The ONE Book that Every Linux Sysadmin Should Have

[@Cryptovariable]

When I was starting out years ago this book started my career. Every time I was asked to do something I would nod my head and say "Yup I can do that" and then run back to my desk and furiously read the section in "the book" on what they asked me to do. Made me look like a daggone genius.

[@tutoriaLinux]

Same here. Best $50 I ever spent.

[@crisk6614]

Thanks for always giving solid advice. Also, I really enjoy the fact that you get so excited about what could effectively be called a "user manual." It's probably one of the few user manuals that actually gets used. Keep them coming!

[@TechEdge-101]

I'm reading this book and I can say it covers a wide range topics and will help anyone understand the underpinnings of Linux. I've never been a sys admin but you got me so interested in this book, so I decided to buy it. I don't regret my decision. Maybe, I'll become a sys admin at some point.

[@unixsystems]

I wholeheartedly agree with you my friend. A 20+ years UNIX veteran and this is the only book I buy on the subject now!

[@tutoriaLinux]

Boom! That's what I'm talking about.

[@kristoferlinnestjerna4556]

As a developer I really enjoy watching this channel. I always seem to learn a bit more stuff, thank you!

[@JustLoveSkate]

13:33 "I don't understand why ther's no coverage in here of 'pf'. That would make 'sense' to cover it." I chuckled :^)

[@SumanthLazarus]

Love your passionate review; can really feel the respect and adulation you have for the authors.

[@Adrian_Galilea]

I'd like to make you consider getting in contact with the author of the book, perhaps just send them this video, while appreciating what you do for us, I think if I was the author, I'd love to have your criticism.

[@hiddenlawyer]

I have been teaching myself Linux in the past couple months and needed a good reference. This looks like a good way to focus and learn this system as a whole, thank you!!!

[@firexfly]

Read the last edition of this book a couple years ago, that and Dave's web hosting course were instrumental in getting myself into DevOps

[@tutoriaLinux]

Congrats! DevOps is a fun gig; for me it's a sort of 'best of IT' experience. Have fun!

[@BichaelStevens]

Who is "dave"

[@firexfly]

@@BichaelStevens The dude whose channel you're on :)

[@timfoote6919]

I don't feel there is a better channel/person tutorial. I am a windows sys admin. I know maybe 20% of Linux. This channel GOLD!!! Gosh you should have gotten the presidential medal of freedom!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for your work, your time, your effort!

[@afocante]

Man, thank you for all your willing to help everybody out there in Linux World, your channel is really awesome, and we can see the passion you have. I have the same passion for Unix and Linux. With all this Cloud advent, do you think the Linux Sysadmin are dying?

[@th3phacee]

I think they are just evolving into roles like Devops Engineers and site reliability engineers requiring different skill sets.

[@tutoriaLinux]

It's a good question. Thankfully I think that the big-picture things that sysadmins and other Ops people do are still the same, even if the day-to-day changes a little bit. Scripting and automation skills are definitely more important than they've ever been, but solid Linux/Unix systems knowledge is as valuable as it ever was. If anything, there's now an even greater selection of skills and specializations to choose from. Yay!

[@afocante]

Thanks for the reply, and I have been thinking the same. I am a Oracle Database Administrator but I am trying to be more specialized in Linux and Cloud infrastructure. Also, I would like to see you talking about Linux certifications, what is important, what are good ones, etc....would be a nice topic!

[@uhoh007]

Just ordered it, thank you, Dave. Your outline of what is missing, invaluable.

[@gsswrk]

Purchased to support the channel. Keep up the good work

[@daviddupoise6443]

Sooooo glad this finally came off the press. I have been eagerly awaiting this very notice. Used your affiliate link - Thank you.

[@Diego-rc1zi]

Man, I'm still in my degree but very interested in sysadmin work, I enjoy all your words, your explanations and your tips, thanks a lot and I will keep studying

[@xiam19]

Should I start with Linux Bible 9th edition or this one, as my first book on the topic?

[@jakeschlottag]

Just got mine last Friday!!! Awesome book!

[@mrba01979]

Just bought the book. Enjoy the beer. Thank you for all your recommendations and great tutorials.

