Appendix A. Sources of Linux Information

This appendix lists various online sources of Linux information. Although all these documents are available electronically on the Internet, many are also available in printed form.

Linux distributions often include some of this documentation in the distribution itself and make them available on the runtime system. As mentioned in the text, documentation on a Linux system can be found in a number of places, including Unix manual pages, GNU Info pages, and HTML help documentation (such as that displayed by the KDE Help Center).

Most Linux distributions store documentation on individual programs, such as README files and release notes, under the /usr/share/doc directory. If you have the kernel source installed, the documentation included with the kernel will usually be found in the directory /usr/src/linux/Documentation.

For information of a more interactive nature, the following sources are commonly used by Linux users:

Usenet newsgroups: Most newsgroups relevant to Linux are under the comp.os.linux hierarchy, but many also are regional, distribution-specific, or dedicated to open source projects.
IRC: Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is the traditional Unix chat system, and is often used for getting immediate answers to questions from other users.
Mailing lists: Most Linux and open source projects, from the kernel to KDE, use mailing lists as the primary means for project developers to communicate. Many Linux user groups have mailing lists that can provide a local perspective.