Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration, by Sander Van Vugt is a well written book coving a range of topics which includes examples. This book covers Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn. Although this release is a little behind, the information presented in the book is still relevant for completing the topics covered. I was impressed with the authors ability to show the reader how a task was completed while keeping it simple so new system administrators or others just starting to learn, will be able to understand what is going on.

While the book is geared towards Ubuntu, the majority of the topics can be associated with other GNU/Linux systems with very little or no changes at all. For instance; the command line section helps the user become more familiar with how commands are used with a Linux server system. It also demonstrates how to use the VI text editor which can be a daunt task for new admins. For advanced command line use, chapter 7 covers everything to get someone started in learning how to script which can be used to automate system tasks.

A great reference in this book, is the chapter about virtualization. Virtualization is becoming more and more dominate when it comes to budget and green computing needs. This chapter covers everything from what software you should use to setup and configuration of both the virtualization software and the guest Operating System.

All in all, Beginning Ubuntu Server Administration: From Novice to Professional, is a well written book and can be used by either seasoned administrators, new techs entering the field, or someone just looking to expand their knowledge. I give this book a solid recommendation and will encourage everyone to pick up a copy.

This book is a timeless overview of the most important administration commands and tools. The text is stringent designed and the examples are easy to understand. I see my self as a person with above novice skills in this area, but I believe I will use this book a lot in the future.

I'm in the midst of starting up a company with two professionals, and they already know a lot about system administration in a linux environment. They believe this book is good for me (and for them).

The book was written with the intention for Ubuntu server 7.04, but I downloaded Ubuntu server beta 8.04 and because most of the examples are in the terminal, it doesn't matter which version you use.

This book should be called "Beginning Linux Server Administration." If that were the title, I would actually give it 5 stars. This IS a well written book but for Ubuntu/Debian Server administration I believe it has a good number of gaps. IE, In apache, adding a virtual host is added and removed using the a2ensite command which creates the Symbolic link.

These tools make server administration easy for a beginner, but missing throughout the book.

This book contains all the right topics, but makes assumptions about a beginner's expericence level. Some of the examples do not work and could be corrected using errata from the publisher, but none seems to exist. The author was very responsive to my questions and offered to have the publisher send me the updated version of the book (Amazon is not selling the latest) and I've yet to receive anything from the publisher. I would like to see the examples better tested and documented (thus the 3 stars) as most everything related to server admin is covered.

I haven't finished it yet, but I have read much of it, and from someone who dislikes the typical computer "tomes" of the 600+ page variety, this <300 book seems very well written, and does still contain a very good amount of detail. Much of the topics were familiar, as I was already using other flavors of linux, but there are enough differences to make this a very worthwhile read for me.

Travis-

The book is clear and concise. It explores several important topics in Ubuntu (linux) server administration from the novice point of view. Although several features are common among several linux distros, the book tries to use the ubuntu way when it is appropriated. Just pay attention: a new edition is coming soon (oct/2008). I did not like the paper used, it is rough and thick, like several others paperback books.

I got this book to help me set up my Ubuntu server from scratch and it is fabulous. This book is well written and is easy for the beginner to understand without completely boring the more experienced user.