[@cmeza1985]

I know about 4 commands and doodle around Linux BUT I'm 'bout to buy this sumbetch right now and see what I get myself into after hearing this glorious speech. Yeah I should really watch more of these videos.

[@calmperson101]

Great Stuff!!! Cheers to many more exciting adventures and video tuts :P

[@SouthFacedWindows]

We need a sixth edition of this book now!!

[@Gabriel22051995]

Hi, what do you think about Linux Bible?

[@JamesKitcherJr]

Thanks for the review!

[@chpappis]

The book is very general, almost never going into details about topics. At best I would consider it to be an introduction to system administration. Also in the last pages about UNIX Linux history it never mentions Richard Stallman, or the free software advantages.

[@AndrewBaba]

Thanks for the recommendation

[@KeithDavey2014]

The problem I have with the new version is it gives like a paragraph to the subject of backups. Which is ridiculous.

[@tutoriaLinux]

Woah, didn't notice that. That seems.......wrong.

[@vizionthing]

Can u put up an affiliate link for other countries? I'd Like to support you from the UK, I'm sure there's a bunch in AU as well.

[@tutoriaLinux]

Much appreciated, but it's ok -- just get the book for yourself and enjoy it!

[@ItsDevOps]

Dude I have this book and I manage RedHat - I never read this book - I’m busy going through my iBooks now - Awesome Channel

[@Hannibal90000]

You actually convinced me to buy this book, which in itself is impressive. A video tutorital on Dtrace would be cool by the way!

[@schemata1]

I just looked this up and saw that the 5th edition from 2017 is still the most recent version. Is there a more recent book you might suggest these days?

[@tutoriaLinux]

I work at a super whiz bang unicorn tech company that builds the latest and greatest Cloud tools, and IMO, the 5th edition is still up to date. Maybe some of the super recent cloud stuff has changed, but 99% of that book is fundamentals, and will teach you how experienced people *think* about operating systems, infrastructure, and distributed systems, and help you shortcut to the mental database they use to make decisions and build solutions. 100% worth the money, there's nothing that comes close to that book on the market that I've seen.

[@schemata1]

@@tutoriaLinux Thanks a ton for the reply. Will be checking this out soon for sure.

[@hookflash699]

Anyone else notice that the Kindle edition appears to be free?

[@alanl9497]

What about the Linux bible?

[@NoCPU]

I don’t know if we will be getting any more updates because the original author got lost at sea. Great book though

[@rustamkumar8985]

Definitely the best book i have ever read ... Thanks for Sharing and Please suggest more such hidden gems :)

[@GrandxxGxx]

I have this book , Its just amazing

[@Danielddiniz]

I have the second edition. Love it

[@tutoriaLinux]

Still the greatest sysadmin/tech book I've found.

[@Danielddiniz]

@@tutoriaLinux agree! I feel in love with Unix @ college time because of that book.

[@lamarazmoe6438]

Do you recommend buying a copy without the CDs and access codes?

[@MauriceLeviejr]

The book by hogan and limonicelli is better in my opinion but dated in today’s cloud centric world. Guys, figure out how to admin ESX starting with vcenter. ESX is a Linux-y and if your Linux servers aren’t already running in the cloud they will likely already run on VMWARE. AWS plus a server deployment automation tool is a must as well

[@BichaelStevens]

and what would it be called then? i doubt hulk hogan and a limoncello cocktail wrote a book

[@alexiekola]

just a side note - lock the focus on camera

[@pawecyrklaf4729]

I have this book, buyed new editions :) It's very interesting, explains many things related to linux administration

[@ianmagee6651]

This book has followed me throughout my career. I have the second edition and the fourth edition, so I must be a bit younger than you. The sad thing is that one of the authors - Evi Nemeth - vanished at sea off the coast of New Zealand in 2013 and is presumed dead. Such a terrible loss for everyone in the Unix and Linux community.

[@cwatson411]

Are you serious?

[@Flankymanga]

Perfect video... That book is on my wishlist. One small problem. Volume is too low... could you please set volume of the microphone higher? Or maybe boost it in the video editing software?

[@antonmyrberg3613]

Hello, I love your videos. I was just wondering how do you read books in a good way so you learn from them. Often of times I just read the books through then after I'm like "now what". Do you have any good method of reading material and learn from it?

