Book Review - Linux In A Windows World by Roderick W. Smith
Category Book Reviews
O'Reilly has a nice book that fills the niche of Windows admins looking on how to apply Linux to their environment. The book is Linux In A Windows World by Roderick W. Smith.
Chapter List:
Part 1 - Linux's Place in a Windows Network: Linux's Features; Linux Deployment Strategies
Part 2 - Sharing Files and Printers: Basic Samba Configuration; File and Printer Shares; Managing a NetBIOS Network with Samba; Linux as an SMB/CIFS Client
Part 3 - Centralized Authentication Tools: Using NT Domains for Linux Authentication; Using LDAP; Kerberos Configuration and Use
Part 4 - Remote Login Tools: Remote Text-Mode Administration and Use; Running GUI Programs Remotely; Linux Thin Client Configurations
Part 5 - Additional Server Programs: Configuring Mail Servers; Network Backups; Managing a Network with Linux
Part 6 - Appendixes: Configuring PAM; Linux on the Desktop
The thing that I like most about this book is that the author picks a target audience and purposes, and then successfully fights the temptation to try and tell too much. He's writing for a Windows administrator with a basic understanding of Linux administration. The book is designed to help that person figure out how best to integrate Linux into that network environment *without* being an end-all guide to every people of software mentioned. He's very open about the fact that if you want to do more than the basics, you'll probably need to get specific books to explore that area. And that's OK. If he wanted to write a 1500 page book, he could have expanded the target. But what he covers in less than 500 pages is excellent.
If I were a Windows admin who wanted to figure out how to blend in Linux for certain task, this would be one of two books that I'd want. This one would show me what I could do, and the other book would have the in-depth details of how to do it. If you fit the target of this book, you'll do well to check this book out.
O'Reilly has a nice book that fills the niche of Windows admins looking on how to apply Linux to their environment. The book is Linux In A Windows World by Roderick W. Smith.
Chapter List:
Part 1 - Linux's Place in a Windows Network: Linux's Features; Linux Deployment Strategies
Part 2 - Sharing Files and Printers: Basic Samba Configuration; File and Printer Shares; Managing a NetBIOS Network with Samba; Linux as an SMB/CIFS Client
Part 3 - Centralized Authentication Tools: Using NT Domains for Linux Authentication; Using LDAP; Kerberos Configuration and Use
Part 4 - Remote Login Tools: Remote Text-Mode Administration and Use; Running GUI Programs Remotely; Linux Thin Client Configurations
Part 5 - Additional Server Programs: Configuring Mail Servers; Network Backups; Managing a Network with Linux
Part 6 - Appendixes: Configuring PAM; Linux on the Desktop
The thing that I like most about this book is that the author picks a target audience and purposes, and then successfully fights the temptation to try and tell too much. He's writing for a Windows administrator with a basic understanding of Linux administration. The book is designed to help that person figure out how best to integrate Linux into that network environment *without* being an end-all guide to every people of software mentioned. He's very open about the fact that if you want to do more than the basics, you'll probably need to get specific books to explore that area. And that's OK. If he wanted to write a 1500 page book, he could have expanded the target. But what he covers in less than 500 pages is excellent.
If I were a Windows admin who wanted to figure out how to blend in Linux for certain task, this would be one of two books that I'd want. This one would show me what I could do, and the other book would have the in-depth details of how to do it. If you fit the target of this book, you'll do well to check this book out.
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