Like any other multi-user system, UNIX requires some care and feeding. Essential System Administration tells you how. This book strips away the myth and confusion surrounding this important topic and provides a compact, manageable introduction to the tasks faced by anyone responsible for a UNIX system. We have organized it so that you can find what you need to know easily, without wading through pages of extraneous information.

If you use a stand-alone UNIX system, whether it's a PC or a workstation, you know how much you need this book: on these systems the fine line between a user and an administrator has vanished. Either you're both or you're in trouble. If you routinely provide administrative support for a larger shared system or a network of workstations, you will find this book indispensable. Even if you aren't directly responsible for system administration, you will find that understanding basic administrative functions greatly increases your ability to use UNIX effectively.

Topics covered include:

• Starting your system and shutting it down.
• Organizing and planning filesystems.
• Adding new users.
• Planning and performing backups.
• Restoring lost files from a backup tape.
• Setting up mail service.
• Setting up a printer and the spooling system.
• Setting up the accounting system.
• Managing UNIX processes.
• Adding new terminals and disk drives.

Covers all of the major versions of UNIX, including SunOS, XENIX, System V.3 and V.4, and AIX.