Ubuntu on A Dime – The Path to Low-cost Computing, James Floyd Kelly, 2009
If you want a cheap but powerful computer, this book will help. It has 30 pages discussing hardware selection for Linux, then 200 pages introducing you to Ubuntu. It suggests you spend $250 on components to build the PC, but I know of surplus stores that sell equivalent PC’s for $100.
Linux for Dummies, Richard Blum, Wiley, 2009
A gentle intro to Linux, and almost everything can be done without using the command line! A DVD is included which will make it simple to install Ubuntu or Fedora. 400 pages.
Fedora 11 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux bible / Christopher Negus, Eric Foster-Johnson, Wiley, 2009.
Here are 1000 pages for the Fedora admin. The book will be useful at the beginner and intermediate level. Most of it applies to any current Linux distro. It includes a live CD and an installation DVD. The live CD can be used in most PC’s, without installing anything to the hard disk, and will allow you to experience Fedora Linux. When you are hooked, pop in the DVD and install your system.
Ubuntu Linux Secrets / Richard Blum, Wiley, 2009
Here is a user manual which also gets into systems admin. Only about 20 pages are about the command line, which tells you how far Ubuntu has come in the last few years. 800 pages.
AJH says “It does look like it will be in Ottawa for 2010″. He is looking for “people who would to like to help shepherd paper authors and bring the submitted papers closer to something we can print”. Follow him on twitter.
CompTIA Linux+ certification / Michael Jang, McGraw-Hill, 2008
If you think certification is useful for Linux admins, here is a good book for you. Otherwise, you will find this a good beginner to intermediate guide. 350 pages.
Beginning the Linux command line / Sander van Vugt, Apress, 2009
Some of this is basic, but it gets interesting with yum, zypper, tunneling, samba, kernel modules, and bash scripting. 350 pages.
Beginning Portable Shell Scripting : From Novice to Professional / Peter Seebach, Apress, 2008
Many years ago I learned scripting by reading the boot time scripts in SunOS or System III. Life would have been so much easier with this excellent book! You need this book when you are writing an installer for a software product. Or automating something like backups with cron. Or checking that your machine is secure. Or…
Linux all-in-one desk reference for dummies / by Emmett Dulaney, Wiley, 2008
This book will help you install and administer a Linux system. 600 pages. Includes a DVD with the top 4 distros.
Ubuntu Linux secrets / Richard Blum, Wiley 2009
You will like this book if you are new to Linux. However, the folks over at Canonical will not like the wording of this title, after all the good work they have been putting into support and documentation. 800 pages.