Reddit reviews Unix Power Tools, Third Edition

0. Make sure you have backups that do not reside on the VPS. (Look into rsync/rdiff-backup if you're unfamiliar with them.)
   
1. Don't run X on your production server ;)
   
2. Keep up on security updates. If you're on Ubuntu, for example, you can subscribe to the relevant mailing lists (http://www.ubuntu.com/usn) and set up a cron entry to update your apt repository/email you with available updates (Google "ubuntu server update notification" for umpteen thousand helpful writeups).
   
3. Ideally you'd have a testbed (whose OS/software configuration is the same as the VPS) where updates are applied and ensure services keep ticking along afterwards; that may be overkill, but it's good practice :)
   
4. Keep your system configuration files in a source control system; etckeeper is a great option: http://evilrouters.net/2011/02/18/using-etckeeper-with-git-on-ubuntu
   
5. Use keys for SSH login.
   
6. Don't run services as root.
   
7. Don't allow root to login via SSH.
   
8. There's many tools for automatically parsing/acting upon syslogs; check out logwatch, fail2ban, and OSSEC.
   
9. If you're running third-party Web packages (WordPress, PHPbb, etc.), keep them up to date. They're a big, fat, juicy target for script kiddies and botnets.
   
10. Pick this up for some light reading: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Tools-Third-Shelley-Powers/dp/0596003307

The best thing you can do is read (at least that is the way I learn the most, the fastest)! That being said, there are tons of free videos on youtube that go over networking and how it works. Figure out ways to apply your knowledge by setting up a network of your own and making it rad.

I think learning unix/linux is the way to go if you are into servers, but that is my bias. I am not a fan of Windows. In reality, you end up doing a lot of the same tasks when adminning, regardless of platform. Servers are just computers that run services (like http, ftp, nntp, email, etc). You basically just have to learn how to install, configure and run those services and learn best practices about installing and configuring the OS to do what you want it to do the best.

I highly recommend going into linux/unix adminning. I am not a huge windows fan. That being said, there are jobs there and if you can tolerate working with windows, it might not be a bad route to go if you want to be an admin for the rest of your life. I think nix admins end up doing more development work in the long run (which is more fun imo). As far as learning nix, I highly recommend unix power tools. I am sure there are tons of tutorials as well, but this book gives you a good idea about how to interact with the command line and gives you a great introduction to many of the tools available to you and when to use them. Setting up servers just means installing some services and getting them running in a smart way. There is usually a lot of documentation available for the service you are downloading and about how to configure it.

Regarding programming, pick a language and start using it for everything you can! When you install a service, pick a program that is made in that language to run on it (i.e., install/configure apache and then run a program written in python on it!). I highly recommend starting out with python, but choose whatever you want. Python has a ton of free documentation and ton of well-written apps available. Its syntax rules will force you into writing better looking code, which will carry over to other languages you will learn in the future. Learn python the hard way, dive into python, MIT OCW, Khan Academy. Pick an open source project and start helping out any way you can! At first, it might just be updating documentation, then you might fix some small/easy bugs and soon you will be fixing things and helping direct the way you want to see the project go (or perhaps start your own project!).

If it gives you any hope - I have worked it helpdesk, sys admin jobs, run IT departments and now work as a programmer, all without (much) formal training. I have taken courses over the years, but I think you can a lot just by reading, watching videos and then finding ways to apply that knowledge!

edit: I don't know where you live, but if you can, find local user groups to participate in and talk to locals. You may be able to find a job in the field and have a real way to apply that knowledge on a daily basis.

If you have any questions or need ideas about projects to start, please feel free to ask.

For an intro to general Unix wizardry, I'd recommend Unix Power Tools. It covers all the basic Unix tools, and shows how they can be used together effectively.

To be a real Unix master, you should also learn Perl. If you want to go farther and master Perl you can't go wrong with that.

Once you know the basics of Perl, get the Perl Cookbook, which has many great recipes for doing things like in your list. In fact, if I recall, that very example might be in the book; if not, one very close to it is.

I always had a hard time learning from man pages. They're great for reference once you've already got your bearings, but in my opinion these books will serve you far better.

Books that I find very useful:

Beginning Portable Shell Scripting: From Novice to Professional

From Bash to Z Shell: Conquering the Command Line

Unix Power Tools, Third Edition

The UNIX Programming Environment

Running Linux (mine is old, but still useful)

I have bought lots of other useful books from O'Reilly.

Anything written by Michael W Lucas.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0596003307/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0134277554/
http://www.unixlore.net/
http://oliverelliott.org/article/computing/tut_unix/

> unix power tools book

This?

Here's the one I was thinking of: http://www.amazon.com/Unix-Power-Tools-Third-Edition/dp/0596003307


You don't need the book, but I like learning from practical examples and then using that as a jumping off point. If you like starting with examples for learning - this is the book for you.

It will teach you the semantics of the posix interface and introduce you to some canonical utilities. That information is relevant today (we still use sed, make, etc..). Given the choice, I'd probably opt for a book specific to linux, freebsd, etc.. kernels alongside something like unix power tools.

So basically read the O'Reilly books: Learning the Unix... and Unix Power Tools.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Tools-Third-Shelley-Powers/dp/0596003307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304099248&sr=8-1