Product Description

“As this book shows, Linux systems are just as functional, secure, and reliable as their proprietary counterparts. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of thousands of Linux developers, Linux is more ready than ever for deployment at the frontlines of the real world. The authors of this book know that terrain well, and I am happy to leave you in their most capable hands.”
—Linus Torvalds

“The most successful sysadmin book of all time—because it works!”
—Rik Farrow, editor of ;login:

“This book clearly explains current technology with the perspective of decades of experience in large-scale system administration. Unique and highly recommended.”
—Jonathan Corbet, cofounder, LWN.net

“Nemeth et al. is the overall winner for Linux administration: it’s intelligent, full of insights, and looks at the implementation of concepts.”
—Peter Salus, editorial director, Matrix.net

Since 2001, Linux Administration Handbook has been the definitive resource for every Linux^® system administrator who must efficiently solve technical problems and maximize the reliability and performance of a production environment. Now, the authors have systematically updated this classic guide to address today’s most important Linux distributions and most powerful new administrative tools.

The authors spell out detailed best practices for every facet of system administration, including storage management, network design and administration, web hosting, software configuration management, performance analysis, Windows interoperability, and much more. Sysadmins will especially appreciate the thorough and up-to-date discussions of such difficult topics such as DNS, LDAP, security, and the management of IT service organizations.

Linux^® Administration Handbook, Second Edition, reflects the current versions of these leading distributions:

• Red Hat^® Enterprise Linux^®
• Fedora^TM Core
• SUSE^® Linux Enterprise
• Debian^® GNU/Linux
• Ubuntu^® Linux

Sharing their war stories and hard-won insights, the authors capture the behavior of Linux systems in the real world, not just in ideal environments. They explain complex tasks in detail and illustrate these tasks with examples drawn from their extensive hands-on experience.

Customer Reviews (50)

Must-read for the experienced system administrator
The Linux Administration Handbook is a must-read for experienced sysadmins. It not only explains how to configure many different Linux services, but also gives invaluable advice on a very wide range of sysadmin responsibilities, including keeping systems secure, how to set up and maintain a server room, fixing performance problems, and managing computer systems. There are a several essential ideas that are not fully explained in the book, such as how to set up systems to shut down gracefully before an uninterruptible power supply's batteries run out, how SELinux works in detail, how to set up a hardened system, and how to set up a VPN. At least the basics of these ideas are mentioned, but a more detailed explanation of them would significantly improve the book.

This should not be your first book on system administration. The book is very dense with detailed theory of Linux system software and overarching philosophy of good system administration practices. Although this approach is ideal for the experienced administrator, it gets in the way of a beginner who is just trying to understand the basics of Linux administration and is likely struggling to get systems installed and configured properly. I would suggest one of the books by Sobell or Negus for the beginning system administrator who is more likely to need immediate how-to advice.

For Experienced Linux people
If you are new or have been using Linux for a short period of time, then this book is not for you.
Also, you do need to have administrator access privilege to Linux system. As a regular user you will not benefit from this book.
I used this book for a college course in Linux administration. Frankly it was not of much help as I did (and do) not have access to a Linux system as administrator. (The course was online. Although I could use the "prompt command" environment as a regular user, I was unable to perform many tasks, execute many commands, and access many files on the college's Linux server simply because online students do not have administrator access privilege).
So, if you want to get this book, first make sure that you can use your Linux system as an administrator. This can be achieved by installing a Linux OS on you computer (you need to consider many issues regarding running a Linux based OS on you PC), or asking the organization where you have (or will have) access to a Linux system if you are allowed to login as administrator. (Note: if you are planning to enroll at an online Linux course that will cover administrators tasks, make sure to verify that you will be able to use the Linux based system of that online offering party as and administrator before enrolling and buying this or any other Linux book which mainly target Linux administrators tasks).

The book has good coverage of Linux administration tasks. However, it is not a step by step how to do book. Do not expect to find (1,2,3.... Or a, b, c...) list of how to perform a task. You may need to jump to different chapter to get a better idea about how a command or file works.

And finally, you will need hand on practice of many topics of the book. As a result you might render the Linux based system you are using a functionless system and thus you may find yourself in problems. (That is why not every organization does allow any Tom, Dick or Harry to get administrator privilege).

LINUX help
This guide gives a great overview of LINUX.Not an easy thing to do when there are so many different flavors of LINUX.

The humor in this book makes the difference in a reference guide and a reference guide that will be read.

Linux Admin. Handbook
This book sucks, well for me that I'm a bigginer, but my class required it. I would not recommend it unless you know a lot about linux, and want to use it as a reference.

The Gap
I like books that begin with a chapter, entitled "Where to Start". It contains good advice about what one needs to know and have to begin administration. Later chapters give an general overview of a subject then points to other sources rather than trying to be an extensive exposition for everything. Though the book is probably no longer worth full price, it is a handy groundwork reference. ... Read more

Product Description

Topics covered: Assuming you know next to nothing about Linux, socially and historically as well as technically, this book teaches you what you need to know to make the operating system meet your desktop and server computing requirements. Coverage takes you from preparing to install Linux (in a multi-OS environment if you wish), continues through system administration and the most useful applications (like TeX and Internet clients), and proceeds to cover programming tools and server daemons (notably Apache, MySQL, and PHP). The coverage is mostly generic, but peculiarities of Red Hat, SuSE, and Debian get attention, too. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (136)

Unnecessary
I got this book after a friend of mine highly recommended. Unfortunately I feel buying a book on Linux makes little sense giving that Linux constantly changes and the book is never up to date. Also there is a ton of material out there on the WEB so unless you just want your bookshelf to look good there really isn't much reason for buying Linux books.

Other then that I think this is still the best written book about Linux. It's easy to read and it doesn't make you fall a sleep after first few pages.

Looking for better
There is a new edition of this book out now.
Not a book to recommend for basic users of today's Linux.

THe best Linux Book on the Market
This is hands-down, the best Linux book on the Market today...It navigates you easily through an ocean of knowledge when dealing with this operating system.One can quite literally begin at page one and read through the final chapter and have an expert view of Linux Operating Sytems.Highest recommendations.

So far, so good...
BEWARE: Many of these customer reviews are dated.For example, the best and worst cited by Amazon are from 1999 and 2001, respectively.This is the 5th edition, published in late 2005/early 2006.FYI...

I gave it four stars simply because what I did read was very helpful, but I have much more to go.I may give it five later.

My GoTo Book
I love this book; I recommend it to people at least twice a day when I visit [...].This book covers every aspect of installing and booting a GNU/Linux operating system, from choosing a distribution, to running specific pieces of software.It includes tangible and detailed, though introductory, material on hardware, networking, software installation, using Emacs and Vi, desktop environments, security, and package management.Many of the topics, such as Samba and networking, focus on making your GNU/Linux installation part of a wider network with a variety of operating systems.Some of it, for example the chapter on TCP/IP is not even GNU/Linux-specific, but is highly educational.

The best quality of this book that makes it my goto book is that it is a good introduction to thinking about things in the Unix tradition, and firmly keeps encouraging the reader to use the command-line instead of steering him or her to GUI tools.That's why I suggest reading the entire book (not necessarily comprehending, but reading) before trying to install a GNU/Linux distribution. ... Read more

Product Description
Setting up and maintaining a Linux server requires understanding not only the hardware, but the ins and outs of the Linux operating system along with its supporting cast of utilities as well as layers of applications software.There's basic documentation online but there's a lot beyond the basics you have to know, and this only comes from people with hands-on, real-world experience.This kind of"know how" is what we sought to capture in Linux Server Hacks.Linux Server Hacks is a collection of 100 industrial-strength hacks, providing tips and tools that solve practical problems for Linux system administrators.Every hack can be read in just a few minutes but will save hours of searching for the right answer. Some of the hacks are subtle, many of them are non-obvious, and all of them demonstrate the power and flexibility of a Linux system. You'll find hacks devoted to tuning the Linux kernel to make your system run more efficiently, as well as using CVS or RCS to track the revision to system files.You'll learn alternative ways to do backups, how to use system monitoring tools to track system performance and a variety of secure networking solutions. Linux Server Hacks also helps you manage large-scale Web installations running Apache, MySQL, and other open source tools that are typically part of a Linux system. O'Reilly's new Hacks Series proudly reclaims the term "hacking" for the good guys. Hackers use their ingenuity to solve interesting problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Shows it age but...
This book shows its age (which is quite expected since GNU/Linux is such a fast moving target) but still includes some good tips and tricks for system administration and advanced level use of GNU/Linux systems. If you're some who really need this book then you'll also need 'Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two: Tips & Tools for Connecting, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting'.

