Book recommendations?

[khedger]

Hi all,
I've been using Linux/Unix/MacOs for several years. I want to start really buttoning down and learning the lower level stuff that I don't really understand....things that I solve by typically doing some google searching, finding a rote solution, and applying it. This usually solves the problem, but I haven't really understood what I've done.
Particular areas I can think of are thinks like understanding and manipulating the boot loader and boot process, loading modules into memory, system architecture, and the like.
For instance, I recently bought a laptop with linux already loaded, but I didn't know the root password. I found some info online about getting into the boot sequence and adding some code to one of the statements, causing the computer to boot up to a root command line. From there a few commands and I was able to reset the root password. I'd like to get to the point where I had the expertise to work out these kinds of solutions instead of having to ask someone.
So, I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good book or two that will present this information in a useful way.

Thanks in advance,

keith

 

[Condobloke]

G'day Keith, and Welcome to linux.org

That could have been me writing the above.......the mindset was so familiar.

I will follow this with interest.

Brian

 

[JasKinasis]

I recommend How Linux Works - What every superuser should know - 2nd edition by Brian Ward (no starch press)

This is a great book which explains a lot about the internals of a GNU/Linux based operating system. It's pretty comprehensive and fairly in-depth.

It starts off with an overview of linux, some basic terminal commands, explains devices and file-systems, how the linux kernel boots, how the userspace is loaded via init (covering sysvinit, upstart and systemd etc), system configuration, logging, user management, processes and resource-management, networking and network configuration, network applications and services, shell scripting, copying/sharing files across a network using rsync and Samba, NFS clients and servers, the user environment (environment variables/shell startup files e.g. .bashrc), the Linux desktop, CUPS, development tools, compiling software from source, web-servers, databases, virtualisation, distributed/on-demand computing, embedded systems.

 

[khedger]

I recommend How Linux Works - What every superuser should know - 2nd edition by Brian Ward (no starch press)

This is a great book which explains a lot about the internals of a GNU/Linux based operating system. It's pretty comprehensive and fairly in-depth.

It starts off with an overview of linux, some basic terminal commands, explains devices and file-systems, how the linux kernel boots, how the userspace is loaded via init (covering sysvinit, upstart and systemd etc), system configuration, logging, user management, processes and resource-management, networking and network configuration, network applications and services, shell scripting, copying/sharing files across a network using rsync and Samba, NFS clients and servers, the user environment (environment variables/shell startup files e.g. .bashrc), the Linux desktop, CUPS, development tools, compiling software from source, web-servers, databases, virtualisation, distributed/on-demand computing, embedded systems.

Thanks for the recommendation. That looks like a great place to start...

 

[Deleted member 58530]

Hey khedger,

Welcome to Linux.org forums.

I've gained most of my Linux learning and how to skills from using and searching the many different forums.

I've found that many Linux users experience the problems I have or the problems I've created which is the usual case.

I'm old school learn by using and doing and when it breaks or I break it than jump into down and dirty hands on solution.


My 0.02 cents.