Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice) [Paperback]

Sander van Vugt (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590599233 | ISBN-13: 978-1590599235 | Publication Date: December 18, 2007 | Edition: 1

You love it as the world’s most popular desktop Linux distribution, and now Ubuntu is available at a server near you. Embracing the very same features desktop users have grown to love, system administrators are rapidly adopting Ubuntu due to their ability to configure, deploy, and manage network services more effectively than ever.

Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration guides you through all of the key configuration and administration tasks you’ll need to know. Whether you’re interested in adopting Ubuntu within a Fortune 500 environment or just want to use Ubuntu to manage your home network, this book is your go–to guide to using the distribution securely for a wide variety of network services. Topics include file, print, web, and FTP management, command–line tips and tricks, automated installation, configuration and deployment processes, and kernel management.

What you’ll learn

• Effectively and securely install, update, and deploy your Ubuntu server
• Configure your server to operate most effectively for a wide variety of purposes, including as a web server, FTP server, and a file and printer manager
• Rev up your command–line knowledge by taking advantage of little–known shell–related features, tips, and tricks
• Remotely manage your server through a wide variety of services

Who this book is for

System administrators and application developers seeking to use Ubuntu as a Linux server.

Table of Contents

1. Installing Ubuntu Server
2. Getting the Most Out of the Command Line
3. Performing Essential System Administration Tasks
4. Performing File System Management Tasks
5. Configuring Your Server for Security
6. Setting the System to Your Hand
7. Running It Anyway You Like
8. Making Connection
9. Configuring Network Infrastructure Services
10. Using Ubuntu Server As a File and Print Server
11. Setting Up Web Services
12. Multiplying Your Server

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sander van Vugt is an independent trainer and consultant, living in the Netherlands and working throughout the European Union. He specializes in Linux and Novell systems, and has worked with both for more than 10 years. Besides being a trainer, he is also an author, having written more than 20 books and hundreds of technical articles. He is a Master Certified Novell Instructor (MCNI) and holds LPIC-1 and -2 certificates, as well as all important Novell certificates.

Product Details

• Paperback: 355 pages
• Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (December 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590599233
• ISBN-13: 978-1590599235
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm the author of several books, most of which are about Linux in professional environments. These include "Beginning the Linux Command Line", "Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration" and "Pro Ubuntu Server Administration". Being a Linux user since 1992, the motivation to write books came early. Much of the documentation that you'll find on line (especially in the early days of Linux) was hard to read, so I wanted to translate that information into something that's understandable. I'm like the guy between the developer and the end user. Writing books is not the only way I accomplish this goal. Apart from being an author, I'm a technical trainer as well, delivering Linux courses all over the planet. And if a customer has something interesting, I might be willing to do some consultancy projects as well. In the past few years, most of these have included Linux High Availability and Virtualization.

Apart from all that, I have a personal life as well. I live in the Netherlands (that's a small country in Europe in case you've never heard of it). I like to travel, and my work allows me to do that often and I like running and photography. In fact, right now I'm preparing for my first marathon, which will be end of October this year.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to linux server administration, March 8, 2008

By 

J. Wells (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice) (Paperback)

As many have made the switch to Ubuntu linux on their desktops a plethora have resources have sprung up in the form of websites and books helping users adapt. That hasn't been so much the case with Ubuntu server but this book helps to fill that gap. For those such as myself coming from a Windows background this book is a great introduction to linux server administration.

Written with the novice in mind it strikes a good balance between usefulness and not being overly verbose. Not an easy accomplishment for books of a technical nature. While the book is aimed at the Ubuntu distribution much of the system administration topics covered are not exclusive to Ubuntu.

As someone new to linux I learned a lot about basic topics like file system management, permissions, working with the command line, and much more. Read this book and you may not be a linux server guru but you will certainly have a strong foundation in linux systems administration. Highly recommended!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book to start your own Ubuntu Server. Enterprise or Home server., February 17, 2008

By 

A. Adamou (nj, usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice) (Paperback)

This is a long awaited book for the Ubuntu enthusiasts. If you are a regular Ubuntu user and you want to switch to a system administrator or setup your own Ubuntu server, this is the right book. It is a brief walkthrough which familiarizes readers with basic to advance concepts. The best part is that doesn't require any previous knowledge. I have been working with Linux the last 7 years and there are information and tips in the book that were new to me.
Make sure to create a reference sheet when you are reading as you will need it as you move through the chapters, especially if you have no previous Linux experience.
Chapters 5-6 and 10-11 proved to be the most useful because they cover everything you need to know to start your own webserver or file sharing. If you really want to become an administrator you will need to spend some time learning Linux hardening techniques since the book covers basic security techniques for an everyday server. The author added useful references to cover more details.
I highly recommend this book for people who want to setup their own Ubuntu servers and learn everything that an administrator should know.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to Ubuntu Administration, July 2, 2008

By 

Harold McFarland (Florida) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration: From Novice to Professional (Expert's Voice) (Paperback)

Ubuntu has become one of the fastest growing and arguably most friendly Linux distributions over the last few years. This book is designed to help someone who has no knowledge of Linux become a basic system administrator. While it will not make them an expert among people who know Linux well it will make them sufficiently knowledgeable to do most of the common administrative functions.

The author starts with installing Ubuntu server and moves into information that most Ubuntu users do not understand such as using the command line interface, working with files, and understanding the directory structure. Once the reader has this basic understanding he moves them to some of the common tasks like using software repositories to install and update software packages and user accounts, groups, permissions, access control lists, quotas, an PAM modules. However, the book could use an expanded section on firewalls as this is a major part of Linux server administration.

Other important areas covered include a chapter on writing shell scripts. the basics of SSH and tunneling, DNS, DHCP, NTP, using Ubuntu as a file and print server (cups, NFS, and Samba configurations), Apache, virtual hosts, PHP, MySQL, FTP, and virtualization. For many of these areas, including Samba, Apache, PHP, and MySQL, the coverage is just the minimum you need to know. This is expected as there are complete volumes written just on each of these subjects that are larger than this book. This books still gives you a solid introduction to these subjects that is appropriate for the audience the author is trying to reach.

This book is a great introduction to Ubuntu Server administration and moves the reader from the novice to lower intermediate level but really not close to a professional Ubuntu administrator. Nonetheless, it is recommended for those new to Ubuntu servers as it does touch on and provide a working knowledge of pretty much all the most common areas of Linux server administration.