Useful Tips & Tools
The tips are very useful in datacenter, daily.
This tips & tools about the things inside Linux O/S, such as:

Linux administration basic, backup, networking, SSH, Scripting, DNS.

Good Bang for your buck
This series is a great place to start learning the some of the most useful aspects of linux in a networked environment. The examples used in the book are very well laid out and documented. My only gripe is that the subject is a little dated but overall it is still a very good book.

This is a great reference book, power users will find this book helpful as well as the second edition. One can expect to learn some of the fundamentals of linux with this book; backup, network shares, hostkeys, centralizing,and some other nifty one off mini-programs. This won't replace a lot of hard work, but it will make you think how you can work smarter.

Good first step into being a Linux Sysadmin
When you're ready to take your Linux expertise from the "desktop" level to the "server" level, this is the right place to start. It avoids trying to teach you everything and instead sprinkles your brain with possibilities. There are some interesting ways to do things and as your skill grows you'll find more uses for what's in the book.

The only downers were the Version Control chapter--everyone has a preference and most methods have decent tutorials, and the use of perl in scripts. If you're good in perl then you can expand the scripts, otherwise it'd be cleaner and better to use Bash for the script examples.

Great book for intermediate users
If you are an aspiring Linux hacker/guru, you need this book.Sure, a lot of this information can be found online, but this book is so cheap there's no reason not to have a copy.

I read this book after I'd tinkered a bit with Linux and taken a few online "system administration" courses in it.I knew the basics of operating Linux, but had no clue where to go next.If you've been through the "textbook" courses and want to take your next step, this is a good book to help you get your hands dirty setting up some useful stuff. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (19)

Good for them what's Not Quite a Newbie Anymore
Not a *bad* book, but it's not for beginners.... but it's not for longtime users, either.

This book is good for those who have a Linux distro up-and-running ('Ubuntu', or 'Mint' perhaps), are comfortable using it, and wish to experiment with setting up some additional services using the command line and working with configuration files.

If you've got more experience, then this simply rehashes what you've already learned -- even if you don't consider yourself an 'expert'.

If you fall into the 'wanting to learn more but don't know where to start' category, then this is a great book.Think of it as 'Middle-School' or 'Jr. High' for Linux.Not quite a primer, but not for power-users either.This is a 4-or-5 star book for you.

If you fall to either side of that spectrum, then knock-off a star or two.

Not at all for beginners
Linux Cookbook
I was under the impression that this was an introduction to Linux for those who know little or nothing about it (its title gives that impression, as well as some of the promotional copy). This is not the case at all. It is highly technical, more of a look-up, reference manual for geeks.

If you're looking for a good introduction for the novice, the OTHER "Linux Cookbook, 2nd Edition," by a different author and different publisher, is very good.
The Linux Cookbook, Second Edition

excellent book
Excellent Linux book! Gives step by step answers to common Linux problems in a "Problem - solution" style way. I'm a tad disappointed in the SAMBA section, but that really is a topic deserving of a book of its own.

Very Useful, but it's Hit-and-Miss
Because this is a "cookbook," it gives you recipies -- step-by-step instructions for performing specific tasks.

This makes Linux Cookbook EXTREMELY useful when it has a recipie you need, and it often gives you a good starting point when you need to do something that isn't specifically covered.

For example, let's say you need to setup a mail server, which you've never done before. As long as you're willing to use the mail tools she describes (which are perfectly good tools), then this book is the fastest way to get the job done. She also shows you how to make sure the server will be secure.

I'm glad I have this book on my shelf, I recommend it, and I refer to it whenever I need to do something new in Linux. The problem is, you can't have a step-by-step recipie for everything. When this book hits the mark, it's the best book you can have, but you cannot rely on this as your only Linux book.

Succinct and clear to understand . . .
A well-organised and clearly written collection of useful commands and solutions to help one along with the often exasperating arcana of Linux. Covers all flavours and is a 'must have' book. ... Read more

Product Description

Today, Linux is included with nearly every embedded platform. Embedded developers can take a more modern route and spend more time tuning Linux and taking advantage of open source code to build more robust, feature-rich applications. While Gene Sally does not neglect porting Linux to new hardware, modern embedded hardware is more sophisticated than ever: most systems include the capabilities found on desktop systems. This book is written from the perspective of a user employing technologies and techniques typically reserved for desktop systems.

• Modern guide for developing embedded Linux systems
• Shows you how to work with existing Linux embedded system, while still teaching how to port Linux
• Explains best practices from somebody who has done it before

What you’ll learn

• The anatomy of an embedded Linux project
• How to create an embedded Linux development environment
• How to configure and build an embedded Linux kernel
• How to configure and build open source projects for embedded systems
• How to minimize resources and boot times
• What resources are available in open source to help you build your project

Who is this book for?

This book is for professional embedded developers who have an understanding of basic software development concepts. You don’t have to be familiar with Linux, but you should be comfortable working from the command-line.

Customer Reviews (3)

Broadest & Most Up-To Date View of Embedded Linux Development
This excellent Developer's Guide to Embedded Linux Systems Development has several features to recommend it, among the sparse other choices for this important topic.It is extremely up to date, takes a broad and pedagogically sound view of the Embedded Linux Environment and takes the extra step to advise on choice of a board and development environment (how to make the choice, a piece of information that won't easily go stale) and in describing the entire Embedded Systems Development Process.It describes hot to select a board and the accompanying development environment, what to do when you get your board and how to make it boot, how to develop a Customized (to your development style and application/hardware environment) Linux Environment (Development Version and Deliverable to the Consumer), how to debug applications,the nature of hard and soft Real-Time requirements, system tuning, and how to handle field updates to the software. A vitally important chapter that should be included in every Embedded Systems development book (not just Linux), but that as far as I know is included in no other book, Chapter 17 on Deploying Applications talks about all of the issues in creating an "Embedded First-Class Final Product". The issues discussed in this vital section include not only a final hardware and software deliverable, but "Systems Integration" with issues of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing design as well as the expected (by Software Professionals) issues of Deployable Boot Loaders and File Systems.


This excellent and friendly guide to building Embedded Linux Architectures will be valuable not only to EE's and Software Professionals but the growing ranks of hobbyist and professionals in other domains who are experimenting and deploying applications with the extremely popular and recently released Beagleboard, Bug Labs and Gumstix Embedded Linux Systems.
A thorough and practical guide to Embedded Linux Systems Development.

--Ira Laefsky MSE/MBA
IT Consultant and Former Senior Member of Technical Staff for Arthur D. Little, Inc. and Digital Equipment Corporation

The natural way to approach your first embedded Linux project
I came to embedded Linux about a year ago. The first books I've got are from Yaghmour and Hallinan.
They are great but it doesn't mean Sally's book is superfluous. What I like in this book is
the project style to master your first embedded Linux project. The sequence and depth of its
chapters are very well done. I find it the natural way to learn these topics.

In the beginning Sally points out in detail the advantage to look for an evaluation board
with a well supported Linux running on it. From there you can explore what needs to be
adapted. Be aware that this makes a big difference and avoids some of the numerous pitfalls
along the way.

Next the different Linux distributions and available toolchains are discussed. The level of
detail is beyond any of the other books. Very helpful in praxis.

The other chapters show you the way to go. These are well done as well. Other books go
into more details sometimes. But you should not limit yourself to select only one book
for this area. They are all worth their money.

