Book
description
Linux’s unparalleled functionality and adaptability have made it
the main alternative to Unix and Microsoft Windows operating
systems. And with good reason. System administrators realize that
this robust alternative can greatly improve their operating
system’s reliability and save them money, too. Linux systems are
even less vulnerable to attacks by computer viruses and worms. Not
surprisingly, businesses, government agencies, schools, and a
wealth of other institutions are all looking to Linux to replace
the Windows desktop for these same benefits. Linux in a Windows
World takes an in-depth look at exactly how Linux can be
brought into an organization that’s currently based on Microsoft
Windows systems. Featuring a litany of insider tips and techniques,
Linux in a Windows World dispenses all the practical advice
you need to migrate to this revolutionary open source software.
Author Roderick W. Smith, himself a renowned system administrator
and Linux convert, understands that the skills required to install,
deploy, and maintain Linux are not easy to find. That’s why he has
tapped the absolute best source of information available: the Linux
server experts who have made it their life’s work to build and
manage the Linux system. The latest in O’Reilly’s line of
bestselling Linux titles, Linux in a Windows World is an
invaluable companion for any system administrator interested in
integrating Linux into their Windows environment.
«O’Reilly Media, Inc.», 2005 — Computers — 478 pages
Linux’s unparalleled functionality and adaptability have made it the main alternative to Unix and Microsoft Windows operating systems. And with good reason. System administrators realize that this robust alternative can greatly improve their operating system’s reliability and save them money, too. Linux systems are even less vulnerable to attacks by computer viruses and worms. Not surprisingly, businesses, government agencies, schools, and a wealth of other institutions are all looking to Linux to replace the Windows desktop for these same benefits.Linux in a Windows World takes an in-depth look at exactly how Linux can be brought into an organization that’s currently based on Microsoft Windows systems. Featuring a litany of insider tips and techniques, Linux in a Windows World dispenses all the practical advice you need to migrate to this revolutionary open source software.Author Roderick W. Smith, himself a renowned system administrator and Linux convert, understands that the skills required to install, deploy, and maintain Linux are not easy to find. That’s why he has tapped the absolute best source of information available: the Linux server experts who have made it their life’s work to build and manage the Linux system.The latest in O’Reilly’s line of bestselling Linux titles, Linux in a Windows World is an invaluable companion for any system administrator interested in integrating Linux into their Windows environment.
Linux in Windows World aims to solve the problems experienced by many system administrators when it comes to using Linux servers (and to a lesser extent clients) within an existing Windows environment. Overall the book is meaty and a quick flick through shows an amazing amount of information has been crammed between the covers. There are though some immediately obvious omissions, given the books title and description, but I’m hoping this won’t detract from the rest of the content.
The contents
The book starts off with a look at where Linux fits into a Windows network, covering its use both as a server and desktop platform. Roderick makes some salient points and arguments here, primarily for, rather than against, Linux but he’s not afraid to point out the limitations either. This first section leads on to a more in depth discussion of deploying a Linux system into your network, promoting Linux in a series of target areas – email serving, databases and so on – as well as some strategies for migrating existing Windows desktops to Linux.
It’s great to see the often forgotten issue of backups getting a chapter of its own and the extensive information on authentication solutions are invaluable
The third chapter and the start of the second section starts to look in detail at the various systems and hurdles faced through using Linux within an existing heavily Windows focused environment. This entire section is primarily devoted to Samba and sharing and using shared files and printers.
Section 3 concentrates on centralized authentication, including using LDAP and Kerberos in place of the started Windows and Linux solutions.
Remote login, including information on SSH, Telnet and VNC make up content of the fourth section. Most useful among the chapters is the one on Remote X Access which provides vital information on X server options for Windows, and information on configuring XDMCP for session management.
The final section covers the installation and configuration of Linux based servers for well-known technologies such as email, backups and network manage (DNS, DHCP etc).
Who’s this book for?
Overall, the tone of the book is geared almost entirely towards administrators deploying Linux as a server solution and migrating your Windows clients to using the Linux server. The “integration” focus of the book concentrates on replacing Windows servers with Linux equivalents, rather than integrating Linux servers and clients into an existing Windows installation.
All these gaps make the book a “Converting your Windows World to Run on Linux Servers” title, rather than what the book’s title (and cover description) suggests. If you are looking for a book that shows you how to integrate your Linux machines into your Windows network, this book won’t help as much as you might have hoped.
On the other hand, if you are a system administrator and you are looking for a Windows to Linux server migration title then this book will prove invaluable. There are gaps, and the book requires you to have a reasonable amount of Linux knowledge before you start, but the information provided is excellent and will certainly solve the problems faced by many people moving from the Windows to a Linux platform.
Pros
There’s good coverage here of a wide range of topics. The information on installing and configuring Linux equivalents of popular Windows technologies is very nice to see, although I would have preferred some more comparative information between the way Windows and the Linux counterparts work and operate these solutions.
Some surprising chapters and topics also shine through. It’s great to see the often forgotten issue of backups getting a chapter of its own and the extensive information on authentication solutions are invaluable.
