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From: "John S. Dyson" <toor@dyson.iquest.net>
Message-Id: <199607251435.JAA05503@dyson.iquest.net>
Subject: Re: Good FreeBSD book
To: zgabor@CoDe.hu (Gabor Zahemszky)
Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 09:35:29 -0500 (EST)
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
In-Reply-To: <199607251350.NAA00377@CoDe.CoDe.hu> from "Gabor Zahemszky" at Jul 25, 96 01:50:17 pm
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> > Ok, this is not a FreeBSD specific book, but it is a classical and in
> > in my opinion a very very good one too. Its called:
> > 
> > The Design and implementation of the BSD 4.3 Operating System
> > 
> > I forgot the author. Again - I don't know how much the FreeBSD we are using
> > differs from BSD 4.3 but this book will give you a very good and detailed
> 
> Leffler, McKussick, et all; but it has a newer version, the title is the same,
> only substitute 4.3 with 4.4 - I think (I havent got it yet), it is closer
> to FBSD.
> 
IMO,

It (4.4 book) is darned close to FreeBSD.  Minor differences in the VM system
(but the VM description is also very close, and necessary reading for those
who might want to hack on it.)  There are also minor differences in other
parts of the system (but not many.)  I saw pieces of it before it was published,
and was impressed them, but seeing the whole thing ended up impressing me more.
(Maybe I was impressed because I simply like working on FreeBSD -- but I
could have been disappointed -- and wasn't.)  If anything, it errs on the
side of detail (which I prefer.)  I was not disappointed when I got my
copy and use the 4.4 book as a reference.

One note, 4.4 (and FreeBSD) has drifted significantly from 4.3.  The 4.3
book is still "nice", but I prefer the 4.4 one.  If you want a really
good start of a picture of the system, get the 4.4 book, and the TCP
books by Stevens (esp. Vol 1(the protocols), and Vol 2(annotated source code).)

I wish I had the writing skills of the author(s) of that book!!!  Other
opinions might vary, but am pretty happy with it.

John