A Definite for the Embedded Systems Engineer's Reference Library
Linux may be well known for its use on servers and desktops, but it can't be beaten for sheer numbers in embedded devices, with about 20% of the 2 billion annual embedded device market using Linux.With 18 chapters and 430 pages including an adequate 25 page index, Pro Linux Embedded Systems covers the process of developing and supporting a customised Linux build for an embedded device through the full product life-cycle.While the book is invaluable in providing a guide for those involved in building and configuring Linux for embedded project development, anyone interested in how to develop their own customised Linux build will also find it educational, particularly if their project involves lower powered hardware than the typical modern desktop.Given the advances in Linux embedded development, this recently published book (Dec 2009) is also more up to date than many other books covering this topic.

Coverage of embedded development per chapter is as follows:

1About Embedded Linux
2Configuring the Software Environment
3Target Emulation and Virtual Machines
4Starting Your Project
- includes a very good section on applying patches
5Getting Linux for Your Board
- covers the pros and cons of the different options for obtaining the appropriate Linux source for your embedded system plus licensing issues, in particular, to what extent GPL covers the development compiler and toolchain.Also included is a very good set of questions for your prospective board vendors.
6Creating a Linux Distribution from Scratch
- how Linux boots and the kernel starts up
7Booting the Board
- excellent description of the Linux boot process and how to optimise size and speed for an embedded system.
8Configuring the Application Development Environment
- useful information on suitable development languages for embedded systems and their relative strengths and weaknesses. Profiling tool usage, memory leak detection, static code checking techniques, typical IDEs used.
9Application Development
- development process; host or development system?
10 Debugging Applications
- debugging methods; remote debugging with different IDEs.
11 Kernel Configuration and Development
- very good description of kernel source patching, configuration and development.
12 Real Time
- Excellent discussion on what real time means and how to configure Linux as a soft real time system using the CONFIG_PREEMPT_RT patch, how to avoid real time gotchas and how to use tools to measure and reduce latency.
13 Using Open Source Projects
- How an Open Source Project is structured, understanding licensing and a description of common licensing types.Source control systems including CVS, Subversion, Mercurial and GIT. Use of a cross compiler, configuring, building and installing your project software.
14 BusyBox
- Excellent coverage of how to customise, build, install and extend BusyBox, a utility that implements most of command line executables you are likely to need for your product.
15 System Design
- Very good description of the different file system choices available and the pros and cons for their use in embedded systems.How to design the Root File System, how to create and mount file systems with specific coverage of Flash devices, setting up init and inittab, running the main application, setting ownership and permissions, security options - overviews of SELinux and PAM vs built in security.
16 System Tuning
- The spectrum of embedded systems is divided into 3 or fewer Megabytes, 16 - 32 Megabytes and more than a Gigabyte with the author recommending the appropriate tuning approach for each.Program size and kernel optimisation techniques are covered along with a good section on how to reduce boot time.An excellent table showing whether you really need what you think might be needed in your Root File System is also included.
17 Deploying Applications
- Covers the Embedded Development process; Requirements, Industrial and Mechanical Design, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Software Design and Engineering, Manufacturing. Deployment Strategies and Tactics; Boot Loader Configuration - using expect.Deployment Root File System - when and when not to follow the Linux File System Hierarchy Standard.
18 Handling Field Updates
- Root File System and Kernel upgrades via Forklift, Parallel System or Do it Yourself upgrades.RPM, dpkg, ipkg and apt package management is covered with a very good section of making and installing packages.Finally, what to do when field updates fail.


This book is definitely worth a place on your reference shelf if you are involved in developing an embedded Linux system.It includes well explained example sessions illustrating how to install, configure and cross compile the kernel and development toolchains and how to develop, build, transfer and debug code on the embedded development host.The only real disappointment with this book is the annoying frequency of grammatical errors (e.g. missing or incorrect words, incomplete sentences) which will hopefully disappear in the next edition.
... Read more

Product Description
Written with a clear, straightforward writing style and packed with step-by-step projects for direct, hands-on learning, Guide to UNIX Using Linux, 4E is the perfect resource for learning UNIX and Linux from the ground up. Through the use of practical examples, end-of-chapter reviews, and interactive exercises, novice users are transformed into confident UNIX/Linux users who can employ utilities, master files, manage and query data, create scripts, access a network or the Internet, and navigate popular user interfaces and software. The updated 4th edition incorporates coverage of the latest versions of UNIX and Linux, including new versions of Red Hat, Fedora, SUSE, and Uuntu Linux. A new chapter has also been added to cover basic networking utilities, and several other chapters have been expanded to include additional information on the KDE and GNOME desktops, as well as coverage of the popular OpenOffice.org office suite. With a strong focus on universal UNIX and Linux commands that are transferable to all versions of Linux, this book is a "must-have" for anyone seeking to develop their knowledge of these systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Unix using Linux
Not a complete review, however for those of us who struggle with getting Unix shell scripting off the ground and understanding how to put a script together from scratch - this book is about a close as I have come across to explaining how to do it. I have read books, done tutorials online, went to classes and still could not grasp how to write a script from scratch, without ripping someone else's script and modifying it.
The book teaches you the core of the system and that's what makes it worth the price.

Unix boock
this is a great book, it was used buy in great conditions almost to new. It included both CD's. Im really satisfied with this book

Great book for any UNIX Admin
Book was for a class and was so good I decided to keep it.The software that comes with it is great too.

I love this book, it gave me time to practice a lot of programming and get the feel of a professional programmer! Buy now!
I love this book, it made me get the feel of a professional programmer! You won't regret of buying it. So buy now! ... Read more

Product Description
Find an introduction to the architecture, concepts and algorithms of the Linux kernel in Professional Linux Kernel Architecture, a guide to the kernel sources and large number of connections among subsystems. Find an introduction to the relevant structures and functions exported by the kernel to userland, understand the theoretical and conceptual aspects of the Linux kernel and Unix derivatives, and gain a deeper understanding of the kernel. Learn how to reduce the vast amount of information contained in the kernel sources and obtain the skills necessary to understand the kernel sources. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A great functional explanation on many kernel aspects
I bought this book exactly one year ago, and I have used it for all that time. That's more than enough to make an opinion, and I consider Linux Kernel Architecture (LKA) a *very* valuable book, actually one of the most useful books about Linux Kernel that I own (and I think I have them all).
I use it this way: When looking for some aspect of the Linux kernel logic, I first go to LKA to see if the topic is addressed somewhere (the answer is most often "yes"). Then I read the relevant parts of LKA before I start to dive into the source code for more. What I get is a plain English, detailed, structured functional and technical explanation of the code I'm interested in, with diagrams and figures whenever it can help. The book mentions the path of the relevant source files, something that saves time, too.
In other words, I use it as a reference book, as a birds eye view into the kernel, but also as a functional explanation for a number of part of the code that are all but simple and obvious.

Now be warned: This is definitely not an introductory book for the beginner, nor a Linux kernel programming tutorial or techref manual, nor a book about device driver programming - even if it may help there. But all of those topics are addressed by other famous books such as Love's Linux Kernel Development 3rd Ed., Linux Device Drivers 3rd Ed, Essential Linux Device Drivers and a few others (I use all of those, too).
This is probably not either a book that you would read cover to cover.
It might not either always cover absolutely everything with all the details you might want (heck, it's only 1337 pages!)

But what LKA provides is a very well commented guide and roadmap into many aspects of the kernel, and one that is still recent enough to still be relevant. I just hope it will be regularly updated, and new editions republished.
In other words, LKA is a great time saver. I consider my time as valuable, and LKA has paid for itself manyfolds.

Nice book
Bulk Book covers kernel basics but missing multi-processor, multi-core handling and virtualization as both host and client which modern Linux kernel has to handle and already handled. Architecture needs many more perspective pictures in both general and in detail instead of trivial words about the implementation details. The other things need to be handled are remoting, x-window, samba, cups, nas and nis from architectural perspective.

However for those who have no idea of implementation details of Linux kernel, it is a great book to go over.

Linux review

Would have preferred if there were a high level overview sections in each chapter.
and then the code details separate.

