Managing Linux Systems with Webmin: System Administration and Module Development

Customer Reviews:

Out of date ..........2007-07-24

I really like Webmin and use it often since I'm not a Linux geek. There is good information in the book and it is well edited and presented. The problem is, the book describes an outdated version of Webmin. The program has a completely new interface which is sufficiently different to make this book much less desirable as a guide to the program.

In my view, this book contributes to understanding some of the Linux configurations for which Webmin provides an interface. But, if you are looking for help in using Webmin itself, you may be disappointed. I was. I probably won't return it, but I wouldn't have bought it had I known. I would love to see this book updated.

Excellent Reference for even the beginning Linux System Administrator.......2005-12-14

Being a fairly new Linux System Administrator, I find Jamie Camerons book a huge help. Not only does it cover evey aspect of Webmin, but also covers the essentials of Linux System Administration and how Webmin can be used to make things easier. The book follows a good sequence and builds upon previous chapters. I'm actually looking at purchasing another copy as I already have this one full of tabs and nearly worn out!

Gary Hull
Katterbach, Germany

Book Teaches Linux, Not Just Webmin.......2004-05-17

Before buying this book, I used Webmin and thought it was pretty easy to use and didn't think I needed a book about it. Was I wrong.

Not only does this book teach you all the things that you can do with Webmin, it is an excellent general Linux tutorial. The author goes into details about each subject (including what command line programs are run or which config files are changed by Webmin) and provides the meaning behind each setting. Along the way, you learn things that you didn't know existed or couldn't figure out how to do. For example, I had no idea I could mount a folder from a Windows machine without using samba or NFS. If you need to set up Raid, LVM, Apache Web server, Samba, the list goes on... this is the book.

If you need to set up Linux in a home or small office with Windows file sharing, internet gateway, web and mail hosting, DHCP server, etc., you should buy this book.

A nice book with some flaws.......2004-04-06

Webmin is a pretty neat tool for administering a server using a GUI, particularly remotely. Managing Linux Systems with Webmin, written by Webmin's author Jamie Cameron, is an extensive look at using and extending it, a good guide not without flaws.

The book is structured as 60 chapters, without any division into sections and I have serious arguments with the order of chapters; why are the chapters about configuring Webmin at the end, for example. That said, the book has a fine index and the usual two-level contents make it a fraction easier to find what you want.

I do, however, have a little digression about the `Bruce Peren's Open Source Series,' of which this book is a member. Frankly, I think they all need, and deserve, a much stronger hand in editing. With this volume it is the bad structure and order; with "Intrusion Detection Systems with Snort" I found myself engrossed by the information and furious at the appalling grammar and sentence construction, particularly in the introductory chapters. The others in the series look significantly better at first glance but could still use better editing.

Once again we have an author or publisher who throws Linux into the title to make sure that it gets found by the greatest mass of likely readers while the tool described is more (not that I criticise the practice, they want to sell books.) Any *nix system can be controlled using Webmin -- including a great deal of Mac OS X not available through `System Preferences.' Indeed, I'd recommend the tool to all OS X users who want to gain better control and install better tools for the underlying BSD layer in OS X. I use it myself for just this reason. If you run any other *nix system don't be put off by the `Linux' in the title: very little of this book is Linux specific.

This one is well written -- Cameron has a light, informative style that I look for in a tech book. The book is well laid out, he gives good examples, good explanations and screen shots.

Cameron starts out with three introductory chapters on Webmin, its installation and security before launching into forty three chapters on using various Webmin modules, but with no real pattern to the order of most of the chapters. Why, for example, is the NFS module at chapter 4 while the Samba module is discussed in 43? I could list another half dozen examples without raising a sweat.

There is then a chapter on Usermin, the Webmin system for ordinary users. This is followed by three chapters on the server clustering system, a few on Webmin configuration and logging before the volume ends with chapters on building modules and themes.

Some of the chapters on the modules within Webmin border on merely stating the obvious, others are extremely useful. Overall they constitute a good manual to using the system, Webmin users who have not spent a great deal of time administering servers will find them particularly useful. The chapters on clustering, using Webmin on multiple servers to perform the same task at the once on many machines, are a good guide to administering and using this useful facility. I found the chapters on writing your own module more than adequate, I'm well under way to writing my first one after only a short time with the system and book.

One final complaint. Where in this book does it tell you how to start Webmin? I didn't want Webmin running from boot, so I answered No to that question and Webmin then ran. Nowhere did it tell me how to restart Webmin after I rebooted my computer and having the script `start' in the directory specified as the config directory is a little less than intuitive.

