Linux System Administration [Paperback]

Tom Adelstein (Author), Bill Lubanovic (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0596009526 | ISBN-13: 978-0596009526 | Publication Date: March 1, 2007

If you're an experienced system administrator looking to acquire Linux skills, or a seasoned Linux user facing a new challenge, Linux System Administration offers practical knowledge for managing a complete range of Linux systems and servers. The book summarizes the steps you need to build everything from standalone SOHO hubs, web servers, and LAN servers to load-balanced clusters and servers consolidated through virtualization. Along the way, you'll learn about all of the tools you need to set up and maintain these working environments.

Linux is now a standard corporate platform with users numbering in the hundreds of millions, and there is a definite shortage of talented administrators. Linux System Administration is ideal as an introduction to Linux for Unix veterans, MCSEs, and mainframe administrators, and as an advanced (and refresher) guide for existing Linux administrators who will want to jump into the middle of the book. Inside, you'll learn how to:

• Set up a stand-alone Linux server



• Install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot a DNS server using BIND



• Build an Internet server to manage sites, perform email and file transfers, and more



• Set up an email service for a small-to-medium-sized site, complete with authentication



• Install and configure Apache, PHP, and MySQL on a web server built from scratch



• Combine computers into a load-balanced Apache web server cluster based on the free Linux Virtual Server



• Set up local network services from distributed file systems to DHCP services, gateway services, print services, user management and more



• Use Linux virtualization with Xen or VMWare to run multiple kernels on one piece of hardware; manage each kernel's access to processor time, devices, and memory



• Create shell scripts and adapt them for your own needs



• Back up and restore data with rsync, tar, cdrecord, Amanda, and MySQL tools

Linux System Administration is not only knowledgeable and practical, but convenient. The ingredients for this book had been scattered throughout mailing lists, forums, and discussion groups, as well as books, periodicals, and the experiences of colleagues. Everything is now in one handy guide. In the course of their research, the authors also solved many problems whose solutions were completely undocumented. They now pass their lessons on to you.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Adelstein works as a system administrator and a technical writer. He became a young author by accident in 1985 and has written prolifically ever since. Tom's career began in public accounting and investment banking where he excelled by using computer technology to help his companies become industry leaders in the financial service sector. In 1993, he decided to change industries completely to pursue information technology full time. He says he chose to follow his heart instead of his head.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 291 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596009526
• ISBN-13: 978-0596009526
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Quite Disappointing, August 5, 2007

By 

James M. Barker II (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Linux System Administration (Paperback)

I shelled out the full price for this at a local bookstore with the hopes that it could help me setup a new Debian LINUX server. Normally, O'Reilly books have a very high level of accuracy and detail, this one deviates from that standard quite a bit. I used to admin BSD boxes many moons ago and thought this would be the perfect refresher course for me to get back up to speed with the current technology. From the beginning of the book, I started running into problems and was getting confusing errors that were not at all mentioned in the book. For starters, this book is based on older software packages that aren't included in the current distribution, so you have to use your favorite search engine to find out what the current version and installation package names are. Next, the configuration files the authors tell you to modify are in many cases wrong or non-existent. They have you comment out lots of lines in various config files only to discover later on in the book that you have to uncomment them so things like PHP will actually work. On top of that, the ISPCONFIG setup fails, as there is some sort of problem with the PHP installation. AARGH! I think I spent more time playing Sherlock Holmes on the web than I did reading the book. Which, I actually recommend that YOU do if you are in a similar position as me... To add to my frustration with the authors, their website is basically vacant. My opinion is they cashed the check from O'Reilly and forgot about the rest of their commitments to the readers who are spending from $29 to $44.99 USD on a copy of this outdated and confusing waste of paper. There might be a few useful tidbits here and there, but the web is your best resource for this information. I gave it 2 stars because it does point you in a general direction of how you might want to set things up, but the explanation of it all is generally wrong.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This Book should be renamed Debian Sys Admin, July 31, 2007

By 

T. Brown "Lynwode" (Vic, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Linux System Administration (Paperback)

I found this book very disapointing. My main concern was with the authors decision to base the examples solely on Debian distros of Linux. This is not mentioned in the the books description.

The book also advises that there is a website to accompany the book with examples, tips and new procedures. This turns out to be a one page website with 5 links that refer back to the same homepage with no content.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Linux System Administration Good for MCSE and a seasoned Linux or UNIX administrator, April 20, 2007

By 

Vivek "Vivek" (Bangalore, India) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Linux System Administration (Paperback)

Linux System Administration is a book for a seasoned Linux or UNIX administrator. The book attempts to describe day-to-day administration, maintenance and advanced issues commonly faced by Linux system administrator. Book covers wild verity of topics.

Both Tom Adelstein and Bill Lubanovic has done an extraordinary work to put together Linux System Administration. Tom is not just a system administrator but a good technical writer.

So what's unique about this book?
Generally most Linux classes and books cover topics such as user administration, setting up mail and web servers, printers, new hard disk / file system etc. But very few books or classes deals with scalability and availability issues. The book teaches you how to setup a reverse proxy in front of Apache, setting up a load balancing server, hot backups and running Linux based server 24×7.

The entire book is divided into 11 chapters that cover from practical advice on building everything from SOHO hubs, web servers, and LAN servers to load-balanced clusters and servers consolidated through virtualization.

Sure you will find most of the information mentioned in this book throughout mailing lists, forums, blogs, and discussion groups but not in one handy guide. Overall, a great book that touches all Linux administrative aspects not covered in many books and classes. This book is highly recommended to all Linux administrators or admins with Windows Sever background.

a) Level of experience needed: Intermediate Linux / UNIX sys admin / MCSE etc
b) Who will find useful: Linux/UNIX sys admin / IDC Tech support staff / Linux fan boys ;)