Cons
I found the organization slightly confusing. For example, Chapter 3 is about using Samba, but only to configure Linux as a server for sharing files. Chapter 4 then covers sharing your Linux printers to Windows clients. Chapter 6 then covers the use of Linux as a client to Windows for both printer and file shares. Similarly, there is a chapter devoted to Linux Thin Client configurations, but the use of rdesktop, which interfaces to the Windows Terminal Services system, has been tacked on to the end of a chapter on using VNC.
There are also numerous examples of missed opportunities and also occasionally misleading information. Windows Server 2003 for example has a built in Telnet server and incorporates an extensive command line environment and suite of administration tools, but the book fails to acknowledge this. There’s also very little information on integrating application level software, or the client-specific integration between a Linux desktop and Windows server environment. A good example here is the configuration of Linux mail clients to work with an existing Exchange Server, which is quite happy to work with standard IMAP clients. Instead, the book suggests you replace Exchange with a Linux-based alternative, and even includes solutions for configuring this solution.
Finally, there are quite a few obvious errors and typos – many of which are in the diagrams that accompany the text.
| Title | Linux in a Windows World |
| Author | Roderick W Smith |
| Publisher | O’Reilly |
| ISBN | 0596007582 |
| Year | 2005 |
| Pages | 478 |
| CD included | No |
| Mark | 8 |
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Great summary of configuring network services for Windows running on Linux
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2005
Linux in a Windows World by Roderick Smith (O’Reilly)
Linux in a Windows World is targeted at anyone with some knowledge of Linux who wants to run various network services on a Linux server, for example sharing files and printers, user authentication, and email. The format is very much task based. There is no need to read this from cover-to-cover; instead you can focus on the service of interest to you. The writing is clear and easy to understand, and you are spared any evangelizing of Linux vs Windows. Instead you get a fair presentation of the strengths and weaknesses of the various technologies along with enough information to get an initial configuration up and running.
After an initial discussion on how and where Linux can fit in to a Windows network the book moves on to basic Samba configuration and sharing files and printers. Most tasks that you will want to accomplish using Windows will need Samba so the first few chapters are essential reading. From there you can learn about using Linux as a NetBIOS server and the Primary Domain Controller; using NT Domains for Linux authentication; or even configuring LDAP on Linux for centralized authentication. Next there is a section on using Linux remotely and as a desktop, and then the book finishes with how to configure a medley of servers that may be run on Linux including DHCP, DNS, mail, and NTP.
Although the book is mostly aimed at Windows administrators this is also useful to Linux administrators who want similar functionality. For example this describes how to use LDAP for a central repository of user authentication information; Kerberos for single sign on; and contains the simplest PAM tutorial I have ever seen.
This is an excellent summary of many of the services that are needed by both Windows and Linux, and how to run and configure them under Linux so that they can be shared by both OSes. I would buy it as a first book for getting started and then look for more detailed resources as necessary.
2 people found this helpful
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1.0 out of 5 stars
NetBIOS? I say again NetBIOS?!?
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2006
Working several years as a certified Windows Administrator, I find it strange to have a complete chapter soley dedicated to the topic of NetBIOS. Who uses NetBIOS? I looked further into the book, and the all SAMBA material seems to be a rehash older and overdocumented SAMBA 2.0 docs…
I looked at another section and it seems that Windows NT 4 time was covered (maybe accidently through author’s misunderstanding of Windows time?) and w32time service. The later uses the NTP time standard, while older Windows NT 4 time relies on NetBIOS… Hmmm… Maybe that’s the reason for a NetBIOS chapter.
I was hoping for something more to deal with Active Directory and modern systems, but learn interoperability to stuff you can only buy at the swap-meet or flea-market.
I didn’t cover any other chapters, as they seem to focus on Linux-to-Linux interoperability. Yes, I know, but it is true, Windows coverage in the other sections is less than 5% — 10%.
So bottom line, most of book is Linux with honoroble mention here and there of Windows, the chapters fully focused on Windows interoperability are rehash of SAMBA 2.0 and how to hook into end-of-life Windows NT 4. And you get a whole chapter on NetBIOS? Shall we *cough* look for other books?
10 people found this helpful
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Fills in the picture
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2005
This book says it’s a system administrator’s guide. Since I’m not a sysadmin but more of a hacker with Linux, I found lots of details seemed to be glossed over. If you are looking for a high level explanation of making Linux work with a Windows network, this book is for you. Most Linux books seem to assume you know more than you (I) do. I haven’t found any one Linux book that tells me everything I need to know to get some server running, such as Samba. This book adds to the picture. It would be good to use with other books.
2 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Mr. Torvalds, meet Mr. Gates
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2005
The desktop sure has changed in the past decade. Whereas Linux was once resolved to be an OS for pure hobbyists and those who wanted to «escape from Redmond», it now sits side-by-side with Microsoft Windows in many corporations and homes. The goal therefore of the new O’Reilly book «Linux In A Windows World» is to show how to get the two operating systems on speaking terms with each other.
