A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux - Softcover

Sobell, Mark G.

3.86

87 ratings by Goodreads

9780133927313: A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0133927318 ISBN 13: 9780133927313

Publisher: Prentice Hall, 2014

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The Most Complete, Easy-to-Follow Guide to Ubuntu Linux

“As an in-depth guide to Ubuntu, this book does an exceptional job of covering everything from using the Unity desktop to exploring key server configurations.”

–Elizabeth K. Joseph, Systems Administrator & Ubuntu Community Member

The #1 Ubuntu resource, fully updated for Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty Tahr)–the Long Term Support (LTS) release Canonical will support into 2019
Extensive new coverage of installation, security, virtualization, MariaDB, Python Programming, and much more
Updated JumpStarts help you set up many complex servers in minutes
Hundreds of up-to-date examples, plus four updated indexes deliver fast access to reliable answers

Mark Sobell’s A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux�, Fourth Edition, is the most thorough and up-to-date reference to installing, configuring, securing, and working with Ubuntu desktops and servers.

This edition has been fully updated for Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty Tahr), a milestone LTS (Long Term Support) release, which Canonical will support on both desktops and servers into 2019.

Sobell walks you through every essential feature and technique, from installing Ubuntu to working with the latest Ubuntu Unity desktop, and from configuring servers and monitoring networks to handling day-to-day system administration. His exceptionally clear explanations demystify everything from Apache, Samba, and postfix, to ufw, virtualization, and MariaDB/MySQL database management. PLUS a new chapter on programming in Python, today’s most popular system automation tool!

Fully updated JumpStart sections quickly help you get complex servers running–often in minutes. You’ll also find up-to-date guidance on new LPI and CompTIA Linux certification pathways for Linux professionals.

Sobell draws on his immense Linux knowledge to explain both the “hows” and the “whys” of Ubuntu. He’s taught hundreds of thousands of readers and never forgets what it’s like to be new to Linux. Whether you’re a user, administrator, or programmer, you’ll find everything you need here–now, and for years to come.

The world’s most practical Ubuntu Linux book is now even more useful!

This book delivers

Completely revamped installation coverage reflecting Ubuntu 14.04’s improved ubiquity (graphical) and debian-installer (textual) installers
Updated JumpStarts for quickly setting up Samba, Apache, postfix, FTP, NFS, CUPS, OpenSSH, DNS, and other complex servers
Revamped and updated explanations of the ufw, gufw, and iptables firewall tools
An all-new chapter on creating VMs (virtual machines) locally and in the cloud
New coverage of the MariaDB open source plug-in replacement for MySQL
Comprehensive networking coverage, including DNS/BIND, NFS, NIS, FTP, LDAP, and Cacti network monitoring
Expert coverage of Internet server configuration and customization, including apache2 (Web) and postfix (mail)
A new chapter covering state-of-the-art security techniques, including sudo, cryptography, hash functions, SSL certificates, plus a section on using GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) to protect documents in transit
Deep coverage of essential administration tasks–from managing users to CUPS printing, and from configuring LANs and LDAP to building VMs (virtual machines)
Complete instructions on keeping systems up to date using apt-get, dpkg, and other tools
And much more . . . including a revised 500+ term glossary and four indexes

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Review:

“I have said before on several occasions that Sobell does really good work. Well, [A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux�, Third Edition,] holds true to my words. This is a big book with some 1250+ pages in it absolutely filled to the brim with useful information. The review on the front cover mentions that the book is ‘comprehensive’ and that just might be understating it a little. This book has practically anything you might want to know about Ubuntu, and references a lot of really helpful general Linux and userland program information and it’s put together in a very straight forward and understandable way. Having the word ‘Practical’ in the name is also a really good fit as the book offers great walk-throughs on things people will want to do with their Ubuntu install from beginner things like configuring a printer all the way up to things like some Perl programming and running your own Web server. All in all, this book is not only worth a look, but it is a keeper. It’s a good read and great technical reference.”

—Lincoln C. Fessenden, Linux Guy / I.T. Manager

“The third updated edition of A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux� offers a fine reference perfect for any Ubuntu Linux computer collection, packing in hundreds of practical applications for Ubuntu with keys to security, Perl scripting, common administration tasks, and more. From keeping Ubuntu systems current to handling configuration issues, this is a solid reference to the latest Ubuntu applications and challenges.”

—Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review

“This is an excellent text and I am using it as of this term as the textbook for the class in Linux that I am teaching at the local Community College. The first book on UNIX that I used twenty-five years ago was written by Sobell. He hasn’t lost his touch.”

