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+++
title = "Absolute FreeBSD"
author = ["Michał Sapka"]
date = 2024-03-28T22:08:00+01:00
categories = ["blog"]
draft = false
weight = 2001
abstract = "The ultimate guide to FreeBSD"
+++
I may have been a BSD devotee for almost a year, but I have close to zero knowledge about it.
I get by, but I see the benefits, but it's all surface-level.
It was the same with Linux - I can _use_ Linux, but I don't _know_ Linux.
Absolute FreeBSD is a Tour de France of FreeBSD.
You get to know how the OS operates, what tools are provided, and how to use it effectively.
Let's start with the bad, as I have two gripes with the book.
{{< img-r "mwl-absolute-freebsd.jpg" >}}
Cover
{{< /img-r >}}
First, only halfway through MWL informs the reader that this book is aimed at _server administrators_.
I am primarily a PC user of FreeBSD, so not all the knowledge is usable.
Counter argument: if you run FreeBSD, out of all other OSes, there is a huge chance you will want to know its ins and outs.
Second: this book is partially an advert.
MWL wrote other books which deepen the knowledge one might get from this book - Jails, ZFS, and other file systems.
Those are huge subjects, and they well deserve a dedicated book each, but even though we have _Absolute_ book here, it is not absolute.
Want to use Jails?
Better get yourself _FreeBSD Mastery: Jails_.
For the rest of this review I'll ignore the _absolute_ claim and look at the book for what it is.
And what it is, is nothing short of amazing.
We start with learning what FreeBSD is, why to use it, and how to install it.
All of those go much deeper than the official _Guide_ go.
After this brief (if 100 pages can be considered brief) introduction, we are thrown into the deepest pits of _FreeBSD_.
We have no idea how to use it, but MWL jumps into the booting process.
It makes sense, as not using SystemD is one of the most praised elements of BSDs, but I would prefer to learn how to install a program.
Nope!
It's rc time!
Having read the book in its entirety, it makes a lot of sense, but when I was reading it, it made little sense.
MWL shows the new administrator how the OS _operates_ before showing how to _operate it_.
To be an effective administrator, one needs to know the _whats_ more than _hows_.
It's much easier to do something when one has the base knowledge.
Then, we jump to backing up the OS.
Surely, any administrator needs to know how to do it[^fn:1].
It's one of those things, which are impossible to fix _during_ an outage.
The next few chapters were especially challenging for me.
Ever tried to recompile a kernel?
Let's learn how to recompile a custom one.
Ever wondered how networking works?
Let's talk about networking in _FreeBSD_.
Want to have a secure system?
Sure you do, so there's a chapter for you!
Interested in how the hard drive is used?
ZFS, UFS, and other acronyms?
Here you go!
There's a lot of info on how data becomes 1s and 0s on a disc.
MWL even throws tidbits of historical knowledge as one may encounter such systems.
We are now on page 371, the middle point.
The reader has proven himself worthy, and the plot thickens.
Time to learn how to use the OS!
And we start with a great surprise: in my Linux days the `/etc` was always a labyrinth of random files.
For _FreeBSD,_ we've got an in-depth analysis of everything that the default installation throws there.
After that, we **finally** learn how to install Firefox in a chapter called "Making Your System Useful".
After that, we're wrapping up with upgrading the system and advanced topics for specific installs - like email send-out or DHCP.
We end with the (aforementioned) Jails and information about how to engage with the community and involve yourself with FreeBSD development.
Is _Absolute FreeBSD_ an absolute book?
Nope.
That's false advertising.
I'd be pretty angry if the book wasn't as good as it is.
It made FreeBSD the _comfiest_ OS I've ever used.
Nowhere else has a single book given me enough confidence in my ability to not only not break the system, but to fix it.
Essential read.
I give it a 4.75/5.
## Meta {#meta}
- Read as PDF on Onyx Boox Note Air 2.
- Book bought from Humble Bundle
- Next up: "The C programming language" by K&R.
Wish me luck!
[^fn:1]: You guessed it, There is related a book and it's amazing! Vide [Tarsnap mastery](https://www.tiltedwindmillpress.com/product/tarsnap-mastery-online-backups-for-the-truly-paranoid/)
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