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This installment offers five free-to-download books, but they serve different purposes: learning to use a Linux desktop, moving from Windows to Linux, exploring free-software culture, or managing an open-source project. Choose by what you want to learn—not by the series’ “20 books” headline. LinuxLinks published the article on September 11, 2017, and reports that it was updated on March 13, 2026. Read the LinuxLinks list.
Which book should you choose?
| Book | Best fit | Format listed | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference | People learning Ubuntu desktop basics | PDF, 152 pages | Specifically covers Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10; verify its instructions against current Ubuntu before following them. |
| Two Bits | Readers interested in free-software history and culture | PDF, 400 pages | It is about people, practices, openness, licenses, and collaboration, not a Linux desktop tutorial. |
| The Linux Starter Pack | Beginner-to-intermediate readers looking for a broad desktop introduction | PDF, 130 pages | Includes older software such as OpenOffice.org and Compiz; check whether its workflows fit your needs. |
| The Easiest Linux Guide You’ll Ever Read | Windows users new to Linux | PDF, 162 pages | Introduces desktop use, applications, command line, and Linux/Windows differences. |
| Producing Open Source Software | Developers and managers organizing an open-source project | PDF, XML, single-page HTML, and multi-page HTML; 192 pages | Focuses on project practice rather than teaching Linux desktop use. |
LinuxLinks lists formats and page counts; the table does not imply that the books have been checked for present-day technical accuracy. The downloadable files and descriptions are available from the original article.
Books for learning to use Linux
Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference — Keir Thomas
This 152-page PDF covers Ubuntu installation and desktop use, along with user accounts, filesystems, the command line, software management, and security. Its coverage is specifically Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10, so treat it as a historical guide rather than an up-to-date reference. Concepts may still be useful, but old commands, menus, and software-management steps can differ from those in a current release.
The Linux Starter Pack — Future Publishing
This 130-page PDF is described as a beginner-to-intermediate overview, covering installation, desktop use, applications, multimedia, printing, accounts, and security. Its inclusion of OpenOffice.org and Compiz is a reminder that the software context is dated. It may help orient a new reader, but check specific application instructions against the software and distribution you actually use.
#1 Best Overall
The Easiest Linux Guide You’ll Ever Read — Scott Morris
This 162-page PDF is aimed at Windows users approaching Linux. It introduces the desktop, application installation, and command-line basics while explaining similarities and differences between the two systems. It is the most explicitly Windows-oriented starting point in this group; the source does not identify a distribution or release for its instructions, so verify any version-sensitive steps before relying on them.
Books about free software and open-source work
Two Bits — Christopher M. Kelty
At 400 pages, this PDF examines free software as a cultural and historical phenomenon, including the people and practices associated with openness, licensing, and collaboration. Choose it to understand the ideas and social context behind free software, not as a step-by-step guide to installing Linux or using terminal commands.
Producing Open Source Software — Karl Fogel
This 192-page book is the practical project-management choice. LinuxLinks lists it in PDF, XML, single-page HTML, and multi-page HTML formats. Its subjects include setting up a project, infrastructure, communication, releases, volunteers, and licensing. It suits people building or managing open-source projects, rather than readers whose immediate goal is learning to use a Linux desktop.
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The list presents all five titles as free downloads. That is not the same as confirming that every book can be redistributed, mirrored, or reused under identical terms. LinuxLinks says the vast majority of its featured books can also be freely redistributed, but does not provide a title-by-title license audit. Check the license accompanying an individual book before sharing or republishing it; availability as a free download alone does not establish redistribution rights.
Rank #3
Why this “20 books” installment has five entries
Part 1 is the first installment of a four-part LinuxLinks series; this page itself lists five books, not 20. The series title refers to the roundup as a whole. The five selections also are not a single ranked set: three introduce Linux use, while Two Bits explores free-software culture and Producing Open Source Software addresses project practice.
Quick Recap
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