Too many Linux books shoot themselves in the foot, either by explaining Linux in terms that can't be understood without a grounding in some other Unix flavor or by expecting readers to follow instructions blindly and be satisfied at their completion. Linux for Windows NT/2000 Administrators advertises itself as a "secret decoder ring," which means that it explains Linux phenomena in Windows terms. For example, the book specifies that daemons are to Linux what services are to Windows NT/2000. It might not make any sense to those who are unfamiliar with either environment, but it's perfectly clear to those who know Windows. This sort of approach, which reflects knowledge of the audience, as well as the subject matter, is typical of accomplished author Mark Minasi.

In large part, this book comes across as Linux for the Reader Who Has a Clue. Minasi enumerates the tasks that system administrators typically have to carry out. Examples of these include installing software and manipulating the privileges of users and groups. He explains how to do those jobs in various Linux environments, and addresses himself to Windows experts who'll need a bit of background, but don't require babying. Minasi doesn't explain why you'd want to install applications, but rather explicitly the mechanics of installing RPM packages and tarballed source code. He states flatly that most people will be happy with a precompiled kernel--that's what works for Windows, after all--but shows how to build your own, anyway. The book's full of that kind of material. This fact-rich text is a pleasure to read and learn from. --David Wall

Topics covered: Linux 2.2, explained in terms that Windows adepts can understand easily. Staying rather distribution-neutral, the book explains how to install Linux, use it in single-user workstation mode, and configure it as a network operating system. System administration tasks--software maintenance, user management, network troubleshooting, and so on--get top billing, although an ongoing comparison of Linux and the Wintel platform is important, too.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Already know NT or Windows 2000? Want to understand how Linux might fit into your Windows network? Here's the real deal -- fair, objective, and practical -- from one of the world's leading Windows experts (Mark Minasi) and two of the world's leading Linux experts (Dan York and Craig Hunt).

Linux for Windows NT/2000 Administrators presents Linux's strengths and weaknesses from the Windows expert's point of view. You'll learn what's easy to integrate, where the value adds are, where Linux doesn't measure up to the hype, and more.

You'll walk through all the basic tasks you could probably do in Windows in your sleep, but may be clueless about handling in Linux: managing files, creating partitions, printing, dealing with comprssed files, backing up to tape, creating user accounts, and so forth. Next you'll start building servers -- all kinds of servers. DNS and DHCP servers, web servers, Sendmail e-mail servers, FTP servers, proxy servers, dial-in servers, even Ethernet-to-Ethernet IP routers. There's detailed coverage of interoperability: sharing data across Linux and Windows computers, and sharing network services -- including a chapter on Samba that hits on some significant real-world issues we just haven't seen covered anywhere else.

As Minasi observes, "Windows 9x, NT, 2000, and Linux have all dealt me too many troubles of various types at various times for me to get all dewy-eyed about any one of them. They're all decent tools, but imperfect ones, for their own reasons." If your career depends on choosing the right tools and using them the right away, that's the attitude you want to hear -- and this is the book you want to get. (Bill Camarda)

Bill Camarda is a consultant and writer with nearly 20 years' experience in helping technology companies deploy and market advanced software, computing, and networking products and services. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

ANNOTATION

Includes step-by-step cookbooks for setting up Linux-based DNS, mail, Apache, DHCP, FTP, and Microsoft-compatible file servers. Teaches you to make a Linux-based DNS server support an Active Directory. Explains the main differences-and surprising similarities between Linux and NT/2000. Covers all major Linux distributions: Red Hat, Caldera, Mandrake, Slackware, Corel, SuSE, and TurboLinux

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Finally, the straight dope on how Linux works, how to make it work, and where it fits—and doesn't fit—in your existing Windows NT and 2000-based networks. You've already figured out networking from the Microsoft point of view. Now you can use that knowledge, and the expertise of Mark Minasi, to learn everything you need to know about Linux including: Installing and configuring Linux, including troubleshooting graphics (X Window System), Ethernet, and laptops Administering Linux entirely from the command line Setting up Linux on minimal hardware-even a Pentium 100 Understanding how open source works, what a "distribution" is, and how people make a business out of giving away software Configuring Samba and using it to make a Linux box emulate an NT or 2000 file server Setting up DNS on Linux, including Active Directory-compatible dynamic DNS Creating the Linux equivalent of an NT/2000 domain with NIS and NFS Tapping the speed and reliability of Linux's sendmail e-mail server Configuring Linux GUI: X Window, window managers, and desktop environments Modifying and recompiling the Linux kernel (with in-depth explanations of why you might want to) Featured on the CD
The enclosed CD contains a complete copy of Linux-Mandrake7.1, including both the base operating system and dozens of server and workstation applications. Throughout the book, specially highlighted Mandrake Notes point out behaviors and techniques unique to the Linux-Mandrake 7.1 distribution

SYNOPSIS