Red Hat Linux System Adminstration Handbook

Systems administrators -- good system administrators -- are worth their weight in coffee beans weekly, probably more if you count overtime. Getting to be a competent admin for a network of GNU/Linux machines isn't easy, especially when so many organizations rely on Windows. Today, chromatic reviews a book that can give a boost to Windows administrators learning to step up. It's definitely Red Hat-centric, right down to the title, but may be useful even if you're using some other flavor of Linux.

Red Hat Linux System Adminstration Handbook author Mark F. Komarinsky & Cary Collett pages 405 publisher Prentice Hall rating 8 reviewer chromatic ISBN 0-13-025395-2 summary A good introduction to Linux, aimed at power users and current Windows administrators.

The Scoop In a bookcase-breaking extravaganza last summer, Slashdot reviewed several books intended for new Linux users. While the kernel, Free Software and Open Source applications, and distributions often undergo periods of rapid change and improvement, the basic principles of use and administration remain constant.

On those lines, Red Hat Linux System Adminstration Handbook is a solid book. Though it specifically discusses Red Hat, most of the information can be applied to other distributions. It strikes a unique balance between the needs of an end user and an administrator. Additionally, the authors go out of their way to explore proprietary and libre software for certain needs.

What's to Like The book imparts a good sense of flexibility. In just a few pages, the RPM chapter enumerates several installation options, covers SRPMs in decent detail, and lists helper applications to simplify life. Many of the other chapters are similarly dense. This doesn't detract from the book's readability, and it covers most of the common details. Readers will learn the necessary basics while being made aware of extra information available. This is also evident in the Networking chapter. While focusing on medium-sized networks, there's enough data provided to get a few boxes up and running with little fuss. The backup chapter is excellent, and so is the chapter on Samba.

This book covers several details often omitted from other books. For example, the installation chapter discusses dual booting with both FreeBSD and Windows NT. Another section outlines PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules, used to configure finer-grained access). Even the chapters on sendmail and wu-ftpd talk about more secure alternatives, such as qmail, BeroFPT, and ProFTPD.

It's hard to quantify what makes a good system administrator. Part of it is wisdom and experience, part is natural talent. Another component develops with time. Tucked into corners here and there, the authors provide useful nuggets designed to spark intuition in a budding junior administrator's mind. This is very subtle, but there's definitely an underlying theme.

What's to Consider

The book covers Red Hat 6.0. Only a few spots have gone out of date with recent releases. For example, the kernel configuration and hardware support information describes the 2.2.x family. As well, packet filtering and masquerading use ipfwadm and ipchains, instead of iptables (available in the 2.4.x family). Most configuration and administration advice still applies.

Some chapters are short. Linux handles printing much differently from Windows, but it receives only 7 pages. The material is good, if skimpy. (Luckily, the Samba chapter fills in some blanks.) Adding more links to sources of additional information would improve this. On the whole, this is a workable reference book, but it won't replace a Nutshell handbook.

Summary and Table of Contents On the whole, the Handbook packs in a lot of data. Administrators already familiar with Windows will get the most from the book. It will require some sense of exploration and adventure, but that's one of the most compelling parts of free software.

Bundled with a CD-ROM, this book forms part of a Training course. It includes several demonstration videos and animations accompanied by audio. Each course corresponds to a book chapter (minus the chapters describing available software or the programming languages) along with practice tests. Easily installed, everything runs in a web browser under Linux or Windows. It won't substitute for a live teacher, but corresponds nicely with the text. This could come in handy for a small business or group on a budget.

1. Introduction
2. Installation
3. Linux Boot and Shutdown
4. Account Administration
5. RPM
6. Networking with Linux
7. Printing and Print Sharing
8. Samba
9. Email
10. Setting up FTP Services
11. Applications for Linux
12. Linux Database Software
13. Programming Languages
14. Web Serving
15. X Windowing System
16. Securing Linux
17. Kernel Administration
18. System and Network Monitoring
19. Backing Up Your Data
20. Talking to Your Peripherals
21. Connecting to the Internet

1. Appendix A (URLs)
2. Appendix B (miscellaneous)

You can purchase this book at Fatbrain. Note: Also available with audio/video CD and tests in The Complete Red Hat Linux Training Course , available as ISBN 0-13-088223-2.

Comments

I'm the author and would like to comment

[Enry]

No really, I'm Mark.

This book is almost 2 years old. It's nice to see Slashdot reviewing it, but it is a bit out of date. So please be gentle about how "old" it appears. On the good side, a lot of the concepts are still current.

If you want something more up to date, please check out the Computer Based Training CD that I did. It's only about a year old, but don't worry, that will get updated too :)

There's always LAME

[Linux Freak]

Well, forgive me for trying to grab some karma (check my posting history, I don't do it often ;p) but if you want to read something free, my Linux Admin Made Easy (LAME) guide is rather uhh, Redhat-centric.

It's a _tad_ out-of-date but still relevant (and I'll be releasing an updated version "any day now").

Check at O'Reilly

[wiredog]

Running Linux, Linux in a Nutshell, and Linux Network Administrators Guide. With those three you can handle most any distro.

honestly

[mirko]

Even though this book might be useful in this direction I can't help but feeling the need for a unified administration tool for Linux as this is becoming somehow discouraging to see so much differences between SuSe, Debian, RedHat, etc.
Maybe a unique book covering all these topics at once like this one but only aimed at Linux distros?
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