I have been a network administrator for 7 years but I know nothing about Linux. I installed Linux on my computer at home once about 2 years ago, booted it up, looked at the screen and thought, "Wow this is great, I will have to learn something about this some day". Well that day never came until now.

I have been put in charge of writing scripts and day-to-day network operations on 20 Linux terminals. You know that feeling you got right before your first kiss? Well that times 10 would equal the anxiety that I have right now.

Could someone please recommend a book that would give me both scripting techniques and administration help? I am looking for something that is fairly simplistic in nature but will help me understand the scripts that have already been written and as far as the network ops go I think I can handle that if the book just gives commands and a basic explanation of what they do.

Thank you in advance for the help.

Here's some nice free online guides for bash scripts:

http://www-106.ibm.com/developerwork...ash+by+example

http://docs.mandragor.org/files/Prog..._en/index.html

For general books I like Linux Administration Handbook, by Nemeth, Snyder and Hein, pulished by Prentice Hall($50). There's also a free one called Linux Administrators Guide which you can view, download here:

http://www.taylexson.org/sag//