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发信人: jjksam (while(1){printf("love u!hahahaha\n");}), 信区: Linux
标 题: Review of the FreeBSD Handbook
发信站: 荔园晨风BBS站 (Sun Nov 4 21:21:19 2001), 转信
from
http://www.bsdtoday.com/2000/August/Features268.html
Review of The FreeBSD Handbook
Reviewed by Ralph Krause
The FreeBSD Handbook is published by BSDi and edited by Jim Mock. The book
bills itself as "a comprehensive FreeBSD tutorial and reference" covering
the installation and day-to-day use of FreeBSD. In using the book to install
FreeBSD on one of my machines, I found it to fall short of this billing.
The FreeBSD Handbook is a print version of the material available on the
FreeBSD website (http://www.freebsd.org). The book is 489 pages long and
divided into five sections: Getting Started, System Administration, Network
Communications, Advanced Topics, and Appendices.
The first section of the book consists of chapters one through four and
introduces you to FreeBSD. Chapter one contains an introduction to FreeBSD's
capabilities and information on the FreeBSD project's history, goals and
development model.
Chapter two covers the installation of FreeBSD 4.0 but it is only 19 pages
long! It provides brief information on creating boot floppies and preparing
the machine for installs from MS-DOS, QIC/SCSI Tape, and over a network. There
is a short list of supported hardware and two pages of troubleshooting
information. Unfortunately, the chapter doesn't guide you through the
installation process or talk about things such as disk partitioning.
The third chapter presents Unix basics but it is only six pages long. It
contains a brief discussion of permissions and directory structures, shells
and shell variables, text editors and man pages. It doesn't discuss any
commands such as ls, pwd or chmod or features such as pipes or redirection.
Chapter four covers the Ports collection which is used to add software to your
FreeBSD system. It contains clear instructions for installing and removing
ports and a good troubleshooting section. The chapter also explains how to
create your own ports for FreeBSD.
The next section of the book covers System Administration which includes
user management, security, printing and localization. The first three chapters
of this section cover the FreeBSD booting process, user and account
management and kernel configuration, respectively. The information presented
in these chapters is pretty straightforward and complete, including the
steps for compiling and using a new kernel.
Chapter eight covers security issues, including how to secure FreeBSD, using
secure access mechanisms, firewalling and IPsec. Some of the information
presented is hard to use because of the lack of examples. For instance, even
though SSH is mentioned quite a bit, there are no directions for installing
it. Also, the text states that unnecessary servers shouldn't be run but it
doesn't explain how to determine which servers are running or how to shut them
down. I configured my kernel for firewalling following the directions in this
chapter but I couldn't do anything over the network at first. The default
firewall setup denies all IP packets so I had to add a rule accepting them
before the examples in the book would work.
Printing is the subject of chapter nine. It starts with an introduction of the
LPD system, explains how to connect a printer to your system, and then it
gives a directions for modifying the /etc/printcap file so you can access your
printer. Next, it talks about printer filters and shows some example filters.
PostScript printing, GhostScript, network printing, and printer accounting
are also covered in this chapter.
The next two chapters talk about hard disks and making backups. Chapter ten
briefly explains disk naming, partitioning, filesystem mounting, virtual
disks, and disk quotas. Chapter eleven talks about creating backups of your
system but mostly talks about tape media. Newer media such as CD-RW and Zip
drives are not covered. The dump, restore, tar, Cpio, pax, and Amanda programs
are explained, but only in the context of backing up to tape.
Chapter twelve contains a fairly complete explanation of installing XFree86.
It begins with obtaining the necessary .tgz files and leads you through the
use of xf86config to configure XFree86 and SuperProbe to determine what type
of graphics card is in the machine. Unfortunately, the chapter doesn't provide
any information on customizing your setup or window managers or offer any
troubleshooting advice.
Chapter thirteen covers localization, which is the ability to configure
FreeBSD for different languages and countries. The chapter is fairly short but
does contain instructions for localizing FreeBSD to specific languages such
as Russian, Chinese, and German.
The next four chapters comprise the Network Communications section of the
book. Chapter fourteen covers terminals and providing dialin and dialout
services. The next chapter covers PPP and SLIP connections but the majority of
the chapter seems to be devoted to creating a PPP server. Chapter sixteen
talks about gateways, routes, NFS, ISDN, NIS/YP, and DHCP but provides few
examples. Electronic mail is the subject of the seven pages of chapter
seventeen and isn't discussed in much detail.
Chapters eighteen and nineteen make up the Advanced Topics section of the
book. Chapter eighteen explains the differences between the -CURRENT and
-STABLE branches of the FreeBSD source code and explains how to get and use
the code for each branch. Chapter nineteen covers FreeBSD's Linux binary
compatibility layer. If you didn't enable this during installation, you can
follow the instructions in this chapter to install it. The chapter also
contains discusses loading Linux shared libraries, using ELF binaries,
installing Mathmatica, and ends with a brief explanation of how Linux binary
compatibility works.
