Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two: Tips & Tools for Connecting, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting (Hacks)

Book Description

Today's system administrators deal with a vast number of situations, operating systems, software packages, and problems. Those who are in the know have kept their copy of Linux Server Hacks close at hand to ease their burden. And while this helps, it's not enough: any sys admin knows there are many more hacks, cool tips, and ways of solving problems than can fit in a single volume (one that mere mortals can lift, that is).

Which is why we created Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two, a second collection of incredibly useful tips and tricks for finding and using dozens of open source tools you can apply to solve your sys admin problems. The power and flexibility of Linux and Open Source means that there is an astounding amount of great software out there waiting to be applied to your sys admin problems -- if only you knew about it and had enough information to get started. Hence, Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two.

This handy reference offers 100 completely new server management tips and techniques designed to improve your productivity and sharpen your administrative skills. Each hack represents a clever way to accomplish a specific task, saving you countless hours of searching for the right answer. No more sifting through man pages, HOWTO websites, or source code comments -- the only resource you need is right here. And you don't have to be a system administrator with hundreds of boxen to get something useful from this book as many of the hacks apply equally well to a single system or a home network.

Compiled by experts, these hacks not only give you the step-by-step instructions necessary to implement the software, but they also provide the context to truly enable you to learn the technology. Topics include:

Authentication
Remote GUI connectivity
Storage management
File sharing and synchronizing resources
Security/lockdown instruction
Log files and monitoring
Troubleshooting
System rescue, recovery, and repair

Whether they help you recover lost data, collect information from distributed clients, or synchronize administrative environments, the solutions found in Linux Server Hacks, Volume Two will simplify your life as a system administrator.

Customer Reviews:

More specialized than Volume 1.......2007-07-08

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!.......2006-11-18

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.

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!.......2006-09-12

Are you a system administrator? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Bill Von Hagen and Brian K Jones, have done an outstanding job of writing volume two of a book that focuses on cool hacks they developed or used in their server and system administration careers.

Von Hagen and Jones, begin by exploring the authentication options that are available to you in heterogeneous networked computing environments and simplify administering user accounts and passwords. Then, the authors explore ways of connecting to remote systems. Next, the authors explain how to set up central servers that do things like synchronize the time on all the systems in your environment, deliver IP addresses to newly connected hosts, and integrate these services with existing ones. The authors then present a variety of cool sysadmin tips and techniques that they've accumulated over the years, including how to keep processes running without writing a daemon or staying logged in, how to use PXE to netboot Linux, how to share information with fellow sysadmins in a centralized fashion, how to get the most out of classic but incredibly useful terminal-oriented applications, and so on. They continue to explore some cool ways of making it easier for you to manage storage, deploy new systems, do backups of today's huge disks, and even reduce the need for some of the restore requests that occasionally clog every sysadmin's inbox. Then, the authors provide some tips and tricks for managing distributed storage and making sure the administrative environments on your servers are synchronized. They then discuss a wide range of security tools and techniques that can help you sleep at night and protect your systems at the same time. Next, they provide techniques for optimizing system performance, whether by figuring out who's hogging the entire CPU and shooting down that user's network sessions or by using cool knobs in the /proc filesystem to tweak system performance or using journaling filesystems to minimize system restart time. Then, they include hacks that enable you to centralize log information in a variety of ways, be warned when problems arise, and get the most out of system status information, whether it's log information, internal disk controller status data, or remote hardware status information that you can collect via SNMP. Finally, the authors show you how to boot crippled systems so that you can diagnose problems, repair munged filesystems, and even recover deleted files of data that was stored on disks that have gone belly up.

This most excellent book has presented hacks that are techniques that the authors have used at various times. More importantly, they view these techniques as time- and hassle-savers that are usually downright fun and cool.

Oustanding Linux Companion Guide.......2006-06-07

'Linux Server Hacks Volume Two' by William von Hagen is an outstanding companion guide for ALL Linux users and administrators. Packed with over 450 pages and 100 new hacks not in Volume 1, these aren't just known by everybody things that you can do with Linux, these are hot tips and tricks that most any Linux freak can excel from learning about.

Chapters Covered:

01. Linux Authentication
02. Remote GUI Connectivity
03. System Services
04. Cool Sysadmin Tools and Tips
05. Storage Management and Backups
06. Standardizing, Sharing, and Synchronizing Resources
07. Security
08. Troubleshooting and Performance
09. Logfiles and Monitoring
10. System Rescue, Recovery, and Repair

Pick this book up now, you will NOT be disappointed in this delcious Linux FEAST!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

An offering of over a hundred fresh, new hacks in a second volume to expand Linux opportunities.......2006-06-05

The second volume of Bill von Hagen and Brian K. Jones' Linux Server Hacks: Tips & Tools For Connecting, Monitoring, And Troubleshooting takes the original volume one step further, following up with an offering of over a hundred fresh, new hacks in a second volume to expand Linux opportunities. Hacks here only take a few minutes to read through but provide many answers to problems ranging from remotely running a GUI Linux desktop environment for end users to centralizing Windows font resources and combining network storage areas on new servers.

Average customer rating:

Disappointed about the installation instructions.
Not Focused
For sys admins
Great Reference for New Server Admins
Very helpful

Linux Server Security
Michael D. Bauer
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596006705

Book Description

Linux consistently appears high up in the list of popular Internet servers, whether it's for the Web, anonymous FTP, or general services such as DNS and delivering mail. But security is the foremost concern of anyone providing such a service. Any server experiences casual probe attempts dozens of time a day, and serious break-in attempts with some frequency as well. This highly regarded book, originally titled Building Secure Servers with Linux, combines practical advice with a firm knowledge of the technical tools needed to ensure security. The book focuses on the most common use of Linux--as a hub offering services to an organization or the Internet--and shows readers how to harden their hosts against attacks. An all-inclusive resource for Linux users who wish to harden their systems, Linux Server Security covers general security such as intrusion detection and firewalling a hub, as well as key services such as DNS, the Apache Web server, mail, and secure shell. Author Michael D. Bauer, a security consultant, network architect, and lead author of the popular Paranoid Penguin column in the Linux Journal, carefully outlines the security risks, defines precautions that can minimize those risks, and offers recipes for robust security. He is joined on several chapters by administrator and developer Bill Lubanovic. A number of new security topics have been added for this edition, including:

Database security, with a focus on MySQL
Using OpenLDAP for authentication
An introduction to email encryption
The Cyrus IMAP service, a popular mail delivery agent
The vsftpd FTP server

Geared toward Linux users with little security expertise, the author explains security concepts and techniques in clear language, beginning with the fundamentals. Linux Server Security with Linux provides a unique balance of "big picture" principles that transcend specific software packages and version numbers, and very clear procedures on securing some of those software packages on several popular distributions. With this book in hand, you'll have both the expertise and the tools to comprehensively secure your Linux system.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed about the installation instructions........2005-08-06

The big reason why I purchased this book was because it claimed it was great about security and it said it would show how to setup these services the correct way.
Well first of all this author loves to use the binary packages (RPMs, etc.). And anyone that is a major security buff knows that the RPMs are the last things to get updated when a flaw is found out.
Secondly that's all the user shows for the installation of most of the software is how to do it with a binary distribution. So unless you are using Suse, Redhat, Fedora it is quite useless. This book should indicate that it made for those distributions and it is not general "Linux".

