O'Reilly and Associates are widely regarded as the best publisher of UNIX and Linux related books on the market today. Running Linux is generally regarded as the universal "must-have" when it comes to Linux related tomes. Although a bit out of date, reflecting it's 1996 publishing date and the rapidly changing nature of Linux, Running Linux provides an extremely solid foundation of information in an informative and non-threatening manner. Not specific to any distribution, Running Linux is a book that you will probably find yourself returning to again and again.
This book is particularly good for DOS users who would like to make the move to Linux. This text covers a multitude of commands and relates them to their DOS counterparts. It also explains tasks such as system administration and connecting to the Internet.
This popular book features a forward by Linus Torvalds himself. It covers all the basics of how to use Linux and does so in an interesting manner. The book uses "Caution" and "Optional" subsections interspersed throughout the chapters that relay extra information quickly and clearly. The "Caution" sections are just that,reminders of what NOT to do, relating to the subject at hand. The "Optional" sections are for people who would like to work a little more in depth, as opposed to learning "just enough to get by". The last section of this book is a reference for the most widely used Linux commands, including the proper syntax and the various command line switches.
Patrick Volkerding is the creator and principle maintainer of Slackware Linux, a popular distribution. The authors cover installation and configuration of Linux in depth, more so than many other tomes. Some caution must be used though, because many people new to Linux/UNIX find the book a bit intimidating at first. Nonetheless,it remains a useful, informative publication.
Highly recommended, as are many other O'Reilly books. It covers day-to-day tasks that systems administrators can expect to be faced with. This book is especially useful for those running multiple "flavors" of UNIX, as it covers SunOS, Solaris, AIX, Linux, Digital UNIX, OSF/1, SCO UNIX, HP/UX, and IRIX. The extensive "hands-on" examples have been tested on all the platforms covered. It also offers some advice on system administration strategies and procedures.
This is a book written BY system administrators. It covers the day-to-day stuff, and hardware too. Contains many humurous illustrations and a wealth of practical advice and information. Covers multiple versions of UNIX specifically. Also contains an appendix detailing real world problems and cases that really happened and the solutions to them.
An excellent book both for those new to C and those with some knowledge of C on other platforms. It covers Linux programming in a clear, concise manner that will have you up and running quickly. Topics include sockets, database structures, inter-process communication and more. It also touches on other development systems such as Tcl/Tk, Java, and CGI.
Brian Kernighan is one of the original developers of the C programming language and knows programming for UNIX. This book covers the UNIX®programming environment and philosophy in detail. It provides an understanding not only of how to use the system, its components, and the programs, but also how these fit into the total environment. Highly recommended.
Possibly the seminal reference book for Linux users and administrators. Not a tutorial, but a very complete index and explanation of the commands available on the typical Linux system. It also covers various GNU tools. This is one you're likely to find yourself reaching for again and again.
Compiled by Chad Henry