Though published in 2022, this is a wonderful book for those looking to learn and work with Ubuntu server distributions right through the present Ubuntu Server 26.04 LTS version as of the date of this post.
This book can also benefit Microsoft Windows engineers and administrators in the following ways: expands job opportunities (cloud, DevOps); enables work with cloud VMs, containers, and IaC tools; reduces licensing costs and adds deployment flexibility; improves Windows–Linux integration and hybrid troubleshooting; Strengthens automation, scripting, and command‑line skills; and enhances security, performance tuning, and collaboration with dev teams.
Mastering Ubuntu Server by Jay Lacroix offers practical, hands-on guidance: step-by-step tutorials for installation, configuration, and administration; Comprehensive coverage: core services (SSH, networking, storage, users/groups), server roles (web, DNS, mail, database), and containerization; Modern tooling & cloud focus: coverage of cloud-init, snaps, systemd, LXD/LXC, and common cloud deployment patterns; Security and hardening: best practices for firewalling, user permissions, updates, and backup strategies; Troubleshooting and maintenance: diagnostic techniques, logs, and routine maintenance workflows; Targeted for admins: suitable for new and intermediate sysadmins seeking job-ready skills and real-world examples, etc.
Ubuntu Server is a Linux distribution focused on servers and cloud deployments. It provides a secure, stable, and regularly updated platform with long-term support (LTS) releases, package management via APT, and support for common server roles (web, database, file, DNS, container and virtual machine hosting). It includes cloud-init for cloud instance initialization, snaps for packaging, and broad hardware and cloud-provider compatibility.
Common hardware manufacturers organizations prefer for running Ubuntu Server include Dell EMC (PowerEdge), HPE (ProLiant and Apollo), Lenovo (ThinkSystem), Cisco (UCS servers), Supermicro, Fujitsu (PRIMERGY), Intel (reference platforms / server boards), and Oracle (SPARC and x86 servers for enterprise deployments).
Jay LaCroix is a Linux systems author, trainer, and DevOps educator known for practical books and tutorials about Ubuntu and server administration. He writes guides, runs workshops, and produces hands‑on content for sysadmins and DevOps engineers.
Reader’s note: Other valuable books that aid with Ubuntu Server include “The Official Ubuntu Server Book” by Kyle Rankin & Benjamin Hill (authoritative, broad server topics) and the “Ubuntu Linux Bible” by David Clinton (broad, practical sysadmin coverage; useful reference).
However, it is suggested to start with “Mastering Ubuntu Server” by Jay LaCroix for hands‑on server administration and then supplement with the other two afterwards for deeper reference.
Official Ubuntu 26.04 release notes: https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS summary (Ubuntu documentation): https://documentation.ubuntu.com/release-notes/26.04/summary-for-lts-users/
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