[@tutoriaLinux]

That depends on the book -- if it's about something practical, I follow along and implement everything myself as practice. If it's programming-related, I type in all the code by hand (even if there's a github or other copy-pastable resource available). It takes a bit longer to get through books that way, but it COMPLETELY changes how much of the material you retain, and how deeply you learn it. The most deceptive feeling in the world is "I understand this," and it's VERY easy to get that feeling from reading a few paragraphs about a topic. Unfortunately that feeling is usually a complete lie until you've actually DONE the thing. Turn everything into a practical exercise or experiment, and the speed at which you learn will go through the roof. Have fun!

[@tadasblinda102]

Put affiliate link for amazon co uk

[@tutoriaLinux]

Ah, didn't realize that it was US-only. My bad, thanks for the tip! Just go ahead and order it without the affiliate link, it's such a great read. Thanks to this book, I make enough to survive at my dayjob :-D. Donate a few bucks to your favorite charity instead!

[@engalipak]

Will this book be helpful for a Cloud Engineer whoes tasks/skills are spread broadly, than being pin point focused for Linux only?

[@tutoriaLinux]

For Cloud engineers that aren't super focused on the systems themselves (i.e. you spend more time outside/around the box than in a VM shell) I'd recommend "the practice of cloud system administration, volume 2" (maybe there's a new edition by now?). It's an amazing book that's more focused on the larger infra/architecture. It's a few years old now so some stuff is out of date, but the core principles are INCREDIBLY well explained.

[@engalipak]

@@tutoriaLinux Thanks alot. Would delve into it.

[@440diesel9]

I have the third edition from 2001, solid no nonsense book by standards of that time

[@johnjoyce]

Yes. Hands down best book. 4th edition is better if you work with older systems.

[@andreasnold1987]

could you please write the projects you mentioned witch are not covered in that book but should have. I understood dtrace...but there was more. Thanks

[@supermario6424]

Hello Dude Love you content !!! it help me alot. i appreciate that. Two question: first, is this book still the best one to start with in 2024 and do you have another book to recommend. second, can i go for a sys admin job without being a helpdesk? would companies hire me without experience?

[@tutoriaLinux]

If I was starting over today I would probably get the basic Red Hat linux certification, and then try to get a jr linux system engineer position like that. Honestly I also might get a basic AWS certification and look for jr. infrastructure engineer or "devops engineer" roles. It's still all the same stuff mixed together -- Linux, networking, cloud basics -- just in different proportions. I'd also focus on becoming a proficient (basic) Python programmer. I know it's a lot of skills but the market has changed somewhat, and a lot of jobs require "a bit of everything" now.

[@s.nikolic497]

if I had not looked at the video , I would not know that a new release came out ... thx oh yeh ... you did not mention Evi Nemeth, who disappeared after the fifth edition at sea

[@tutoriaLinux]

I originally had a long, sad section in this video for her, but decided to cut it out since the video was already getting too long :(. Yeah, it's a huge loss to our community :(.

[@maopesu]

Nice, thank you!

[@LeMeccerino]

Another pdf going on the pile. I have 45GB of technical and have only read a page of 1% of them.

[@carloscab3854]

Good for sysadmins not so much for sysengs

[@SlideRSB]

I don't think there are many things that will make me a million bucks. I'm going to have to snag a copy of this!

[@samr6148]

Thanks for the recommendation! It's extremely helpful when there are many resources available and someone reputable helps narrow down the list of must reads. Much appreciated!

[@jakeschlottag]

When's the next podcast episode coming out??

[@tutoriaLinux]

Waaah sorry, Jeff is on vacation this week but we'll try to get another one released during the coming week.

[@echosquest]

Awesome been looking for a tool or resource ot help me "level up" my sysadmin game and move to devops maybe version control release management stuff..

[@bilalsajid96]

This book isnt available here. Do you have ebook of this book?

[@AskarTelpekbayev]

Where is "here"? I am also from non-western country and I managed to obtain a electronic copy of the book for "trial" use. But I stil have plans to buy a used one from Amazon or Ebay. I use middle-man companies to ship goods from USA. Hope that might help you.

