This certification may be useful to Linux system admins. Too bad they have left out virtualization, which most job reqs will include. It will appear in a ‘level 3 specialty’. In any case, the book is a good summary of Linux admin tasks. 450 pages.

You will find this useful if you are using any Linux Distro, not just Ubuntu. 1200 pages, with a DVD.

If you want to get certified, this will help.

Linux bible : boot up to Ubuntu, Fedora,

Here is an updated version of the user and admin manual for Linux. You can enjoy many hours of poking through and trying out all the tools and packages discussed in this book.  It contains a DVD and a CD containing various distros. At 800 pages, this is a fat book.

This book is for programmers of C and C++ applications on Linux or Unix. Written in a precise style, it explains all the system calls in detail. There is much knowledge contained in this book, and it is the best reference I know of for this field. Hardcover, and at 1500 pages, you will be wanting a table to support it! Contents:

1   History and Standards
2   Fundamental Concepts
3   System Programming Concepts
4   File I/O: The Universal I/O Model
5   File I/O: Further Details
6   Processes
7   Memory Allocation
8   Users and Groups
9   Process Credentials
10   Times and Dates
11   System Limits and Options
12   Retrieving System and Process Information
13   File I/O Buffering
14   File Systems
15   File Attributes
16   Extended Attributes
17   Access Control Lists
18   Directories and Links
19   Monitoring File Events with inotify
20   Signals: Fundamental Concepts
21   Signals: Signal Handlers
22   Signals: Advanced Features
23   Timers and Sleeping
24   Process Creation
25   Process Termination
26   Monitoring Child Processes
27   Program Execution
28   Process Creation and Program Execution in More Detail
29   Threads: Introduction
30   Threads: Thread Synchronization
31   Threads: Thread Safety and Per-thread Storage
32   Threads: Thread Cancellation
33   Threads: Further Details
34   Process Groups, Sessions, and Job Control
35   Process Priorities and Scheduling
36   Process Resources
37   Daemons
38   Writing Secure Privileged Programs
39   Capabilities
40   Login Accounting
41   Fundamentals of Shared Libraries
42   Advanced Features of Shared Libraries
43   Interprocess Communication Overview
44   Pipes and FIFOs
45   Introduction to System V IPC
46   System V Message Queues
47   System V Semaphores
48   System V Shared Memory
49   Memory Mappings
50   Virtual Memory Operations
51   Introduction to POSIX IPC
52   POSIX Message Queues
53   POSIX Semaphores
54   POSIX Shared Memory
55   File Locking
56   Sockets: Introduction
57   Sockets: Unix Domain
58   Sockets: Fundamentals of TCP/IP Networks
59   Sockets: Internet Domains
60   Sockets: Server Design
61   Sockets: Advanced Topics
62   Terminals
63   Alternative I/O Models
64   Pseudoterminals
A   Tracing System Calls
B   Parsing Command-Line Options
C   Casting the NULL Pointer
D   Kernel Configuration
E   Further Sources of Information
F   Solutions to Selected Exercises
Bibliography
Index

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.