Linux NFS and Automounter Administration (Craig Hunt Linux Library)

Rating:
Summary: Sheds light on the black art
Review: I always thought configuring a Samba server for solid and secure operations was a black art until I started using NFS. My first NFS installation had security holes you could drive a truck through, fortunately it was two highly paranoid firewalls away from the internet.

If you are intent on having an NFS server in your network then you will need help. Who better to give it to you than the man who has been looking after the Linux NFS and automount code for several years. Zadok certainly knows his stuff.

The Craig Hunt Linux Library, the Sybex imprint that publishes this book, is quickly rising in my esteem. This is the second volume I've bought (the other was Auld's "Linux Apache Web Server Administration") and both have been absolute winners.

I most appreciate that it does not waste time with any unnecessary details about Linux or Unix but gets straight down to the topic at hand (in this case a marvellous description of NFS design and workings.) A good way to go since most of the people, myself included, who will buy this book already have a fair amount of Linux knowledge or will buy a volume that can afford the more basic topics more space.

Second is that it covers both the server and client side with enough detail. It doesn't talk down to you while at the same time it makes almost no assumptions about your level of NFS knowledge.

Third is that while it says "Linux" in the title, in just the same way that Auld's book on Apache can be used by any Apache owner (and that includes Macintosh OS X), this book is useful for anyone using NFS on a Unix or Unix derivative such as BSD, Solaris or Mac OS X. In fact one of the server and client configurations I performed with the help of this book was on my personal Mac OS X box. That doesn't deny that there are minor differences in some implementations, particularly with automount and status software but in my experience they have been minor.

If you intend to run NFS on a server then this book should be sitting beside the computer as you carefully check the configuration. I recommend this book to everyone, a "must buy."

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, Relevant, and very useful to Sys. Admins.
Review: I was pleased to find that this book does not spend the first 100 pages or so talking about the history of Linux or how to install Linux. This is not for the newbie.

That said, it *is* a very readable book. The concepts are explained very thoroughly in plain english, and everything is illustrated using examples that are very relevant to real-life admin work on systems in a heterogenous environment.

There's no way I can say, within the 1000 word limit, how good this book is. I *will* say that even if O'Reilly released a book on this same topic tomorrow, I wouldn't bother to buy it - there's no way anyone is going to cover this material better than the guy who has been maintaining the code and mailing lists for the past five years! :) ....

If you're an admin using NFS and any type of automounter, you would do well to have this book.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the timid, nor the newbie...
Review: When people say RTFM when asked questions about NFS, this is "The ...er.. FINE ... Manual" they should be refering to.

Erez has been in charge of the care & feeding of NFS on the Linux platform and knows his charges well.

This book (and this series as a whole) is well writen with the experienced SysAdmin in mind. You do not need to know NFS for this book to help you, but you do need to know basic Sys Admin concepts and techniques.

I have been running NFS on various Unicies for years and found this to be a great resource for NFS/Automount on not only the Linux side, but on Solaris, HPUX, AIX and *BSD as well.

If you intend to run a secure, stable and speedy NFS server, you MUST read this book. Erez helps you avoid the gotchas and pitfalls most people hit when running NFS for the first, or hundreth time.

This book really should have the word Linux removed from its title, not because it doesnt cover it, but because the book shouldnt limit its readership by it.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the timid, nor the newbie...
Review: When people say RTFM when asked questions about NFS, this is "The ...er.. FINE ... Manual" they should be refering to.

Erez has been in charge of the care & feeding of NFS on the Linux platform and knows his charges well.

This book (and this series as a whole) is well writen with the experienced SysAdmin in mind. You do not need to know NFS for this book to help you, but you do need to know basic Sys Admin concepts and techniques.

I have been running NFS on various Unicies for years and found this to be a great resource for NFS/Automount on not only the Linux side, but on Solaris, HPUX, AIX and *BSD as well.

If you intend to run a secure, stable and speedy NFS server, you MUST read this book. Erez helps you avoid the gotchas and pitfalls most people hit when running NFS for the first, or hundreth time.

This book really should have the word Linux removed from its title, not because it doesnt cover it, but because the book shouldnt limit its readership by it.