Are there any good ubuntu books out there?

Question

Are there any good books for linux ubuntu sever out there?

I'm not sure if "The Official Ubuntu Server Book" is any good and I don't want to order a-waste-of-time. What I would really like is one that explains the ins-and-outs of commands. How to manage and maintain a secure box; explaining iptables, downloading form the net and unpacking compressed files, moving directories ect.

Answer 1

Sounds like you actually want a general linux administration book, not something specific to Ubuntu. In all actuality, aside from a few distro-specific commands for installing packages, managing rc/init scripts, managing an ubuntu server is just like managing any other linux distro.

So, for a general linux administration book, I'd highly recommend the Rute Tutorial. Yes, it's been around for over 10 years now, but the basics of managing a system haven't changed. There is still a ton of great information in Rute, and what you learn from reading it will be applicable to any linux system you touch going forward.

For a quick guide on IPTables, I'd recommend IPTablesRocks. That will give you a good overview of IPTables' structure, and from there, you can either roll your own firewall rules or use one of the many IPTables "helper" scripts.

Answer 2

There's a nice book on Amazon: Ubuntu Hacks: Tips & Tools for Exploring, Using, and Tuning Linux.

Answer 3

The Official Ubuntu Server Book (2nd Edition) looks like it might be worth checking out.