Each chapter does a smooth transition to low level details. A good read for deep dive into internals.
Still reading...

An excellent guide to Linux kernel.
It is an excellent book which will guide you through Linux kernel. It is based on version 2.6.26, but the book is still compatible with more recent versions of kernel. Author uses a good way of writing, so it is an easy and pleasant book to read.

A unique drawback I see in the book is about its index, which I believe is too short.

Haven't found it useful so far
I purchased this book to use as a reference.I work in a group that does device driver development.I've picked up this book twice to look at since purchasing.Both times I've been disappointed.First to find out about calling device driver routines without invoking the big kernel lock.I didn't find the information.I did find info in the other book: "Understanding the Linux Kernel, Third Edition".Today I wanted to learn about how to do profiling or in other words which threads are taking up the most CPU time.Couldn't find anything in this book, but did find a small amount in the other book.

Seems every section of this book starts with an intro of why the information is important.Frankly I know why it is important to me, and I would prefer all of that text be deleted. ... Read more

Product Description

The best resource on the very latest for Ubuntu users!

Ubuntu is a free, open-source, Linux-based operating system that can run on desktops, laptops, netbooks, and servers. If you've joined the millions of users around the world who prefer open-source OS-and Ubuntu in particular-this book is perfect for you. It brings you the very latest on Ubuntu 10.04, with pages of step-by-step instruction, helpful tips, and expert techniques.

Coverage Includes:

• The Ubuntu Linux Project
• Installing Ubuntu
• Installing Ubuntu on Special-Purpose Systems
• Basic Linux System Concepts
• Using the GNOME Desktop
• Using the Compiz Window Manager
• Managing E-Mail and Personal Information with Evolution
• Surfing the Web with Firefox
• Migrating from Windows Systems
• Sending and Receiving Instant Messages
• Using Command-Line Tools
• Working with Text Files
• Creating and Publishing Documents
• Other Office Software: Spreadsheets and Presentations
• Working with Graphics
• Working with Multimedia
• Consumer Electronics and Ubuntu
• Adding, Removing, and Updating Software
• Adding Hardware and Attaching Peripherals
• Network Configuration and Security
• Going Wireless
• Software Development on Ubuntu
• Using Virtual Machines and Emulators
• Connecting to Other Systems
• File Transfer and Sharing
• Managing Users, Groups, and Authentication
• Backing Up and Restoring Files
• Setting Up a Web Server
• Setting Up a Mail Server
• Setting Up a DHCP Server
• Setting Up a DNS Server
• Setting Up a Print Server
• Setting Up an NFS Server
• Up a Samba Server

Updating your Ubuntu? Ubuntu Linux Bible, Third Edition, is the book you need to succeed!

Note: CD-ROM is not included as part of eBook file.

Customer Reviews (25)

Indispensable Guide to Ubuntu Linux
This is the one indispensable guide to Ubuntu Linux. It continues a series by updating to the April, 2010, release of Ubuntu 10.04. There are techniques, tricks, hints, and advice here you can find nowhere else. And many are essential to getting the most from the Linux operating system. The book is huge. You will have bedtime reading for a month. If I have one complaint, and it is minor, the author wastes a little space by ungraciously insulting the two popular operating systems.

Unbutu Linux version 10.04
I found this one wast just about the same a the last version. I don't plan on ordering the next two or three versions. all though this it's an excellent manual for those who don't have a copy

A book for newbs
A book for newbs and goes into great depths on all newbish things. Not bad, but just for people that want to learn the desktop gui, apps, included programs, etc. . Does not go into to much techie details and it follows the K.I.S.S protocol (Keep it simple stupid)

Good book to have a global view of the Ubuntu system.
The book is oriented to desktop users but have also tips for administrators. You can use ubuntu in a desktop pretty well with this book as it explains a lot of concepts clearly and has a lot of references to more information resources.

Great one stop for all
This book served as a one-stop resource to become part of the Linux culture. It is able to achieve this by combining breadth and depth coverage. Whether you are starting to learn Linux/Ubuntu for the first time, or has been using it but want a more streamlined approach, this is the book.

The author's style is riveting and I was able to read most of the book in two weeks. This is not the first Linux bible book I've tried, but this is the ONLY one that fulfills its promise.

I recommend it to anyone with no reservations. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

A good teorical review of the Linux System calls and the GLIB functions.
You need some background to get a real approach from this book...
Good to get some tips on how the system works an why, really good explanations for all the points exposed, isn't a "Linux Specific" book, mostly based on POSIX and when not is well distinguished, also include some peculiar calls from other OS.

The book truly is for all developers
I have been programming C/C++ professionally since 1986 and was surprised at how much I've learned in the first few chapters.

One of the programs that I've been working on is an I/O intensive conversion from a legacy platform to Linux.The original code took about 8 minutes per gigabyte of data to process.I had worked and squeezed every trick I could think of and got the application down to 10 seconds per gigabyte.From what I learned in just the first few chapters, I was able to knock an additional 3% off the application performance.(It has been mentioned that I should state that I had been unaware of fread_unlocked and fwrite_unlocked before the book ... see comments for more detailed discussion).

When I finish the book, I fully intend on passing it over to one of our junior members so that they can benefit from it.

Not worth money
If you expect the quality of the author's other books from this book, you'll be disappointed. It just lists system calls and their descriptions that you can find from man pages without any serious examples. It doesn't provide any insight or thorough coverage you can find from other books such as Steven's book (Advance Programmng in Unix environment).

From the book title, I expected the author's insight over interface between user space program and kernel but it just looks like that it copied man pages in some order. If you want to learn sysetm programming in Linux environment,look for other books, seriously.

Easy to read-Your first step into system programming
Up-side
Its a very easily readable book.
Unlike other heavy weight books on system programming in this book code is very simple. All the codes are on one place no extra header files.
So if you are new to system-kernel programming, like my self, this is the book for you.
I did have problem reading kernel development books("Linux device driver" Linux kernel Programming). But after reading this book so many things are in perspective now. I cold do advance study in kernel development.

Down Side.
Some light/sweet projects could have made this book the best.
Some socket programming examples would be nice.

a disappointment
nothing really useful in this book, too shallow to do anything with it, i like his other books though, but this one certainly is not good, if at all. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (9)

Deserves its place on any system admin's bookshelf
Even though the topic of GNU/Linux system administration is a very fast moving target with lots of features being added to Linux environment nearly every few months (and thus rendering many books a little bit outdated), some books are good enough to have a place on the bookshelf of a system administrator. Linux Server Hacks Volume 2, together with Volume 1, is one of those books. Whether you are responsible for a few Linux servers or trying to manage a few thousand servers, the tips and tricks presented in this book will prove to be a valuable asset for your skill set (though, if you're managing a few thousand Linux servers than you'll probably know at least %50 or more of the tips provided in the book).

The book is guaranteed to be a very good and advanced starting point for topics related but not limited to authentication, remote GUI connectivity, storage management, file sharing and synchronizing resources, security / lockdown instructions, log files and monitoring, troubleshooting, system rescue, recovery, and repair. Especially the chapters about heterogeneous network environments in which Linux and Windows machines should work in harmony is a very critical one for many sys. admins. And I'm sure all the geeks and nerds out there will enjoy reading Hack #20 "Hack 20. Quick and Easy DHCP Setup" and Hack #21 "Integrate DHCP and DNS with Dynamic DNS Updates".

Oh so useful
All the little tricks I wish I could keep in my head. The hacks books are a wonderful resource for any sys admin.

Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two: Tips & Tools for Connecting, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting (Hacks)
Excellent Book. Who said an old dog can't learn new tricks. Found several little tid-bits that have trimmed a number of my scripts or changed the way I've implemented services! A great desktop companion for advanced and intermediate admins.

More specialized than Volume 1
This is a very good book. These remarks are for Linux users on the way up. If you are already an über-üser, well, you will probably like this book anyway.

If you don't have the first volume, you might want to start with it. It has some simple but very useful things that apply to just about anyone with their own Linux box and a command line.

