Amazon.com info for 'The Debian System: Concepts and Techniques'

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Back to reviews and details of The Debian System: Concepts and Techniques

Amazon.com reviews:

Rating: 5 Summary: Very in-depth coverage of Debian
Comment I bought this book because I wanted a good understanding of the operating system I'll be working with well into the future. It book covers the Debian system in great depth, more than half of the book is about package management. Once you read it, you'll understand why Debian is so stable.

It starts out with a brief history of Debian, it's concepts and philosophy, then goes on to outline the developer hirearchy, archive structure and the process taken for package movement from sid to the final release. Then moves thru installing Debian and dealing with packages using dpkg, apt and other utilities. There is so much in this subject, I couldn't put the book down for a second. You'll learn how to upgrade your system and software from different sources, tells you what to back up and how to make scripts to 'copy' your installation to another computer and lots of other stuff. I found this section particularly well explained and documented.

The rest covers system log and config files, network interfaces, devices and security. Kernel packages, mixing releases, forums, bug tracker, manual packaging and maintaining your system

This book is not about Linux. It's about Debian with a strong accent on it's package management system. I've only read half of this book so far, but have gained a lot of knowledge, particularly the art of installing the 'latest' software packages and a good understanding on the use of apt-get and aptitude and maintaining a clean system.

I give this book 10 out of 10. If you use Debian, this book is a must-have, along with a good Linux book.

Rating: 3 Summary: Debian universe unmystified...
Comment Have been utilizing Linux for +5 years- primarily main-line distros with an "RPM-based" flavor. My continued favorite and primary distro is Mandriva, which I've used solidly through multiple releases. In my quest for options/alternatives I have reviewed, installed and used: Fedora-Red Hat, Knoppix, OpenSuse-Suse, Libranet, Gentoo, and Debian (Sarge). Kept coming back to Mandriva.
However, of late have really committed to opening up and expanding my Linux capabilities and adopting an optional Linux Distro. After much thought and assessment- ideal choice was Debian and it's recent release of Etch. Next step was what "public" reference books were available and recommended. Obvious choice was Kraft's "Debian System".
After acquiring and reading- concurrent with an actual on-going install of Debian Etch my assessments are:

1. Good overall intro and background on Debian: philosophies, intents, goals, and charters.
2. OK background and data on the "Debian-specific" environment aspects. Although, some items are getting a bit dated, and some areas not covered as in-depth as they should be: wireless, consistent install methods, system configuration options, XOrg environments.
3. Kraft goes to great lengths to delve into the "Apt-get" areas of Debian with extensive study of dpkg features. However, little depth is given to the formally Debian-endorsed services of Aptitude (datedness of the book?).
4. Definitely more coverage and specifics on "Sources" management under Debian; with caveats and dangers of "mixed" environments (unstable, external resources..).
5. Much more depth and clarification of Init/start-up uniqueness of Debian; Performance options, and recommended Debian "sensitive" software options for consideration
6. Additional coverage should be given to Kernel aspects, unique module-assistant aspects of Debian, and multi-Kernel environments for those wishing to pursue advanced configuration options.

Overall, a comprehensive and multi-faceted tome on the Debian environnment; which definitely needs some updating, refocusing, and inclusion of new materials. Finally- Debian is now my official "optional" distro and a great choice! A distro which I intend to use and support for a great many years..

Rating: 4 Summary: Great reference
Comment If you think you are a Debian user, you should read this book. It will show you how to do things the Debian (the right) way. If you are looking for a how-to book, this isn't what you should be reading. And author is clear about it.

For existing Debian users, this is a must. This book can convert you from user to power user, and if you are serious about Debian, read it. After you read it you will often return to it for reference.

If you want to become a Debian user, I would recommend reading a copy of "Hands on Debian Guide" (which is recommended in this book also). Since the website it was on seems to be gone off-line, you can try to contact the author docelic@(nospam)hcoop.net.

Rating: 5 Summary: Good Book For Novices Administrating One's Own Workstation
Comment I am not a sys admin by profession. My computer at home is running debian testing (which is currently "etch"). If one runs their own *nix computer, they have become a sys admin, like it or not. I would rate myself as a novice sys admin, and mediocre at best.

This book covers the nuts and bolts of the debian system. As other reviewers have mentioned before me, it does not cover how to set-up your apache server, or how to write good bash scripts. It just covers the specific parts of debian which make it unique from other distros. Krafft is not a zealot. He compliments other package systems; for example he is frank in his admiration for the robustness of rpm.

I read this book cover to cover, and it gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed to give up on dual booting a microsoft OS, or a more user friendly *nix distro.

It is a good reference book. For example, recently, I filled up a partition. It was my /var partition, and it was related to the apt package system, (most likely my fault, as I'm a poor administrator). So instead of blowing out troublesome sub-directory, (while hoping that I'm not breaking something), I grabbed this book off the shelf, and quickly found the proper solution. It has a detailed table of contents, a decent index, and a long appendix which is divided into six sections.

To conclude, I'm trying to make two points about this book. First, it is still relevant w/the "etch" release. Second, if you're a novice administrator of a debian-based system, this book is very useful.

Rating: 5 Summary: Debian Rocks
Comment It's a excelent book about debian packaging/administration

I purchased it with debian bible and I can say debian system is infinitely better than the first one