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Essential System Administration
Essential System Administration takes an in-depth look at the fundamentals of Unix system administration in a real-world, heterogeneous environment. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced administrator, you'll quickly be able to apply its principles and advice to your everyday problems.The book approaches Unix system administration from the perspective of your job -- the routine tasks and troubleshooting that make up your day. Whether you're dealing with frustrated users, convincing an uncomprehending management that you need new hardware, rebuilding the kernel, or simply adding new users, you'll find help in this book. You'll also learn about back up and restore and how to set up printers, secure your system, and perform many other system administration tasks. But the book is not for full-time system administrators alone. Linux users and others who administer their own systems will benefit from its practical, hands-on approach.This second edition has been updated for all major Unix platforms, including SunOS 4.1, Solaris 2.4, AIX 4.1, Linux 1.1, Digital Unix, OSF/1, SCO Unix Version 3, HP/UX Versions 9 and 10, and IRIX Version 6. The entire book has been thoroughly reviewed and tested on all of the platforms covered. In addition, networking, electronic mail, security, and kernel configuration topics have been expanded substantially.Topics covered
788 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 1991
28 people are currently reading
423 people want to read
About the author
Æleen Frisch
14books3followersÆleen 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.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 26, 2011
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.
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.
June 23, 2020
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.
December 18, 2020
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.
May 10, 2023
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!
January 6, 2021
Outstanding reference from the days before Internet at our fingertips made sys admin a bit easier.
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May 24, 2023I must have gotten something out of it, as I ended up working in system administration.
October 4, 2023
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.
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.
November 13, 2008
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.
Will definitely come back to it next year.
October 23, 2007
Great book
August 3, 2009
just started
September 22, 2011
리눅� 관리자라면 � 보아� � �.
O'REILLY � 동물시리즈를 소장하여, 동물원을 넓히� 것이 리눅� 엔지니어� 즐거움� 아닐�.. :p
O'REILLY � 동물시리즈를 소장하여, 동물원을 넓히� 것이 리눅� 엔지니어� 즐거움� 아닐�.. :p
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July 12, 2013Its exceelent guide
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