Also his views on running some of the software is really off the wall. But that is just a personal preference I guess.

Overall if he would have used the regular "./configure ---comands", "make", "make install" this book would have been much better and it would have been able to be used for those that don't want to be stuck in "rpm hell".

Not Focused.......2005-06-13

I read every column of paranoid penguin and they are quite good. This book is ok, but not great. They (I mean they because several chapters are not by Mike) try to cover a huge amount of information and make the mistake of being both too broad in some areas and too specific in others. Overall, there wasn't a cohesive glue to bring the chapters together into a single vision.

For instance, for a book that introduces FTP servers, web servers, mail (imap/smtp), dns - they are like separate entities. They do not complete the picture by showing a complete network diagram with IDS / VPN, -- showing an example of all of their advice coming together in a working solution. And Kerberos isn't even mentioned.

They were extremely specific in some areas like talking about rpm example/debian/ make options and specific .conf options ad nauseum - which detracted from the whole picture. Is someone securing bind 4 really reading this book? Also, maybe a mention of apt-get - - but don't tell me how to install each package on every architecture - it just inflates the word count.

I don't think this book was focused enough in the 'big picture' of trying to piece together all of the tiny pieces into a coherant whole, while at the same time it gets cought up in the minute details of certain packages making for a tough read.

Perhaps they could have included an actual example company or two showing possible layouts of ldap in action with:
login/mail/split-dns/firewalls/database$web.

Anyone for OpenBSD?

For sys admins.......2005-06-03

Linux Server Security, Second Edition
By Michael D. Bauer
Second Edition January 2005
ISBN: 0-596-00670-5
544 pages, $44.95 US
(...)
This book goes along with the moving trend of the normal computer user, securing your data. Servers generally are targeted more often than the average home PC because most are made to be accessible from the outside world. This is where securing that server comes into play. This book covers the tools and techniques to securing your Bastion host.

First I'd like to start out and explain what Bastion host means as according this book so you can understand what this book covers more specifically. Bastion Host is defined as "A system that runs publicly accessible services but is usually not itself a firewall. Bastion hosts are what we put on DMZ (although they can be put anywhere). The term implies that a certain amount of system hardening has been done, but sadly, this is not always the case."

After you understand what a Bastion host is defined as, you should understand that this book mainly covers these server daemons and the systems that run them. But some of the information applies to a Linux desktop system such as a per host iptables firewall, using secure shell, keeping up with your logs, and intrusion detection. Most of these things the average user doesn't care much about but sometimes being paranoid comes in handy.

Someone who would most likely use this book more than the average desktop user would probaly be a system administrator. Securing web, database, ftp, dns, and email servers is what majority of this book contains. Along with covering these server systems, there are guides to securing the Linux system that runs these daemons along with designing the networks around these types of hosts.

One of the sections I'm most fond of is Chapter 2: Designing Perimeter Networks. With this section you can really take a look at the design and layout of the different types of networks and figure out the portions that suit your needs for your own network. The diagrams shown in this chapter help explain what is going on with the traffic and allows you to see exactly what is going on and at what points the systems are protected.

At the end of the book there are 2 well commented iptables firewall scripted that allow you to get a feel for the netfilter iptables system if you're not familiar with it already. With some modification of these scripts you can easily bring them into a working environment depending on your situation, which sometimes these helps with some of the frustration with the iptables syntax. I personally prefer the PF system within OpenBSD for it's clean syntax and have grown away from iptables, but both are powerful firewall systems and should fit the needs of your network.

I'd definitely recommend this book to system admins or anyone who is paranoid about their security. Security is always something that people should be educated about.

Lloyd Randall
Pensacola Linux User's Group

Great Reference for New Server Admins.......2005-03-22

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is involved with securing Internet servers. The book strikes a nice balance between theoretical background and implementation examples.

Though certainly not all encompassing, the book touches on several key elements of server security, including DNS, Email, File Servers, Web Services, IDS methods and more. People new or just curious about Linux server security will gain the most. More experienced system administrators will find a few implementation tips and useful background information for presentation or training purposes.

Unlike many server security books, this one includes some notes on alternatives to the most popular software packages. For example, the chapter on securing Internet email includes excellent tips on securing both Sendmail and Postfix while the IDS chapter covers the popular Tripwire package and some lesser-known integrity checkers. References and the end of each chapter are provided to point you to even more solutions.

This book certainly will not replace a dedicated reference volume, but I find it to be a good summary of major security practices for bastion hosts. Note that the book focuses primarily on host hardening. Though there are some sections on network security, most of the chapters focus on locking down your server. So if you are mainly interested in network clusters, network surveillance, or honeypots, you will probably want to find another reference. Also, if you have several years of experience, you may not find too much new information, but the book is a handy reference volume that can point you in the right direction. If, however, you are new to Linux server security or just simply want a concise summary of common security practices, then this will be a welcomed addition to your technical library.

Very helpful.......2005-03-07

I am quite happy that there are books like Linux Server Security.

A lot of people think Linux is bullet proof, but its not. If not configured correctly, it can be just as insecure as Windows.

Linux Server Security is an important and timely book in that it shows how to harden Linux to be very secure.

SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 Administrator's Handbook (Novell Press)

Average customer rating:

securing your system

SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9 Administrator's Handbook (Novell Press)
Peter Kuo , and Jacques Beland
Manufacturer: Novell Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 067232735X

Book Description

As a system administrator, you are justly concerned about the security of your infrastructure. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES 9) can lead the way to infrastructure security and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Administrator's Handbook is the authoritative source for information on this secure server. Step-by-step procedures will walk you through installing and securing a SLES 9 system, and it will focus on the specific security features that make SLES 9 an important platform for all system administrators. Some of what you will cover is:

SuSE server installation
User access and security
Installing and configuring networking services
Securing your SuSE server

Leverage Linux and open source with SLES 9 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Administrator's Handbook to build a secure computing network for your company.

Customer Reviews:

securing your system.......2005-07-27

Kuo and Beland help the sysadmin who might be new to SUSE Linux. Conceptually, you can think of the book as two interwoved parts. The first part is explaining generic linux, or even unix, operations. Applicable to a Red Hat or Solaris machine, perhaps.

More pertinantly, the book goes into SUSE-specific abilities, with a natural emphasis on maintaining a secure system. The book is clearly directed at a sysadmin in a corporate environment, as opposed to a hobbyist with a home computer. So robustness and defending against malware are constant themes.

For example, you may want to offer anonymous ftp writing to your machine. By default, this directory often ends up in /var. Which means that users could, inadvertantly or not, end up filling the partition that /var/ sits on. Bad, because /var holds a lot of system log files, amongst other items. So the book suggests putting the anonymous ftp write directory on its own partition. Some other sysadmin books totally ignore this situation.

