Red Hat Linux Administration: A Beginner's Guide

There are many books dedicated to Linux system administration. The one I'm taking a look at today is written specifically for Red Hat Linux although much of the material can be applied to other Linux distributions. Instead of using chapters, the authors divided this book into modules, grouped into four major parts. At the end of every module you can use several check questions to test your knowledge of the material.

You get into the material by exploring Linux distributions and getting an understanding of the GNU Public License. The authors discuss the advantages of free software and determine the technical differences between Linux and Windows.

Next you learn how to install Linux in a server configuration. Since the authors try to go as in-depth as possible, before the actual installation they dedicate some space to a preinstallation evaluation where they discuss hardware issues and server design. To help you determine the services you really need you can use a number of questions provided by the authors. The installation of Red Hat Linux is covered in great detail and complemented with a plethora of screenshots of the entire process. You will definitely not get lost during the installation, but just in case something goes wrong, you can use a list of resources to help you out.

Since you're probably going to use a window manager, the authors dedicate some space to illustrate the origin of the X Window System and the configuration of KDE and GNOME. What follows is a module dedicated to installing software. Introduced here is the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) and the locations where software can be downloaded. The authors show you how to install and uninstall a RPM package, compile software by yourself, and more.