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Linux System Administration, Second Edition (Craig Hunt Linux Library)
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Author: Vicki Stanfield, Roderick W. Smith
List Price: $49.99
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0782141382
Publisher: Sybex (09 September, 2002)
Edition: Paperback
Sales Rank: 36,077
Average Customer Rating: 4.31 out of 5
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Customer ReviewsRating: 5 out of 5
Finally I begin to understand Linux
Microsoft's introduction of XP also introduced outrageous Microsoft user agreements I could never accept. Furthermore I was sick of Windows security issues, viruses, instability, and software conflicts. The GNU/Linux FREE as in freedom philosophy made sense to me, so I chose Linux FREEdom over Mac's wanna-be a monopoly world. A copy of Mandrake Linux sat on my shelf awaiting a Linux guru to help me install it, until late one night when Windows irrevocably crashed in the middle of a project I had to finish before bed. In a panic I installed Linux (along with a broad suite of apps) on an old hard drive I had, recovered my files from the Windows drive, and was working on my project again within 45 minutes. That was more than two years ago and I never looked back. I have a fast, stable, secure, virus free operating system with more and better apps than I could afford with Windows.However, until a month ago, when I bought a copy of Linux System Administration, I could only use Linux as if it was Windows or Mac. The full power of GNU/Linux is accessible through the shell command line, and this power was beyond my grasp. It wasn't that I hadn't tried. I bough half a dozen books about Linux in order to learn how to access and use this power. But the books I bought, though highly recommended, all required prerequisite knowledge I lacked, had no logical explanation, or they were too simplistic. Nor have I been able to find anyone to hold my hand through the process of learning the real power of Linux. Linux System Administration is exactly the book I needed. Linux System Administration is not in any way dumbed down. It is simply very good at introducing and explaining Linux. This is not a beginner's book inadequate to provide any real understanding. It is a solid book suitable for use by a Linux system administratior that a beginner can begin with. Linux System Administration is empowering me to be the system administrator of my computer and LAN (and more if I want to or need to). Linux System Administration is making available to me the FREEdom, control, and power that GNU/Linux is all about. I also recommend Linux In A Nutshell, and Linux Cookbook. Running Linux, recommended by "Linux Journal" (along with Linux System Administration and Linux In A Nutshell), had been beyond me, but maybe after I fully assimilate Linux System Administration I'll be able to make use of it.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Is it worth the hype?
Well, I picked up second edition of the book "Linux System Administration" soon after I read excellent "introductory" type of the book, "Linux for Windows Administrators" by Mark Minasi. It was a logical next step for Unix/Linux newbie like me to pick up more advanced guide for Linux SA. Now, I can only confirm that the book is worth the Linux Journal award in 2001 as being "One of the most indispensable Linux Books".
It's well written, thought technical dry and less fun to read than the book from Mr. Minasi!
The impression that I got is that book is geared more toward novices and beginners in the field of system administration (in general) than for some seasoned Unix sysadmin on her/his way to Linux. (If you're Windows admin that successfully installed Linux box or two, with solid general knowledge of the hardware than this book is for you!)
Book is organized in four parts (Basics, Managing Users and Processes, Networking and System Optimization) and as such covers most tasks and duties of Linux SA.
Layout of the book is nothing special, it's simple and with some unnecessary screenshots (like that of xrost and BRU screenshot, webmin) and lengthy scripts (such as sample netfilter startup file) - this kind of material belongs to appendix of the book.
Overall good book that you can use on a daily basis but not as a complete reference! I found book useful as a reminder of some basic principles and commands, which I later explore with the help of other books and online documentation. Have fun!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Brings the beginners to the next level...
This book is perfect for the person who has been tinkering with Linux long enought to have started outgrowing the GUI based tools that the distros are spoon feeding users with. This book takes a reader who is ready to leave webmin or other "wizard" approaches behind and wants to take the bull (er... config files) by the horns and REALLY control their machines. The vendor/distro neutral coverage is fair and even handed, giving time to both Redhat based distros as well as Debian. If you are itching to stop having to point and click all over the place to change a line in a config file, and are ready to learn the faster, quicker, less error prone way... here you go! Become an SA :)
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