Linux in a Windows World - review

1. Review

This book from O'Reilly makes a rather bold claim on its cover. It introduces itself as A system administrator's guide to heterogeneous networking which is of course an awfully large subject impossible to cover in one book. However, this book goes a surprisingly long way towards that goal in a practical, no-nonsense style that I liked.

The book is aimed at the Windows system administrator who now needs or wants to know more about how Linux could be deployed within an existing network. This could be either to replace existing services or to provide new services. Considering the book's target audience, I was surprised by how much I got out of the book as a Unix administrator knowing only a small amount about Windows systems. The strength of the book lies in its descriptions of the points of connection between the two operating systems. As a result it has useful information for administrators of either operating system who need to know something of the other.

Early on the author tells us that his discussion of the topics covered is not intended as a replacement for specific books covering each in detail. Do not assume, however, that this book is therefore too broad to be useful. Far from it.

For example, there is a section devoted to the use of Samba (the SMB/CIFS server for Linux) for the sharing of files and printers. Within this section the author covers the configuration and use of a Samba server, with discussion of plain versus encrypted passwords. He covers Unix style file permissions and Access Control Lists (ACLs). He covers printing using the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) along with the use of file and print shares. He also covers the use of a Linux server as a domain controller and the use of Linux as a client in an SMB/CIFS environment. The text is peppered with example configuration files and clear, detailed instructions on how to install and configure the pertinent components. While it may not be a replacement for an entire book devoted to Samba, it most certainly would enable a competent system administrator to get a Samba server configured and in service for most typical deployments.

Each of these sections reads very well as a standalone. In particular the final section on additional server programs serves as an excellent whistle-stop tour of supporting and background services to be found on all well-administered networks. I believe that this section would make excellent reading for system administrators of any persuasion who need to broaden their knowledge beyond perhaps a very specific service that they provide. In a similar way the section on centralized authentication tools draws out the pertinent issues in this area and discusses the issues and solutions in a clear, unbiased way. I found that there was a great deal to be learnt in this section. I was consistently surprised at how much there was for me here even though I was not within the intended audience.

Linux in a Windows World is an excellent book for a system administrator who wants to broaden their knowledge beyond the services that they currently provide. As expected it is particularly useful for Windows admins interested in alternatives. However, the surprise of this book is that it would also be useful for Linux admins involved both in deploying Linux alongside Windows servers and in providing Linux based services to Windows clients. It is also recommended for its clear and pragmatic explanations of the technologies and protocols found at the heart of heterogeneous networks.

2. Further reading