This volume is much more advanced, and most of the tricks and techniques deal with much more specialized problem domains, ie. things you might not have run into yet. One advantage of this book over the first is that it is very up to date in its recommendations of existing software to use.

This book totally rocks!
I can't say enough about the work done in Linux Server Hacks vII by the two Bs.Bill and Brian have hit the ball out of the ballpark with this one.

Just the section on LVM (Logical Volume Management) have saved my bacon!

Every single "hack" (read tip) is extremely practical, applicable and relevant to managing and administering Linux systems whether "servers" or not!

The absolute best part of this book is that you get really useful, insightful views into the experiences of seasoned veterans of Unix systems.If you sit in a NOC or if you're the 24x7 guy/gal on a server farm, this book is an occupational requirement!Everyone else will appreciate it if they're running Linux.In my modest network of perhaps 30 Linux systems, I can tell you that I saved hours of effort with just two of the hacks included in this volume.Considering the time savings, buying this book saved my company more than 300% on the cover price. ... Read more

Product Description

“Probably the most wide ranging and complete Linux device driver book I’ve read.”

--Alan Cox, Linux Guru and Key Kernel Developer

“Very comprehensive and detailed, covering almost every single Linux device driver type.”

--Theodore Ts’o, First Linux Kernel Developer in North America and Chief Platform Strategist of the Linux Foundation

The Most Practical Guide to Writing Linux Device Drivers

Linux now offers an exceptionally robust environment for driver development: with today’s kernels, what once required years of development time can be accomplished in days. In this practical, example-driven book, one of the world’s most experienced Linux driver developers systematically demonstrates how to develop reliable Linux drivers for virtually any device. Essential Linux Device Drivers is for any programmer with a working knowledge of operating systems and C, including programmers who have never written drivers before. Sreekrishnan Venkateswaran focuses on the essentials, bringing together all the concepts and techniques you need, while avoiding topics that only matter in highly specialized situations. Venkateswaran begins by reviewing the Linux 2.6 kernel capabilities that are most relevant to driver developers. He introduces simple device classes; then turns to serial buses such as I2C and SPI; external buses such as PCMCIA, PCI, and USB; video, audio, block, network, and wireless device drivers; user-space drivers; and drivers for embedded Linux–one of today’s fastest growing areas of Linux development. For each, Venkateswaran explains the technology, inspects relevant kernel source files, and walks through developing a complete example.

• Addresses drivers discussed in no other book, including drivers for I2C, video, sound, PCMCIA, and different types of flash memory

• Demystifies essential kernel services and facilities, including kernel threads and helper interfaces

• Teaches polling, asynchronous notification, and I/O control

• Introduces the Inter-Integrated Circuit Protocol for embedded Linux drivers

• Covers multimedia device drivers using the Linux-Video subsystem and Linux-Audio framework

• Shows how Linux implements support for wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, Infrared, WiFi, and cellular networking

• Describes the entire driver development lifecycle, through debugging and maintenance

• Includes reference appendixes covering Linux assembly, BIOS calls, and Seq files

Customer Reviews (16)

Up to date and Comprehensive
This book deals with the modern 2.6.23/24 kernel and aspects of all types of drivers. The Explanations are clear and to the point and the code examples are well documented. It does a very good job of explaining the structures from the kernel you use in driver writing. By having a chapter for each type of driver, often with a working sample, the book serves both as a reference and good read.

Excellent
Great book. It takes the most interesting stuff about Linux device drivers. There are not a single book that can cover all topics, nevertheless this one is a great companion when programming at linux box no matter whether you are either newbie or experienced developer. Highly recomended.

Copy and paste of device drivers
If you really want to understand how linux device drivers works, do not buy this book. If you just want to take a look what kind of device drivers are there and how it roughly looks like, you may take a look at this book. (But, do not expect more from those driver chapters. it is not for you to understand how it work. it is merely for what devices are there) I purchased this book by just reading the reviews here, and got disappointed a lot. I can not believe how people gave more than 2 stars to this book. I believe that if you are real software engineer from linux related field, you can not give more than 2 stars. This book looks like just a collection of "copy and paste" from many device drivers source code, and explanation is very superficial (I felt that this book is just like his jot downs from his work plus some copy and paste from linux driver codes). If you are real device driver developer, this book will not help at all. I would recommend linux device drivers 3rd edition from oreily even though it does not cover latest kernel.

Missing info
I tried to find docomentation about Module.symvers, linking at runtime, symbol issues, etc...No luck.At least the o'reilly book touches on these topics.

The best book yet on Linux kernel programming
I keep "Essential Linux Device Drivers" on my desk, next to a bunch of other Linux kernel programming books: "Linux Device Drivers" by Rubini, "Linux Kernel Internals" by Beck et. al. (which is a bit outdated), "Embedded Linux" by Hollabaugh, "Building Embedded Linux Systems" by Yaghmour, "Understanding Linux Network Internals" by Benvenuti.

"Essential Linux Device Drivers" is the best one yet, followed by Rubini's as a closed second. Between these two books alone, you can learn how to write any device driver from scratch - if handed the hardware manual. But "Essential Linux Device Drivers" goes deeper, and has more real life code examples.

The code in "Essential Linux Device Drivers" has obviously been copied from real development projects, and I found no errors in it. I've looked carefully at the networking driver code, serial driver code, i2c driver code, and kernel thread/interlocking/timer primitives.

There are some suggestions I have (and this applies to all Linux books I've read). One is to make clear that the spin_lock_irqsave() API should be used instead of spin_lock() whenever it may be called from interrupt context. Second is to explain how the interrupt routine stack space is created at the bottom of the regular (thread) stack space.

Overall, good job, Mr. Venkateswaran! You've helped me a lot with my driver code. The $44.99 I paid was well spent on your book. ... Read more

Product Description
In this handy, compact guide, you’ll explore a ton of powerful Ubuntu Linux commands while you learn to use Ubuntu Linux as the experts do: from the command line. Try out more than 1,000 commands to find and get software, monitor system health and security, and access network resources. Then, apply the skills you learn from this book to use and administer desktops and servers running Ubuntu, Debian, and KNOPPIX or any other Linux distribution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

UBUNTU LINUX TOOLBOX
Hi,
I received the used product on time, but the book was not in good condition. Other than that, no complains.
Thank you,

Rene Maldonado

Perfect for me.
This book is amazing to learn more about the terminal, i have used Linux for only some months, but i quickly learned to navigate and use the terminal. But i do far from master it, i do never fully understand what i write there mean and what exactly they do, and i do not know so many commands either. So i thought i was going to buy this book and read it page in page out, and i don't regret. I am only in chapter 3, and i have learned incredible much already compared to what a knew, and the way they described things in this book make them very easy to understand, while at the same time it doesn't feel like it is too much info.

I will definitely recommend this book for those who knows the terminal, but do not master it(and of course those who wants a book with 1000+ commands). :-)

PS: In the book they use Ubuntu 7.04, so it is maybe a little outdated, but i have not encountered any errors in the commands or felt that something should be updated(i use Ubuntu 10.04, only thing that is wrong about the commands sometimes is when they refer to the file from a program when that file has a different filename in new versions of the program, but it is not hard to find the new name).

command line rocks
Using Linux or Unix with the command line, really unleashes the true power of computing.What appears to be on the surface difficult to understand, will open up as it is explored.Such simple commands, yet do so much.

an invaluable and frequently used resource
You can easily use Ubuntu (or variants thereof) without resorting to the command line, but your utility will be much enhanced if you are willing to learn.Even a few simple commands will be helpful to you.It seems counterintuitive to step back from the graphical user interface (GUI), but entering commands in the shell allows me to get more value and efficiency from any Linux distro.I found the book well-organized and easy to understand with realistic examples for every command in the book.With this book I have been able to fix my own problems.Though written for Ubuntu you will be able to use most of the knowledge on other Linux systems, at least Debian-based ones.This is probably the only reference book you will need, but one additional helpful book for just a quick reference without the exposition this book offers is the Linux Pocket Guide by O'Reilly Media Linux Pocket Guide.