In conclusion, this is a good book. With a little work on the structure it would be an excellent book, rising from a rating of six to an eight or nine. the lack of structure makes it unduly hard to find what you are after. I would recommend Webmin, as a tool, to almost everyone running a supported server. If you have no need for the section on clustering and writing your own modules you could buy The Book of Webmin for a few dollars less or browse the same book (even download a PDF version free) at Swelltech, which is less comprehensive but much better structured (and tells you how to restart Webmin). If you want a guide to Webmin that includes notes on writing your own module then this will do until something better comes along, or they release a second edition with greater thought to structure and order.

Making system administration easy.......2004-01-03

Webmin is an open-source web application which puts a graphical user interface on the typically command line oriented tasks involved in administrating a Unix-based server. I personally have been using Webmin for many years already, although I initially acquired most of my administration knowledge by getting my hands dirty at the command line level. If administration is not your main job and you don't have all the administration tool syntax memorized or the time to wade through man pages, having a helpful interface like Webmin is a godsend.

The book's author, Jamie Cameron, is also the main developer of Webmin. When you read the book you realize that he is first and foremost a command line administrative guru. However, he wanted to develop something to help novice admins get important jobs done quickly without getting bogged down in learning syntax.

The book has a useful "Contents at a Glance" page at the start which is handy when you want to quickly look up a common administrative task. Then there is the main "Contents" section which contains all of the chapters' subtopics and titles. The end of the book contains a very thorough index. Although the book has 60 chapters, the author did not bother to explicitly divide them up into sections. On my first glance at the book, it seemed as though the chapters were not very logically ordered, but upon further inspection I realized that they follow the general ordering of the modules within the Webmin application. The one exception is that the chapter on configuring Webmin itself is found close to the end of the book although it is the very first module in the actual application. If I had to split the book up into sections, I would do so as follows: Introduction/Installation, System Modules, Networking Modules, Hardware Modules, Miscellaneous Modules, Server Modules, Usermin, Clusters, Webmin Configuration, Custom Module Development, and The API.

The book starts off with a rather short but efficient introduction, installation guide and security suggestions for Webmin. Maybe a few more ideas should have been included in the "Securing Your Webmin Server" chapter. I'm sure security is a topic which many admins would like to see emphasized because of the general mistrust of granting power to a remotely accessible administration system which might easily allow a hacker or ignorant admin to take down a critical server.

Webmin lets you perform many high-level tasks without ever knowing what files on the server are being affected. For myself, as a programmer who sometimes gets involved with administration work, I have configured sendmail services using Webmin many times and I have just let it work its magic without worrying about the file changes being made. This book, in addition to explaining usage of the application, fills in the details of what is going on behind the scenes.

I believe Webmin is a great tool for junior administrators or hobbyists to learn Unix-based administration as long as a book like this one is used so the processes are thoroughly understood. This book probably won't be of much use to a professional administrator with lots of experience and a repertoire of scripts to handle all daily admin tasks. Although, if you are a pro and have grown weary of tedious command line work, this book will help you quickly get up to speed with the Webmin interface.

I found that the book also introduced me to a few concepts I had only heard about but had not really bothered to delve into more, such as Usermin and Clustering. Usermin is basically a trimmed version of Webmin meant for use by the average user on a system. I can see this being used in cases where an administrator wants to give users enough power to control their own email and website settings without giving them shell access. The author devotes three chapters to clustering and explains its usefulness, management and configuration.

At the end of the book you will find a number of useful chapters on creating your own Webmin modules, including explanations of standard module flow structuring, API function descriptions, and a sample dissection of the default theme structure. This section alone may be reason enough for some to purchase this book.

Book Description

Though overshadowed by his father, James IV, and his daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, James V was nonetheless a crucial figure in British history, as is shown in this dissenting opinion about his reign as England's king. Concentrating on James V's style of government and his relations with the nobility, this account challenges the widely held view that James was both vindictive and irrational. In spite of a few unpleasant personal traits, it is argued, his reign closely resembled that of his more popular father, and the rebelliousness of his magnates in 1542 was due to the political landscape of Britain rather than any aspect of James' temperament.

