The Sair Linux and GNU Certification book is too short to cover the installation of all the Linux flavors in any sort of detail, and so this book can serve a dual purpose: It can be a good jumping-off point for the novice as an introductory text, or it can do double duty as a refresher guide for the experienced Linux sysop. Those who have some hands-on Linux knowledge and are looking for a comprehensive resource to fill in the gaps, however, will be disappointed--since this is by no means a one-stop shop for getting certified.

The book itself is arranged in an erratic fashion that might annoy some readers: The first part is a "learning" section that discusses various issues like the differences between Linux shells, basic shell commands, LILO, and so on. When you've finished reading through this informational text, the second half of the book abruptly morphs into a set of lab exercises, most of which are about the very commands and procedures that you finished reading about chapters ago. It's a little strange to have the book tell you all about what redirection symbols are used for on page 58, and then walk you through the exercise on how to use them almost 200 pages later. It makes for a tougher read, and a little more effort in the way of integration might have helped reinforce the simpler topics.

The "learning" chapters are written in a dry but generally readable style, and the book definitely does its best to try to wrangle the seven million variances among Linux flavors into one tome. The strengths of this book lie in commands and troubleshooting. The shell commands are gone over in a fair amount of detail, listing not only what they're used for but when, and showing how the most significant options make your life easier when using, say, grep or cp. There's also a fair amount of real-life experience given here, starting with the obvious dangers of putting a "." in the wrong place and destroying your entire file system, then ramping up to potential security holes in a poorly written path statement. A troubleshooting section is something that's sadly lacking from a lot of certification guides--an entire chapter that goes over the most common errors you'll encounter and how to fix them. For novices, who often tear their hair out over "obvious" mistakes that experienced techies see in an instant, this is a godsend.

The weak spot of the book is pretty much where you'd expect it to be: Installing the many flavors of Linux can be--let's not mince words--a stone-cold pain in the neck when it comes to getting Linux to recognize odd hardware or trying to set up a dual-boot system with multiple hard drives and CD-ROMs. The section on PC architecture is weak, and doesn't really tell you how to troubleshoot a botched installation, aside from recommending that you look for the latest device drivers on Yahoo! or HotBot. Considering that many flavors of Linux ask hardware questions that really need to be answered correctly, a much more expanded section on PC architecture would have been nice. The "advanced topics" section is also badly named, since the topics are overviews that are so general that they may actually be dangerous--for example, IP class addressing is covered but not subnetting, which could cause problems further down the line for someone who doesn't know anything about IP addresses at all.

The tutorial sections are passable, but not spectacular. They're short and don't cover all the options, but they get the point across for what each command and procedure does. A few are truncated a little too much--the two-page "Create a Dual-Boot System with Linux and Windows" section seems a little optimistic, to say the least--but most are just right. The only truly infuriating thing here is that the end of each chapter has two questions on the lab exercise, which are then answered, but then poses between one and three advanced questions which are not answered. Hope you can find the answers somewhere in here!

On the bright side, the book does come with a large, 100-question sample test to help you hone your skills, and the questions are fairly tough if not jaw-droppers.

In short, this book has a lot of ground to cover, and even at 500 pages there just isn't enough space to cover everything that really needs to be hit for this exam; frankly, even a 1,000-page book might not be able to encompass everything you need to know. As an introductory guide, it's quirky but usable; as a last-minute refresher, it covers things at a fairly abstract level but should jog your brain cells appropriately. Make this your first book or your last, but don't make it your only study guide for the exam. --William Steinmetz

From Book News, Inc.
This study guide reviews the first row of the Sair Linux and GNU knowledge array, and provides laboratory exercises and sample questions for practice. Maginnis (University of Mississippi) covers theory of operation, base system, shells and commands, system services, and applications. The second edition is updated for Linux 2.4.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Book Description
From the company that developed the Sair Linux and GNU Certification program, here is a newly revised edition of the study guide for the installation and configuration part of the Linux certification exam. All major distributions of Linux are addressed along with theory of operation, base system, shells and commands, system services, applications, and troubleshooting. This new edition also incorporates the latest lab exercises and sample questions from the LCA exam. With the rest of the series addressing system administration, networking, and security, this is an indispensable resource for IT and networking professionals who must demonstrate Linux expertise amid the skyrocketing popularity of Linux and GNU enterprise solutions worldwide.