The FreeBSD Handbook contains three appendices. Appendix A documents the
various guidelines and policies in force for the FreeBSD source tree. Appendix
B lists the contributors to the book and appendix C is a bibliography of
information available for Unix and FreeBSD including magazines, users' guides,
administrators' guides, etc.
Since I bought the book based on its claim that it was a comprehensive FreeBSD
tutorial and reference, I was disappointed with it. It doesn't walk a new
user through the installation process and the chapters contain an uneven mix
of simple and advanced information. The book covers few commands and
contains few concrete examples. I also had trouble determining if it was
targeted towards new FreeBSD users or administrators already familiar with
Unix.
I couldn't get several things to work following the book's directions. I
downloaded and installed the kerberos krb5-1.2.1 package but I didn't have the
kdb_init or kstash mentioned in chapter eight. I tried to turn on printer
accounting but no accounting files were created. Since the book matches the
printcap man pages, I'm sure the trouble lies elsewhere. When I tried to
dial out using PPP, my machine locked up and the PPPD documentation didn't
cover using PAP authentication which I need to connect to my ISP.
On the positive side, the book does contain a FreeBSD CDROM, and the
chapters on printing, installing XFree86, and the Ports collection are useful.
Instead of buying the book, though, I would recommend buying a FreeBSD
CDROM and then using the online version of the book.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
comments:
Ame - bsvbraju
Not free - Jeremy C. Reed
FreeBSD handbook - Ismail YENIGUL
need better installation instructions - Anthony Panos
HandBook vs Complete FreeBSD - Paul Boehmer
FreeBSD Handbook - Dave Uhring
re: FreeBSD Handbook - Jeremy C. Reed
Good reference book - Jorge Barreda
Practical Examples - Dan Langille
The Handbook is not a "normal" book - Johann Visagie
Installation documentation - Ben
Complete FreeBSD Applicability to 4.x? - Richard
my $0.02 - Jim Mock
Review Clarifications - Ralph Krause
The Complete FreeBSD - Mike Wilson
Ame
bsvbraju - August 28, 2000 11:14:35
I glad to know about the free hand book, it is quite interesting and very
useful to me, i would like to thank each and every persone who were behind
this wonderful frame work. I am so interested to take my own copy as quick
as posible to the following address. So send as quick as possible, bye for
now.
vizagfriend@yahoo.com
Not free
Jeremy C. Reed - August 28, 2000 11:33:15
The handbook is free in its online form. Visit the "More Info" links above.
The hardcopy version costs money.
FreeBSD handbook
Ismail YENIGUL - August 29, 2000 07:31:23
FreeBSD Handbook is very useful ,but i think FreeBSD documents is less than
Linux documents at Internet thanks
need better installation instructions
Anthony Panos - August 30, 2000 06:35:57
I agree with the reviewer's comments about this book. I found it very wide
ranging, but kind of superficial in the critical area of how to install a
FreeBSD system. There is a huge number of people out there who are
disenchanted with Microsoft's products, and who are interested in trying BSD
(or Linux). We really need a straightforward description of how to install BSD
onto a system with a few variations. For instance, onto Intel systems
(obviously), but also some of the other ports (such as PPC, and Alpha). And,
with a few typical configurations. For example, on a dual boot machine (for
the large number of people who must keep Windows on their machine at work),
BSD as the only operating system, and say BSD on a second hard drive (such
as the Linux-on-a-Disk people have for Linux).
If the BSD project(s) could come up with clear installation instructions I
think that BSD will really take off.
HandBook vs Complete FreeBSD
Paul Boehmer - August 31, 2000 09:30:25
I dont think the authors intention was to have a newbies guide to FreeBSD. The
Complete FreeBSD book is the book to read if the user is new to FreeBSD. I
conside the FreeBSD handbook strictly a reference guide.
FreeBSD Handbook
Dave Uhring - August 31, 2000 21:42:13
When I first installed FreeBSD-3.3 about 10 months ago, the Handbook wasn't
available, but I got FreeBSD installed on the first try. At that time I had
experience only with Win98 and Linux and only a couple of months of that,
not counting my experience with Altair DOS, CP/M and MS-DOS. The install
procedure is so well done that even a complete newbie such as I could get a
system up and running. Had the author availed himself of the auto option in
the disklabel section of the install, the installer would have set up his disk
slices in a usable form.
WRT UNIX basics, perhaps the author should have availed himself of such
resources on the internet such as USAIL if he has a problem with basic CLI. If
he can't handle the CLI at all, perhaps he should go back to Windows.