Average customer rating:

Cameron Jamie

Manufacturer: Hatje Cantz Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Documentaries | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 3775717269
Release Date: 2006-03-01

Book Description

Cameron Jamie's calling is tracking down extreme social phenomena and presenting them in short documentary films. His best known film, BB, documents "backyard wrestling" among working-class kids in his native San Fernando Valley. In Spook Houses, he explores a suburban Chicago community that takes a little too much pleasure in the macabre at Halloween, transforming front lawns into cemeteries and kitchens into mausoleums. And in Kranky Claus, a film about Krampus rituals in Austria, he accompanies those legendary demons on their nightmarish pre-Christmas tour, thrashing frightened children. As Jamie says of his subjects and as he proves to his audiences, "The creepiest things in the world are always the things that are considered to be the most OEormal.'"

Average customer rating:

Cameron Jamie
Philippe Vergne , and Cameron Jamie
Manufacturer: Walker Art Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0935640878
Release Date: 2007-06-01

Book Description

Cameron Jamie's work--a blend of video, sound, performance, photography and drawing--confronts the dysfunction of European and American society. His critical gaze often focuses on ritualistic practices in popular culture, such as hot dog eating contests and backyard wrestling. Taking suburban phenomena of this sort as his primary material, Jamie explores the dark underbelly of the American dream in drawings, film and performance. This artist-designed exhibition catalogue features more than 60 works in various media, illuminating the artist's process with selections from his personal archive of clippings and ephemera, as well as raw sketches for his projects. An essay by exhibition curator Philippe Vergne, a foreword by Walker director Kathy Halbreich and a reprint of a poem by Charles Bukowski selected by the artist provide context for this first large-scale, museum presentation of Jamie's work.

Exquisite Mayhem: the Spectacular and Erotic World of Wrestling By Theo Ehret

Average customer rating:

Exquisite Mayhem: the Spectacular and Erotic World of Wrestling By Theo Ehret
Cameron & Mike Kelley (Eds.); Roland Barthes (Essay) Jamie
Manufacturer: Taschen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NR95LU

Average customer rating:

The Buddha in Life and Art
Nigel Cameron
Manufacturer: Formasia Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Buddha | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9889826984

Product Description

No memorial throughout history has towered higher than the many monuments to Buddha spread across Asia. The serene form and aspect of these gentle giants represents the attainment of all we seek to be. We stand in awe of their massive passivity, and we wonder at the hands that fashioned wood, stone and metal into such sublime grace. Pursuing their daily life beneath that gaze, those who dwell in the heartland of Buddhist Asia feel thay draw their spiritual livelihood from a deeper source.

Cameron Jamie: 37th International Theatre Festival of the Venice Biennale.: An article from: Artforum International

Average customer rating:

Cameron Jamie: 37th International Theatre Festival of the Venice Biennale.: An article from: Artforum International
Elizabeth Janus
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000N4SB86
Release Date: 2007-02-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Artforum International, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2006. The length of the article is 568 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cameron Jamie: 37th International Theatre Festival of the Venice Biennale.
Author: Elizabeth Janus
Publication: Artforum International (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 44 Issue: 6 Page: 220(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Charter's Impact on the Criminal Justice System

Average customer rating:

Charter's Impact on the Criminal Justice System
Jamie Cameron
Manufacturer: Carswell Legal Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Average customer rating:

Not the best
Mercy
Where was the surprise?
Have mercy on yourself and skip this book
Sorry, I Don't believe this was Jodi's Best

Mercy
Jodi Picoult
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000K0YMTA

Book Description

General FictionLarge Print EditionAn inspired meditation on love. Publishers WeeklyA graceful stylist, Picoult entertains her readers not only with feel-good storytelling and irresistible characters but with consideration of such serious moral dilemmas as euthanasia and forgiveness. Booklist* A Literary Guild SelectionWhat would you do for someone you love? Would you lie? Would you leave? Would you kill? When Jamie MacDonald arrives at the police station with the body of his wife and the confession that he killed her, he is placed under arrest, and a small Massachusetts town grapples with the questions raised by the act. Is it murder to kill a terminally ill person who begs you to do so? Mercy explores this highly charged emotional and ethical issue in a novel that is as haunting as it is beautiful.

Download Description

Police chief of a small Massachusetts town, Cameron McDonald makes the toughest arrest of his life when his own cousin Jamie comes to him and confesses outright that he has killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy.

Now, a heated murder trial plunges the town into upheaval, and drives a wedge into a contented marriage: Cameron, aiding the prosecution in their case against Jamie, is suddenly at odds with his devoted wife, Allie -- seduced by the idea of a man so in love with his wife that he'd grant all her wishes, even her wish to end her life. And when an inexplicable attraction leads to a shocking betrayal, Allie faces the hardest questions of the heart: when does love cross the line of moral obligation? And what does it mean to truly love another?

