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HowTo

Before I begin, I would like to say that I have had and will continue to have your subscription because yours is one of the best Linux Magazines available.

My only critique is on the "HowTo" articles. They are far from HowTos. I understand there are different flavors of Linux, but many of the articles are written to assume a level of knowledge that, if the person had that knowledge, they would not need the article. For example, on setting up a transparent proxy "Bridge Filter," the instructions say, "The next step is to modify the Squid configuration files to match your requirements. What files? What settings in SQUID? Just the ACL? It's also a tease because many of the articles go from extremes; for example, you have exact commands such as brctrl addif br0 eth0, but then you make comments like the one above.

My point is this, typically I use your articles as a starting point, but I can never use them as a guide. I am required to search the Internet for more specific instructions. It would be nice to be able to use your magazine as a HowTo. If the point is an enterprise solution, use Red Hat, Centos, Suse, White Hat, or Fedora Core. Thank you for your time!

Jose Hernandez

LM

Thanks for your input. We agree that, in many cases, our articles may not be all you need to get up and running, especially with a complex server configuration that requires several components. We feel that Linux Magazine serves a vital role in dispensing information on Linux and Open Source software, but it is not intended to be a substitute for HowTos, man pages, and other forms of documentation.

Our articles reach a wide range of readers, from beginners to experts, and our goal is to always give every reader something worthwhile that they can use. Our mission is to help readers broaden and also deepen their knowledge of Linux. We help them broaden their knowledge by telling them about new tools they may not know about, new updates, and new techniques based on tools they may already be using. We help them deepen their knowledge by taking an inside look at systems, components, and protocols that are operating behind the GUI and command line. These goals often put us on the course of describing very specific configuration steps, but sometimes the possibilities are so endless, or the options are so elaborate, that a full discussion is not possible in a single article. We almost always list sources for additional information in the ubiquitous "Info" box you'll find near the end of nearly every Linux Magazine article.

Lost Article

I'd like to point out that the article "Desktop Recorders" in issue #70 (September 2006, p50-51) is not listed in the Contents pages of that issue. Incidentally, this omission made me question my memory faculties: having run across the article one day while browsing the magazine, I made a mental note to get back to it afterwards. Imagine my confusion a few days later when I couldn't find it listed in the contents section! However, confidence in my own sanity won the day and I found the article by going through the magazine page-by-page.

Dan Moinescu

LM

Sorry about the confusion. Yes, we noticed that also, but not in time to stop the press. These kinds of mishaps do happen sometimes in publishing, although we always strive to avoid them. You can think of "Desktop Recorders" as a special bonus included in the issue even though it wasn't mentioned - like a Cracker Jack prize or a ten dollar bill in the pocket of a second-hand coat.

Please send your comments and suggestions to letters@linux-magazine.com