Linux System Administration, Second Edition (Craig Hunt Linux Library)

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!

Linux System Administration does a great job of covering a vast amount of Linux topics with just the right amount of detail for most users. This book appeals to a wide variety of readers, it is written in way that doesn't scare off newbies, but manages to have enough meat for experienced Linux users. The great thing about this book is it spends a fair amount of time explaining how to do things on a variety of distros.Parts of the book that stand out in my mind are the chapters dealing with kernel recompilation, scripting and security. The kernel recompilation chapter is by far the best material I've seen on the subject to date, it almost makes kernel recompilation sound too easy. The security chapter is good starting point for sysadmins that are new to Linux. The book also provides a nice little introduction to scripting, although if your going to be a Linux sysadmin, the Orielly books on bash and perl are a must.There were very few things that I didn't like about this book. One thing that stands out in my mind is the author's insistence on using paper journal books for logging system changes. With the proper backup procedures in place, a web based system log is a much more efficient way of keeping tracking of changes. Overall, the book is must read for anyone new to Linux and is also a good pickup for seasoned Linux users. I've been recommending this book over Running Linux as of late, since the Oreilly offering is showing its age.

I rated this at 5 stars; however since it is well out of date, I think it should be a 4 stars. There are few linux books (or none) as well written as this. I thought the chapters on the boot process and startup scripts was much better detailed described than any of the half dozen Linux books that I have read so far: It broke it down to the BSD style vs the Sys V style. Nice comparatives. Great read across *ALL* chapters. My only problem is that this book was published in 2002. Today I'm looking for a handy reference for 2008. Even though its a bit dated, I still refer to this book. Nearly all the Craig Hunt Linux Book series are fantastic which makes me wonder why the author is not reassembling another Craig Hunt book crew to update all of the books in the shelf -- most are 2002 or earlier.

This title is aging well, unlike so many computer books that have become outdated as the version of software which they discuss becomes obsolete. I find "Linux System Administration" to be exactly what I need: a tutorial approach to Linux system and server maintenance. For example, I learned more about bootloaders and system initialization from this book than I had been able to garner from all of my previous investigations. I have found most resources that present the level of detail I want also assume the reader possess more previous knowledge that I did when I began reading. Stanfield and Smith start at zero and with diagrams and line-by-line analysis of scripts bring the reader up to speed.If this book were to be edited and re-released we might see the description "Configuring Modems" eliminated in favor of more details on the myriad ways printers are shared over a network; shift the discussion about rescue media from floppy disks to the use of flash drives and live CD's ; and perhaps limit the amount of advice on getting along in the workplace. Overall, I think that while some of this text is out of date, by far the bulk of what is written is applicable to understanding modern Linux Distributions and systems. Indeed, it is hard to find so much basic information presented in such a cohesive manner.This book has a permanent place on my bookshelf, but for now it resides on my lab bench.

The Craig Hunt library range for Linux is exceptional and in a league of it's own. After owning around 20 Linux books, including certification level, this one range stands out as head and shoulders above any other publisher.Currently I have four different books from Craig Hunt, and all are the "go to" book for that subject - and all give effortless expertise.They are written so that you get the concept first time every-time. Outstanding. Look at the reviews on Amazon for the library.. and you'll see they're stunning. If you're considering Certification they will give you a high level background understanding, which other books just can't seem to manage to do.Nothing else compares to them - so I'm collecting the entire range - which is the sign of a happy bunny. :)