UNIX System Administration Handbook (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

by Evi Nemeth (Author), Garth Snyder (Author), Scott Seebass (Author), Trent Hein (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The third edition of Unix System Administration Handbook stands as a fantastic Unix book, perhaps one that's destined for legend. It's arguably the best general Unix book around. Don't delay in getting it, and don't spend too much time flinching at the price; it's worth it. If you work with Unix--in any of its flavors--you'll use this book, and frequently.

How, then, to begin the song of praises for the book? Let's start with its comprehensiveness. The authors--a whole passel of them, but miraculously consistent in style--deal with every subject that's central to the Unix universe. Their diligence extends even to detailed coverage of subjects (like the Domain Name System (DNS)) that many authorial squads omit. System administrators need to understand it all--it's good to see everything covered in one book. Of course, you still will need more focused texts for really complicated situations, but the coverage here will carry you a long way.

Although you probably will want to read this book cover to cover eventually, you might first look at the index, which typically will guide you to a couple of sections. First, an overview of the subject that interests you will explain what the service or feature is meant to do, what it isn't meant to do, and how (in fairly general terms) it does its job. You'll find four sections--one each on the relevant configuration facts of the four emphasized Unix variants. These sections aren't presented as explicit sequences of steps (which invariably leave the reader asking, "But, what if... " anyway), but as narratives that are interspersed with commands and configuration file listings. The approach works well, and it's made even better by the syntax summaries and conceptual diagrams that pop up now and then. --David Wall

Topics covered: Administration of Unix systems, with specific reference to Solaris 2.7, HP-UX 11.00, Red Hat Linux 6.2, and FreeBSD 3.4. Administration is a broad subject, and the authors touch on most of its aspects, including user and file operations (basic and advanced), hardware configuration, and kernel tweaking. Networking coverage includes basic connectivity, routing, server software, DNS, and security.

Product Description
An ideal tutorial for those new to administration and an invaluable reference for experienced professionals. Stresses a practical approach to systems and administration, from basic topics to UNIX esoterica. Now covering Red Hat Linux. Previous edition not cited. Softcover.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 896 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 3 edition (September 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130206016
• ISBN-13: 978-0130206015
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,175 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended with a couple of minor complaints, November 27, 2000

By	Phillip Wherry (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the latest iteration of an absolutely essential guide to the art and science of Unix system administration. The authors earn my respect for calling things as they see them; while sometimes this is good for a chuckle (some of their swipes at Sun for nonstandard and stupid things in Solaris), it's even more useful when they're citing best practices. For those familar with Mark Minasi's books on Windows NT/2000, the tone is pretty similar. Though it won't be the largest computer book on your shelf, the information content (or "signal to noise ratio") is very, very high. What's not to like? The price, for one thing: at $68 (list), this is an extremely expensive paperback. The book also makes reference to a number of things on the companion web site (www.admin.com) - but the site itself hasn't been updated since the second edition, so the supplemental materials (which used to be on an included CD-ROM) simply aren't available right now (27-Nov-2000). Hopefully the authors will correct this problem in the not-too-distant future.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pricey, but best single-source, multi-platform UNIX book, January 27, 2002

By	Richard Bejtlich "TaoSecurity.com" (Metro Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I am a senior engineer for network security operations. I read "UNIX System Administration Handbook, Third Edition" (USAH:3E) to improve my knowledge of UNIX systems from a security analyst perspective. I am not a professional system administrator and I am not qualified to refute USAH:3E's advice. Nevertheless, because I deal with FreeBSD, Linux, and Solaris on a daily basis, I found USAH:3E to be insightful and invaluable.

USAH:3E stands out for three reasons. First, it covers the three most popular UNIX operating systems I know: FreeBSD, Linux, and Solaris. (The authors also support HP-UX, but I have no direct experience with that OS.) By comparing the features and configuration of multiple operating systems, USAH:3E is frequently far more educational than a single-OS book. USAH:3E is the one OS book I would include in my incident response kit, along with "Incident Response" by Mandia/Prosise/Pepe.

Second, USAH:3E is written to inform and entertain, and does both very well. While most OS books are content to explain the "what," and few include the "how," USAH:3E also delivers the "why." USAH:3E peers deep into the workings of the OS, but keeps the discussion clear and concise. For example, pp. 48-51 provide an excellent discussion of signals. Table 4.1 lists 13 'UNIX signals that every administrator should know,' showing whether processes can catch or block each. This chart and the text finally illuminated the difference between 'kill PID' and 'kill -9 PID' at the level of the OS. Furthermore, the writing style is direct, with numerous humorous references and personal opinions.

The third unique aspect of USAH:3E is the author's uncanny ability to include relevant hints and trivia. For example, as an intrusion detector, I sometimes see Windows machines appear with self-assigned 169.254.0.0/16 addresses. I also see Windows machines attempt to dynamically "update" DNS entries on uncooperative BIND servers. USAH:3E explains both events, and also how Windows 2000 increased the query load on the root name servers within a week of its release. (Remember, this is a UNIX book!)

As a security professional, I need to be familiar with the common systems and applications I encounter. USAH:3E fulfilled this need admirably. Professional system administrators may prefer to buy single-OS or single-application books.

(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher.)

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long overdue - BUY IT NOW!, October 24, 2000

By	Timothy Walker (Orlando, Florida USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you have the slightest interest in Unix system administration, you NEED this book... it will either equip you for the job or make you consider a new line of work.

The changes in the IT industry over the last five years are reflected in the third edition of this book, as it now focuses only on Solaris, HP-UX, FreeBSD, and RedHat Linux. While this is a good cross-section of all *nixes, users of SunOS, OSF/1, or IRIX looking for platform-specific examples should probably stick with the second edition (and it comes with a CD).

Other significant changes to the book include expanded coverage of networking (for example, TCP/IP and Routing are now two separate chapters) and a new chapter on "hosting the satanic banquet" of a mixed Windows/Unix environment (which I find invaluable). Also, topics of diminishing importance (such as Usenet) no longer have their own chapters, but are still covered in appropriate detail.

I can not praise this book highly enough, and Linus Torvalds agrees with me. What more convincing do you need? ;-)