Best Linux & UNIX Administration Books of 2025

The "Learn PowerShell in a Month of Lunches, Fourth Edition" is a comprehensive guide for busy IT professionals to learn PowerShell at their own pace. With 25 tutorials, readers can easily complete each chapter in under an hour. The book covers core language features and admin tasks, including managing cloud services and extending PowerShell with commands. The latest edition includes PowerShell's multi-platform expansion into Linux and macOS. The book is a must-read for those who want to automate their repetitive tasks and manage their systems using PowerShell.

The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction is an excellent guide for beginners who want to learn the Linux command line. The author, William Shotts, takes the reader step-by-step from basic terminal commands to writing shell scripts. The book not only covers practical knowledge, but also explains the philosophy behind these tools and their rich heritage. The short, easily-digestible chapters make it easy to learn and apply the concepts. Overall, this is a highly effective and useful guide for those looking to master the Linux command line.

The Linux Bible, 10th Edition, is an essential guide for anyone seeking to master Linux. Written by a Red Hat expert, it provides step-by-step instructions to demystify Linux and bring its new features seamlessly into your workflow. The book covers the latest versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, and Ubuntu, and includes information on cloud computing, containerization, Ansible automation, and Kubernetes and OpenShift. The guide assumes a base of little or no Linux knowledge and takes you through what you need to know to get the job done. Overall, this is an excellent resource that provides hands-on training to get you on track in a flash.

Site Reliability Engineering: How Google Runs Production Systems is a collection of essays and articles written by key members of Google’s Site Reliability Team. The book explains how Google's commitment to the entire lifecycle has enabled the company to build, deploy, monitor, and maintain some of the largest software systems in the world. The book is divided into four sections, covering the introduction, principles, practices, and management of site reliability engineering. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning about site reliability engineering and its practical applications.

This book, "Learning eBPF: Programming the Linux Kernel for Enhanced Observability, Networking, and Security," is a comprehensive guide to eBPF technology that allows you to write custom code to dynamically modify kernel behavior. The book is ideal for developers, system administrators, operators, and students who want to learn how to write eBPF programs and use them to build a new generation of security, observability, and networking tools. Author Liz Rice, chief open source officer at Isovalent, provides a solid foundation for exploring eBPF programming. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to take their Linux networking and system administration skills to the next level.

The third edition of "How Linux Works" by Brian Ward is a must-read for anyone who wants to master the Linux operating system. Ward peels back the layers of the system in a comprehensive yet accessible way, covering topics such as boot loaders, networking, and the kernel. The updated edition includes new chapters on LVM, virtualization, and containers, making it even more relevant in today's tech landscape. The book serves as both an introduction to Linux and a handy reference guide, allowing readers to skip to the sections they need. Overall, "How Linux Works" is an excellent resource for both beginners and experienced users.

The CompTIA Linux+ Study Guide: Exam XK0-005 is a concise and practical blueprint to success on the CompTIA Linux+ exam and in your first role as a Linux network or system administrator. The book covers every competency tested on the Linux+ exam, providing hands-on Linux advice, test-taking tips, and tactics that decrease exam anxiety. It also includes access to the Sybex learning environment, complete with online test banks, bonus practice exams, electronic flashcards, and a searchable glossary. This guide is perfect for network and system admins seeking a valuable credential for working with Linux servers and computers, and for those looking to start down an exciting new path in tech.

The CompTIA Linux+ Certification Kit: Exam XK0-005 is a comprehensive guide for those aspiring to be Linux administrators. The fifth edition of the study guide covers all the new exam objectives and provides practical examples and insights from real-world experiences. The third edition of the practice test book includes hundreds of domain-by-domain practice questions, bonus practice exams, electronic flashcards, and a searchable PDF of key terms. The kit is an excellent resource for those who want to prepare for the NEW CompTIA Linux+ exam.

LFM: Linux Field Manual is a comprehensive pocket guide for IT admins and professionals. It includes descriptions and command references for various aspects of Linux such as POST, MBR and Bootloaders, Kernel and Modules, Daemons and Processes, Common Admin Commands, Scripting (BASH, Python, Perl), Filesystem Architecture, Remote Access (SSH, Samba, FTP), Common Web Servers, and Common Databases (MySQL, MS SQL, PostgreSQL). This book is a must-have for anyone who wants to improve their Linux skills and knowledge. The concise and easy-to-follow format is perfect for quick reference and on-the-go learning.

Ansible for DevOps is an excellent guide for those who want to master server and configuration management. This book is perfect for beginners with some experience in shell scripting and command line. It covers everything from installation to creating playbooks to manage thousands of servers. The author, Jeff Geerling, has done an excellent job of breaking down complex concepts into easy-to-understand language. What sets this book apart is the author's focus on simplicity and practicality. Overall, Ansible for DevOps is a must-read for anyone interested in mastering Ansible and server automation.