Praised for her "personal, detail-rich style" (Glamour), Jodi Picoult infuses this page-turning novel with heart, warmth, and startling candor, taking readers on an unforgettable emotional journey.

Customer Reviews:

Not the best.......2007-09-20

This is the third Picoult book I've read and I have to say I was disappointed. The book did have some good parts but overall it lacked substance. I wouldn't read it again and I advise readers to pick another book instead.

Mercy.......2007-09-16

Another Jodi Picoult story with a controversial subject, in this case, euthanasia. The book examines all aspects of the mercy killing of a wife with end stage metastatic cancer by her husband who can't stand to see her suffer anymore. When she asks him to end her life he does in the most gentle way he can think of because he loves her so much. From begining to end it was a page turner.

Where was the surprise?.......2007-09-11

I have read Plain Truth, My Sister's Keeper and am in the process of reading Keeping Faith. I loved the ending of the first two I finished and thought I would be ready for the surprise at the end of this one but it never happened. Definitely not impressed. Interesting story line until the end.

Have mercy on yourself and skip this book.......2007-08-17

Generally, I enjoy reading Picoult's books. Though the topics are often difficult, she writes in such a way that you wonder how you would react in the same situation. However, "Mercy" was an extreme disappointment. By midway, I could not have cared less about what happened to any of the characters. Cam and Mia are arrogant and selfish, Allie is too clueless to be believable and Jamie, the long suffering, tortured soul, is just too much.

I have a hard time believing it was written by the same person who wrote "My Sister's Keeper" and "19 Minutes".

Sorry, I Don't believe this was Jodi's Best .......2007-08-08

I believe this is my fourth book I've read by Jodi Picoult, and she is one of my favorite authors. My Sister's Keeper and Keeping Faith, are probably my favorites while with Mercy I didn't think that it was up to the standards Ms. Picoult normally puts forth in her novels. I'm sorry to say, but it's just my opinion. I was intrigued by the subject of the book, as I have been with all of her subject matter that she has written about. This book was supposed to focus on the question of mercy killing, and the scenario of would you kill someone that was very ill if they asked you to. However, a majority of the book was about Cam MacDonald, adultery, who is the sheriff of Wheelock, Mass.. His affair just seemed to ramble on and on as if the author was trying to justify it, but there was nothing that surface that I could see that really justified his eager romp. By mid point I was bored with the story, but plugged away, believing it was going to get better. The courtroom trial was a bit exciting, but for me the story never kept my interest. I admire Ms. Picoult writing skills, but I wasn't thrilled with Mercy. It's not a terrible book, just not a super read.

A novel that did not disappoint me was Gathering of Cans by Robert L. Saunders. This colorful evocation of Zoie Baker, the heroine in this Women's Fiction has some finely drawn characters. Zoie is a determine woman that feels right down to her bones that she can build a swimming pool by gathering aluminum cans. As she stumbles on unique cans, Mountain Dew, Nehi, etc, the author takes the reader on a glorious journey in the life of this astonishing character. This is a well-written and entertaining story that you don't want to miss. You won't be disappointed. Also, you Mystery lovers, check out his The Monopoly Factor. It's a real page turner that is full of meat. Bye.

Using International Law in Canadian Courts.(Book Review): An article from: McGill Law Journal

Average customer rating:

Using International Law in Canadian Courts.(Book Review): An article from: McGill Law Journal
Jamie Cameron
Manufacturer: McGill Law Journal (Canada)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000829T0W
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from McGill Law Journal, published by McGill Law Journal (Canada) on June 1, 2003. The length of the article is 4169 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Using International Law in Canadian Courts.(Book Review)
Author: Jamie Cameron
Publication: McGill Law Journal (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2003
Publisher: McGill Law Journal (Canada)
Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Page: 347(10)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

• 50 daily-size crosswords by constructors from across the United States

• Medium difficulty, middle-of-the-road style puzzles that appeal to a broad range of solvers

• The perfect complement to our popular Chicago Tribune Sunday Crossword Puzzles series

[PuzzleMeter: Medium for Difficulty; Middle of the Road for Style]

Customer Reviews:

Chicago Tribune Puzzle books.......2007-03-08

Ordered two items. They came separately (and competently) packaged, within a day or two of each other. Everything in good order, delivery was rapid and trouble-free.

