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 First, the specific books are more likely to change and go out of date quicker.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
• 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?)