Careful attention should be paid to the last sections of the book, which discuss instrusion detection. A good precis of the main tools is furnished - for Ethereal, Nessus, nmap, Snort and others. You get enough details in the overview to understand their usages and their comparative advantages.

Linux Server Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools

Average customer rating:

Good first step into being a Linux Sysadmin
Great book for intermediate users
Great Hacks, Skimpy on Facts
Linux "Must Have" book for servers or desktop client
Very useful and clever

Linux Server Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools
Rob Flickenger
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596004613

Book Description

A competent system administrator knows that a Linux server is a high performance system for routing large amounts of information through a network connection. 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. Rob Flickenger is an experienced system administrator, having managed the systems for O'Reilly Network for several years. (He's also into community wireless networking and he's written a book on that subject for O'Reilly.) Rob has also collected the best ideas and tools from a number of other highly skilled contributors. Written for users who already understand the basics, Linux Server Hacks is built upon the expertise of people who really know what they're doing.

Customer Reviews:

Good first step into being a Linux Sysadmin.......2007-09-25

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.......2007-09-14

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.

Great Hacks, Skimpy on Facts.......2006-12-02

This O'Reilly title really impressed me with useful tricks, such as running a shell command on multiple hosts or using a Makefile to maintain sendmail map files; however, while it gives you the short cut to do something, it doesn't always explain the syntax of the commands used.

I wanted to use the Makefile to maintain files in my Postfix configuration, but the author didn't explain the entries in the sendmail Makefile enough to customize it to my own needs. It wouldn't taken little time and made the tip more useful to budding sysadmins.

Still, the book is well worth the purchase price, and one can always glean custom techniques off the net.

Linux "Must Have" book for servers or desktop client.......2006-03-17

Very useful and clever.......2004-10-23

Just a couple days after I had started thumbing through this book my boyfriend picked it up and stole it for 2 weeks. The result? "This book rocks."

The book is organized into sections so that it's logical to just read it cover to cover if you felt so inclined. The hacks go from simple to more difficult, and it's certainly not just for Server adminstrators! Most of these hacks are a benefit to any Linux user. I found myself often thinking "Wow, that's so clever!" and "I should have thought of that!" while reading this book. I discovered so many new little ways around doing things, and got a fresh look at how to tackle certain problems, and actually learned quite a bit about programs I use everyday (such as ssh).

It's wonderful that such a collection has been brought together, this is now one of my favorite reference books.

Linux Annoyances for Geeks: Getting the Most Flexible System in the World Just the Way You Want It (Annoyances)

Average customer rating:

GEEKS GONE WILD!!
Linux for Geeks - indeed!
Great resource
Not for true "geeks" at all.
Excellent for those looking to solve common (annoying) issues

Linux Annoyances for Geeks: Getting the Most Flexible System in the World Just the Way You Want It (Annoyances)
Michael Jang
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596008015

Book Description

GNU/Linux is an immensely popular operating system that is both extremely stable and reliable. But it can also induce minor headaches at the most inopportune times, if you're not fully up to speed with its capabilities.

A unique approach to running and administering Linux systems, Linux Annoyances for Geeks addresses the many poorly documented and under appreciated topics that make the difference between a system you struggle with and a system you really enjoy. This book is for power users and system administrators who want to clear away barriers to using Linux for themselves and for less trained users in their organizations.

This book meticulously tells you how to get a stubborn wireless card to work under Linux, and reveals little-known sources for wireless drivers and information. It tells you how to add extra security to your systems, such as boot passwords, and how to use tools such as rescue disks to overcome overly zealous security measures in a pinch. In every area of desktop and server use, the book is chock full of advice based on hard-earned experience.

Author Michael Jang has spent many hours trying out software in a wide range of environments and carefully documenting solutions for the most popular Linux distributions. (The book focuses on Red Hat/Fedora, SUSE, and Debian.) Many of the topics presented here are previously undocumented or are discussed only in obscure email archives.

One of the valuable features of this book for system administrators and Linux proponents in general is the organization of step-by-step procedures that they can customize for naive end-users at their sites. Jang has taken into account not only the needs of a sophisticated readership, but the needs of other people those readers may serve.

Sometimes, a small thing for a user--such as being able to play a CD--or for an administrator--such as updating an organizations' systems from a central server--can make or break the adoption of Linux. This book helps you overcome the most common annoyances in deploying Linux, and trains you in the techniques that will help you overcome other problems you find along the way.

In keeping with the spirit of the Annoyances series, the book adopts a sympathetic tone that will quickly win you over. Rather than blaming you for possessing limited Linux savvy, Linux Annoyances for Geeks takes you along for a fun-filled ride as you master the system together.

Customer Reviews:

GEEKS GONE WILD!!.......2007-02-19

Are you annoyed from time to time that you can't find the right hardware; or can't configure a server; or are supporting less experienced users? If you are, then this book is for you. Author Michael Jang, has done an outstanding job of writing a cool book that addresses many of the more common complaints faced by the experienced Linux user.

Jang, begins by providing you solutions for some of the everyday annoyances. Then, the author gives some tips for the less experienced users. Next, the author shows you how to make Internet access as convenient and simple as possible for regular users. He also provides solutions for the geek who needs to set up regular users with access to popular tools, such as PDF files, MP3 players, and Windows-based applications. The author continues by showing the geek how to make choices in hardware, distributions, and systems that are appropriate for his or her users. Then, he shows the geek how to optimize Linux, solve some annoying boot issues, and address some basic security concerns. Next, the author focuses primarily on those kernal-related tasks that make most Linux users look to the geek for help. He then focuses on a variety of annoyances related to keeping your systems running smoothly and up-to-date. The author continues by showing you how to select and configure servers to solve a variety of problems, with a higher degree of security. Then, he focuses on annoyances created by and associated with the presence of different kinds of users in an organization. Finally, the author provides solutions for a wide variety of other annoyances related to system administration.

This most excellent book shows you how to get a stubborn wireless card to work under Linux. Perhaps more importantly, it reveals little-known sources for wireless drivers and information.

Linux for Geeks - indeed!.......2006-09-16

The book is a valuable reference text that may help to identify and repair many problems on the desktop or server. Linux professionals responsible for the operation and maintenance of desktop computers and servers will benefit most from the wide range of solutions provided for common problems. Semi-geeky Linux users may enjoy an informative look under the hood of Linux, even if they have low expectations of making the repairs themselves. Non-geeks, who just want to use Linux, are best off with Linux for Non-Geeks by Rickford Grant, published by No Starch Press, affiliated with O'Reilly.

Great resource.......2006-08-31

Linux is a great operating system but like every other one it has some annoyances that may crop up from time to time. The purpose of this book is to help the reader to get Linux to work the way they want it to without getting annoyed in the process. As such the target audience is the Linux power user and system administrators.

