Essential System Administration

by Æleen Frisch

Like any other multi-user system, UNIX requires some care and feeding. Essential System Administration tells you how. This book strips away the myth and confusion surrounding this important topic and provides a compact, manageable introduction to the tasks faced by anyone responsible for a UNIX system. We have organized it so that you can find what you need to know easily, without wading through pages of extraneous information.If you use a stand-alone UNIX system, whether it's a PC or a workstation, you know how much you need this on these systems the fine line between a user and an administrator has vanished. Either you're both or you're in trouble. If you routinely provide administrative support for a larger shared system or a network of workstations, you will find this book indispensable. Even if you aren't directly responsible for system administration, you will find that understanding basic administrative functions greatly increases your ability to use UNIX effectively.Topics covered Covers all of the major versions of UNIX, including SunOS, XENIX, System V.3 and V.4, and AIX.

Genres: Reference, Technical, Computers, Computer Science, Nonfiction, Technology, Programming

466 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 1991

About the author

Æleen Frisch has been a system administrator for over 20 years, tending a plethora of VMS, Unix, and Windows systems over the years. Her current system administration responsibilities center on looking after a very heterogeneous network of Unix and Windows NT/2000/XP systems. She is also a writer, lecturer, teacher, marketing consultant and occasional database programmer. She has written eight books, including Essential System Administration (now in its third edition), Essential Windows NT System Administration and the Windows 2000 Desktop Reference (all from O'Reilly Media, Inc.) and Exploring Chemistry with Electronic Structure Methods (Gaussian, Inc.). Currently, she writes the "Guru Guidance" column for Linux Magazine. She also writes poetry and is currently working on her first novel.

Reviews

[Nemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, if somewhat dated, book on system administration.
One of my professors recommended it back in my first year at university, and what I've learned from it has served me extremely well.
I decided to write this after seeing a review for it at Amazon.com, which criticized the network configuration portion of the text.
To this I must say two things- first of all, this text is supposed to just cover the essentials, if you wish to basically turn your box into a firewall or router- there are many texts and articles about it on-line.In addition to this most UNIX systems have excellent man pages and other help information, and on-line materials.
Oh, and it is much better to use a dedicated device for those purposes than some home-brew toy.
Well, if your projects is really critical that is.
And second - administration, be it system, application, or network, is a pretty overwhelming field.
Technologies change, new tools are added, and there is a difference between products by different vendors.
All that can't be covered in a single book!
However Frisch has made an excellent introductory text in the area, it will not turn you into an ace unix administrator over night, but it will show you the most important things about the various systems and the job, nay- art, in general.
The worst thing about the 3rd edition is that there isn't a 4th.

[Steven Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

First real book I ever read cover to cover on Unix System Administration. I had used Unix prior primarily for Internet use (as it was the way back then) but getting into a career of actually maintaining those proved challenging until I found a resource that explained to me the importance of sustaining businesses and operations dependent upon the platform for functioning. It helped me to focus as it taught not just UNIX sysadmin techniques but general skills related to the discipline.

[Julien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if today (December 2020) some parts of the book are a little outdated, it covers the broad set of tasks of system administrators and really helps building the toolkit necessary for each administrative tasks on Unix / Linux systems.

[Leam Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the Go-To book (not GOTO) for my career transition into system administration. I poured over it, struggled through it, took it on vacations, and finally learned enough to get a job as a Unix SysAdmin. Thank you, Æleen!

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding reference from the days before Internet at our fingertips made sys admin a bit easier.

[Tim Wilder]

I must have gotten something out of it, as I ended up working in system administration.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a hurry? Start here

This book has been recommended for beginners. That is true. You don't have to wade through a bunch of theories to get to the meat of administration.

The same is true for experienced administrators. This book will point you in the direction to go when you are using the real manuals.

Take some time and slow down to try some of the examples. Then when you need them you will have already mastered that section.

I have several other books now and know a lot of what is in this one. However, I would feel naked if this was not reachable.

A complementary book would be Practical Unix and Internet Security.

[Tatjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this was so far over my head that I'm totally going to have revisit it once I have a little more knowledge under my belt. It was extremely well-written, however, and focused rather on decision making and prioritization of tasks as a system administrator, rather than concentrating on UNIX.
Will definitely come back to it next year.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Jap aniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

just started

[Eunchul Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

리눅스 관리자라면 꼭 보아야 할 책.
O'REILLY 의 동물시리즈를 소장하여, 동물원을 넓히는 것이 리눅스 엔지니어의 즐거움이 아닐까.. :p

[Victor Tschinakov · Rating 5 out of 5]

super.

[Ritesh]

Its exceelent guide