Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 21:51:23 -0800 From: Chip <chip@wiegand.org> To: Greg Lehey <grog@lemis.com> Cc: freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: More BSD books (was: What result would *you* like from the merger?) Message-ID: <00032021594201.00342@chip.homenet> References: <Pine.BSF.4.05.10003201944500.1029-100000@acp.swbell.net>
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I would like to see some in-depth trouble-shootng stuff. For example, printing, and specificly lpd problems. I know its supposed to 'just work' but sometimes it 'just don't'. Like, what to do if running lpd as root fails to start the lpdaemon. And examples of real world 'stuff' such as firewall rules for differant situations like allowing nothing in except http and ftp, or allowing nothing in at all. Anyway, I for one have a hard time learning anything from books. I seem to learn only from hands-on experiance with the help of someone showing and explaining to me what's going on. Maybe it's a learning disability, I don't know, but the man pages seem cryptic and almost useless to me most of the time. Sorry for the ranting, I had to get it off my chest, I'm a bit frustrated with lpd right now. ;-( Chip www.wiegand.org PS I hope you all don't get too offended by my aireing of my frustrations. I appologize to you all for it. On Mon, 20 Mar 2000, Jay Nelson wrote: > On Sun, 19 Mar 2000, Greg Lehey wrote: > > >On Wednesday, 15 March 2000 at 10:13:56 +0100, Dag-Erling Smorgrav wrote: > >> Joey Garcia <gummibear@nettaxi.com> writes: > >>> I would like more books on FreeBSD and BSD/OS. > >> > >> <jkh>So write one!</jkh> > > > >OK, OK already. I have a book in the works with the provisional title > >"Advanced BSD System Administration". Note the exact wording of the > >title; it predates the merger. > > > >Any input on what you'd loke to see in the book is welcome. > > Hmm... Perhaps a section on all the sysctl variables and when you > would want to tune them. Perhaps a "Tunable Parameters" section. Under > what conditions, for example, would you want to increase > net.inet.tcp.recvspace? > > Also, maybe a section on kernel config parameters. For example, from > 3.4-STABLE: > > # Options for the VM subsystem > #options PQ_NOOPT # No coloring > options PQ_LARGECACHE # color for 512k/16k cache > #options PQ_HUGECACHE # color for 1024k/16k cache > > isn't exactly intuitive. Most admins make tuning changes under duress > and either don't have the time or knowledge of C to prowl the sources. > I would think that this kind of information would be beneficial and > probably sell a number of books;) It would also have the side benefit > of distinguishing FreeBSD from the other Open Source alternatives. > (The AIX docs _still_ point admins back to the 4.4BSD SMM for file > system details -- not Linux HowTos.) > > A discussion of kernel parameters that are beneficial in emulation > would be helpful, but I think any specific detail would probably date > the book. Maybe a SYSV vs BSD discussion, viz a viz IPC/shared memory, > etc., would be helpful as well as living with FreeBSD in an IPX/token > ring world (also dated) as such things still exist. > > Think in terms of the reasonably competent admin who is new to FreeBSD > and isn't a kernel hacker or C wizard, and, probably, under the gun > to solve a problem. > > Sorry, this is only a wish list of what I need now;) > > -- Jay > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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