Some of the areas covered include configuring GNOME applications in KDE and configuring KDE applications in GNOME, X Window configuration, working with CDs and DVDs, configuring sound, converting from Outlook, interfacing with various Instant Messaging programs, working with Microsoft Office documents, multimedia, hardware issues, startup problems, system maintenance, CUPS printing, using Samba, and various administrative tasks. One of the really great features of the book is that the author provides the details of how to make the changes in each of the most common distributions including Red Hat, SUSE, and Debian. So you know right away how to do it in the particular distribution you are working with. This is one of the things that really sets this book apart from others in this category and makes it one of the best choices possible.

Linux Annoyances for Geeks is an excellent book that details step-by-step how to work through the annoyances and get the results you want. With easy to follow the steps and the correct results every time it is a highly recommended resource.

Not for true "geeks" at all........2006-07-29

This is another book that implies it's for power users, yet most of what's in here can be found in any garden variety book on how to run Linux. Only part of this book is aimed at "geeks".

The promotional text on the back cover implies that it's aimed at sysadmins. And while *some* of it is, most of it is stuff that a system administrator would already be familiar with.

Much of what's in this book is the same stuff aimed at beginning to intermediate Linux desktop users. It's not for real "geeks" or sysadmins by any means.

If only the truly useful stuff for sysadmins/geeks were included, the book would be 1/3 it's size.

It's not that it's a bad book; it's just not marketed well at all and has a very misleading title.

I found it a complete waste of money. It's hard to find books for "intermediate to advanced" users. I figured this would be one of them. It's not.

I was quite disappointed.

Excellent for those looking to solve common (annoying) issues.......2006-07-15

This book isn't for a beginners but for those who already have experience with linux. I consider myself a moderate geek. Although the book doesn't explain everything in detail, it does have good references to other links that go into detail. For examples it explains how to install kerberos, but doesn't go into much detail on the hows or whys. I like the fact that it's not a bible!!!. It's pretty up to date on distros, SuSE 9.3-10, Debain Sarge, Fedora/RHEL 4. I consider this book a wrapping of all the google and forum anwsers I have been looking for. Overall I enjoyed the book.

Run Your Own Web Server Using Linux & Apache

Average customer rating:

Good introduction to LAMP servers for average computer user
Good broad strokes, light on details
a non-technical book for non-technical people
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
A surprisingly simple 'must'.

Run Your Own Web Server Using Linux & Apache
Tony Steidler-Dennison
Manufacturer: SitePoint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0975240226

Book Description

This book is for Web Developers who want to learn how to use Linux & Apache for Website Hosting. The first chapters will teach you how to install Linux and Apache 2.0 on a home or office machine for testing purposes. Then you'll learn how to perform dozens of common tasks including:

Updating server software
Setting up new Websites, Email Accounts and Subdomains
Configuring various Linux & Apache files related to performance and security
Install spam filtering software
Perform automatic backups and crash recoveries

And much more.

This is the ideal book for anyone who wants to run Websites using a leased or co-located Linux server, without having to spends thousands of dollars annually on third party support and management.

Customer Reviews:

Good introduction to LAMP servers for average computer user.......2006-08-31

The focus in this book is on one of the most common implementations of Linux; as a complete Internet solution with a Linux server, Apache web server, MySQL database, and PHP language. This combination is commonly called a LAMP installation. The authors lead the reader through how to pick an appropriate Linux distribution for your needs, install and configure the Apache web server, use MySQL to store data and use PHP to build Web applications.

The authors assume little or no knowledge of Linux and so include a basic introduction to Linux including common daily tasks and administration. Once your Linux server is up and running they also cover how to use various utilities to administer it remotely. Other chapters include information on server security, GNOME, file system, and permissions. This is not a bad introduction to Linux and Apache but it does almost nothing with MySQL and PHP. This is a basic text on how to get a LAMP server up and running. It is not a text on how to program with PHP or how to create and administer a MySQL database. For this information you will need to consult other texts. However, since a LAMP server is one of the most common uses of Linux and there are specific techniques to get the Linux server, Apache, MySQL and PHP all installed and working together seamlessly this book is very valuable for this specific task. Build Your Own Web Server Using Linux and Apache is recommended to anyone who wants to get a LAMP server up and running with a minimum of frustration.

Good broad strokes, light on details.......2006-07-25

I'm a web developer and bought this book hoping that it would--as advertised--teach me how to setup and install a working LAMP server. I found this book to read more like a checklist than anything. Install this, uncheck that. The book provided little insight as to the reasoning behind these decisions, nor did it provide any detail on how to fine tune or configure some of the more arcane components like email or ftp. It definitely did not teach you anything about how to live and operate in the Linux environment. These I had to figure out on my own. This book reads like a free website article repackaged and bound. Stay clear of this one.

a non-technical book for non-technical people.......2006-06-02

50% of its contents can be found in a general Red Hat Linux book. Most other parts can be found in the web sites of Apache, Webmin and so on. This is the worst book I bought from Amazon.com, the first book from Sitepoint. I wouldn't buy a book from Sitepoint for a long time. I feel sorry for my company which paid for the book.

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2006-05-31

Are you a systems administrator, but know very little about Linux? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Tony Steidler-Dennison and Stuart Langridge, have done an outstanding job of writing a practical book that shows you how to build, configure and maintain servers running the LAMP open source Web application platform.

Steidler-Dennison and Langridge, begin by showing you how to install Linux successfully on your server. Then, the authors explain hot to run and how to manage your Linux server on a daily basis. They continue by identifying those extra capabilities, and discuss the command line's advantages over GUI. Next, the authors discuss the lot as they take you on a tour of the Linux system administrator's toolkit. Then, the authors explore some of the basics of Apache itself, including how it works and how it fits into the Linux environment. Then, they focus on a selection of handy tools that will help you to configure your LAMP server and add new packages to it. They also get a feel for working with SSH, which allows command line access to a server across the network , and VNC, which enables you to access your LAMP server's GUI remotely. Next, the authors give you an introduction to backup tools. Finally, the authors set up a firewall on their LAMP server, and install intrusion detection services as a means to identify remote cracking attempts.

This most excellent book gives you the knowledge you need to build, configure and maintain servers running LAMP open source Web application platform. More importantly, this book will show you how to build a Linux server, and help you decide which flavor of Linux best suits your situation.

A surprisingly simple 'must'........2006-04-14

Any seeking a step-by-step answer guide to adapting your own Apache web server running on a Linux system based on Fedora will find a surprisingly simple 'must' in Stuart Langridge & Tony Steidler-Dennison's RUN YOUR OWN WEB SERVER USING LINUX & APACHE .From basic initial installation for Linux, Apache and MySQL 4 to daily usage and advanced administration jobs such as customizing and configuring, users will find plenty of tips on performance and mastering common server admin tasks.