—James J. Sherin, Part-Time Faculty, Westmoreland County Community College

“When I first started working with Linux just a short 10 years or so ago, it was a little more difficult than now to get going. . . . Now, someone new to the community has a vast array of resources available on the web, or if they are inclined to begin with Ubuntu, they can literally find almost every single thing they will need in the single volume of Mark Sobell’s A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux�.

“Overall, I think it’s a great, comprehensive Ubuntu book that’ll be a valuable resource for people of all technical levels.”

—John Dong, Ubuntu Forum Council Member, Backports Team Leader

“I would so love to be able to use this book to teach a class about not just Ubuntu or Linux but about computers in general. It is thorough and well written with good illustrations that explain important concepts for computer usage.”

—Nathan Eckenrode, New York Local Community Team

“Ubuntu is gaining popularity at the rate alcohol did during Prohibition, and it’s great to see a well-known author write a book on the latest and greatest version. Not only does it contain Ubuntu-specific information, but it also touches on general computer-related topics, which will help the average computer user to better understand what’s going on in the background. Great work, Mark!”

—Daniel R. Arfsten, Pro/ENGINEER Drafter/Designer

“This is well-written, clear, comprehensive information for the Linux user of any type, whether trying Ubuntu on for the first time and wanting to know a little about it, or using the book as a very good reference when doing something more complicated like setting up a server. This book’s value goes well beyond its purchase price and it’ll make a great addition to the Linux section of your bookshelf.”

—Linc Fessenden, Host of The LinuxLink TechShow, tllts.org

“Overall, A Practical Guide to Ubuntu Linux� by Mark G. Sobell provides all of the information a beginner to intermediate user of Linux would need to be productive. The inclusion of the Live DVD of Ubuntu makes it easy for the user to test-drive Linux without affecting his installed OS. I have no doubts that you will consider this book money well spent.”

—Ray Lodato, Slashdot contributor, www.slashdot.org

“I’m sure this sounds a bit like hyperbole. Everything a person would need to know? Obviously not everything, but this book, weighing in at just under 1200 pages, covers so much so thoroughly that there won’t be much left out. From install to admin, networking, security, shell scripting, package management, and a host of other topics, it is all there. GUI and command line tools are covered. There is not really any wasted space or fluff, just a huge amount of information. There are screen shots when appropriate but they do not take up an inordinate amount of space. This book is information-dense.”

—JR Peck, Editor, GeekBook.org

“Sobell tackles a massive subject, the vast details of a Linux operating system, and manages to keep the material clear, interesting and engaging. . . . If you want to know how to get the most out of your Red Hat, Fedora, or CentOS system, then this is one of the best texts available, in my opinion.”

—Jesse Smith, Feature Writer for DistroWatch

“I had the chance to use your UNIX books when I when was in college years ago at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. I have to say that your books are among the best! They’re quality books that teach the theoretical aspects and applications of the operating system.”

—Benton Chan, IS Engineer

“I currently own one of your books, A Practical Guide to Linux�. I believe this book is one of the most comprehensive and, as the title says, practical guides to Linux I have ever read. I consider myself a novice and I come back to this book over and over again.”

—Albert J. Nguyen

“The book has more than lived up to my expectations from the many reviews I read, even though it targets FC2. I have found something very rare with your book: It doesn’t read like the standard technical text, it reads more like a story. It’s a pleasure to read and hard to put down. Did I say that?! :-)”

—David Hopkins, Business Process Architect

“Thanks for your work and for the book you wrote. There are really few books that can help people to become more efficient administrators of different workstations. We hope (in Russia) that you will continue bringing us a new level of understanding of Linux/UNIX systems.”

—Anton Petukhov

“Mark Sobell has written a book as approachable as it is authoritative.”

—Jeffrey Bianchine, Advocate, Author, Journalist

“Since I’m in an educational environment, I found the content of Sobell’s book to be right on target and very helpful for anyone managing Linux in the enterprise. His style of writing is very clear. He builds up to the chapter exercises, which I find to be relevant to real-world scenarios a user or admin would encounter. An IT/IS student would find this book a valuable complement to their education. The vast amount of information is extremely well balanced and Sobell manages to present the content without complicated asides and meandering prose. This is a ‘must have’ for anyone managing Linux systems in a networked environment or anyone running a Linux server. I would also highly recommend it to an experienced computer user who is moving to the Linux platform.”

—Mary Norbury, IT Director, Barbara Davis Center, University of Colorado at Denver, from a review posted on slashdot.org

“Excellent reference book, well suited for the sysadmin of a Linux cluster, or the owner of a PC contemplating installing a recent stable Linux. Don’t be put off by the daunting heft of the book. Sobell has striven to be as inclusive as possible, in trying to anticipate your system administration needs.”