[@bilalsajid96]

I need electronic copy can you give me?

[@headinthekloudz]

As of 2020, someone who is studying for the linux essentials/ and linux xk0-004 is this book good for ENTRY LEVEL guide for centOS and ubuntu?

[@tutoriaLinux]

Yes. It’s not specific to an exam but it contains everything you need to be a well-rounded junior sysadmin in the real world.

[@cyberrelations729]

Should I ditch Python and go for SQL then?

[@tutoriaLinux]

Not at all! Python is great. When you have to work with a relational database for the first time, just learn some basic SQL.

[@cwatson411]

Learn both! Imho, there is no "end-all" programming language. There are strengths and weaknesses to each and every one.

[@surendradileep79]

I am new to linux is this book recommend to me . I really confused where to start to learn linux can any help me out

[@tutoriaLinux]

There's no need to be confused. Just install Linux in a VM and pick a project -- hosting a small static website on your virtual machine, for example. Then, start watching my Linux Sysadmin Basics playlist and googling, and you'll be on the right track!

[@surendradileep79]

Thanks a lot is this book recommend to me

[@everon727]

Can anyone tell me if this book is good for someone who wants to get into a linux career path. Can I fire up a vm and practice the material(learn by doing)?

[@tutoriaLinux]

Yes, it's still the best Linux book I've found. It's got both theory and practical, tutorial-style approaches. 100% perfect if you are looking to go down a Linux path (or a cloud Engineering path or any kind of opsy thing).

[@cwatson411]

I made sure to buy this text via your link above. Its the very least I can do in thanks of all the epic videos! Do you have a kickstarter account or anything similar for when I get out of school and start making the big bucks? ;) Seriously tho, thanks for everything you do. You are more appreciated than you know!

[@MrBagOnHead]

just ordered this. thank you.

[@vagifk2864]

I do not like the quality of this book, like very thin pages, a bit small format and its paperback... like it is a brochure and not the solid book. It is not that convenient to read it due to all these issues

[@killawatt8243]

As a student in the pursuit of knowledge I have been dabbling in Linux and find this useful. I like how the logic begins to unfold by studying more. I am taking some courses online but they have been side lined for job search purposes, How does one become an admin ? Do I need to have a computer science degree ? Btw that is a mighty manly beard

[@Aleph-Zero]

I thought this was going to be a video about the best laptop for linux. I was like WTF!? and then I see this book, doubly WTF'ed!?. Very happy I ran across this video.

[@tutoriaLinux]

Hah, awesome thanks!

[@christopherbrunning275]

I agree

[@H4voCz0r]

Damn I have the 4th edition :D

[@brandonbrooks2845]

It will be mine, oh yes. It will be mine!!!!

[@psalc1]

poor Evi. This is one of the best ref. books. indispensible.

[@datatel]

Why need a book when you have google.

[@tutoriaLinux]

:-(

[@traykeller5717]

I bought the 4th edition 😂. I never read it. I'll get on it

[@H4voCz0r]

I think the book isn't meant to be read. It's a nice guide when you forget something.

[@traykeller5717]

H4voC yeah...just looked into it. It made me feel stupid 😂.

[@tutoriaLinux]

Yeah, it's definitely a reference, but it read it like a novel when I first got it. Chances are you'll hop around a good bit, but it's actually organized in a really intuitive way, so going through it beginning to end is actually not a bad way to get a good education!

[@Tux0xFF]

Lol no. That book was assigned for the course, most boring book ever, thankfully i found another and made the class enjoyable

[@tutoriaLinux]

Different strokes for different folks. Nothing is one-size-fits-all. You forgot to mention which book you found and liked?

[@replicant9611]

This channel now is nothing like it used to be few years ago. Minimum useful content and lots of advertising and promotions. Sad, very sad.

[@tutoriaLinux]

Meh, there will be more screencasts/tutorials again soon. The reason I haven't been coming out with those regularly is that they tend to be extremely time-consuming to plan and film, and I don't have as much time as I used to after coming home from work. My goal with this channel isn't to make money; if I recommend something it's because I think it's useful. Anyway, stick it out for a few more weeks and you'll see more tutorials again.

[@NicB-Creations]

First