i think this is one step above the dummies series
The book technically refers to Ubuntu version 7.04 so it is a little out of date with the current release Ubuntu version 9.10.I have been using linux for 2 months, and purchased this book about a month ago, January 3,2010.I got 10 times more understanding out of this $20 book than a unix class I took in college. I wished I had this book in college. It does require a little thinking and study time for me to understand the information in this book. The step by step usage of commands provide insight to how to use commands orderly.The author occasionally points out differences between Ubuntu and other versions of linux in hopes to simplify linux in general. The book is way more friendlier and understandable then the man pages for a beginner. When I started, I only knew how to type commands like ls, pwd, whoami, and ps, but i didn't know how to interpret the information the command yield and what to do with them. After reading the book, my commands include, swapon, chattr, fc, lzop, dd, alias, and a few others, and i kind of understand what I am doing. In conclusion, even though this book is technically out of date, and the location of some files have changed from Ubuntu 7.04 to Ubuntu 9.10, I find that this book has provided me a starting point in understanding linux, and will help me chose my next book with an understanding of what i will be getting into.
... Read more

Product Description
Parallel Operating Systems with Windows and Linux introduces the key features of computer operating systems.It assumes that the students have previously used a personal computer with the Windows or Linux operating systems.This text uses a unique approach for the presentation of operating system concepts.Each concept will first be presented conceptually.Then the concepts will be demonstrated on both of the two operating systems in parallel.This parallel structure will be enabled by using Microsoft Virtual PC 2004.Students will be able to instantly switch between the two operating systems to complete the numerous hands-on activities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Completely satisfied customer!
Book came in new condition as stated and was received very quickly!Would definitely do business again and highly recommend store/seller!

Awsome!!!
well i ordered it cause i needed it for my class and it got here just when they said it would and im happy bout that.

Actually went to the school who has these teachers.
The exercises are bland, and definitely doesn't even begin to properly cover linux. almost treats linux as a step child. give it a cookie just because its here and i dont want to hear its supporters cry. it also seems to treat the distribution fedora as the alpha and omega of linux. it does vaguely mention there are others, but just barely and easy to miss.

the good points are, its almost idiot proof. i say almost, because, well, most people still couldn't get the ideas given in this book. the subjects are decently explained, and all exercises are incrementally stepped through. how tough is it to follow this?

type dir /s into command prompt to see a listing of the files in your current directory and all directories below it. some how, people manage to mangle that. its literally like, step one leads directly to step two, just type what you see on page, its done. maybe that was the problem it babied them too much, lord help us if we are required to think for ourselves. hi pete, meet repete.

Thank goodness my teacher Mr. BOz was there to clear the fuzzy parts of it, and actually understand the in depth workings (mostly in the linux areas). *shameless plug to praise him*

This book is probably better for one grade under. like the class where the teacher slowly says "This is a computer!" *hears ooos and ahhs from crowd* "press this button to turn it on!* *even more ooos and ahhs*.

Still, this is a good book to have for reference, just don't expect to be enthralled to learn. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Definitely a keeper
I have several books from O'Reilly's "In a Nutshell" series and like them all.This one might be near the top of the list out of the ones I have, as it's top-notch.

It's first and foremost a reference, and I am already pulling it out with some frequency.But it's also good for filling in some gaps in my knowledge of the Linux kernel as I'm far from an expert but also not a beginner, and this book has also helped me build some intuition into Linux and the kernel.Especially helpful is part II, showing how to determine the correct module and some of the kernel configuration recipes, as these would be helpful for a newbie and can help bring someone past the newbie level up to another level.

For anyone dealing with the Linux kernel in their work, this book definitely belongs in their collection.

Must Have 2.6.x Kernel Reference
This book is a *must have* kernel reference for all who would configure, build or hack the Linux Kernel v2.6.x.Sections on the bootloaders, Grub and Lilo, Kernel boot parameters, configuration and build targets and a whole lot more make this book an indispensable reference.

This book is a quick reference guide and is well-suited for anyone with basic Unix/Linux skills and no programming experience is expected or required.Note that it does not get into programming the kernel or kernel modules.It will guide you through all of the steps necessary to obtain, patch, configure, build and install a new/different kernel on an existing Linux-based system.

If you are new to Linux and can handle basic navigation using the command line, then you'll be able to use this book for most, if not all, of your Linux kernel needs.

Remarkably valuable reference, even for kernel hackers
When you are configuring or compiling a kernel, or booting one up, there are so many options that a short reference manual is required just to list them all. That's what this does.It also explains each option well enough that you can use each one effectively.At least, I think that's the case; I tend to use the book as a reminder that a given option even *exists*, and then I read the kernel source code for details as to the exact effect it provides.

This book is on a very short list of books that I keep two copies of (one for work and one for home).I recommend it for anyone involved with the linux kernel, from superusers to kernel hackers, to students.

Great Kernel reference...
Nowadays its less common for a user to have to compile a kernel, but there are times that if you don't do it a given device will no work properly (or at all). Despite the huge amount of Linux distributions available none is able to fulfill every user requirement. Configuring a laptop orinstalling a server requires different sets of modules with imply reconfiguring and recompiling the kernel. If you want to listen to a music, enable power management on a laptop or install some enterprise grade features like RAID or LVM this book is surely to help you.

The "Linux Kernel in a Nutshell" was written by one of the most renoun Linux kernel hackers, Greg Kroab-Hartman. Greg Kroab-Hartman develops system drivers since 1999 and is currently responsible for several of the kernel's subsystems, udev and hotplug.

This book was written to explain everything with is necessary to compile and install a Linux kernel. You don't need any prior programming experience but is most recommend some knowledge of the Linux system and it's command line.

The"Linux Kernel in a Nutshell" is quite complete and clear making it easy for the reader to compile its first kernel in just a few hours after having the book.Kroab-Hartman manages to do this supplying plenty of information in a well structured form that makes its reading extraordinarily easy.

The first chapters explain how to obtain and compile the kernel with is very light reading (about one hour).In the next chapters he explains how to customize your kernel. Finally at the end there is a list of boot and compilation parameters.

If you have some experience with Linux or you usually compile your kernel the information available in this book is a bit too simple never the less useful. If you never compiled a Kernel this book will save you plenty of time.

I recommend "Linux Kernel in a Nutshell" to every Linux user with wishesto learn a bit more how it's Linux system works.

Review made by Luis Rodrigues "Khromu".

Excellent narrow-task guide
The book is clear, authoritative, and wonderfully focused on getting you started. All the information you need without wandering off-point. ... Read more

Product Description

The Most Complete, Easy-to-Follow Guide to Ubuntu Linux 

• The #1 Ubuntu server resource, fully updated for Ubuntu 10.4 (Lucid Lynx)–the Long Term Support (LTS) release many companies will rely on for years!
• Updated JumpStarts help you set up Samba, Apache, Mail, FTP, NIS, OpenSSH, DNS, and other complex servers in minutes
• Hundreds of up-to-date examples, plus comprehensive indexes that deliver instant access to answers you can trust 

Mark Sobell’s A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux®, Third Edition, is the most thorough and up-to-date reference to installing, configuring, and working with Ubuntu, and also offers comprehensive coverage of servers—critical for anybody interested in unleashing the full power of Ubuntu.

This edition has been fully updated for Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx), a milestone Long Term Support (LTS) release, which Canonical will support on desktops until 2013 and on servers until 2015.

Sobell walks you through every essential feature and technique, from installing Ubuntu to working with GNOME, Samba, exim4, Apache, DNS, NIS, LDAP, gufw, firestarter, iptables, even Perl scripting. His exceptionally clear explanations demystify everything from networking to security.

You’ll find full chapters on running Ubuntu from the command line and desktop (GUI), administrating systems, setting up networks and Internet servers, and much more. Fully updated JumpStart sections help you get complex servers running—often in as little as five minutes.