—Wes Boudville, Inventor

“The JumpStart sections really offer a quick way to get things up and running, allowing you to dig into the details of the book later.”

—Scott Mann, Aztek Networks

“A Practical Guide to Red Hat� Linux� is a brilliant book. Thank you Mark Sobell.”

—C. Pozrikidis, University of California at San Diego

“Overall I found this book to be quite excellent, and it has earned a spot on the very front of my bookshelf. It covers the real ‘guts’ of Linux—the command line and its utilities—and does so very well. Its strongest points are the outstanding use of examples, and the Command Reference section. Highly recommended for Linux users of all skill levels. Well done to Mark Sobell and Prentice Hall for this outstanding book!”

—Dan Clough, Electronics Engineer and Slackware Linux User

“This book presents the best overview of the Linux operating system that I have found. . . . [It] should be very helpful and understandable no matter what the reader’s background: traditional UNIX user, new Linux devotee, or even Windows user. Each topic is presented in a clear, complete fashion and very few assumptions are made about what the reader knows. . . . The book is extremely useful as a reference, as it contains a 70-page glossary of terms and is very well indexed. It is organized in such a way that the reader can focus on simple tasks without having to wade through more advanced topics until they are ready.”

—Cam Marshall, Marshall Information Service LLC, Member of Front Range UNIX, Users Group [FRUUG], Boulder, Colorado

“Conclusively, this is THE book to get if you are a new Linux user and you just got into RH/Fedora world. There’s no other book that discusses so many different topics and in such depth.”

—Eugenia Loli-Queru, Editor in Chief, OSNews.com

“This book is a very useful tool for anyone who wants to ‘look under the hood’ so to speak, and really start putting the power of Linux to work. What I find particularly frustrating about man pages is that they never include examples. Sobell, on the other hand, outlines very clearly what the command does and then gives several common, easy-to-understand examples that make it a breeze to start shell programming on one’s own. As with Sobell’s other works, this is simple, straight-forward, and easy to read. It’s a great book and will stay on the shelf at easy arm’s reach for a long time.”

—Ray Bartlett, Travel Writer

“Totally unlike most Linux books, this book avoids discussing everything via GUI and jumps right into making the power of the command line your friend.”

—Bjorn Tipling, Software Engineer, ask.com

“This book is the best distro-agnostic, foundational Linux reference I’ve ever seen, out of dozens of Linux-related books I’ve read. Finding this book was a real stroke of luck. If you want to really understand how to get things done at the command line, where the power and flexibility of free UNIX-like OSes really live, this book is among the best tools you’ll find toward that end.”

—Chad Perrin, Writer, TechRepublic

“Thank you for writing a book to help me get away from Windows XP and to never touch Windows Vista. The book is great; I am learning a lot of new concepts and commands. Linux is definitely getting easier to use.”

—James Moritz

“I am so impressed by how Mark Sobell can approach a complex topic in such an understandable manner. His command examples are especially useful in providing a novice (or even an advanced) administrator with a cookbook on how to accomplish real-world tasks on Linux. He is truly an inspired technical writer!”

—George Vish II, Senior Education Consultant, Hewlett-Packard Company

“I read a lot of Linux technical information every day, but I’m rarely impressed by tech books. I usually prefer online information sources instead. Mark Sobell’s books are a notable exception. They’re clearly written, technically accurate, comprehensive, and actually enjoyable to read.”

—Matthew Miller, Senior Systems Analyst/Administrator, BU Linux Project, Boston University Office of Information Technology

“The author has done a very good job at clarifying such a detail-oriented operating system. I have extensive Unix and Windows experience and this text does an excellent job at bridging the gaps between Linux, Windows, and Unix. I highly recommend this book to both ‘newbs’ and experienced users. Great job!”

—Mark Polczynski, Information Technology Consultant

“I have been wanting to make the jump to Linux but did not have the guts to do so—until I saw your familiarly titled A Practical Guide to Red Hat� Linux� at the bookstore. I picked up a copy and am eagerly looking forward to regaining my freedom.”

—Carmine Stoffo, Machine and Process Designer to the pharmaceutical industry

“I am currently reading A Practical Guide to Red Hat� Linux� and am finally understanding the true power of the command line. I am new to Linux and your book is a treasure.”

—Juan Gonzalez

About the Author:

Mark G. Sobell is President of Sobell Associates Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in UNIX and Linux training, support, and custom software development. He has more than thirty years of experience working with UNIX and Linux systems and is the author of many best-selling books, including A Practical Guide to Red Hat� Linux�, Seventh Edition, and A Practical Guide to Linux� Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming, Third Edition, both from Prentice Hall.

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