Average customer rating:

Non Fiction
Must-have book to secure your linux server!
This book saved my day...more than once!
EXTREMELY helpful, well-written
Great articles, but an incomplete book

Building Secure Servers with Linux
Michael D. Bauer
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596002173

Book Description

Linux consistently turns up high in the list of popular Internet servers, whether it's for the Web, anonymous FTP, or general services like DNS and routing mail. But security is uppermost on the mind of anyone providing such a service. Any server experiences casual probe attempts dozens of time a day, and serious break-in attempts with some frequency as well. As the cost of broadband and other high-speed Internet connectivity has gone down, and its availability has increased, more Linux users are providing or considering providing Internet services such as HTTP, Anonymous FTP, etc., to the world at large. At the same time, some important, powerful, and popular Open Source tools have emerged and rapidly matured--some of which rival expensive commercial equivalents--making Linux a particularly appropriate platform for providing secure Internet services. Building Secure Servers with Linux will help you master the principles of reliable system and network security by combining practical advice with a firm knowledge of the technical tools needed to ensure security. The book focuses on the most common use of Linux--as a hub offering services to an organization or the larger Internet--and shows readers how to harden their hosts against attacks. Author Mick Bauer, a security consultant, network architect, and lead author of the popular Paranoid Penguin column in Linux Journal, carefully outlines the security risks, defines precautions that can minimize those risks, and offers recipes for robust security. The book does not cover firewalls, but covers the more common situation where an organization protects its hub using other systems as firewalls, often proprietary firewalls. The book includes:

Precise directions for securing common services, including the Web, mail, DNS, and file transfer.
Ancillary tasks, such as hardening Linux, using SSH and certificates for tunneling, and using iptables for firewalling.
Basic installation of intrusion detection tools.

Writing for Linux users with little security expertise, the author explains security concepts and techniques in clear language, beginning with the fundamentals. Building Secure Servers with Linux provides a unique balance of "big picture" principles that transcend specific software packages and version numbers, and very clear procedures on securing some of those software packages. An all-inclusive resource for Linux users who wish to harden their systems, the book covers general security as well as key services such as DNS, the Apache Web server, mail, file transfer, and secure shell. With this book in hand, you'll have everything you need to ensure robust security of your Linux system.

Customer Reviews:

Non Fiction.......2007-09-03

Bought to help while away a long plane flight, this book was somewhat useful as a introduction to linux security, and where to start when looking at exposing servers to the evil outside world. Included is more importantly what not to start, and what not to do, at the beginning. Not a bad book.

Must-have book to secure your linux server!.......2003-08-11

The author covers all of the major issues facing an administrator looking to secure a linux server. I purchased this book based on the reviews here and I have not been disappointed.

If you are a security professional or would like to be, this is the book for you. Take advantage of the author's years of experience as well as the knowledge he has gleaned and refined from his years of writing security articles for Linux Magazine.

This book saved my day...more than once!.......2003-07-02

Several months ago I decided to setup my personal weblog on one of my home based Linux box. I knew, that counting on cheap DSL router "firewall" capability, to keep real hackers out of the system is simply not enough (and counting on the fact, that hacker wannabes and script kiddies outnumber real hackers in real life, is not reassuring either).

Sure, soon after, I opened necessary ports on DSL router for web, mail and ftp service I regularly noticed port scanning probes in router log. I questioned myself if I really built secure Linux box or not? What should I do next time, to strengthen security right from the beginning, and not later, when server is already in use? Where to place Linux server and how to protect my internal network? Of course, I realized that my general knowledge about security (especially on Linux) is insufficient. I'm following Mr. Bauer excellent articles in Linux Journal for some time, appreciating not only the author knowledge in the field of security, but also his writing skills. It was a logical choice for me to begin learning about security on Linux with the help of his book.

It's not some kind of "super" book on the security subject that'll give you answers on all your questions and the same time cover all security aspects.
On contrary, it covers the most important security issues concerning the services and tools that you'll probably use or support on average Linux box connected to the net. This book really helped me a lot in that respect, not only with home project but also on my daily job that is only occasionally related with network security.

If my case sounds familiar to you then you're definitely the prime candidate for this book.

EXTREMELY helpful, well-written.......2003-01-29

I run a small home network with a registered static IP. I wanted to secure it and use it to run a web server and an app server. By trade I am an enterprise Java developer. Prior to reading this book, I had had zero experience securing any kind of server, and nearly zero experience administering Linux boxes at all. I was pretty intimidated by the concepts of computer security in general. Also, you should know that I actually read 90% of this book.

Let me say without hesitation that this book has changed my life. I have secured my network, protected my data, detected attempted hacks, and learned a TON. This knowledge has also helped me tremendously in my day job, as an awareness of the overall network security environment is essential to being a good enterprise developer. I give 100% of the credit to Mr. Bauer, whose writing is complete, comprehensible, succinct, and lively. He progresses logically through the material, covering firewall architecture, server hardening, use of ssh for all administration, log watching, web and DNS security, threat detection, and many other topics. His coverage is a judicious mixture of utilitarian and theoretical - he gives you just the right instructions to accomplish your goals, and just enough background to make it interesting and understandable. This approach makes his chapters on bastion hosts, ssh, and tripwire especially definitive. His humor, unlike that of many other technical authors, actually is funny and helpful. When he refers to the complex Diffie-Hellman key exchange algorithm as a "large-prime-number hoe-down," he succeeds in both entertaining and providing an adequate summary for the average network administrator. Bauer's sense of organization and style enables him to take the mystique and complexity out of computer security and empower the reader.

I take extreme exception to the negative reviewer who claims that Bauer relies too heavily on graphical tools, which is bad since one should not even have X11 running on a secure server. Obviously this other reviewer never read the book. In his chapter on hardening Linux, Bauer EXPRESSLY SAYS not to install X11 on a secure server. Almost NOWHERE in the book does he use graphical tools. What the other reviewer has written is unfair and untrue. Maybe he read a different book.

One minor quibble I have is that the log monitoring software Bauer suggests, "swatch," is adequate but has really been superseded by "logwatcher," which comes with Red Hat Linux. Logwatcher has built-in smarts, and does not need to rely on downloading modules from CPAN onto your secure server. But consider this: the fact that I can even raise this issue, after previously knowing absolutely nothing about computer security, is further testament to the greatness of this book.

Great articles, but an incomplete book.......2003-01-25

This book was created by gluing together the famous "Paranoid Penguin" columns that the author writes for Linux Journal. Now, the articles are great. When expanded into book form, there's more space available for detail. However this book doesn't have the breadth to be a good security book on it's own. Since it only pulls from the articles, it misses many key points that would be necessary for someone to really secure their machine. Many of the topics here are not geared toward securing your machine, or building a secure server at all - they're more "how to do things securely". Now that is a good thing, but the book title makes it sound like you need only this book to build a secure machine, and that is definately not the case.