Sobell draws on his immense Linux knowledge to explain both the “hows” and the “whys” of Ubuntu. He’s taught hundreds of thousands of readers and never forgets what it’s like to be new to Linux. Whether you’re a user, administrator, or programmer, you’ll find everything you need here—now, and for many years to come.

Customer Reviews (8)

Really good Ubuntu book!
I have said before on several occasions that Sobell does really good work.Well, this holds true to my words.This is a big book with some 1250+ pages in it absolutely filled to the brim with useful information.The review on the front cover mentions that the book is "comprehensive" and that just might be understating it a little.This book has practically anything you might want to know about Ubuntu, and references a lot of really helpful general linux and userland program information and it's put together in a very straight forward and understandable way.Having the word "Practical" in the name is also a really good fit as the book offers great walk-throughs on things people will want to do with their Ubuntu install from beginner things like configuring a printer all the way up to things like some perl programming and running your own web server.All in all, this book is not only worth a look, but a keeper.It's a good read and great technical reference.

Damn near an overkill
I am sure the book is a good one for somebody out there somewhere, but for me, it was a bit of an overkill. It has gotten to be too nerdy as well as too complicated in the instructions. This is the kind of book that you would understand only if you were an expert in using Linux Ubuntu. So, if you're an expert, then why would you need this book. So excuse me while I go shoot my foot.

A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux (Versions 8.10 and 8.04) 2nd Edition
A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux (Versions 8.10 and 8.04) (2nd Edition)

Very well thought out and simplified. Whould buy another book from this author, (Mark Sobell).

comprehensive and well organized
I'm new to linux so having this as an introduction has been a life saver in many respects.

Pros:
Great table of contents.For instance when I wanted to look up a command in the chapter pertaining to the terminal I found many of the basics utilities listed right there in the table of contents with a BRIEF blurb on what they individually did.The material is also easy to follow in most cases and I have no complaints so far.

Cons:

It's kinda big lol

Not so "Practical" after all, for the everyday user
I am hardly a newbie to Linux, having spent 20 years as a system and network administrator, taken three years of courses on Unix and Linux administration, and run Linux desktop systems and servers at work for a number of years. But now my perspective on Linux has changed: I have purchased for my personal use a netbook running Ubuntu Linux. Because I had used Sobell's books on Unix, Linux, and Macintosh OS X for years at work, I ordered his Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux as my reference to that OS. From the perspective of one who "just wants it to work," as the users at my jobs always have, I am quite disappointed not in Ubuntu but in Sobell's Ubuntu book. I want to use Ubuntu on my netbook exactly as I use my two Macintosh laptops: at home, for personal use, on a combined wired and wireless network at home, wirelessly in public places, for e-mail, Web-surfing, online ordering, and so on. For these purposes, I have no interest in using the command line, although I am totally familiar and comfortable with it from a professional perspective. Sobell seemingly is obsessed with the command line and pays little attention to the GUIs Ubuntu offers (GNOME,KDE, and, in the case of my netbook, Remix).His "Tour of the Ubuntu Desktop" is cursory at best, and his screenshots don't show what I see on my system even when I switch from Remix to the Classic (GNOME) desktop, and yes, I have a correct version of Ubuntu for this edition of his book--8.04. He mentions OpenOffice, with which I and presumably other users will spend a great deal of time, only in passing--twice in 1200 pages. I don't need a complete review of networking, with which I am thoroughly familiar from my work, but information on how to get my Ubuntu netbook working on a protected wireless network. And so on and so on with every subject I look up in his book.
This is a fine book for an administrator but not so fine for an everyday user, which is what I want to be with my Ubuntu netbook. Indeed, it seems to me that Sobell has simply transferred huge chunks of his earlier books to this one with little heed for what his audience for this book might be. Practical this book is not, for the likes of me in my new incarnation as an everyday user of Ubuntu Linux. Fortunately, there are plenty of other books that take this perspective, and those are the ones I will end up consulting regularly, not Sobell's. ... Read more

Product Description
Linux Phrasebook is sure to become the pocket guide that you keep within reach at all times. This concise, handy reference can be used "in the street," just like a language phrasebook. Skipping the usual tutorial on Linux, the Linux Phrasebook goes straight to practical Linux uses, providing immediate applicable solutions for day-to-day tasks. It includes code phrases that allow Linux users to employ the command line to complete onerous and repetitive tasks, as well as flexible code and commands can be customized to meet the needs of any Linux user. The concise information combined with random accessibility makes the Linux Phrasebook a robust, yet agile, reference guide that no Linux user should be without. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

The book of Linux
A gift for my cousin, the family computer guru! His comments were that at first, he didn't think he would like this, BUT, upon closer reading, he found that it perfectly fit his needs. It's one of those books that it may take a little while to get into, but turned out to be one of his fav "work" books.

Amazing pocket guide
If you are new to linux, or maybe don't spend a lot of time in Bash, then this is a great reference. It covers the major fundamentals of working with the command line, the layout of each section is also very intuitive and easy to follow. It is affordable and portable, and makes a great gift (I have purchased three additional copies for gifting) to a new linux user.

Command Line Assistance For Beginner Thru Guru
As a person who's first computer (PDP-10) experience was using the command line, I am familiar with the basics.However, if you have never worked via the command line before this book is a great start.Its layout is task oriented, rather than by command name.This allows the reader to quickly find out how to do things rather than just reading what a command does.Each task is accompanied by examples and and detailed explanations.At the same time the author also provides information about what is happening "behind the curtain".A command line veteran will find this book a source of new information as well as an excellent reference guide.

OK Book
Its an OK book has some good things but it covers too many older priorities that aren't really command line concerns while not covering topics that are of more concern to the modern user such as scripts.

Suggested reading to anyone who wants to use Linux
I know what most people are thinking,"why can't I just use the GUI in Linux to do what I want? There is no reason to learn the command line." I here it from my students all the time. Every time I bring up command line in class I hear a groan pass over the classroom.
Most people do not know the power command line gives them in using a computer be it Linux, OS X, or even the hated Windows. This book helps with two of them the Linux and the OS X for the Windows I suggest using Powershell and it will give you the same abilities as the ones built in to Linux but I digress.
This book gives new people and intermediate people the commands to use and how to use them in a easy to follow format with lots of examples that actually work, compared to some books. The book is designed with Ubuntu in mind but worked just fine with my Novell SUSE 10.2.
The book was not dry reading and was somewhat entertaining with some of the examples. It is definitely suggested reading for anyone who wishes to learn Linux because that "GUI" stuff is not always available. ... Read more

Product Description

Topics covered: The knowledge that's tested on the Linux Professional Institute's exams 101 and 102, which includes everything from basic Linux commands and concepts to installation of the operating system, essential network configuration, and kernel recompilation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

Kindle edition is the 2nd edition
I bought this book thinking it was the 3rd edition for the kindle and it was the 2nd edition they don't have the 3rd out on Kindle yet.It is confusing when you click on the website and they offer a kindle edition but not telling that it is for the 2nd edition which is really out dated.

Once stop preparation for Linux administration competence
I have been programming applications under Linux off and on for ten years. But I am getting serious in using Linux for my business as a file and remmote testing server system. I admire Linux for its long term operation reliability and it's versitility, not to speak of its open source documentation. So, I needed to see what would be needed both in terms of administration operations and in terms of best practices. I'm still wondering how to get a drive set partitioned for multi-booting, but this book answers most of the administration questions and gives me practice tests for certification.

After reading( and skimming ) this book in one day, I have the knowledge to install the OS, patch the kernel, set up several types of servers, and apply system security and networking services.

This is exactly the kind of support that I'm seeking for my knowledge base, and I suspect that you are too. I wish to commend the author for being so comprehensive in his coverage and letting us know how to prepare to run our own systems so well. The Linux environment has been something of a closed environment to those who can't afford an expensive seminar or training school until recently. This book helps to open up the Linux world to the rest of us. I hope you get as much out of this book as I did. And, by the way, if you are only concerned in passing the certification test, it is a very good training source for that as well.

