+ pages of free eBook by William Shotts is the MUST HAVE for anyone who is serious about learning Linux command line.

Even if you think you know things about Linux, you’ll be amazed at how much this book still teaches you.

It covers things from beginners to advanced level. I bet that you’ll be a hell lot of better Linux user after reading this book. Download it and keep it with you always.

GNU/Linux Command−Line Tools Summary [eBook]

This eBook from The Linux Documentation Project is a good place to begin with Linux command line and get acquainted with Shell scripting.

Bash Reference Manual from GNU [eBook]

This is a free eBook to download from GNU. As the name suggests, it deals with Bash Shell (if I can call that). This book has over 175 pages and it covers a number of topics around Linux command line in Bash.

Bash Guide for Beginners [eBook]

If you just want to get started with Bash scripting, this could be a good companion for you. The Linux Documentation Project is behind this eBook again and it’s the same author who wrote Introduction to Linux eBook (discussed earlier in this article).

Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide [eBook]

If you think you already know basics of Bash scripting and you want to take your skills to the next level, this is what you need. This book has over 900+ pages of various advanced commands and their examples.

Linux 101 Hacks [eBook]

This 270 pages eBook from The Geek Stuff teaches you the essentials of Linux command lines with easy to follow practical examples.

The AWK Programming Language [eBook]

Not the prettiest book here but if you really need to go deeper with your scripts, this old-yet-gold book could be helpful.

4. Free eBooks for SysAdmin

This section is dedicated to the SysAdmins, the superheroes for developers. I have listed a few free eBooks here for SysAdmin which will surely help anyone who is already a SysAdmin or aspirs to be one. I must add that you should also focus on essential Linux command lines as it will make your job easier.

The Debian Administration’s Handbook [eBook]

If you use Debian Linux for your servers, this is your bible. The Debian Administration’s Handbook starts with Debian history, installation, package management etc and then moves on to cover topics like LAMP, virtual machines, storage management and other core sysadmin stuff.

Advanced Linux System Administration [eBook]

This is an ideal book if you are preparing for LPI certification. The book deals straightway to the topics essential for sysadmins. So knowledge of Linux command line is a prerequisite in this case.

Linux System Administration [eBook]

Another free eBook by Paul Cobbaut. The 370 pages long eBook covers networking, disk management, user management, kernel management, library management etc.

Linux Servers [eBook]

One more eBook from Paul Cobbaut of linux-training.be. This book covers web servers, mysql, DHCP, DNS, Samba and other file servers.

Linux Networking [eBook]

Networking is the bread and butter of a SysAdmin, and this book by Paul Cobbaut (again) is a good reference material.

Linux Storage [eBook]

This book by Paul Cobbaut (yes, him again) explains disk management on Linux in detail and introduces a lot of other storage-related technologies.

Linux Security [eBook]

This is the last eBook by Paul Cobbaut in our list here. Security is one of the most important part of a sysadmin’s job. This book focuses on file permissions, acls, SELinux, users and passwords etc.

Your favorite Linux learning material?

So you now have plenty of reading materials. If you want to practice, you can use one of the online Linux terminals that allow you to run Linux and Bash commands.

I know that this is a good collection of free Linux eBooks. But this could always be made better. If you have some other resources that could be helpful in learning Linux, do share with us. Please note to share only the legal downloads so that I can update this article with your suggestion(s) without any problem.

I hope you find this article helpful in learning Linux. Your feedback is welcome 🙂

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Recommended Books to Learn and Master Linux [For Beginners to Advanced Linux Users]

Last updated October 29, 2020 By Abhishek Prakash 13 Comments

I have written about free Linux books in the past. That article has some good collection of Linux books that are available for free.

The saying goes that best things in life are free. That might not be entirely true when it comes to books. There are many excellent Linux books that you may have to buy, but they are worth the money.

