Thursday, April 16, 2009

Book Review: Building a Server with FreeBSD 7

I just love this book. Refreshing concept, clean, straight to the point and very very lean. In it you won't find any desktop related topics, this is an 100% server oriented book.

This is the book to get if you want to step up a server running services such as Apache, FTP, SAMBA, DNS, DHCP, NTP, VPN and so on. Chapter 1, presents the reader on clear and very straight to the option instructions on how to install FreeBSD and perform core administrative actions.

After this chapter we move to the core of the book: services. For here on the reader can choose the service he wants to install/configure and jump right to it.

For each service the author describes the application's background and history, software version used in the book, needed dependencies, install and configurations instructions. The book also shows how to test the service and points to further information. All this is a very systematic and streamlined manner.

BASWF7 is 288 pages long and makes a nice companion to set up services on FreeBSD for anyone acquainted with UNIX like systems. It's also a good complement to FreeBSD's own Handbook by moving into the territory where the Handbook falls short: third parties application configuration.

The book however isn't perfect. It should have in my opinion instructions on how to set up NFS and provide security hardening instructions/advice such as how to build a simple firewall to protect the server.

To sum up: I full hearty recommend this book to anyone wanting to build a server with FreeBSD.

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