I was so impressed with the book as a whole that this section is short. What I can say is this: those looking for a quick read may find themselves in for disappointment. There is quite a bit of information not directly related to FreeBSD. Admittedly, most of this will enrich your FreeBSD experience, but Perl programming, for example, is not a prerequisite for effective BSD use. If you want to put FreeBSD on your servers, you won't need to know about configuring X-Windows or possibly working with applications. Those who want to use FreeBSD as a desktop OS only will find about half the book completely unnecessary. Of course, it is a book, and that means you can always skip what you don't want to read.
One other thing that I could complain about is that the book is truly aimed at those new to or inexperienced with FreeBSD. If you are already a FreeBSD administrator, it is possible that most of what is covered in FreeBSD Unleashed is already in your arsenal. Many purchasing this book won't need an explanation of the DHCP or FTP protocols. They might want a book that discusses kernel optimization in more detail or possibly a more low-level, advanced troubleshooting guide.
As a first edition, there are some typos, some duplicate type, and a few other minor oversights, but they don't detract from the book as a whole. It's safe to say that my complaints with this book are far outweighed by the positives.
Conclusion
FreeBSD Unleashed is an excellent introduction to the FreeBSD operating system. In depth coverage of server set-up, system configuration, and customization make for a complete experience. Some 34 chapters discuss all aspects of FreeBSD, from the boot process to system shutdown, from the kernel to the applications, from the LAN to the Internet. One of the largest attractions to this book is how thorough the authors were in their explanation of each possible use of the system. I'm an impatient reader, but it was still refreshing to see these concepts explained before they were discussed. Like The BeOS Bible by Scot Hacker, this is intended to be not only a resource, but a complete guide to an operating system.
I still maintain that FreeBSD is really a version or two away from being directly competitive as a desktop operating system. Sure, many people argue that point, some vehemently. What I can concede is that books like FreeBSD Unleashed do a lot to successfully bring the system into the hands of curious experimenters, and therefore do the open source community a great service. It also makes basic system maintenance a breeze.
If you are already an experienced FreeBSD user --and I am not-- I can't promise you that this book will not feel padded and elemental, if not overly basic. But for most, even experienced Linux, Solaris or IRIX users, there is a lot of quality information that makes for more than just an introduction to FreeBSD. I'd suggest that most FreeBSD users will still learn a lot of it. Few computer books are good enough to be called essential, but if you are determined to learn to use FreeBSD, that just may be what 'FreeBSD Unleashed' is.
About the Author
Adam Scheinberg is a Systems Administrator for the US Naval Sea Systems Command. He uses Windows XP, Red Hat Linux 7.2, and the BeOS at home, and Windows NT/2000 and Novell NetWare 5.1 at work. Adam can be reached on sethadam1@hotmail.com
A Second Opinion - by Eugenia Loli-Queru
I also own a copy of the book, and I admit that it is an excellent introduction to FreeBSD and a valuable companion. It is a great choice if you are thinking of switching to FreeBSD from either Windows or Linux. The book even gives some points as to what is different between Linux and FreeBSD, so it can help you on a migration. I agree with Adam, I would have prefer the author to talk more extensively on how to configure NATd, Sound and clusters or other distributed utilities instead of spending a substanstial amount of pages on how to use Gnome or X. Still, the book is highly recommended and it is like a Bible of FreeBSD usage and administration.
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Buy "FreeBSD Unleashed" at Amazon.com for less |
- "Overview, What is Good"
- "What is Not So Good, Conclusion, Second Opinion"
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