I am going to list some of my favorite Linux books that I own and have read to improve my understanding of various Linux related topics. Some of them are generic while some cover specific areas of Linux systems.

I have mentioned which book covers what topic so that it helps you in deciding whether you should get the book or not.

The Amazon links in the article are affiliate links. You are of course free to get it from the publisher’s website directly, your local book store (support local business) or your favorite online book store.

Recommended books to improve your Linux knowledge

Despite everything, these are my recommendations influenced with my opinion. Suppose I suggest that a Linux book is easy to understand. You got the book online and found it complicated instead. That will be waste of money, won’t it?

I recommend that before you get a book, read some sample pages of the book. You may download the sample chapter from the publisher’s website (if they have it). You may also use a service like Google Books. Search for the book and you’ll find some pages of the book are available to read for free.

Read the sample pages and decide yourself whether the books are good not.

How Linux Works

This is what I recommend if you want to learn and understand the core functioning of Linux. How Linux Works is the perfect book if you are absolutely new or if you want to improve your Linux knowledge.

The book is written in simple and easy to follow language. It starts with giving you the basic idea about Linux, kernel, shell etc and then go on to explain the filesystem, hierarchy etc. After covering the basics, the book goes into core Linux knowledge about how Linux kernel boots, how user space starts, system logging etc.

The book also discusses resource utilization and network configuration before briefly touching the shell scripting part.

You can download the chapter 4 of the book about disks and filesystems for free. Read and see if the book is a good choice or not.

Preview	Product	Price
	How Linux Works: What Every Superuser Should Know	$21.27	Buy on Amazon

Linux Bible

This is perhaps the most comprehensive Linux book that covers a wide variety of topics. Running over 800 pages, you get everything from learning the basics of Linux command line to advanced sysadmin topics.

Each chapter in the book ends with exercises to use your newly learned knowledge in a certain scenario. Answers are included at the end of the book.

If you are preparing to become a sysadmin, if you are preparing for a Linux certification exam or if you just want to improve your Linux knowledge, Linux Bible will prove to be an essential resource.

Preview	Product	Price
	Linux Bible	$31.99	Buy on Amazon

Learn Linux Quickly

I got this book as a gift from its author Ahmed Alkabary. If you remember, Ahmed used to give his “Linux Command Line Basics” course for free to It’s FOSS readers until Udemy changed its policies on coupon code.

Unlike How Linux Works, this one doesn’t explain the functioning of Linux. It directly jumps into Linux command line.

The book reads like a collection of blog posts and in a good way. You’ll find the chapters and topics covered in “How to” style with plenty of command examples, explanation of the outputs and necessary schematic diagrams.

Each chapter ends with a knowledge check section where you are given a simple set of exercise to perform along with a set of true/false question set. This is a good way to test your newly acquired knowledge. The answers are included at the end of the book.

The language of book is conversational and easy to follow. If your aim is to learn Linux commands, this is a good book to have on your desk.

Preview	Product	Price
	Learn Linux Quickly: A Friendly Guide to Easily Master the World’s Most Powerful Operating System.	$39.99	Buy on Amazon

Linux for Developers

Linux for Developers is a small book with less than 200 pages. The book is intended for software developers, not Linux kernel developers.

If you are a software developer using Windows as your main workstation, this book is for you. In most organizations, the developers use Windows for their development tools but when it comes to deployment, the infrastructure exists on Linux machines.

As a software developer, you may not want to spend a lot of time wondering about how to configure network, mount disks etc. Not that it is not good to know, it’s just not essential to your main coding job.

Linux for Developers gives you a glimpse of Linux command line and shows only the absolutely essential Linux commands required by regular developers. You get to know about the filesystem, path navigation, understanding file permissions, essential commands for listing content, viewing files, finding text in files etc.

This book also discusses how to use common terminal based editors like Vim before moving on to tell you about software packaging (if you need to package your software on Linux).