The handbook does not tell you how to install SSH because it is installed by
default in 4.0-RELEASE and up if you choose to install crypto. Perhaps the
author does not realize that SSH and crypto are related.
WRT XFree86 install, FreeBSD does a better job than almost any other system
I have put up. Of course, you still have to know your monitor's limits and
what kind of display adapter you are using. Once you have the display
configured, the installer gives you the option of configuring your desktop.
And it does the job well. You have the choice of KDE, GNOME, WindowMaker,
FVWM, etc. Naturally, if you can't read the screen, you won't find these
options.
I don't have any experience with PPP with FreeBSD except using KDE's kppp
utility. My internet connection is through a cable modem. However, friends who
have used PPP under FreeBSD have been extremely pleased with the fact that
NAT is built into the userland PPP, and that PPP is quite easy to configure
- if you even know how to do so in any UNIX-like OS.
All in all, this review is by someone who IMHO should stick to Windows. He
clearly can't read and understand the screens in the installer, expects a
handbook for a specific version of UNIX to provide him with basic
information he should already have or be willing to find, and is too lazy to
even look for ssh and sshd in the file system.
re: FreeBSD Handbook
Jeremy C. Reed - September 01, 2000 00:13:41
This is a BOOK review -- not a install or usage review. You say the author
"clearly can't read" -- did you read the article? The author never says he
is a newbie; he never says that he can't figure out things on his own; he says
"I couldn't get several things to work following the book's directions."
The author had no reason to use the "auto option in the disklabel section of
the install", search the internet for basic Unix and command line interface
information, assume "SSH and crypto are related", "read the screen" for
desktop configuration or "look for ssh and sshd" -- the author was reviewing a
book.
I have not read the entire 489-page book. But I'd like to hear comments of
those who have. Is it a "comprehensive" tutorial and reference -- or does it
fall short?
On a side note: Someone who does not know Unix should not "stick to Windows".
My mother and sister unknowingly use XFree86, fvwm95 or blackbox, exim,
ghostscript and lpd to accomplish their everyday computer tasks with tik
(AIM), nedit and netscape. They are happy that they don't use Windows -- and
they are often amazed when I remotely administer their machine :)
Good reference book
Jorge Barreda - September 01, 2000 09:05:57
I consider the FreeBSD Handbook to be a very good reference companion. It
has answered our questions during our network lab setups. Please write more
FreeBSD books - we are all patiently awaiting.
Practical Examples
Dan Langille - September 04, 2000 22:44:26
Yes, I'm bragging about my own site. It is very difficult to get practical
examples for everyday things. That's where sites such as The FreeBSD Diary
fill the gap (disclosure: it's my site).
It is very difficult to write instructions in a detailed enough level for
anyone to follow (I'm not claiming I do that), It's also difficult to write
about things you haven't done. In order to write instructions for everyone
conceivable combination of hardware, it would fill volumes.
Needless to say, therr are many people who feel the book is a valuable
contribution. I have one in my library.
The Handbook is not a "normal" book
Johann Visagie - September 05, 2000 02:18:42
It should be pointed out that the FreeBSD Handbook is authored in a slightly
different fashion from a "normal" print book, or even from your
run-of-the-mill online book. The Handbook exists as part of the "doc" CVS tree
of the FreeBSD project, and is therefore communally maintained much as is the
source code that makes up the operating system itself. In a sense, it is part
of the operating system -- my local copy of the Handbook is updated every
night (same as my source tree) and built in HTML format. Should I require
(say) a PDF version of it, I merely issue the relevant "make" command in
/usr/doc.
While it is true that much of the handbook has probably been written by a
relatively small number of individuals, any FreeBSD user is free to submit
changes or additions to the Handbook via the normal problem-reporting
mechanisms to the project's GNATS database. In a sense, the Handbook is a
perpetual work-in-progress - always has been; always will be.
Though I generally dislike the attitude of some open source authors when
they snobbishly tell users who request new features that "the code is free;
add it yourself", I do feel that time spent complaining about the Handbook may
be better spent contributing to it! :-) Or maybe the error lies in the fact
that it is not advertised widely enough that contributing to FreeBSD
(whether it's the Handbook or any other part of the project) is really very
easy indeed!
Co-ordination of FreeBSD documentation takes place on the FreeBSD-doc
mailing list - take a peek in there and see what's needed.
Installation documentation
Ben - September 05, 2000 15:57:25
For better installation instructions, see Greg Lehey's book _The Complete
FreeBSD_. This book is not free, but I found it very helpful on my first
install, and I don't regret paying for it.
-- Ben
Complete FreeBSD Applicability to 4.x?
Richard - September 05, 2000 16:35:42
Hello,
I see the reviewer mentioned applicability to the 4.x release. Does Greg
Lehey's "Complete FreeBSD" apply to the 4.x release, even though it is at
least one year old?