What is the most common thing people do on any OS? You got it — print! Yet, time and time again, we have seen that even the simplest thing such as printing a document can be a nightmare when you have two different operating systems competing for the same printer. This is just a small real-life example of the type of task you will find while reading this book. You will be taken through the steps to get your Linux system working happily with that Windows printer down in Accounting.
Throughout the book the author does an excellent job of tackling a common system administrator task, such as using Active Directory (Windows Domains) for authenticating users on the Linux boxes. Not only does he cover the most common ways of doing the task, but he also goes into detail about alternative methods and «extras» that your system might need depending on your environment.
What I really enjoyed most of all in this book is the author does not favor one OS over the other. When the task is appropriate, or easier, on either Windows or Linux, he outlines how to do it and make the other OS utilize that service or feature on the host OS. This is where many other books fall short, in that they try and convince you that everything must be done under one or OS versus the other instead of just laying out the map and letting the users see which is the best choice.
Overall, this is a great reference work for any system administrator facing the challenge of having a mixed Windows and Linux environment. Although it doesn’t cover all the possibilities that could exist, it will cover the most common tasks as well as hitting up on one of the most important — security. Well worth the price for the number of gray hairs you will save in accomplishing some of these tasks in your mixed environment.
14 people found this helpful
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| From: | «Kathryn Barrett» <kathrynb-AT-oreilly.com> | |
| To: | lwn-AT-lwn.net | |
| Subject: | «Linux in a Windows World» Released by O’Reilly | |
| Date: | Mon, 28 Feb 2005 14:12:52 -0800 |
For Immediate Release For more information, a review copy, cover art, or an interview with the author, contact: Kathryn Barrett (707) 827-7094 or kathrynb@oreilly.com Getting Linux and Windows to Work Well Together O'Reilly Releases "Linux in a Windows World" Sebastopol, CA--Before the Linux operating system can achieve world domination, there are a few lesser challenges it will need to face, the chief among which is the huge installed base of Microsoft Windows users. Practically speaking, the overall success of Linux will not be in its eradication of Windows, but in its ability to coexist with it and other systems. "Indeed, the challenge of coexisting with Windows can be viewed as an opportunity," says Roderick W. Smith, author of "Linux in a Windows World" (O'Reilly, US $44.95). "Linux can be integrated into a Windows network, providing a reliable and low-cost platform on which to run vital services for Windows systems, or even serving as a workstation on an otherwise Windows-dominated network." As Smith points out, "Linux can be an effective addition to a Windows network for several reasons, most of which boil down to cost." He reminds readers that Windows achieved its dominance in part by being less expensive than competitors in the 1980s. Today, of course, Linux is less expensive to own and operate. "This is especially true if you're running Windows NT 4.0, which has reached end-of-life and is no longer supported," says Smith, adding that Windows 2000 will soon fall into that category, as well. Users who run these older versions are faced with the prospect of paying to upgrade or switching to another operating system. Linux is often that other OS. Smith writes for those who work with Windows-dominated networks but wonder how they can best use Linux in that environment. As Smith explains, "You can replace Windows servers, supplement Windows servers with Linux servers, use Linux to implement new services you don't currently run, deploy Linux-based thin clients, or migrate some or all of your Windows desktop systems to Linux." His new book provides guidance on how to accomplish these tasks, with an emphasis on Linux in the role of network server operating system. Focusing on integrating Linux into a Windows-dominated network, "Linux in a Windows World" concentrates on areas in which Linux can easily replace or complement the function of an existing Windows server. Readers learn how to: -Create a file and print server for Windows, Linux, and Macintosh computers -Use a single authentication system for Windows and Linux users -Avoid expensive software upgrades by replacing an obsolete Windows NT 4.0 domain with Linux systems -Filter spam and viruses from email before it gets to users -Create a low-cost network backup solution for Windows and Linux computers -Deploy thin client Linux desktops "Linux in a Windows World" isn't specific to any one distribution of Linux. Regardless of which distribution of Linux readers use, they'll find valuable information to help them get Linux and Windows to work well together. World domination will be the next step. Additional Resources: Chapter 7, "Using NT Domain Names for Linux Authentication," is available online at: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/linuxwinworld/chapter/inde... For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bio, and samples, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/linuxwinworld/index.html For a cover graphic in JPEG format, go to: ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/0596007... Linux in a Windows World Roderick W. Smith ISBN: 0-596-00758-2, 478 pages, $44.95 US, $62.95 CA order@oreilly.com 1-800-998-9938 1-707-827-7000 http://www.oreilly.com About O'Reilly O'Reilly Media, Inc. is the premier information source for leading-edge computer technologies. The company's books, conferences, and web sites bring to light the knowledge of technology innovators. O'Reilly books, known for the animals on their covers, occupy a treasured place on the shelves of the developers building the next generation of software. O'Reilly conferences and summits bring alpha geeks and forward-thinking business leaders together to shape the revolutionary ideas that spark new industries. From the Internet to XML, open source, .NET, Java, and web services, O'Reilly puts technologies on the map. For more information: http://www.oreilly.com # # # O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly Media, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.