Books We Want

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Revision as of 22:55, 7 October 2005 by KevinTurner (talk | contribs) (change my recommendations to include some Shell)
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This is a page to log community desires about books we'd like to get for our ever-growing library. No Starch Press and O'Reilly have graciously offered to donate books to us. Their booklists can be found at http://www.oreilly.com/pub/q/book_nostarch_title_asc and http://www.oreilly.com/pub/q/book_oreilly_title_asc.

Specific titles and general ideas are welcome.

General ideas

  • Basic Linux books for specific distros
  • Debian Distro reference books
  • In general I'd suggest "meta" books (e.g. security, networking) over specific books (e.g. Perl, PHP, hacks, cookbooks); so I guess I'm saying more general theory over programming or specific applications. I say this for two reasons. First, the specific books are more likely to change and go out of date quicker. And second, volunteers/staff/etc are more likely to have copies of the specific books themselves whereas they're unlikely to have the general ones since they're not "essential". -- Wren
  • Cookbooks and other specifics-oriented books

Specific books

O'Reilly

Kevin's top ten:

  • PHP Cookbook
  • Python Cookbook
  • SQL Cookbook - not yet released, new author, iffy?
  • Classic Shell Scripting
  • The Art of Project Management - highly recommended by various folks, on my to-read list.
  • Designing Large Scale LANs - sounds like a good thing for ASSes to read. Would any ASSes take the time to read it? Who knows!
  • Practical Unix and Internet Security - apparently a venerable classic
  • Security and Usability - I'd like to read this one.
  • Practical PostgreSQL - kinda gets trashed on the Amazon reviews, but it would be good to have a PostgreSQL book around somewhere, since that's what fgdb runs on.
  • Linux Security Cookbook

Kevin's other suggestions:

for ASS:

  • Security Warrior
  • Network Troubleshooting Tools - gets mediocre reviews, but probably useful to ASS newbie.
  • Linux Network Administrator's Guide - some people on amazon like it. On the other hand, it's mostly a printed-and-bound version of documentation that's free online.
  • Internet Forensics - not-yet-released, but subject is ASS appropriate.

for Coders:

  • RT Essentials - If you can get anyone to agree to read this, grab it. But I'm not sure you can.
  • Producing Open Source Software - I'd want to review this before actually recommending it, but it would answer those questions from the coders who wander in and ask "how do I get involved in Open Source?"
  • Unit Test Frameworks
  • Secure Coding: Principles and Practices
  • Designing Interfaces - another not-yet-released from first-time-author.
  • JavaScript & DHTML Cookbook
  • Learning Python - probably more appropriate than Programming Python for new coders.
  • Learning the bash Shell
  • Essential CVS - only in the "if you like books better" category

Other:

  • Running Linux - was good to me once upon a time. It's on its 5th edition now, perhaps is still good.
  • Open Sources 2.0 (doesn't FG already have the first one?)
  • Ambient Findability - not so sure it's good for FG specifically, but, um, sounds kinda interesting.
  • Using Moodle
  • Joy of Tech series (comic)
  • User Friendly series (comic)

Missing:

  • PHP book?
  • Book for www.freegeek.org content authors? (on HTML or CSS or "web design" or something.)

Wren's suggestions:

  • 802.11 Security
  • 802.11 Wireless Networks: Definitive Guide
  • AI for Game Developers (not relevant to FG?)
  • Ambient Findability (highly highly suggest)
  • The Art of Project Management (also highly highly suggest)
  • Building Internet Firewalls
  • Building Embedded Linux Systems (not relevant to FG?)
  • Computer Security Basics
  • Designing Large Scale LANs
  • Linux Network Administrator's Guide
  • Peer-to-Peer: Harnessing the Power of Disrup... (not relevant to FG?)
  • Zero Configuration Networking: The Definitive Guide (not relevant to FG?)

No Starch Press