Choosing a Unix System Administration Textbook?

Smantha writes "I recently began teaching a Unix System Administration course at a community college. The previous instructor was using a very outdated textbook, and I'm trying to find one that is a bit more advanced and useful for my students. They are required to take a 100-level Unix class before this one and are familiar with the basics of using the command line. I'm looking for something that covers topics such as OS installation, software/package installation, user management, system administration tools, troubleshooting techniques and tools, service configuration (network services, for example) and some miscellaneous topics such as compression/archive tools, grep, make, and the like. What books have you found to be good references on your desk? What books have been good for learning these sorts of topics?"

There really is no one really great book

[intrico]

Also, you really should not expect there to be one great textbook for such a broad topic. Things like HTTP-server configuration, DNS configuration, POP/SMTP server admin, Security, shell scripting etc. are all separate focal points of system administration that each command entire multiple books and can each easily cover a whole semester on their own.

The best route for teaching an entry-level class is probably to teach your students a popular shell such as Bash with a book like Learning the bash Shell, Third Edition [O'reilly publishing]. Shell interaction is really the most important fundamental skill for a UNIX systems administrator. (i.e., a sysadmin will have to be proficient with the Shell before he or she can do other critical things like securing the system, network configuration or installing software).

Rute

[agristin]

I would use Rute by Paul Sheer:

http://linux.2038bug.com/rute-home.html [2038bug.com]

http://rute.2038bug.com/index.html.gz [2038bug.com]

Rute is a "Rute is a technical reference and teaching tool for new GNU/Linux users as well as advanced administrators". It is available online and in book format. It is copyright 2002, so it isn't terribly out of date.

It is a good curriculum for linux users or administrators. If you don't like the way it is setup you could get the online copy and change it.

The only thing I'd be worried about in terms of datedness is LPI/RHCE certification. I doubt it would get you through RHCE as it now covers SELinux as well which is not really covered in Rute.