Book Description

A proven six-step process for acquiring the style, flair, and credibility needed to make it to the top

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, managers who do not exude an allencompassing self-confidence, style, poise, and energy, in short, "executive presence," are highly unlikely to make it to the corner office. Unfortunately, the vast majority of managers, even the most talented and ambitious ones, are not born with these personal qualities. In this breakthrough book, bestselling author and world-renowned executive development coach D. A. Benton helps readers acquire executive charisma.

In Executive Charisma, Benton outlines a proven six-step approach for learning how to think, act, and relate to others like an executive.

She provides powerful tools for fine-tuning the complete executive charisma skill set, including:

Interpersonal communications
Managing upwards
Confidence building
Business humor
Executive bearing, and more

Drawing upon her experience coaching clients at American Express, Century 21, Merrill Lynch, Nabisco, Viacom, Pepsi, and other top companies worldwide, Benton clearly defines executive charisma and explains why projecting a commanding professional demeanor is so fundamental to corporate success.

Customer Reviews:

Be all that you can be.......2007-08-29

Benton's advice is very much in line with Napolen Hill's and Dale Carnegie's: be friendly and give acceptance to maintain esteem; ask questions and favors; show weakness, be human; slow down, shut up and listen. The author expands on each of these points and more, and provides great overview and examples on every topic. It's a great refresher, and a well-written book.

Stretching Good Material.......2006-12-14

Deborah Benton is a serious student of what makes successful business people successful, and her book 'How to Think Like a CEO" reflects the seriousness and depth of her work there.

This book, on the other hand, is a very long hike for a very small picnic. She has essentially re-worked very familiar ground for her into a book that simply doesn't have enough to say to fill its length.

There are times, for example, when while reading, one realizes that the last paragraph has been nothing but semi-connected quotes from people in the large archive of Ms. Benton's interview files. It doesn't really go together and it doesn't really make any new points.

I would strongly recommend 'How to Think Like a CEO' but I would definitely not recommend this book.

How to Make Friends with Influential People.......2005-04-21

D.A. Benton's Executive Charisma is a basic book on working your way to the corner office via popularity contest. There is a lot of common sense stuff in this novel, so much so that it begs the question "How did my VP, Director, Manager, Supervisor, get his/her job?" Clearly charisma is not a prerequisite to climbing your way up the corporate ladder in 98% of companies today. Maybe this book should be mandatory (prerequisite) reading for managers.

Although I enjoyed this book, I have to say that it is highly superficial, perhaps purposely, and does not address any one area in great detail.

DA Benton outlines the "Sacred Six Steps" to becoming an outstanding leader as:
- Be the first to initiate
- Expect and give acceptance to maintain esteem
- Ask questions and ask favours
- Stand tall, straight, and smile
- Be human, humorous, and hands-on
- Slow down, shut up, and listen

All in all a good basic read for leaders or those aspiring to project their ability. And god knows that we need more people in the workplace who are willing to project their ability????

I long for a book on leadership that details how you become a great leader by being capable, producing measurable results, coming up with great strategic ideas, and making friends with those that you truly like and not just those that have influence over your career.

A Good Read!.......2004-03-01

Remember everything your mother told you. Stand up straight. Pull your shoulders back. Be outgoing. Smile. If you've forgotten these lessons, this is for you. It's not what you know, it's who you know - and what they think and feel about you - that makes all the difference in your career. Be human. Ask for favors. Ask for information. Pitch in. Have a sense of humor. Speak slowly and listen carefully. Author D.A. Benton's presumably deep, probing interviews with 500 executives convinced her that charisma isn't inborn. She believes that everyone can learn to be charismatic. Just follow the six steps that can turn even the most repulsive excuse for a manager into a charming, charismatic executive. So, read this and practice. There's no harm in it, and it might do some good. However, while recommending this basic manual, suspects that the nature of charisma is a bit like the way a jazz musician explained the nature of jazz - if you have to ask what it is, you'll never know.

Exploit Your Charisma, Your Personal Key to the Top.......2004-02-18

If you are an executive, or aspire to be one, read this book. Debra Benton simplifies the mystery of charisma into six practical, proven steps that anyone can immediately apply.

"Executive Charisma" is full of time - tested advice from the top business leaders of our time. It is a fast read, perfectly suited for busy people committed to life-long development.

As a practicing executive, I witness first-hand how top leaders relate to others on a daily basis. Those who know how to access and apply the 'soft' leadership skills are the winners, period. No matter how bright and classicaly educated a leader is, those who rise to the top have mastered the art of charisma.

Read Benton's book and learn how easy it is to turn up the juice on your executive charisma.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books