From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Dec 14 15:22:45 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 10AC616A419 for ; Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:22:45 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bds@waywood.co.uk) Received: from lon-mail-1.gradwell.net (lon-mail-1.gradwell.net [193.111.201.125]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 73FF613C4E1 for ; Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:22:44 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bds@waywood.co.uk) Received: from 85-211-77-202.dyn.gotadsl.co.uk ([85.211.77.202] helo=[192.168.1.6] country=GB ident=bds$pop3&waywood&co^uk) by lon-mail-1.gradwell.net with esmtpa (Gradwell gwh-smtpd 1.271) id 47629fb4.105bc.9fa; Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:22:28 +0000 (envelope-sender ) Message-ID: <47629FA9.9020609@waywood.co.uk> Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:22:17 +0000 From: Barnaby Scott User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.9 (Windows/20071031) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: cpghost References: <20071214115752.20d34fae@epia-2.farid-hajji.net> In-Reply-To: <20071214115752.20d34fae@epia-2.farid-hajji.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: FreeBSD Mailing List , Ted Mittelstaedt Subject: Re: Absolute FreeBSD X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:22:45 -0000 cpghost wrote: > On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:48:19 -0800 > "Ted Mittelstaedt" wrote: > >>> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Joshua Isom >>> Although I haven't looked much into any FreeBSD book, I wouldn't be >>> surprised at all if FreeBSD's documentation combined with >>> freebsd-questions would outweigh it. >> It's not the raw knowledge that is the power. It's the presentation. >> Newbies cannot digest the FreeBSD docs since the docs assume the >> user isn't a newbie. > > Right! One can't emphasize this enough. > > IMHO, computer books should be time savers, i.e. a guide highlighting > the most important aspects of some topic in a unique way. Authors of > such books shouldn't be afraid to tell readers to go RTFM after > presenting an overview... unless it's a very narrowly focused book. > > A good tutorial beats a 350 pages book anytime; and a 350 pages > book with the right mix of selected topics beats an 800+ pages > "reference-style" all-rounder book as well, most of the time. > > -cpghost. > I wasn't going to reply to this thread because I cannot answer the specific question - i.e. is this book worth it for someone who has read the first one - because I haven't read the first one. However, since no-one who has read the new one seems to have given an opinion of the book, I can at least do that. I have just finished it and I would say it does exactly what what Ted and cpghost suggests it should - there are plenty of sections where the author introduces what can be done with a particular tool or part of the OS, and suggests to the reader to investigate further options in the approriate manuals. It also quite openly acknowledges that there is plenty that is not covered at all. As someone with very limited experience (I'm not sure if I still classify as a *complete* newbie) I found the book an excellent and even entertaining read, which serves it purpose extremely well: to give an overview and introduction, but with enough detail in relevant places to be able to get real, useful stuff done. The detail is important because it provides enough 'immersion' in actual configurations, commands, protocols etc to begin to see patterns emerging, and to start to develop an instinct for how something you haven't seen yet is likely to hang together. However the overview aspect is also vital - I have always found it much easier to unearth detailed how-tos than to know which direction to go in in the first place! I would say he had the balance just about right. It is aimed pretty squarely at budding sysadmins, not desktop users (X is hardly even mentioned), but managed to be far from stodgy. As for the version covered, there are a few bits that explicitly mention version 7, but everything else seemed totally relevant to me on 6.2. Barnaby Scott