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The Debian System: Concepts and Techniques
The Debian GNU/Linux operating system approaches Linux system administration differently than other popular Linux distributions, favoring text-based configuration mechanisms over graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Debian may appear simplistic and even slightly outdated, but it is actually very robust, scalable, and secure. Debian's open development cycle and strict quality control by the developers help Debian to constantly gain popularity, despite its reputation as an operating system just for professionals and hardcore computer hobbyists.
The Debian System introduces the concepts and techniques of the Debian operating system, explaining their usage and pitfalls, and illustrating the thinking behind each of the approaches. The book's goal is to give the reader enough insight into the workings of the Debian project and operating system so that they will understand the solutions that have evolved as part of the Debian system over the past decade. While targeted at the well-versed UNIX/Linux administrator, the book can also serve as an excellent resource alongside a standard Linux reference to quickly orient the reader to Debian's unique philosophy and structure. Co-published with Open Source Press, an independent publisher based in Munich that specializes in the field of free and open source software.
605 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 23, 2018
While outdated in places (it is almost 15 years old at this point), this book is a dense, full-throated reference for the Debian sysadmin that still seems reasonably useful. This continued utility is largely due to the fact that Debian is itself so stable and, in many ways, conservative in its approach--and this book does a superb job of explaining the philosophy that underlies the Debian approach, and how that trickles down into its technical details. I'm not a sysadmin, but merely a user who uses Debian for its stability, dependability, customization, and commitment to freedom. I thus ended up skimming large portions of the most technical portions of the book. Nevertheless, even I found a lot to like here; the aforementioned exploration of Debian's perspective, as well as the project history, helped me to get an idea about what Debian is all about. This was useful perspective as I went through sections on package management, security, and system structure; understanding the philosophical and historical background of the project as I read through these sections made me a better user of the operating system.
While one does not need to read this book to use and enjoy Debian--in the nearly 15 years since Krafft wrote this book, a lot of the learning curve for Debian has gone away, and it's a rock solid operating system that "just works" and can be the daily driver for honestly most anyone--I would highly recommend this book for intermediate-level users of Debian, its derivatives, and GNU/Linux generally. Despite the limits of age, it will make you a better user of these systems, and better able to think through their advantages and disadvantages when talking about GNU/Linux and libre software with those not yet in the community. For those advanced users who administer a system based on Debian, I think this is almost a *must* read book. Again, despite its age and the out-of-date aspects of some of the materials, the orientation to how Debian, as an operating system, understands its roles and purposes is vital to maximizing your effectiveness as an administrator of the system.
Useful, quite neutral and non-partisan comparison of Debian to other systems, like Red Hat, and of dpkg/apt to rpm/yum is also very useful (and to be honest, it's almost worth the price of admission to see a geek not descend into snarky fanboyism when discussing these kinds of nigh-religious issues).
While one does not need to read this book to use and enjoy Debian--in the nearly 15 years since Krafft wrote this book, a lot of the learning curve for Debian has gone away, and it's a rock solid operating system that "just works" and can be the daily driver for honestly most anyone--I would highly recommend this book for intermediate-level users of Debian, its derivatives, and GNU/Linux generally. Despite the limits of age, it will make you a better user of these systems, and better able to think through their advantages and disadvantages when talking about GNU/Linux and libre software with those not yet in the community. For those advanced users who administer a system based on Debian, I think this is almost a *must* read book. Again, despite its age and the out-of-date aspects of some of the materials, the orientation to how Debian, as an operating system, understands its roles and purposes is vital to maximizing your effectiveness as an administrator of the system.
Useful, quite neutral and non-partisan comparison of Debian to other systems, like Red Hat, and of dpkg/apt to rpm/yum is also very useful (and to be honest, it's almost worth the price of admission to see a geek not descend into snarky fanboyism when discussing these kinds of nigh-religious issues).
July 28, 2008
This is a great book for getting to know Debian. I've been using the OS for 2 years now and have known enough to keep Debian running (which is to say, almost nothing.) While I'm being modest, this book DID enlighten me about Debian's history, the community, and documentation/references to get me started in areas I haven't messed with yet.
If you're a *nix user and want an intro to debian, I'd strongly recommend this one. If you're a debian user already, you will probably appreciate it the same way I did. If you're new to Linux AND Debian, you'll want to read this with "Linux in a Nutshell" or some equivalent Linux reference. Enjoy :-)
If you're a *nix user and want an intro to debian, I'd strongly recommend this one. If you're a debian user already, you will probably appreciate it the same way I did. If you're new to Linux AND Debian, you'll want to read this with "Linux in a Nutshell" or some equivalent Linux reference. Enjoy :-)
October 8, 2014
An excellent and thorough reference to the system, slightly marred by typos and grammatical mistakes.
February 27, 2018
The only book to contain a contribution by me on page 119.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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