Master the basics of Linux system administration

Since 2001, the first edition of the Linux Administration Handbook has been a definitive resource for Linux system administrators who must efficiently solve technical problems and maximize the reliability and performance of a production environment. The second edition addresses today's most important Linux distributions (such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora Core, SUSE Linux Enterprise, Debian GNU/Linux, and Ubuntu Linux) and many powerful new administrative tools, spelling 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. This sample chapter from Linux Administration Handbook, Second Edition offers an overview and discussion of essential Linux basics:

• Suggested background
• Linux's relationship to Unix
• Linux distributions
• Notation and typographical conventions
• Linux documentation and sources for more information
• Essential tasks of the Linux system administrator
• The Linux system administration under duress
• Recommended reading

Title: Linux Administration Handbook, 2nd Edition
ISBN: 0-13-148004-9
Published: November 2006
Authors: Evi Nemeth, Garth Snyder, Trent R. Hein
Chapter: Chapter 1: Where to Start
Published by Prentice Hall