Linux Desktop Hacks: Tips & Tools for Customizing and Optimizing your OS (Hacks)

Average customer rating:

A true gem for novice and advanced user
A "must have" book if you use Linux or are moving to Linux
Having fun with your OS!
Linux Desktop Hacks, Tips & Tools for Customizing and Optimi
One hundred awesome tips and tricks

Linux Desktop Hacks: Tips & Tools for Customizing and Optimizing your OS (Hacks)
Nicholas Petreley , and Jono Bacon
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596009119

Book Description

The KDE and Gnome desktops have developed into mature operating environments. These technologies not only act as interfaces between the user, the powerful Linux kernel and GNU operating system, but they do so in a fun and intuitive way. Many users are content with the tools and facilities included with these desktops, but--for those who are ready to probe a little deeper--much more functionality can be found by going under the hood. With hacks that any user can follow, Linux Desktop Hacks demonstrates how easy it is to modify Linux to suit your desires. The book is packed with tips on customizing and improving the interface, boosting performance, administering your desktop, and generally making the most out of what X, KDE, Gnome, and the console have to offer. From the practical to the whimsical, and some things you never thought of trying, the hacks in the book include the following, and more:

Kill and Resurrect the Master Boot Record
Jazz Up Your Debian System Boot
Energize Your Console with Macro Music Magic
Konquer Remote Systems Without Passwords
Run KDE on the Bleeding Edge
View Microsoft Word Documents in a Terminal
Read Yahoo! Mail from Any Email Client
Motion Capture and Video Conferencing Fun
Automate Your Life with cron
Protect Yourself from Windows Applications
Make an Internet Connection Using Bluetooth and a Mobile Phone
Print to Unsupported Printers
Accelerate Your Gaming

If you're yearning for information to make the Linux desktop easier, more powerful, and more fun, Linux Desktop Hacks is just the ticket.

Customer Reviews:

A true gem for novice and advanced user.......2006-05-05

Oh I just love this book. I buy a lot of technical books and find about 1 out of 5 are books I use alot. This is one of them. pretty up to data and covers gnome and KDE though most of the Hacks are not window manager specific -- Hell some of the funnest stuff is done from the command line. Full of great stuff for getting you system running the way you want.

It's not just limited the desktop but gives good info on the boot manager etc. I've been doing linux since '99.

There are 100 quality hacks in the book - I find more than 80%interesting and I'll probably use half of them over the next few months. Just finding:
kstart --fullscreen program_name"
to start a program in full-screen kiosk mode under KDE was news to me. Also includes other things you need to know like painless ways.

A "must have" book if you use Linux or are moving to Linux.......2006-03-17

First, I write software professionally. I write software, I am not a Sys Admin (which is hard work I might add; System Administration is for hardcore people.) This book saved me money by giving me answers to problems that would have taken me days to find the answers to by searching the internet.

Hack #30 How to setup up VNC
Virtual terminals are great. I use them to cut out using an expensive and wires of a KVM switch. I can get to my servers from anywhere in the house or securly across the Internet (with the right passwords as this books shows.)
I can fix my wife's computer problems without having to go to her desk. I can run my Windows apps on a Windows machine, but control that from my Linux terminals.

Or vice-a-versa, it is much easier to use a Windows laptop while sitting on the couch sipping a Martini then having to sit in a dark cold server closet trying to fix a problem with a server.

It took me 3 days to search and read about VNC on the net. Then trying to find an example on a web page that worked and was edited properly. This book gave me the answers I needed in 5 pages of well written text.

A simple enough hack but time is money in this business and this book save both time and money.

Also the book is a "good" read. The authors write well and that keeps you reading. Not a dry manual.

If you are doing Linux for fun or work you need will need to buy this book. It allows you more time to sleep at night.

Having fun with your OS!.......2005-09-18

Linux Desktop Hacks: Tips & Tools for customizing your OS
By Nicholas Petreley and Jono Bacon
O'Reilly Press
ISBN 0596009119

Reviewed by Steven Mullins HuNTUG member

Having loads of fun with your OS!
One of the lures of Microsoft is that it's very simple. One of the reasons we choose to run Linux is the fact that it gets rid of all the extras that we have no real use for.
I have just entered into the arena of Linux and have needed a lot of help on how to get more out of my old 450 in the corner. The keys for me were things like terminal transparency, using things like Macromedia Flash in the environment and how to start applications automatically.
This book has made my life with Linux a lot easier.

The linux desktop hacks gets 4 they could have done some more for that one.

Linux Desktop Hacks, Tips & Tools for Customizing and Optimi.......2005-07-12

This is one of the books that I would put in the "very useful" cookbook-type category. There are a plethora of useful tidbits of information conveniently collected into one book. Subjects covered range from: booting issues, log-in managers, desktops, administration and automation issues, to kernel issues, and hardware. You won't necessarily implement all of the tips contained in the book, but even if you use a fraction of them, you should find the book to be worth while. I found the book to be quite educational.

One hundred awesome tips and tricks.......2005-06-26

This is an excellent hacks book. It's one hundred fairly short, but well explained and appropriately illustrated, hints and tips that cover the gamut of Linux issues. Don't let the Desktop word in the title fool you. Certainly there is a lot of information on Desktop tweaks, but the information is more than skin deep. There is security, networking and systems administration information.

As with all of the hacks books, take a look at the table of contents and if you find ten or so that interest you, then check it out.

Maximum Linux Security: A Hacker's Guide to Protecting Your Linux Server and Workstation

Average customer rating:

Good introduction
Who is this book for?
A MUST HAVE FOR ANY LINUX USER!!
It's a very good book
Great Read and Informative

Maximum Linux Security: A Hacker's Guide to Protecting Your Linux Server and Workstation
Anonymous
Manufacturer: Sams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0672316706

Amazon.com

Linux machines serve scores of purposes on networks, but their very integration with networked environments means they're constantly exposed to attack. Maximum Linux Security: A Hacker's Guide to Protecting Your Linux Server and Network provides a comprehensive picture of Linux's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to protecting your systems from bad guys. The author offers explicit advice (e.g., replace sendmail with Qmail) and general recommendations (e.g., be on the lookout for unused services and disable them). In case you're wondering which Anonymous this is, he's the same guy who wrote the very highly regarded Maximum Security.

In Maximum Linux Security, readers become familiar with scores of offensive and defensive weapons, including Crack, Tripwire, linux_sniffer, mendax, and many more. For each program, the author documents the required infrastructure (such as C or Perl), the required permissions, and a URL from which the program can be downloaded. Most valuably, he walks you through the use of each program (using Red Hat Linux 5.1 and Caldera OpenLinux 1.3 on his test bed machines). Readers can follow along as the author performs various hacks, including an IP spoofing attack. He lists hundreds of hacking tools in an appendix, and includes a lot of software (Linux security products, code examples, technical documents, system logs, and utilities) on the companion CD-ROM. --David Wall

Topics covered: Sniffers, scanners, firewalls, auditing tools, intrusion detectors, and denial-of-service software.

Book Description

Maximum Linux Security: A Hacker's Guide to Protecting Your Linux Server and Workstation is designed for system administrators, managers, or Linux users who wish to protect their Linux servers and workstations from unauthorized intrusions and other external threats to their systems' integrity. Written by an experienced hacker--someone who knows which systems are vulnerable and how crackers get into them--this unique guide to Linux security identifies existing and potential security holes and faults, and then describes how to go about fixing them.