Thank you,
Richard
my $0.02
Jim Mock - September 07, 2000 13:35:40
First off, I'd like to thank everyone for their comments (good or bad). They
will be useful when we do the next edition. I'd also like to mention/clarify a
few things.
1) I (and just about everyone else who's read it) knows it needs work. The
timeframe on getting it to the printers wasn't that long, and it was
somewhat of a rush job in the end. For example, the typos that made it into
print are horrendous (they've since been fixed).
2) It is a collaborative effort. What you see in printed form was basically
a snapshot taken from the doc tree in April. That's what the online docs
looked like at that time, and it has changed greatly since then.
3) It is not meant to be a newbies guide to FreeBSD. That's what the
Complete FreeBSD is for, and it handles that role extremely well. It is
meant to be a printed copy of the online documentation to be used as a
reference guide, just as the online version would be, and just as the cover
says.
4) Since it is an open source project, there is absolutely *nothing*
stopping any one of you from contributing to it. I practically had to beg to
get people to contribute any sort of time or effort to it. There seems to be a
pile of ``armchair generals'' out there who want things done their way, but
have no interest in actually doing anything other than complaining about
things. (This is not a stab at anyone here, and especially not the reviewer --
it is meant in general at people waving flags in the community, who, when
asked for help or feedback, happen to fall off the face of the planet).
I'd also like to make a few comments directly about the review.
1) The reviewer mentions that the installation chapter is only 19 pages long.
So? If you follow the instructions there, you *will* have an installed and
usable system. It doesn't matter if it's 19 pages or 190 pages as long as it
does what it's meant to do. If you find it lacking somewhere, your
contributions are welcome.
2) SSH installation is not covered because it is part of the base system in
4.X, which is what the handbook is meant to cover.
3) Zip drives are (or were, last I looked) covered in the FAQ. I agree this
should probably be moved to the handbook.
4) The book is billed as a reference guide because that's what it is
supposed to be (it tells you that right on the cover). If you want a book that
will hold your hand through everything, then you want the Complete FreeBSD.
5) As for PPP, try the pppd(8) man page, or use the more up-to-date user PPP.
Or when you figure out pppd, feel free to rewrite that part of the handbook
:-)
All in all, I agree with what most of the reviewer says -- it *does* indeed
need a lot of work before I'm happy with it. However, I can't do it myself. It
is a community project, and unless people from the community get more
involved, it's never going to get any better. If you are interested in helping
with the handbook, or any of the other FreeBSD documentation, please
subscribe to the Doc. Project mailing list. Instructions for doing so can be
found at www.FreeBSD.org.
Review Clarifications
Ralph Krause - September 07, 2000 06:22:39
Judging from some of the Talkbacks, I just wanted to clarify some aspects of
my review of The FreeBSD Handbook. First, it wasn't meant to be critical of
FreeBSD.
Second, it wasn't meant to belittle the effort made by the authors. I
realize the book is a work-in-progress and is a completely volunteer effort.
The review was written to be useful to someone that has little or no Unix or
Linux experience who might be thinking about buying this book to install and
learn how to use FreeBSD. As has been pointed out, The Complete FreeBSD book
is a better choice for this.
I wrote the review by going through each chapter, looking for files mentioned,
entering scripts provided, and following the directions presented. I tried to
mention things that didn't appear to work as stated in the book and I did
mention the chapters that I found useful and the things that did work.
I could see The FreeBSD Handbook evolving to be the source of 'advanced'
FreeBSD knowledge, talking about security, setting up dialin servers, etc.
Then it would be a companion to Greg Lehey's book and not compete against it.
Thanks for your comments.
The Complete FreeBSD
Mike Wilson - November 11, 2000 06:14:28
I'm glad I read this feature since it has the link to the handbook. I have
version 4.1.1 installed now. Before I built my new computer, I had to settle
for 3.5 and its IDE drivers vs the ata drivers on 4.x. The Complete FreeBSD
got me through compiling my kernel for the first time. It is out of date on
the subject of kernel entries for sound cards and I spent a good amount of
time searching for what turned out to be a simple one-liner in the kernel. The
coverage of printers is pretty thin too unless you have a laserjet printer.
The CDs are probably great for people with telephone connections but for a
cable modem user an FTP installation is just as easy and more current. All
in all, I found the book to be useful in getting started with FreeBSD. I use
Visual Quickstart Guide - Unix by Ray and Ray as a hot reference to Unix .
--
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※ 修改:·jjksam 於 Nov 4 21:22:19 修改本文·[FROM: 192.168.0.146]
※ 来源:·荔园晨风BBS站 bbs.szu.edu.cn·[FROM: 192.168.0.146]
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