How, then, to begin the review of this book? Well, first of all, in my opinion, the third edition of "Unix System Administration Handbook" stands as one of best general Unix books around. You will use this book, and frequently, if you work with Unix in any of its flavors.
The book also is very comprehensive. Miraculously, and consistently in style, the team of authors deals with every subject that's central to the Unix universe. Detailed coverage of subjects, such as DNS (Domain Name System), that many authorial teams omit, are covered in detail and with diligence. It's good to see everything covered in one book, since system administrators need to understand it all. The coverage here will carry you a long way. Of course, for really complicated situations, you still will need more focused texts.
Furthermore, the book is divided into three large chunks: Basic Administration, Networking and Bunch o' Stuff. Basic Administration provides a broad overview of Unix from a system administrator's perspective. The chapters in this section cover most of the facts and techniques needed to run a standalone Unix system.
The Networking section describes the protocols used on Unix systems and the techniques used to set up, extend and maintain networks. High-level network software also is covered here. Among the featured topics are DNS, NFS (Network File System), routing, sendmail and network management.
Bunch o' Stuff includes a variety of supplemental information. Some chapters discuss optional software packages, such as the Unix printing system (or, more accurately, systems), while others give advice on topics ranging from hardware maintenance to the politics of running a Unix installation.
What's in it for Me?
I am pleased to see that Linux is welcomed in the "Unix System Administration Handbook." The previous edition of this book described six variants of Unix, all of which were proprietary. Reflecting real-world use, this edition covers only four systems, two of which (haiti) are free. The Unix scene has changed a lot in just five years.
Systems like Linux and FreeBSD have established beyond a doubt the credibility of the open-source model. These systems are as stable and full-featured as their commercial counterparts; better yet, their developer communities move quickly to fix bugs and to add support for popular features. How many traditional vendors can say that?
As this book shows, system administrators often have been ill served by the traditional development model. Vendors do what they want (often for reasons that are less than clear), and administrators adapt. They have to, since the software is designed as one large, integrated system. Touch one component, and several others break.
Nevertheless, as we gain experience with the process of assembling complete systems from many separate components, this situation will improve. There's really no reason why an administrator shouldn't choose, say, an authentication system in the same way that an administrative assistant chooses a word processor. Experience shows that the opportunity for comparison and choice is all that's needed for good software to triumph over bad.
The index typically will guide you to a couple of sections, although you probably will still want to read this book cover to cover. First of all, what the service or feature is meant to do, what it isn't meant to do and how (in fairly general terms) it does its job, is explained in an overview of the subject that interests you. You will find four sections -- one each on the relevant configuration facts of the four emphasized Unix variants. These sections aren't presented as explicit sequences of steps. Rather, they are presented as narratives that are interspersed with commands and configuration file listings. This approach works very well. And, it is made even better by the syntax summaries and conceptual diagrams that pop up now and then.
In any event, looking through this new edition of the Handbook, it's clear that we still have a way to go toward making Unix administration graceful, easy and pure. If the last decade is any indication, however, we will see rapid progress in the years ahead. In the meantime, enjoy this book. To infinity and beyond!
What's Good?
Personally, this is one of the best, most easy to read books, even though it is not for beginners. It covers all facets of system administration, including real-life "how to," which makes the book interesting as well as informative.
For general Unix system administration, this book is by far the best offering available. The third edition concentrates on HP-UX, Solaris, RedHat Linux and BSD, with specific details about the four types. It's entertaining to read and an excellent reference, too.
You need this book if you have even the slightest interest in Unix system administration. It will either make you consider a new line of work or equip you for the job.
Other significant changes in this edition include expanded coverage of networking (for example, TCP/IP and routing are now two separate chapters) and a new chapter on "hosting the satanic banquet" of a mixed Windows/Unix environment, which I find invaluable. Still covered in appropriate detail, but without individual chapters, are topics of diminishing importance such as Usenet.
Nevertheless, when the authors were writing the first edition of this book in the mid-1980s, they were eager to compare their manuscript with other books on Unix system administration. To their delight, they could find only three. These days, you have your choice of at least 50. Here are the features that distinguish the authors' book:
- They take a practical approach. The authors' purpose is not to restate the contents of your manuals, but to give you the benefit of their collective experience in system administration. This book contains numerous war stories and a wealth of pragmatic advice.
- They cover Unix networking in detail. It is the most difficult aspect of Unix system administration and it's the area in which the authors think they can most likely be of help to readers.
- They do not oversimplify the material. The examples reflect true-life situations, with all their warts and unsightly complications. In most cases, the examples have been taken directly from production systems.
- They emphasize the use of software tools. Every piece of software mentioned in the text is either a standard Unix tool or freely available from the Internet -- and sometimes both -- since many vendors don't do a perfect job of keeping up with new releases.
- They cover all the major variants of Unix.
What's Bad?
In my opinion, this book is overpriced. Also, there is no glossary. As a result, I gave it a rating of 8 on a scale of 10 points. These are very serious negatives in the review of any book.
The price is listed at $68; this is an extremely expensive paperback. Although this book can be an invaluable tool for Unix administrators at all levels, it neither goes into greater detail nor does offer examples on all of the discussions. Therefore, I felt that the price is not justified. However, I would consider the combination of this book and another reference-type book essential in any serious Unix user's personal library.
And where's the glossary? Without one, this book is not very useful for quick reference. No book of this scope should be without a glossary to define acronyms and terms. Hopefully, it will be in the next edition -- if there is one.
Conclusion
For those new to system administration, this new comprehensive guide to Unix system administration is an ideal tutorial and an invaluable reference for experienced professionals. The third edition has been expanded to include "direct from the front lines" coverage of RedHat Linux. The "UNIX System Administration Handbook" describes every aspect of system administration, from basic topics to Unix esoterica, and it provides explicit coverage of the four popular Unix systems: HP-UX, Solaris, RedHat Linux and BSD.
This book stresses a practical approach to system administration. It's packed with war stories and pragmatic advice, not just theory and watered-down restatements of the manuals. Tackled head-on are difficult subjects, including sendmail, kernel building and DNS configuration. Examples are drawn from real-life systems and are provided for all four versions of UNIX.
Historically, there have been two main flavors of Unix: one from AT&T (known generically as System V) and one from the University of California, Berkeley (known as BSD). Neither AT&T nor Berkeley is still active in the Unix marketplace, but the terms "AT&T Unix" and "Berkeley Unix" live on. This book covers four different operating systems:
- Solaris 2.7
- HP-UX 11.00
- Red Hat Linux 6.2
- FreeBSD 3.4 (and bits of 4.0)
The authors chose these systems because they are among the most popular and because they illustrate a broad range of approaches to Unix administration. The first two systems are similar to AT&T Unix. FreeBSD is a direct descendant of Berkeley Unix, and RedHat Linux is something of a mix.
The authors also provide detailed information about each of these example systems for every topic that they cover. Comments specific to a particular operating system are marked with the manufacturer's logo.
Finally, there are many other versions of Unix. Most fall within the range of variation defined by these four systems, but a few (such as AIX and SCO) are so beautifully strange that they must be taken on their own terms.
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