Windows and LinuxIntegration: Hands-on Solutions for a Mixed Environment [Paperback]

Jeremy Moskowitz (Author), Thomas Boutell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0782144284 | ISBN-13: 978-0782144284 | Edition: 1

* Don't Just Cope With Your Mixed-Environment Problems-Solve Them
* Maximize Productivity and Lower Costs by Strategically Combining the Strengths of Linux and Windows
* Leverage Windows Resources from Linux, and Linux Resources from Windows
* Meet All Your Remote and Terminal Connection Challenges with the Right Solutions

WHY NOT HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS?

For all those who talk of a war between Windows and Linux, there are others-like yourself-who ask, "Can't we all just work together?" As Windows & Linux Integration demonstrates, it's possible, and a lot easier than you think.

It doesn't matter whether you know Windows better than Linux or vice versa. This book shows you how to make the most of Linux in a Windows environment, and the most of Windows in a Linux environment. Written by two industry-recognized experts, one from the Windows world, one from the Linux world, they will guide you with practical, hands-on instruction and detailed examples that show you how to get the job done.

Coverage includes:
* Welcoming Linux clients and servers into an existing Windows Active Directory
* Integrating Windows clients into existing Linux directory services
* Making Windows printers available to Linux clients-and vice versa
* Integrating and unifying email services for Linux and Windows clients
* Using Linux as a spam- and virus-killing machine to reduce Exchange's workload
* Running Windows applications on Linux with VMware, WINE, Bochs, coLinux, and CrossOver Office
* Using open-source porting projects to run Linux applications in Window
* Integrating Linux DNS with Active Director
* Creating web applications that work flawlessly on Linux and Windows clients
* Setting up a universal locator service for finding files on Windows and Linux machines
* Creating cross-platform, multi-user terminal servers using Windows and Linux servers for Linux and Windows clients
* Remotely controlling Windows machines from Linux machines-and vice-versa

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

• Don't Just Cope With Your Mixed-Environment Problems—Solve Them
• Maximize Productivity and Lower Costs by Strategically Combining the Strengths of Linux and Windows
• Leverage Windows Resources from Linux, and Linux Resources from Windows
• Meet All Your Remote and Terminal Connection Challenges with the Right Solutions

WHY NOT HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS?

For all those who talk of a war between Windows and Linux, there are others—like yourself—who ask, "Can't we all just work together?" As Windows & Linux Integration demonstrates, it's possible, and a lot easier than you think.

It doesn't matter whether you know Windows better than Linux or vice versa. This book shows you how to make the most of Linux in a Windows environment, and the most of Windows in a Linux environment. Written by two industry-recognized experts, one from the Windows world, one from the Linux world, they will guide you with practical, hands-on instruction and detailed examples that show you how to get the job done.

Coverage includes:

• Welcoming Linux clients and servers into an existing Windows Active Directory
• Integrating Windows clients into existing Linux directory services
• Making Windows printers available to Linux clients—and vice versa
• Integrating and unifying email services for Linux and Windows clients
• Using Linux as a spam- and virus-killing machine to reduce Exchange's workload
• Running Windows applications on Linux with VMware, WINE, Bochs, coLinux, and CrossOver Office
• Using open-source porting projects to run Linux applications in Window
• Integrating Linux DNS with Active Director
• Creating web applications that work flawlessly on Linux and Windows clients
• Setting up a universal locator service for finding files on Windows and Linux machines
• Creating cross-platform, multi-user terminal servers using Windows and Linux servers for Linux and Windows clients
• Remotely controlling Windows machines from Linux machines—and vice-versa

About the Author

Jeremy Moskowitz (MVP, MCSE) is founder of Moskowitz, Inc. (www.Moskowitz-inc.com), a provider of consulting and training services for Windows and Linux. He is the author of Group Policy, Profiles and IntelliMirror, also from Sybex, and a contributor to REDMOND Magazine, Windows IT Pro, TechNet Magazine, Linux Magazine, and TechTarget.com.

Tom Boutell is president of Boutell.Com, Inc., a software development, consulting, and web hosting firm with a Linux and cross-platform focus. Tom is the author of the open-source gd library, a basic building block of many well-known open-source software packages. He is also the author of CGI Programming in C and Perl and the original World Wide Web FAQ.