There are also sections on various scripting language. So, you get the very basics of Bash, Perl and Python scripting. Book ends with a few chapters on using Git, managing files with Git and understanding the file differences with Git.

As I have worked as a software developer, I can relate to the author’s thinking of only providing what’s essential for most software developers. This lets the developers focus on their programming while knowing enough Linux command line to get their work done.

Preview	Product	Price
	Linux for Developers: Jumpstart Your Linux Programming Skills (Developer’s Library)	$41.36	Buy on Amazon

Linux Pocket Guide

As the name suggests, Linux Pocket Guide is a small, pocket book for quickly referencing the Linux commands and their functioning.

It doesn’t teach you how Linux works in detail. It is merely a collection of Linux commands. The commands are grouped in various sections such as commands for file viewing, navigating directories, user management, networking etc.

There are quick and short examples of the commands along with their syntaxes and brief description.

Linux Pocket Guide also has alphabetical index at the end of the book. This way, you can quickly see which command is mentioned on which page.

Consider it a huge Linux cheat sheet and an alternative to the manpages. Keeping it at your desk comes handy and saves you from searching on the internet for the command examples all the time.

Preview	Product	Price
	Linux Pocket Guide: Essential Commands	$11.46	Buy on Amazon

Linux Hardening in Hostile Networks

Usually books on advanced topics like Linux security is written in complicated technical language suitable for seasoned sysadmins. This book is slightly different. From a non-technical manager to seasoned DevOps/SecOps to CTO, this book is a fine read for every experience level.

Every chapter in this book has three sections. The first section gives the general, high-level overview of the security topic and easy to implement best practices that almost anyone can understand and follow.

The second section then take it to next level with intermediate to advanced hardening steps for the sysadmins. Even if you don’t follow all of them step by step, you could still read it to have a better idea on the topic.

The third section discusses advanced hardening tips that are complicated and consume time.

It starts with covering general security concept, securing workstations and hardening Linux servers and networks. It then moves on to discuss hardening of essential (and often vulnerable) services like web servers, email, DNS and databases.

The book ends with a chapter on incident response. This gives you some practical advice on what to do when your server is compromised. How to investigate what happened, what the attackers did, how they did it and what to do to prevent such incidents in the future.

Remember, this is not really a cookbook. In fact, I used it as bedtime reading rather than a DIY manual.

The author Kyle Rankin right says that today’s advanced threats tend to find their way into tomorrow’s script kiddie toolkits. It is important to have a security mindset and this book gives you a good perspective on that.

Preview	Product	Price
	Linux Hardening in Hostile Networks: Server Security from TLS to Tor (Pearson Open Source Software.	$33.57	Buy on Amazon

UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook

This book requires you to have a good idea about Linux and have knowledge of the Linux command line. In fact, it is more suitable for you if you are already working as a sysadmin.

Running over 1000 pages, this book covers advanced topics suitable for seasoned sysadmins. From core Linux sysadmin stuff to DevOps oriented topics, this book has it all.

Highly recommended for experienced sysadmins.

Preview	Product	Price
	UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook	$40.44	Buy on Amazon

Linux Firewalls

Another advanced Linux book in this list. No prizes for guessing that this book is all about firewalls in Linux.

As a sysadmin or network engineer, if you want to secure your network or test for vulnerabilities, this is a good book to learn the core concept of firewalls.

Preview	Product	Price
	Linux Firewalls: Enhancing Security with nftables and Beyond: Enhancing Security with nftables and.	$49.99	Buy on Amazon

What Linux books do you recommend?

I haven’t included excellent books like The Linux Command Line in this list. Not that it’s not a good book but because it is available for free and I have mentioned it in the list of free Linux eBooks.

There are numerous Linux books available. I have certainly not read all of them neither I’ll be able to read them all. It is possible that I have missed some of your favorite book.

Why not share your favorite Linux book in the comment section? I’ll add a section of reader recommendation based on your feedback.

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