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+---
+title: 'A few words on FreeBSD Mastery: ZFS'
+category:
+- blog
+abstract: A very short review of a great technical book.
+date: 2023-12-10T18:54:48+02:00
+draft: false
+---
+{{<img-pull-right "mwl-zfs-mastery.jpg">}}
+Yesterday evening I have finished [*FreeBSD Mastery: ZFS*](https://mwl.io/nonfiction/os#fmzfs) by Michael W. Lucas and Allan Jude.
+It is my "yet another" read from Michael W. Lucas (MWL) and "yet another" time when my expectations were high.
+Luckily, as always, the book surpassed them.
+
+But first thing first: the introduction chapter lies and no prior knowledge about file systems is needed.
+I always considered them as the thing that puts 0 and 1 on the disc and nothing more.
+The book changed my mind and didn't assume I knew anything that would not be required to install FreeBSD.
+
+This is the first book a dilogy.
+The second one, *Advanced ZFS*, is said to go into advanced (badum-tss) subjects, so authors had space and time to actually explain the basics.
+I now have a reference to *think* about FreeBSD - why it exists, how to use, why I should not think of hardware RAID.
+A lot of space in the book is dedicated to *how* ZFS works with subjects like *copy on right* idea, *compression*, or *reduplication*.
+
+As for the daily usage, I now know why one would use a lot of Datasets and why Snapshots are great.
+This has already transformed how I use my computer, as I have migrated a lot of directories into dedicated Snapshots.
+I also understand why the [FreeBSD.org guide to Jails](https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/jails/#host-configuration-directories) proposes ZFS Dataset copies as a way to create new jails.
+
+ZFS is completely different beast to any file system I use and requires thinking in novel way to get anything above something like NTFS.
+It far from natural so having a good guide is a blessing.
+
+I can recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject without a second of doubt.
+
+And the cover is amazing. MWL's covers are always distinct and this is no exception.
+
+Read as PDF on Onyx Boox Note Air 2.   
+Book bought from [Tilted Wind Press](https://www.tiltedwindmillpress.com/?product=fmzfs).  
+Next up: [Cybersecurity for Small Networks: A No-Nonsense Guide for the Reasonably Paranoid](https://nostarch.com/cybersecurity-small-networks)