Jeremy and Tom manage www.WinLinAnswers.com, where you can get answers to your toughest Windows/Linux integration questions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 540 pages
• Publisher: Sybex; 1 edition (September 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782144284
• ISBN-13: 978-0782144284
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,146,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Amazing Rare Gem, November 21, 2005

By 

Joaquin Menchaca (San José, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windows and LinuxIntegration: Hands-on Solutions for a Mixed Environment (Paperback)

I seldom come across books that are not only very comprehensive but are very cutting edge up to date as well. What I like about the style is that they assume that you are knowledgeable and resourceful, and thus not padded with the concept theory of [insert technology here]. Yet, there's enough strategically placed summaries of technologies where needed, for example, PAM and NSS overview before delving into configuration of them. I found this approach very refreshing.

For interoperability for authentication and single-sign-on solutions specifically, this book covers both NIS and LDAP/Kerberos (Active Directory) solutions. It has information and solutions for both directions, i.e. windows to linux and linux to windows. A lot of coverage on windbind magic, but also some stuff about other solutions like MS SFU, PADL's NSS and PAM modules and some notes on Vintela and Centrify. These sections are really good, but I still had some questions (that I wish were spelled out or expanded upon), such as: Does winbind need PDC or can it directly hook into Active Directory w/o being in mixed mode?

Other topics include file/print sharing, e-mail integration (postfix and exchange), application compatibility, network interoperability (like VPN), and web interoperabiity including stuff on .Net and Mono project. All of those chapters are really well developed, with possible exception of Chapter 9: Windows and Linux Network Interoperability. For this particular chapter, I wish there could have been coverage of (1) OpenVPN, which has nice GUI application on Windows, (2) IPSec transport mode using KAME/racoon and/or OpenSWAN with MS IPSec security policies, and (3) IPSec tunnel mode with L2TP.

Another quick thing to mention is that they have a quick chapter to ease you into Linux using Fedora Core and Webmin, and use webmin throughout the book. I thought this was a great approach, as it'll allow you to delve deeper into the technologies when you have the opportunity, but yet keep it simple so that you can get stuff going immediately. (( Slightly off topic, one freeware tool came out just after this book came out is Likewise open agent, which might also help ease into Linux administration as well )).

In conclusion, this is a treasure trove of information. If you have any need to use both Linux and Windows environments, I wouldn't pass up this book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Windows\Linux integration book yet, February 5, 2006

By 

John N. Hinkle "Enterprise Consultant" (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Windows and LinuxIntegration: Hands-on Solutions for a Mixed Environment (Paperback)

I've been through a lot of books on using Linux and using Windows, but they come up empty when it comes to integrating the two environments.

I've also read books on the individual components used in this book, but when I get to the sections on integration I run into theory and not practice.

This book covers practice with just the right amount of theory so you know what you are doing. It has step by step instructions that lead you through to a working solution. If you want to be able to deploy both Windows and Linux in a business environment, this is the first book you should buy. Top notch.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Be Careful If You Use 2003 R2!, September 28, 2006

By 

fun2sail "fun2sail" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Windows and LinuxIntegration: Hands-on Solutions for a Mixed Environment (Paperback)

So far, this book has been very informative and helpful. The authors do a good job of telling you just what you need to know -- nothing more, nothing less.

However, I have run into a problem. I want to use Windows 2003 R2 as my Windows platform (besides, if you're going to download demo software from Microsoft, this is the version they'll give you!), and I want my Linux clients to authenticate to Active Directory, without using WinBind. This book runs through the process for accomplishing this using SFU 3.x and pre-R2 Windows 2003 Server. This seems fine, because the book states "not to worry" and says that there is a web appendix online at the book's website which takes you through the steps if you are using R2 and Identity Management Services for Unix.

Unfortunately, on the website, there's simply a "Coming Soon!" statement when you click the web appendix link. This feels like a bait and switch, really, because Microsoft has made schema changes in the move from SFU 3.x to ID Services for Unix, and you can't modify your ldap.conf file appropriately without knowing what schema names to map to. That this book was published in 2005, but the web appendix has yet to appear doesn't seem promising.

So, essentially, this book is already obsolete (at least with respect to Linux client authentication to AD). And I have yet to find online documentation anywhere that tells me plainly what schema objects have changed names (and to what!) in moving to R2. So you'll find yourself in a dead end if you buy this book hoping to accomplish this goal.

Given that this book explicitly states that it will provide information on authenticating Linux clients to Windows 2003 R2 servers running Identity Management Services for Unix, yet it fails to do so, is enough of a reason to rate this book only 2 stars.