BKUNULSA.RVW   971123

"UNIX Unleashed, System Administrator's Edition", Robin Burke/David B.
Horvath, 1997, 0-672-30952-1, U$59.99/C$84.95/UK#54.95
%A   Robin Burke robink@wizard.net
%A   David B. Horvath 
%C   201 W. 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN   46290
%D   1997
%G   0-672-30952-1
%I   MacMillan Computer Publishing (MCP)
%O   U$59.99/C$84.95/UK#54.95 800-858-7674 317-581-3743 info@mcp.com
%O   http://www.mcp.com 317-573-2500 800-428-5331 fax: 317-581-4669
%P   1342 p. + CD-ROM
%S   Unleashed
%T   "UNIX Unleashed, System Administrator's Edition"

The earlier "UNIX Unleashed" (cf. BK UNXUNL.RVW) has been both
expanded and divided.  This volume contains an introduction to UNIX,
shell usage, and basic system management, and can been seen as the
basic user side of things.  The companion "UNIX Unleashed, Internet
Edition" is primarily concerned with programming, networking, and,
somewhat surprisingly from my perspective, security.

The first part of the book provides a general introduction to UNIX. 
There is an overview of UNIX, a basic tutorial, a listing of
additional resources, the UNIX file system, general commands, a bit
about networking, and a section on communications, mostly via email
and Usenet news.  Part two covers UNIX shells, detailing the Bourne,
Bourne Again, Korn, and C shells, and giving a comparison of the
relative strengths and weaknesses of each.  Part three looks at system
administration.  Chapters discuss the concepts of system
administration, installation basics, startup and shutdown, user
administration, file system and disk administration, kernel
configuration, networking, system accounting, performance and tuning,
device administration, mail administration, news administration, UUCP
administration, ftp administration, and backup and restore.

The "Unleashed" series of books uses a consistent format of multiple
authors writing different chapters.  This en masse approach allows for
quick production and quick updates, which is a considerable advantage
when dealing with technical topics that change very rapidly.  It also
allows for the commissioning of experts in specific areas to deal with
complex or esoteric questions.  That, at any rate, is the theory.  In
practice, the "Unleashed" books tend to be fairly repetitive.  For
example, chapter eighteen, on the file system and disk administration,
contains more material than does chapter four, on the UNIX file
system, but pretty much everything in chapter four is repeated in
chapter eighteen.  It is very difficult to coordinate the submissions
of dozens of authors on dozens of subjects.  Often there are no hard
and fast lines dividing one issue from another.  In addition, many
topics will rely on background information from another chapter.  If
you are not sure of the treatment given the foundational material you
need from another source, it is better just to throw it in for good
measure.

Another difficulty is the setting of an audience level for the book
and content.  Style, quality of writing, topic level and detail all
vary from one chapter to another.  The chapter on the UNIX file
system, for example, is covered very quickly, although serviceably,
for a topic of its importance.  "Communicating with Others," on the
other hand, devotes five pages to gateway addressing between messaging
systems, an issue which has significantly diminished in importance
over the past few years.

Because of the multiplicity of authors, there is less chance of
unintended bias, and a greater chance of finding the information that
you need.  This is particularly true in a complex and highly
functional system such as UNIX.  However, there is a fair amount of
difficulty in finding a specific item of information, due to the
variety of sections that might refer to it.

Burk and Horvath have done a good deal to improve the flow and outline
of the book.  The topics progress more logically, there is a more
realistic division of topics, and the repetition of material is
reduced.  This edition is therefore much easier to use than earlier
volumes, although it certainly isn't perfect.

I have books on my shelf that present a better tutorial to the new
user.  I have books in which it is easier to find details on a given
function.  I even have books that cover system administration more
fully.  I do not, however, recall any single volume that contains as
much, or provides an introduction to so many different corners of the
UNIX world.  For any who are not serious UNIX wizards, this book
deserves consideration.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997   BKUNULSA.RVW   971123