Linux Administration: A Beginner's Guide, Fifth Edition

But this is no mere command reference or novice's introduction. Shah doesn't shy away from explaining the really interesting aspects of Linux administration, including kernel compilation, Domain Name Service (DNS) configuration, sendmail setup, and establishing firewall protection with IP chaining. For all of these subjects (and many more), this book includes clear statements of what concepts are relevant, which commands to issue, and what to expect in response. It's a great help in self-guided explorations. It's also worth having this book on hand for work assignments--you'll find complete recipes for configuring all major Internet and local area network (LAN) services that also take into account easy maintenance and security. --David Wall

Topics covered: Administering Linux 2.2.x (particularly Red Hat, Caldera, and SuSE distributions). Installation, initial configuration, using the bash command shell, managing files, managing software, and granting rights to users. DNS, FTP, Apache, sendmail, Samba, and other services receive lots of attention.

Product Description
Administer Any Linux Distribution with Ease

Fully updated for the most current Linux distributions, Linux Administration: A Beginner's Guide, Fifth Edition, shows you how to set up, maintain, and troubleshoot Linux on a single server or an entire network. Get full details on granting user rights and permissions, configuring software and hardware, providing Internet and intranet services, and customizing Linux kernel 2.6. You'll also learn how to get your network services IPv6 ready, implement sound security, create foolproof system backups, and use the latest virtualization technologies. Real-world, hands-on examples are included throughout.

• Install and configure popular Linux distributions, including Fedora 9, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, OpenSuSE, and Ubuntu
• Manage users, permissions, files, folders, and applications
• Administer Linux servers from the GUI or from the command line (shell)
• Understand and manage file systems in Linux
• Compile, tune, and customize Linux kernel 2.6
• Build robust firewalls and routers using netfilter and Linux
• Manage the Linux TCP/IP networking stack and services for both IPv4 and IPv6
• Build and deploy Web, e-mail, and FTP servers
• Use NIS, NFS, LDAP, and Samba for resource sharing and identity management
• Set up and administer print, DNS, POP3, IMAP3, and DHCP servers
• Implement Linux virtualization technologies, including the native KVM platform

Between the two, I have found this book far more helpful, as it discusses the basics of Linux (to me important) as well as administration concerns, security issues, and principles that every SysAdmin should understand and follow.

It flows well, the writer's style is great and I read the entire thing over a course of 4 days. After reading it and doing additional research on the net, I realize that Steve has covered about 80% of what most authors are writing about when it comes to securing a single server.

The book starts easy and gets quite in-depth, so if you are a rookie (like myself) you should at least have aptitude for computers or a strong will to learn. If that is the case, this is a great reference book which I will no doubt continue to use as I explore Linux further.


Converting from NT to Linux? This is your book   April 7, 2001
Juan Puchalski (Venezuela)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

This book is a very solid introduction for those who know their way around computers and operating systems in general. It's good to find books that don't treat the user like complete weenies or books that go so techincally deep but speak of very little...

This book as a lot of analogies between the Linux and NT world, including some pretty nice network blueprints showing how a NT network would be server-wise, compared to a Linux network.

Overall this was a great intro level book. My highest recommendations to everyone.