New version is only for 101 & 102
I had the 2nd version, released 2006 awesome included all 6 tests. New release should not be marked 3rd edition as its a new book and contains only 1/3 or the material that the first 2 editions had. After using Michael Jang's book for Level 1 and passing I purchased this book only to find out it contained only level 1. I ASSUMED 3rd edition meant updated and rearranged topics to reflect the new layout. I was very disappointed. After receiving I did reread the description and does say it has everything you need to pass level 1. I used Michael Jang's book for level 1 as it was updated while I was testing. I think its deceptive to say 3rd edition when you've removed 2/3rds of the material. At what don't does it become a new book vs. next edition. Does that mean LPIC-2 will be the 4th edition? Ugh, can't find any study material for level 2. Am looking for 2nd edition and will use LPI.org level 2 objectives and jump around the book.

The ultimate LPIC review Book
For someone needing to jump into the linux world, and especially needing to take certification tests, this is hands down the best book available. It has everything you'd ever need to be a System Administrator, or just a all around linux guru. This is a book that will surely never leave my side!

DO NOT ORDER - 2006 EDITION OUT OF DATE
DO NOT BUY THIS. This is the 2006 Edition, currently the newest, but it is very much out of date. This is not the book to order for LPI Linux Certification. It seems even though it was last updated in 2006, it contains basically the same information as the even older edition. Just to give you an idea on how old the information is, it spends a fair amount of pages discussing ISA devices. I haven't even seen an ISA card in ten years. I wasted a lot of money ordering this book, I hope you don't make the same mistake. ... Read more

Product Description
* Presenting updated coverage of openSUSE 11.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11.0, this reference is written by Novell insiders and boasts the most up-to-date information available
* Topics covered include the openSUSE project, command line programs and implementing online services, virtualization, kernel updates, Enterprise Architecture, and more
* Reviews Linux fundamentals such as methodologies, partitions, and file system, and features a new section devoted entirely to end-user needs
* The DVD includes the openSUSE 11.0 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A lot of info!
This book has more than enough information for a person to become familiar with openSUSE. However, I don't think I can recommend this for "power use" as for most topics don't go into great detail.

Excellent book, everything I needed to know in one place
I am basically a Windows guy who only needs to interact with Linux for a day or two each month, so I am never going to become a Linux guru. Luckily this book gives me exactly what I need when I need it. Well written, well structured, easy to use.

Great product
This is the book you need if you run Open SUSE.It isnt a hard book to understand even if you are fairly new to Linux.Gives enough detail to get you up and running and using Opensuse.

Excellent Book
This book covers it all...from installation to tweaking your Linux installation. Great price at Amazon.

Good for people who can put 2+2 not if you want step by step
I teach Linux at a local community college. I needed a good book that would teach my students some command line and some GUI in Linux. This was the only book that really came close.
No this book does not say click here, then click here, now type this, and hit next on trouble shooting. You really can't do that with a computer book because things changes with patches and software installs.
What this book is good at is telling you what tools are available and then letting you use them. The first few chapters cover the install(which I have now installed SUSE 11 on 10 totally different machines and they have all had the same outcome, flawless), software management, and command line all at the same time.
This book is a step up to previous books I have taught with the either focus on GUI or CLI not both. This helps when I have to explain to my students why command line is so powerful and GUI is just for nubes. ... Read more

Product Description

This comprehensive guide can help youadminister Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 effectively in any productionenvironment, no matter how complex or challenging.

Customer Reviews (11)

The weakest Linux book I've read so far...
I would risk and say it is a book with general information about Linux, with errors, bugs, not complete content, not clearly presented, commands mixed with regular text, lack of good reference, etc. Reading this book it is hard to believe the author has a real practical experience in the subject in a production environment.
Generally one of the weakest of books about RHEL I have read. I would say, better download documentation from Red Hat website for free and save the money for other good Linux books.

NOT Unleashed in my opinion
I am a Windows administrator, and I was given a project to build a Red Hat Enterprise 5 server.Having very little exposure to Red Hat, I picked this book up to help me with the setup and configuration of the server.I anticipated that a book with the work "Unleashed" in it's title would be a down-and-dirty manual with good information to help with some of the more "non-standard" items of administration (Like SNMP), but there was very little that I could get from this manual that I couldn't easily find on-line.A sad dissapointment

Not at all comprehensive.
I bought this book as a desktop reference, but so far have been greatly disappointed.Every section I have read has been missing critical information, and the examples are so bare-bones as to be almost useless.You can follow the instructions to the letter, but you'll still find yourself scouring the internet for the missing information.The worst section I have come across is the NFS setup, which dedicates TWO pages to configuring NFS via command line and is missing all the pre-configuration necessary to make it work.Might be an okay book if you're already well-versed in RHEL, but if you're expecting comprehensive info, go elsewhere.

dissapointment
When I got an alert on this book when it was first available I jumped on buying it.Frankly, it fell severely short of expectations. Maybe I presumed there would be more in an unleashed book than what was found between these pages.

A great book for the novice administrator
I have found this book to be great.I was familiar enough with Linux and yet always seemed to be scouring the internet for How To guides for setting up simple services like Samba Server, FTP services and so on.This book is basically a collection of those most common guides, the configuration of the various services is discussed in sufficient depth and the book is clearly written.It may not have the depth some people are looking for based on the reviews but it has been great for me.I feel like I understand whats going on with my CentOS boxes these days.

I use this book in conjunction with CentOS 5.2 (Red Hat Enterprise clone). ... Read more

Product Description
In this handy, compact guide, you’ll explore a ton of powerful SUSE Linux commands while you learn to use SUSE Linux as the experts do: from the command line. Try out more than 1,000 commands to find and get software, monitor system health and security, and access network resources. Then, apply the skills you learn from this book to use and administer desktops and servers running openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise or any other Linux distribution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

SUSE Linux TOOLBOX 1000+ Commands
It's great tools commands for people to learn how to use and help you solve the program problems.

Expected More
This book did not meet my expectations. The format used is a format that I would not have used if I were to present a book with "1000+" commands for openSUSE. I was expecting a format similar to the ones used in the "xxxfor Dummies" books; a complete list of commands with their descriptions, and a couple of examples of usage.

very useful book
I have bought " SUSE Linux Toolbox: 1000+ Commands for openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise ", together with " OpenSUSE 11.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Bible ", both complemented each other,the first one is a concise and rapid consulting guide of commands that are so useful when your are customized to work with console enviroment, the second one give a complete guide of configuration of network services to be implemented using SUSE. Both can be reference books to teach Linux

Perfect Book for Power Users Wanting to Extend Their Skills
Hey folks... I've been an RHCE since 2000, training RHCEs since 2003, and "doing Linux" since 1996.

What I like:
The three big things that I like about Linux Toolbox are:
1) It concisely shows you how to use the Linux command line to solve many of the most common personal and administrative tasks.
2) It uses the proven "learn by doing" method to show the reader how to just "get stuff done" from the Linux command line.
3) What really sets this book apart from other "next level" type books is its well thought layout and how they organized the content in a quickly accessible way.Negus & Caen split the content out by Shell stuff, Working w/Files, Text Manipulation, Multimedia, Administration, Backups, Networking, etc.. .Well thought out and quickly useful as an on-hand reference.

So who should buy this book?
I see it being a "best fit" for two groups of people:
1) Technical users and admins who want to become more competent on the command line and be able to do ten times more work thought automation (scripting).
2) Windows power users who want to become more savvy on the Linux side (Linux power user wannabes).Especially those who need to get Linux CLI/shell proficient quickly (such as Windows sys-admins who have had Linux forced on them)

Old Timers Too:
The cool thing is that even if you've been using Linux for years (as I have), there are still useful "Oooo.. cool!" moments peppered throughout the book.Do you know how to properly (and quickly) get the most out of classic power tools like find, sed, awk, case, and tr?Are you armed with experience in all the newer über tools such as screen, dmidecode, growisofs?Do you know how to do software RAID from the command line (mdadm) or know how to build & control LVM via its command line tools?If you answered "no" to any of these.. you should check check out Linux Toolbox.

Negus and Caen have a winner here.Good job guys.

Tweeks ... Read more