Book Info
(Wiley Computer Publishing) Guide allowing readers to learn the fundamentals of installation and configuration of Sair Linux and GNU, for the certification exam. Covers all common shell editing commands, installing of run-time device drivers, the role of system logging and troubleshooting. Softcover. DLC: Electronic data processing personnel--Certification.

Back Cover Copy
Learn more, earn more with Linux certification! From the company that developed the Sair Linux and GNU certification program, here is a newly revised edition of the first of four study guides the ONLY official guides from the Sair Linux and GNU certification team, to prepare you for becoming a Linux Certified Administrator (LCA). Fully updated for Linux 2.4, this new edition continues to bring you expert advice and guidance from industry leaders on installing and configuring all distributions of Linux. It also contains walkthroughs for major distributions, including Red Hat, Caldera, Slackware, and SuSE. This edition is also expanded to include lab materials, exercises, as well as practice questions and answers from the latest exams. You will find complete coverage of all areas you will need to know in order to pass the LCA exam, including theory of operation, base system, shells and commands, system services, and applications. The rest of the series addresses system administration, networking, and security. These books provide a clear path for improving your Linux and GNU skills and knowledge base. Acquiring the necessary tools to become Linux certified also means more job opportunities and a higher salary, particularly in view of the skyrocketing popularity of Linux and GNU enterprise solutions worldwide. See how this guide can help you to: Compare proprietary versus open source software licenses Appreciate the various PC system architecture configuration issues Learn about the Linux device driver lag through specific examples Install, configure, and navigate two X11 window managers Compare and contrast environmental versus shell variables Learn to use common shell editing commands Install run-time device drivers Configure a printer capabilities file and a printer filter Explore Netscape functions, FTP functions, Telnet functions, and mail functions Understand the role of system logging and how to use it for troubleshooting

About the Author
Tobin Maginnis is Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science at the University of Mississippi. He has used free-to-use open source software to teach many systems courses, including three levels of operating systems and computer networking courses over the last 20 years. Since 1992, he has been President of Sair Linux and GNU, Inc.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Learn more, earn more with Linux certification!

From the company that developed the Sair Linux and GNU certification program, here is a newly revised edition of the first of four study guides, the ONLY official guides from the Sair Linux and GNU certification team, to prepare you for becoming a Linux Certified Administrator (LCA). Fully updated for Linux 2.4, this new edition continues to bring you expert advice and guidance from industry leaders on installing and configuring all distributions of Linux. It also contains walkthroughs for major distributions, including Red Hat, Caldera, Slackware, and SuSE. This edition is also expanded to include lab materials, exercises, as well as practice questions and answers from the latest exams.

You will find complete coverage of all areas you will need to know in order to pass the LCA exam, including theory of operation, base system, shells and commands, system services, and applications. The rest of the series addresses system administration, networking, and security. These books provide a clear path for improving your Linux and GNU skills and knowledge base. Acquiring the necessary tools to become Linux certified also means more job opportunities and a higher salary, particularly in view of the skyrocketing popularity of Linux and GNU enterprise solutions worldwide. Directly from the Sair Linux and GNU development team, this official study guide can help you to: Compare proprietary versus open source software licenses Appreciate the various PC system architecture configuration issues Learn about the Linux device driver lag through specific examples Install, configure, and navigate two X11 window managers Compare and contrast environmental versus shell variables Learn to use common shell editing commands Install run-time device drivers Configure a printer capabilities file and a printer filter Explore Netscape functions, FTP functions, Telnet functions, and mail functions Understand the role of system logging and how to use it for troubleshooting

FROM THE CRITICS

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