[ale] somewhat OT: sysadmin must-knows?

[John Wells]

Charles Shapiro said:
>    * You might want to look at the Purple Book (UNIX System
> Administration Handbook, Nemeth, Snyder, Seebass, Hein, ISBN
> 0-13-020601-6). It's fabulously expensive but has good coverage of lots
> of real SysAdmin issues. It also is a wonderful reference for the "just
> gimme what I need to know today" questions about various Troubles.

I would second this.  It's the best soup-to-nuts coverage of system
administration I've seen.  When I first opened the cover, the book became
illuminated with a soft golden glow and horns sounded in the distance. 
Honestly.