Linux Server Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools
Author: Rob Flickenger
Publisher: O'Reilly & Associates; (January 2003)
ISBN: 0596004613

Linux Server Hacks by Rob Flickenberg is a collection of 100 Linux tips and tools. The "hacks" are divided into seven sections. These sections are: Server Basics, Revision Control, Backups, Networking, Monitoring, SSH, Scripting, and Information Servers. The book is well written and, especially when considering it is a technical book, a relatively easy read for someone who is familiar with the command line.

I believe that a systems administrator with almost any level of Linux experience can learn something from this book, however I think a junior or intermediate level systems administrator would benefit the most from this book. While reading through all 100 hacks on a flight from Newark to Phoenix I learned some interesting (and useful) hacks that I plan on implementing.

I am not sure how useful this book would be as a reference source since most (if not all) of the details of each of the hacks can be found somewhere online -- if you knew what you were looking for. However, if one is not looking for anything in particular, Linux Server Hacks provides some interesting ideas and projects that one may never have thought to look for.

One of the things that I liked about the book is that after each hack the author provides with a .See Also. listing that tells the reader where to find more information on the particular hack and/or the tools used in the hack.

Linux Server Hacks is 221 pages long and includes a useful eight page index. Overall I would recommend this book for any one with an Intermediary knowledge of Linux that is looking to learn some new hacks for fun and to grow their skills as a Linux systems administrator.

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