Customer Reviews:

Good introduction.......2006-10-10

My comment goes out to the first (very old now) edition, 1999. This was the first book I've read about linux security and it's very well written, well organized and cover most importat topics about system security and internet security as well.

Who is this book for?.......2005-09-27

I'll start off by saying that I am CISSP, CCSP and SANS GSEC certified. I have read a couple of the Maximum Security series books and I'm constantly disappointed. First off the book is about 5 times too long for a novice that is curious about the subject and under informative for a professional. It also seems to cover some "neeto" programs you can use to secure your system. For the amount of pages I thought it would at least delve into some kernel hacking, buffer overflow/underrun protection. The author seems to love to give scare tactic examples of attacks that happened years before the book was published. If someone is reading this book they most likely understand the threat. I don't need to the police to tell me about murders that have gone on in Baltimore to convince me to put locks on my doors. This kind of off subject garbage makes this book even heavier, and not from an information stand point. Published in 2001 it seem that is was out of date then as well. It covers, for the lack of better description, low level hacker tools in a majority of descriptions of tools. For example the "Sniffer" chapter mentions nothing about dsniff a very popular and powerful sniffing utility. I would not recommend this book to a beginner as there is way too much garbage taking you through the installation of basic pieces of software. Never mentioning some different options maybe you should be selecting during the install. There is no need to cut and paste the contents of the INSTALL file from Tripwire, most of the guides for installing are word for word from the programs own install and readme files. I would not recommend this to a professional as well as it does not go into great enough detail about anything unless you don't want to read man files and would rather have it in the form of a 13lbs book. My guess is this book was thrown together poorly with haste and by someone that has little to no experience in network security let alone security on ONE system. To sum this review up, there is nothing in this book that isn't already on google.

A MUST HAVE FOR ANY LINUX USER!!.......2005-04-03

This is probably not just the best linux book I have ever purchased but one of the best computer books I've purchased period. The book explains things clear and to the point with real examples and many sites you can check out for further information. I've learned a great detail about network security and linux in journal. Thank you Anonymous.

It's a very good book.......2003-03-19

I got this book a week ago and I have been reading it ever since. It is a very good book that gives you a good idea about Linux "do" and "don't" in term of setting up secured Linux server. I am kind of new in Linux, and this book does help me a lot to merge to open source.

Great Read and Informative.......2002-12-13

This book really opens your eyes to the world of hacking (how to stop it). I presume the auther is a hacker and his insight and detail make this book a must for sysadmin. I recommend the book to basically anyone running Linux (or Unix) even beginners, because of it's great explanations.

Average customer rating:

Distracting Diatribe
Review of Windows to Linux Migration Toolkit
A fundamental instructional guide
very task-oriented focus

Windows to Linux Migration Toolkit
David Allen , Christian Lahti , Herbert Lewis , John Streeton Stile , James Stanger , Andrew Taylor Scott , and Timothy Tuck
Manufacturer: Syngress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1931836396

Book Description

This book will teach people how to migrate systems from Windows to Linux. It provides migration process planning, automated migration scripts, anti-virus / anti-spam solutions, and specific migration and deployment details for all relevant technologies. IT professionals who wish to maximize the value of their Windows to Linux migration services will find this book valuable. The book will help them fine-tune their migration services to make them more efficient, thorough, feature-enhanced, and cost-effective by utilizing migration scripts and best practices gleaned from the author's many years of real-world migrations in large and small companies.

* The book and fully functioning scripts on the CD-ROM work for migrations from Windows NT or Windows 2000 to any Linux distribution.
* David Allen has done over 25,000 user migrations from Windows to Linux.
* Microsoft will stop supporting Windows NT in December 2004 forcing over 2 million enterprise customers to migrate from Windows NT to a new sever operating system. Both IBM and Dell are offering enterprise servers running Linux which will allow customers to realize a 50% reduction in TCO. In 2003 Linux servers represented the largest growth segment in the Server market, and all the major research groups indicate this trend will continue through t least 2007.

Customer Reviews:

Distracting Diatribe.......2006-08-27

The subtle attacks on Microsoft products throughout the book (particularly at the beginning) was distracting.

If you're a Windows fan, you won't like this book; if you're a Linux fan, you'll love it. If you can appreciate the merits of both, it will probably just annoy you.

Review of Windows to Linux Migration Toolkit.......2005-07-21

Linux has grown tremendously in the server Operating System market, primarily due to the fact that it is stable and secure. But this growth has been restricted to the bigger corporates, with server farms and data centers, who have the resources to hire former Unix sysadmins and get high-priced consultants to manage migration of their existing IT infrastructure to a Linux-based one. Small and Medium Enterprises till now have generally remained Microsoft customers, because quite often, there is no specialized IT department in such organizations, and Microsoft's server products have GUI interfaces that make it easy for laypersons to set-up and administer services. Besides, Microsoft has tightly integrated services, like Active Directory and Exchange, which is a further incentive to use Microsoft server products.

However, the proliferation of security issues, stability issues and the high cost of user-licenses have forced quite a lot of the SMEs to explore the possibility of using Linux to replace most, if not all the Microsoft server software. IT consultants catering to the SME market are also facing queries from their clients regarding the hype surrounding Linux, and the possible advantages of switching to Linux. The book "Windows to Linux Migration Toolkit" is aimed at this SME segment that is exploring ways to cut costs by switching to Linux.

The book is divided into 11 chapters and 3 appendices, which cover almost all the major services used by SMEs today.

Chapter 1 deals with the planning the roadmap and, keeping its target audience in mind, introduces us to the migration roadmaps of two fictional SMEs : Acme Widgets Manufacturing Inc. and Ballystyx Global Semiconductor Engineering Inc. The authors show how to make an inventory of the servers in an enterprise, create current and post-migration infrastructure diagrams, functional requirements documents and a test plan. While IT consultants may be doing all of these and more for their clients, this chapter is more useful to those do-it-yourself people in small enterprises, who are not trained administrators, but are responsible for their organization's IT infrastructure nonetheless.

Chapter 2 covers DHCP, DNS and NTP (Network Time Synchronization Protocol). These are the easiest services to configure (well DNS isn't that easy) but are often critical to a network functioning properly. Complete configuration files are provided that serve as examples. Advanced topics like dynamic DNS update are also covered. However, I found the coverage of DNS itself to be a little short. While migration from Windows based DNS are explained, coverage of BIND configuration files and zone files is insufficient in my opinion.

Chapter 3 explains Directory Services. The chapter opens with a succinct introduction to LDAP and Directory Structure in general, explaining the concepts of Distinguished Names and Organizational Units in simple terms. Briefly explaining how users are organised into directories in Windows Active Directory, the chapter goes on to explain how to set up OpenLDAP to provide directory services (whit pages) in Linux.

