Books We Want
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 First, the specific books are more likely to change and go out of date quicker.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
- A book or two on ruby wouldn't hurt. -- Martin [O'Reilly doesn't **have** two books on Ruby. -- Kevin] -- seconded by a would-be book borrower seeking Ruby
- Cookbooks and other specifics-oriented books
Specific books
O'Reilly
Kevin's top ten:
- PHP Cookbook (2 are on shelves)
- Python Cookbook (3 are on shelves)
- 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!
- 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 (1 in lirary now)
- Head First Design Patterns (1 copy in library now)
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. (1 in library now)
- Internet Forensics - not-yet-released, but subject is ASS appropriate.
for Coders:
- Unit Test Frameworks
- 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?"
- Secure Coding: Principles and Practices
- Designing Interfaces - another not-yet-released from first-time-author.
- JavaScript & DHTML Cookbook
- 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.)
already have [this is not exhaustive, it's just what I remember from what I noticed last time I walked past the bookshelf. If anyone closer to the bookshelf wants to screen this further, please do. Where's our library resource management application?]
- Learning Python - probably more appropriate than Programming Python for new coders.
- Practical Unix and Internet Security - apparently a venerable classic.
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
- Wicked Cool Shell Scripts
- Book of IRC
- The eBay Price Guide
- The eBay Survival Guide
- Linux in the Workplace
- Linux Made Easy
- Web Programmer's Desk Reference
- Linux Problem Solver
- Linux for Non-Geeks
- Ubuntu for Non-geeks [1]
We already have:
- The Debian System