How Linux Works, 2nd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know 2nd Edition

Let's face it, if you are mostly a casual computer user doing email and surfing the web, then what operating system you are using is going to matter very little. Linux desktop, MS Windows, Max OS X, and Android are all going to do those tasks pretty much in the same way, and you may not really care about what's under the hood. You can go years using Linux and never see the command line. On the other hand, if you are a technoid as I am, then you are going to be curious about how your operating system works. The net result of this curiosity is gaining an order of magnitude in usability and control over your computer by understanding how it works. I have a number of books about Linux, especially Linux server administration, but none of them make the workings of Linux accessible like this book does. Mr. Ward has put together a wealth of key information about what's going on under the hood and more importantly, how to use it, and done so in easy to understand language.

But let me warn you - this is not a book full of dry, passive pages; this is a lively tutorial! Mr. Ward suggests having a Linux system in front of you and trying the various explorations as you go through the book. I cannot recommend that highly enough. I also recommend having a notebook next to you and taking notes. Above all - do not fear the command line. Mr. Ward's explanations and examples are well done. You have no more excuses for not rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. I think you are going to find that this book becomes the most used of those sitting on your computer bookshelf.

Lastly, thanks, Mr. Ward, for writing this book!!

I've read reviews all over the web of Brian's new edition, and I'm frankly confused. The range of opinions go from "This is very basic, don't bother if you're advanced" to "Don't bother if you're a beginner, way too much detail on the inner workings than you need." 3 bears? Just right for... who? Part of the problem might be the subtitle: "What every superuser should know." In Brian's usual dry sense of humor, this refers to the $ vs. # prompt difference between user and "superuser" (kernel access) at the command prompt. It does NOT mean (goodness no) that you have to be some kind of superuser in the programming sense to understand or greatly enjoy this book.

In one fell swoop Ward does a number of things with the specialized term in unix/linux (superuser is simply what Windows folk would call a sysop or administrator, or hackers would look at with rootkits/kernels as privilege escalation): 1. Letting casual users know they will be using the command line rather than graphic interface 2. Demonstrating the major update from the first edition: this book is a LOT more about the kernel than the first edition, thankfully so!

This is a TOTAL update, so even though I frequently advise going back to a previous edition for unethical publishers and authors that do a cosmetic update and call it a new edition, this is NOT the case here-- Brian has totally reworked the book to bring it up to date with many features Linux was missing (especially in Ubuntu dists) when the first edition was written. This new edition is a MUST, as 10 years has been a lifetime in the Linux world-- frankly the first edition is a paperweight now. And, since this edition includes numerous detailed steps for playing along with your own IDE/SDK throughout as well as complete code on the site, it is now dist independent as much as possible. I've tried the code with Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and RHEI so far, and found ZERO problems with only teensy adjustments. That is unusual for a newly released title, but not for No Starch, who have technical editors who actually TRY the code, unlike a lot of publishers out there in this field.

If you're a beginner, there is no better introduction to operating systems than this book, period. Brian takes the time to explain in painstaking detail the INTUITIVE workings of nearly every o/s-- things you must know to go forward in any kind of programming. In my areas of robotics, embedded and security, many new candidates (some with Masters degrees in IT) flunk the interview because of lack of basic "what's really going on?" answers. These talented candidates know how to program, but when asked very basic questions like "What's the kernel doing here?" or "What does object oriented vs. functional or imperative mean at this level of system call?" their eyes glaze over.

This is why, unlike some other reviewers, I strongly advise reading this book for BOTH beginners and advanced programmers. You do not have to have an objective of designing compilers either! Even basic security and hacking, when using tools like IDA Pro, require you to be able to look at the command line and "see" what state the kernel is in, what it is doing and calling, and what certain interrupt/resume sequences really mean regardless of sequential, parallel or virtual memory paradigms. It is not enough to "let the legacy software" (or in the case of sploits, the rootkit) do the work anymore-- even basic scripters are now modifying vm's and rootkits with Python, and the typical sploit, whether pen, hack, forensics or just system admin, involves sophisticated user/kernel interactions by malware that can now not only inject sequences, but also install entire new o/s donuts around your kernel and control the entire o/s!

Finally, this book is radically fun if you have any interest in computers, at any level, including high school AND grad school, as well as seasoned practicing programmers. At over 350 pages and extremely up to date, Ward packs each page with SO much information and detailed knowledge, with deeply intuitive examples, that you can either study every sentence numerous times like a text, looking up details in his many external resources, or just read casually and get a "gist" that is rare as an overview of what's really going on between kernel and user abstraction levels (or in the operational sense, interfaces).

The information in this book is pertinent for both Geek Squad repair folk and MIT PhD malware designers. I guarantee, as an old professor who teaches Kali Linux to hackers and pen testers at both of these levels, and in assembly reverse engineering detail including memory forensics, that there is something delightful for everyone in this new edition... highly recommended.

l'm torn on how to rate this. This is a great introduction to linux and all the major utilities it has to offer. I would recommend it to the geek new to Linux who wants a thorough survey with a focus on command line tools.

Unfortunately, it never actually explained what I bought it to explain: how Linux actually works, not just the tools that come with it. He briefly discusses inodes and page tables, but I was expecting an explanation of the datastructures and algorithms used, design considerations, references to the source code, that sort of thing. You know, the actual "how it works" bit, not a list of command-line tools and when and how to use them arranged by topic. It does a nice job of giving some background information on a topic, but it never really approached what the title implies (and the background information is stuff about how the internet works in the chapter about networking, not stuff about Linux specifically)..

But despite my disappointment, I can't deny the usefulness of the book if you're looking to be a sort of Linux power-user, but it still wouldn't quite get 5 stars because it does become a bit of a tedius "this is a list of arguments you can give rsync."

The lack of a table of contents in the kindle edition feels like a publishing bug.

I wonder if the author or publisher are aware of this.

The book looks like it might be good, but I only buy technical books electronically and a technical book without a table of contents is almost useless for reference.