Chapter 4 deals with Authentication Services and is closely associated with Chapter 3. The chapter first covers Windows and Linux authentication mechanisms including LDAP and NSS. Brief coverage of Pluggable Authentication Modules is also provided. The chapter also shows how to use the directory server that was configured in chapter 3 could be extended using Samba to support both Windows and Linux clients. Lots of examples from configuration files used by the fictional companies are given, including how to enable encryption of authentication data.

Chapter 5 ostensibly covers File Services, but hardly has any details on File Services. Most of the information for configuring File Services for Windows clients have been discussed in the previous chapter during the configuration of Samba. Instead this chapter discusses Linux filesystems and data backup tools. Some discussion of Access Control Lists is also provided in order to secure file shares.

Chapter 6 deals with Print Services. This chapter has a brief coverage of the print commands used in Linux. It also discusses setting up CUPS, configuring printers and sharing them with Samba (including how to configure Samba to allow clients to download printer drivers automatically from the server itself).

Email and Messaging services are covered in chapter 7. The authors describe the different pieces of a Linux Messaging System (the Mail Transfer Agent, Mail User Agent, etc.), explain the difference between mbox and maildir mail storage formats and provides the pros and cons of the various mail server software like sendmail, Postfix, Courier Suite and Exim. A section on choosing the most appropriate software for an organisation, helps the reader to decide. E.G. The authors state that since the Courier Suite includes all major components of a messaging system, including the Webmail, POP/IMAP and mailing list manager, it makes sense for small organizations like Acme Widgets to use the Courier Suite, as it provides an integrated suite. But larger organizations like Ballystyx may have more complex requirements, which calls for complex decision making process. The use of Email server component diagram helps to understand how the different pieces of software fit together. Spam and antivirus integration using spamassassin and clamav are discussed, along with migration of user data from Exchange.

Chapter 8 provides an overview of the different groupware and calendaring software available for Linux. A basic overview and list of features of the software discussed are listed. More detailed description and installation and configuration instructions for the software discussed would have been ideal, and will possibly be a welcome addition to the second edition.

Chapter 9 discusses Web Services using Apache. Configuration instructions are provided and some advanced topics like SSL/TLS, virtual hosting, .htaccess files, etc. are touched. Some discussion of mod_mono as a means of serving up ASP pages from Apache and migrating websites directly from IIS would have been an interesting addition. Another crucial addition would be a discussion of Content Management Systems.

Chapter 10, on Desktop Migration Roadmap, is probably one of the most important chapters in this book. The authors describe how to grade the users into different types such as kiosk users, knowledge workers, technical workers, etc. helps to isolate the applications needed for day to day work, by the users, and appropriately develop a migration path that minimizes disruption. Desktop asset lists, cataloging file formats and functional requirements specifications are used to estimate the costs of migrating to Linux and the associated cost savings of license fees, and pinpoint areas of possible disruptions during migration. Guidelines for training users on the new environment specify the process of making the migration as painless as possible for the users.

Chapter 11 is an extension of chapter 10, and mainly explores the alternatives to common office applications used on Windows. Lots of screenshots are provided to help people choose their favourite application. Desktop environments are covered along with the most common Linux applications. Products that enable Windows applications to run on Linux are also discussed. One of the most interesting parts of this chapter is the discussion on alternative desktop environments/window managers like XFCE, Busybox, Enlightenment, etc.

The appendices are worthy of being complete chapters unto themselves. Appendix A introduces the reader to Network Analysis, using tcpdump and Ethereal. The authors teach how to capture and analyze network data. Readers are taught how to detect patterns in the data, to catch packet sniffers and identify potential problems with network services. A brief description of the Carnivore system is also provided. Issues with network design are dealt with, and readers are taught the difference between a hub, a switch and a router. The pros and cons of each type of network set-up is explained, security threats assessed, and preventive measures described.

Appendix B deals with Intrusion Detection Systems. The authors provide a general idea of Network, Host-based and Distributed IDS networks with pictures to explain the concepts and provide a lot of theoretical knowledge about IDS. However discussion of how to install and configure IDS on Linux is left untouched. Basic Snort and Tripwire configuration would've been helpful to the readers, especially considering the target audience of the book. The question of recovering data from a server under attack using live CDs is barely touched upon. A book like Knoppix Hacks would be a perfect partner to this section, as it describes how to disinfect a server under virus attack, or to extract user information from the server.

Appendix C contains information on Nessus and Vulnerability Assessment tools. An outline of the assessment process is given, and screenshots are provided to give a fair idea of how to use Nessus to check for security vulnerabilities. Tips are provided to help identify services running on ports identified by Nessus, check for corresponding vulnerabilities and provide a report. Different approaches to automated vulnerability assessment procedure along with their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

This book is perfect for Windows administrators to use as a reference for developing a migration plan to Linux, ranging in scope from the basic DHCP/DNS server functions to a complete Linux based IT infrastructure. Addition of a few more details and configuration details for topics like BIND, FreeRADIUS and Groupware functions, along with the security and audit tools would make this book an even more valuable addition to the book shelf of a Windows IT consultant.

One minor irritation was that there are quite a number of spelling mistakes in this book. Also, while the pictures were clear and the configuration files readable, however, complete configuration file listings would've been even more useful.

The CD contains scripts that help to extract user data from Microsoft servers and output them into a format that is suitable for entry into their Linux equivalents. All the scripts are under GPL. I have not managed to test the scripts, but first looks indicate that the scripts should be able to handle all configuration quirks of Microsoft servers.

I have not gone through the e-booklets available along with this book, so I'm unable to comment on them.

I highly recommend this book.

A fundamental instructional guide .......2005-01-05

Windows Linux Migration Toolkit is a fundamental instructional guide to installing and operating Linux by migrating from a Windows platform to any Linux variant. Covering Windows 95, 98, 98SE and ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and all Linux distributors, Windows Linux Migration Toolkit covers everything systems administrators need to know to make the big operating system switch. From planning one's migration effectively to understanding Windows and Linux authentication, integrating anti-spam and anti-virus services, the basics of Linux file systems and much more, Windows Linux Migration Toolkit is a solid question-and-answer resource and a must-have for anyone preparing the transition. An accompanying CD-ROM includes special utilities and migration scripts to automate the tasks. Screenshots, diagrams, and step-by-step walkthroughts make Windows Linux Migration Toolkit easy-to-follow and useful for troubleshooting.

very task-oriented focus.......2004-11-21

This book will warm the hearts of linux fans. It describes in gory detail how to migrate your computer from a Microsoft operating system to linux. Thoughtfully, the authors also included a CD stuffed with sundry scripts to ease the pain of migration. The book presupposes that you are familiar with running a Microsoft box. But less so about linux. So to assuage your concerns, there is careful attention paid to describing what a Microsoft utility or task maps to, under linux.

A strength of the book is its ticklists of what to do when migrating from a Microsoft utility to its linux analog. Like when moving from IIS to Apache server, one item in this list is to rename Default.htm to index.html. Each item is usually simple to do and the list focuses your attention on what is vital.

The book also shows that in the linux world, you generally have a greater variety of open source Intrusion Detection Security tools. Some of these also exist for Microsoft platforms. But typically a more limited selection.

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